New to keeping callandra

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I have a powderpuff that is dropping leaves and having hints of yellow in the foliage I watered it as it was starting to dry out and put it under lights it's right next to a bullhorn acasia both trees are from wignars bonsai

What do I do to help the powderpuff stop dropping leaves

Should I repot or just wait til spring.
 

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Carol 83

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@Clicio should be able to help you out with these. If you put your location in the world in your profile you will get advice appropriate for your climate.
 
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I thought sense it's past labor day I'd acclimate it indoors till mammoral day then put it outdoors with the bullhorn acacia I live in the twin cities mn.
 

Potawatomi13

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Great screen name😌. Personally would suspect you need green house for these but not sure. Hope it does great.
 

penumbra

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Your powder puff looks like its hiding behind another plant so the picture is pretty much useless.
I have had mine now for 4 years (also from Wigerts) and I keep it outside until temps drop to 40-50 F. I keep it inside in winter. It grows pretty well all winter as well as outside in summer. They do shed leaves from time to time and they don't like to dry out. They are also fairly heavy feeders. It looks like they are in the same pots that Wigerts grew them in and this is not a good mix for the plant outside of Florida. It is a bit late for re-potting, but I would get it into some decent bonsai soil right away. From your setup pictured, I doubt it will make it to spring and I would re-pot now. It needs very good indoor lighting and humidity.
Caution, they are very susceptible to spider mite infestations and mealy bug. When mine had mealy bug it required an emergency repot. It is doing well now, but it has been a lot of work. Its not a plant I would recommend to a beginner. It will need a lot of pruning to keep it in check, and constant observation.
 
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OK thanks for the tip, I'll repot today and water deeply. I got some grow bulbs off Amazon for it, any sites you subjest to get lights from.
 

penumbra

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Nearly all of my lights came from Amazon, but there is a huge difference in types of lights. Some grow bulbs are for a hobbyist with a few African Violets or Orchids and other fixtures, like LED quantum boards are for serious growing. Problem with many lights and bulbs is that they are not powerful enough to get good light penetration throughout the plant. You can get a lot of top growth at the expense of bottom growth which will mean loss of lower branches. I can't tell you what kind of light to get because there are thousands to choose from and dozens of different types of lights. All I can suggest is to buy the brightest light that your money can buy, for this is a plant that demands high light. If it doesn't cost a hundred dollars or more, it may not be enough. And brand names are important because despite the promises made, most inexpensive lights don't last long. I have thrown a lot of fixtures away that simply stopped working or stopped performing properly. A lot of money has gone into the trash. I am making the switch to Spider Farmer lights where I need high light and durability. Shop lights and grow bulbs are ok for less demanding plants like ficus, but even those would prefer higher light levels. If you are using plant light bulbs be sure you have light near the bottom of the plant as well as light on top.
 

Clicio

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@Clicio should be able to help you out with these. If you put your location in the world in your profile you will get advice appropriate for your climate.
I guess I can't be of any help here.
Al my Calliandras are outdoors all year round as I am in zone 11...
Plenty of water, fertilizer, repot every 2 years.
Good luck!
 

ShadyStump

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No experience with this species, but as far as lights go I was able to keep a bay laurel indoors last winter, in a big north facing window sharing a couple of these lights with a whole table full of other plants and trees.
I got them second hand from my brother. Not ideal, and once you've learned a bit about grow lights they can seem a bit suspect, but they do create a very high quality light. Long term reliability is questionable, and they get really hot, but they totally did the job.

Point is, don't panic! Do your damnedest, but don't over do your damnedest, and you'll be alright.
 

ShadyStump

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Thanks for the update. Sorry that one didn't work out. Lost a few I liked over the winter too.
What's your next one gonna be?
 

ShadyStump

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That's all? 🤣
My 7 year old daughter made me go around the backyard with her counting everything in pots. Came out to a fairly conservative estimate of 104, half of them tropicals that have to come inside in winter. We also skipped seeds, cuttings, anything that looks like it's dying, and everything that stays inside even in summer.
I might have a problem.😐
 
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I have some divi divi a couple bullhorn acacia and a Buddha's hand a R siamensis and a joy perfume tree
 
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