Some tips please

[migdem]

Hi,

I have bought this bonsai. I think the scientific name is Serissa foetida but can you confirm it?

Also today I remove some access of the branches that where without leaves. Is it good or do I need to do something else?





Any comments are highly appreciated.

Thank you
Miguel

 

[plant_dr]

Welcome to the forum! Please update your profile so we know where you live. It is a Serissa. Probably the best advice you can get right now is to just learn how to take care of it and keep it happy before you worry about any styling tips. You cant style a dead tree!

 

[fourteener]

Cool and annoying plant. They drop their leaves anytime you change something up on them. so...pick the spot where you are going to have it, leave it there and don't move it. If it starts dropping leaves, it's only reacting to the new condition. Don't keep moving it to new places, just let it acclimate to the light conditions you have it. When(not if) it does lose leaves don't panic, keep watering it. Less leaves means less water. enjoy the cool flowers!

 

[migdem]

It is in Malta. Now it has been 1 week since I bought it and I am trying to leave the soil moist as possible.

The seller told me that i need to give it water daily but I found out that if the plant is still moist you do not need to give it water so I am checking the soil daily from under and up and if it is still moist I do not give it water. Is this a good idea?

 

[GrimLore]

We do not let the soil stay moist on ours but we do keep a moisture pan under the pots with about 1/2 inch of small gravel. The tray I fill to the top of the gravel and the plants get water at weekly intervals in the Summer when outdoors. In the Winter here we keep them inside under light for 16 hours a day, keep the tray at the same level and water once a month. They almost always drop all of their leaves when we move them but it saves us the trouble of defoliating Ours seem to appreciate humidity and that methods has worked for my Wife for over 15 years. Also we do not fertilize during the Winter and fertilize every 10 days in the Summer. We use a 20-20-20 mix at 3 times the recommended mix. Fertilizer will depend greatly on how much organic you have in your potting mix.

Hope that is of some use to you and Welcome to B-Nut