Newbie /Fukien Tea

[Hyyer]

hey everybody, first post. new to bonsai so bear with me, I have a few questions after the info.

I bought my first bonsai, a Fukien Tea tree from a roadside store in Alabama on Friday, it rode with me on the car ride home through Saturday till today when I arrived home to Northern Michigan. I watered it once and tried to provide it with ample sunlight and keep it around 55~65*F. Along the ride a flower budded(?), and I'm not sure if they were present before but I've noticed a small black spot on maybe 3 leaves. It is now being kept in my basement, and will be placed on the windowsill (still inside through a window) tomorrow to face West for sunlight. Plant seems to be healthy and is approx 5.5".

I don't really know jack squat about bonsai except that they require certain conditions to grow properly. Caring for trees in this manner is an interesting hobby and one which I would like to continue to cultivate.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x3i1KPLh0qg/T3kbNLGkD9I/AAAAAAAAATo/ZcQRVOQiZKw/s487/IMG_20120401_232101.jpg

Questions:
-Does anyone have extensive knowledge on this species in particular, or do many rules apply regardless of tree?
-Should I get a 'humidity plate'?
-What type of nutrients/fertilizers/insect repellants should I aim for?
-How often should I water it/how much, etc?
-ALso should I be wary of 'light confusion'?

Pretty much if you can give me any direction, I'd greatly appreciate it. Eventually I'm sure I'll learn enough to 'shape' it and all that, but for now it is fine.

 

[JudyB]

For now, just try to keep it alive. Fukien tea's are notoriously finicky plants, so you'll have your hands full doing just that.

No humidity plate, they don't do anything...
I would try using whatever inexpensive fert. that you have, once every week or so if it's liquid.
Insecticidal soap will take care of a laundry list of insect pests, but not all, you'll have to watch for scale, they love fukien tea.
stick a skewer in the soil, check it daily, when it's almost dry, water the tree till the water runs out the bottom.
what the heck is light confusion???

good luck, welcome to the forum.

 

[treebeard55]

As Judy said, welcome to the forum, and to the addiction from which no one wants to recover! You did well, BTW, to let us know in general terms where you live: that lets us give more informed advice.

I apparently have not found Fukien tea as finicky as some, tho I don't claim to be an expert on the species. My biggest difficulties with them have been, 1, local mealybugs love them, and 2, supplying enough humidity in winter. Both those issues seem to be under control at present.

Many principles of cultivation apply to all tropical trees, such as the fact that they are genetically programmed to grow year-round without a cold dormancy. There are other, more specific principles that apply to Ficus, Schefflera and so on. For some very good info on tropicals in general, I recommend Jerry Meislik's site, "BonsaiHunk" [URL="http://www.bonsaihunk.us"/URL] (Yes, Jerry definitely has a sense of humor; he's about 5'9".)

My biggest concern, right off the bat, is that your tree may not be getting enough light. Get it into your window, yes; a south window would be even better. As soon as average nite temps are running above 50 F, move it outside into a spot where it gets some light afternoon shade, if at all possible. It will thank you!

I agree, "humidity plates" usually aren't very effective.
There is no special "bonsai fertilizer." Use any good fert and follow manufacturer's instructions.
Water when it needs it. That may sound like a "DOH" statement, but there is no schedule to follow; too many variables. Let the surface of the mix dry completely, then water thoroughly, until water is draining from the bottom. Let the surface dry again, water thoroughly, and so on. Don't let it stand in water for long at all: there is evidence that Fukien tea prefer conditions a bit on the dry side. (A bit; don't let it dry out, either.) I don't use skewers, but many people find them a very good way to keep track of soil moisture levels. There's more to good watering than what I've just said, but that gets you started, I hope.
And, ditto what Judy said: whattheheck is "light confusion?"

 

[Hyyer]

thanks for both your quick responses. Both the plant and I are doing well thankfully. Watering will be my primary concern if it can indeed survive in 55-60*F temps. I put it by the window everyday, rotating it, looking for bugs, etc. I have noticed some leafs are turning black, however I'm clear and certain it's not scale. Is this dip in health related to water, change in humidity, sunlight? or none of the above?

ALso some flowers are budding and blossoming, so I guess that's a good sign right?
I'll have to get a skewer just to be more sure as to when she needs water.

 

[treebeard55]

... if it can indeed survive in 55-60*F temps.

Yes, it will survive OK. But don't look for a lot of vigorous growth until it has warmer temperatures.

... I put it by the window everyday...

Do you mean it spends part of the day away from the window? It needs all the light you can give it!

I have noticed some leafs are turning black, however I'm clear and certain it's not scale. Is this dip in health related to water, change in humidity, sunlight? or none of the above?

Probably due to the change in conditions: it's readjusting. If it doesn't start recovering within a week or two, tho, it might be something else.

..ALso some flowers are budding and blossoming, so I guess that's a good sign right?

Generally, yes.

Hyyer, it's up to you, but it would be a good idea to include your location, in general terms, in the public information about you. Your location gives us some idea of your climate, and that lets us give better-informed answers to some of your questions.

 

[stacy allen muse]

Tea's need to go outside...
if it is 50-60 degrees outside where you are at
take it out.

 

[edprocoat]

Teas do need to go outside. I keep them in full sun whenever possible. I find they do well soaking them each morning and then again in the evening, they dry out in between if in good draining soil. Mine always freaks out a bit when I travel, I take it with me as I go to Fl. for the winter. This year was the first time I had any serious problems and I think it was due to the wetter than normal summer we had last year, it has recovered but is looking droopy again as I just moved back to Ohio. They are probably the hardest of the tropicals to care for but once established do not give much problems. They do love the sun like all tropicals, a grow light in the winter helps lots too. Good luck and welcome to Bonsai, after your next ten or so Bonsai you will feel more confident!!!

There are some very knowledgeable people here so you found a good place for help and info.

ed

 

[Hyyer]

Well I appreciate everyone's responses. BTW, I'm in Northern Michigan, TC.

It's looking ok right now, however I can tell the tree is on the decline. Some leafs are losing color and shriveling. Not good. I'm putting it in the sun as much as I can, but the thing is, it's like ~45*F outside most days, and some days there's no sun / little @ all. I am debating buying a grow light but summer's coming up soon so I"ll just see if he will survive till then.

I haven't fertilized it, but water regularly.

 

[JudyB]

yeah, it's probably a bit cold to be putting it outside still. Unless the sun is out to warm up the pot. If you have a seedling heat mat, I'd suggest you put this tree on it to give it a little extra love while it's still cold. You should look around this summer (if the tree lives) for a grow light for next winter...

 

[Hyyer]

A year later, question....

Well this Fukien Tea has held up well. I've repotted it once last summer. It's currently under this indoor light (as it has been winter in Northern Michigan)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001WYN6E/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just read that it should only be getting ~1 hour of direct light a day...Mine has been getting ~12/day for the last 5 months.

There are also recently been black spots appearing on the bottom of the leaves, the tops are mostly shiny, some slightly brown. They are not scale, I had an instance of them months ago and have since bought this bug spray.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009DT0I6/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and this fertilizer: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZ9R1A/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What could these spots be and am I treating this tree well? I really don't think it's scale. They're not little bugs, but just spots....

pics of the leafs:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44743773/Bonsai Photo 1
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/44743773/Bonsai Photo 2

 

[JudyB]

If you've kept it for a year, then you're doing something right. Ignore the advice about 1 hour of sun.

It could be a fungal infection, how wet do you keep this?

 

[A Random User]

The grey spots on the leaf are actually the leaf...
They appear and disappear all the time. So,
not a problem...

Sorry, but I really have to disagree with some
of the advice that has been given so far.

Tea's really are one of the easiest plants one
will ever find for bonsai... Mainly because you
don't do anything to them.

You don't continually trim them, you don't continually
move them to varying light conditions, or move them
in and out of the house, change their watering schedule,
grow them in climates that aren't tropical... you pretty much
never repot them, they are very, very slow growing,
so there is no need... just water, and look at them,
that's it.
Simple...

This is the reason why they are sold at stores that
know nothing about bonsai... They will sit on a shelf
pretty much for eternity, and be just fine. Then someone
new to Bonsai brings them home, and pretty much does
all of the above mentioned things, more than likely all at
once... Which is what those who are new to Bonsai do...

And then someone on a forum tells them to get
it out of the crappy soil that it is in and put it in Bonsai
Soil... because that is what they themselves were told to do,
by someone who knew little more than they did.
Not understanding that they might actually like the "crappy" soil
that they are in...

 

[Poink88]

Sorry, but I really have to disagree with some
of the advice that has been given so far.

Tea's really are one of the easiest plants one
will ever find for bonsai... Mainly because you
don't do anything to them.

You don't continually trim them, you don't continually
move them to varying light conditions, or move them
in and out of the house, change their watering schedule,
grow them in climates that aren't tropical... you pretty much
never repot them, they are very, very slow growing,
so there is no need... just water, and look at them,
that's it.
Simple...

This is the reason why they are sold at stores that
know nothing about bonsai... They will sit on a shelf
pretty much for eternity, and be just fine. Then someone
new to Bonsai brings them home, and pretty much does
all of the above mentioned things, more than likely all at
once... Which is what those who are new to Bonsai do...

And then someone on a forum tells them to get
it out of the crappy soil that it is in and put it in Bonsai
Soil... because that is what they themselves were told to do,
by someone who knew little more than they did.
Not understanding that they might actually like the "crappy" soil
that they are in...

LOL since I believe it is very true. Blunt but true.

As a newbie, I was told I chose the most difficult tree to begin with (you guessed it right a Fukien Tea) but mine thrived despite the neglect it got. Since then, I also bought 3 more from Walmart for $8 a piece which are still in their peat moss soil. All are thriving well. I do prune them a lot since they grow so much here but the trunks do not thicken any that I can tell. I will repot the biggest one (my 1st) to change the front angle later this month since temps are consistently warmer then.

One thing is that our weather (FL and TX) is much warmer than most and I do bring mine in when temps go at or below freezing. The temp could be the cause of most failure with this tree.

 

[treebeard55]

(First of all: Kong, is that you?)

Sawgrass, the first thing I noticed is that you dismiss all the advice Hyyer has been given, but you offer no alternatives. If you say he shouldn't do such and such, what do say he should do instead?

The advice I've given has been based on what works for me with Fukien tea, and I'm sure the same is true for Judy's advice: based on experience. Given that Hyyer said something about being in northern Michigan, his conditions might be closer to Judy's or mine than to yours.

Just so we can evaluate your statements: how much experience do you have, personally, successfully keeping Fukien tea long-term?

 

[greenman63]

Get a lamp

See if you can get a lamp from Craigslist, but a decent dose of fluorescent light for long hours each day can help tea trees survive. I have seen friends' Fukien Teas go bonkers with 24/7 lighting inside an office kept at an even 68F or so. A little fertilizer once in a while and careful attention to watering and the tree was fine, beautiful flowers, etc.

I've had similar success with my Fukien, it is outside year-round in South Florida on a south-facing, roofed porch. It gets pretty good indirect and direct sun/reflection. It flowers profusely and I keep the berries when they fall off or turn brown. I've used the berries to propagate several more over the past year. They do well indoors with enough light.

I have a Moujean Tea in my office, as well as a small Fukien. I have a big window and flourescent lighting, and they're doing well so far. My desk light (under hutch) is enough light for the Moujean for 8-10 hours a day while I'm there, then the pot goes on the windowsill for the weekend. So far so good, but in Michigan winter, I'm sure you need the extra light boost of a grow lamp or something.

Other than that, I echo what most others have said, I use Bougain or similar fertilizer on almost all my bonsai, especially the ones that bloom. Miracle-Gro works great also. It's important to have the right substrate, not too much peat, good watering habits. I use diluted Murphy's Oil soap in a spray bottle as an insecticidal soap on most everything I grow, also. We get a lot of whitefly down here and that stuff really keeps them down.

Good luck!

 

[A Random User]

(First of all: Kong, is that you?)

Sawgrass, the first thing I noticed is that you dismiss all the advice Hyyer has been given, but you offer no alternatives. If you say he shouldn't do such and such, what do say he should do instead?

The advice I've given has been based on what works for me with Fukien tea, and I'm sure the same is true for Judy's advice: based on experience. Given that Hyyer said something about being in northern Michigan, his conditions might be closer to Judy's or mine than to yours.

Just so we can evaluate your statements: how much experience do you have, personally, successfully keeping Fukien tea long-term?

Curious question ???

By me saying what he shouldn't do... Aren't I at the same time saying
what he should do ???

I will give you an example...

Shouldn't do: "You don't continually trim them"...

Wouldn't common sense just tell one... I guess by this he means
Trim them every once in a while ???

It's not Rocket Science...

 

[mat]

I found Sawgrass's advice to be spot on. Of course we do both live in Florida, so the original poster's results may vary. For me Fukiens do well with a benign-neglect sort of regimen. & they definitely grow slowly, even here.

 

[greenman63]

Here are a few details of the Fukien I have outside my front porch. It's a pretty fun one to have around because it's constantly putting out flowers and berries, pretty much thrives in spite of my more-or-less-benign neglect. The berries frequently result in little seedlings underneath the parent tree, or I just gather up the berries and germinate them off to the side. I give away tiny little potted fukiens to friends and they love them, lol, but you have to give them to someone who's committed to caring for it through the seedling phase until they reach that point where they pretty much go on auto-pilot.

 

[treebeard55]

...
Wouldn't common sense just tell one...

It's not Rocket Science...

I see.

But you are overlooking one thing: some of us, Hyyer, Judy and I included, do choose to grow them in non-tropical climates. If we don't move them into and out of the house according to the weather, they die in winter. Since the conditions we can give them aren't identical to their SE Asian homeland, we need to adjust things to give them the best conditions we can.

Your advice may apply very well to others in south Florida and other subtropical environments; poink and mat obviously think so. But you ignored the fact Hyyer is asking about a non-tropical situation to begin with.

And you still haven't answered my question as to whether you're Kong under a new name, or even W**l H**th, ditto.

 

[october]

I think treebeard55s assessment about fukiens is correct. Area makes a big difference. For example, in this area, with wind chills, we can get down to 10 below 0. Also, we can be in the 20's, then a couple days later, we are around 60 degrees. Also, sometimes we really don't get a Spring. Even in may it is in the 40's. If you keep tropicals around here, it is a bit of a task.

Lets put it this way. While parts of the country are enjoying their lush tropicals in April. We really don't get that until June or sometimes July.

Rob