When to give up?

[RichKid]

My fukien tea lost all its leaves. The branches are all still very pliable and I believe green. How long should it take for a new set of leaves to sprout? And is there a certain amount of time after which I should just give up on it and send it to the pot in the sky?

 

[Beng]

I have a Barbados Cherry purchased from NE bonsai last year. I removed it from it's nursery container and it was very root bound. When it was root pruned and moved to its first bonsai pot It freaked out and dropped every leaf, I watered it less and kept it in shade. 2 months later after being leafless for 60+ days it exploded with new growth and is now happy and healthy. Give it time and don't overwater it. If the branches are green under the bark it's probably alive.

 

[milehigh_7]

A very broad and generalized rule is the scratch test. Take your thumbnail and scratch just a little bark and see if it is green underneath. Just be patient, don't let it dry out but don't soak it either. It may still die but I had a prunus mume stay leafless for an entire summer and it came back the next year. So you never know.

 

[bonsaibp]

My fukien tea lost all its leaves. The branches are all still very pliable and I believe green. How long should it take for a new set of leaves to sprout? And is there a certain amount of time after which I should just give up on it and send it to the pot in the sky?

As long as there is green showing if you scratch away a little bark. It may take several months.

 

[geoff hobson]

when to give up

Some years ago I had a small Satsuki which got dry and dropped all its leaves, I thought it was dead, but I did not need the pot so I left it. It was watered if any fell on it, then after about 18 months-yes, it started to sprout new leaves. Incredible, and it went on to flower again. It is not the same species, of course, but worth hanging on for a while yet.
Geoff

 

[JudyB]

I read somewhere that fukien tea and serrissa were the most likely trees for someone to find in the trash.... alive. People give up, throw them out, then they decide to sprout!

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I believe this about fukien tea and serissa trees. my local flowerama has giant fukien teas that have lost alot of leaves browning and fallen off. also the plants are covered with aphids (spelling?) i should tell them they are dead and just throw them out. lol.

 

[RichKid]

Thanks guys. This was my first tree ever. My wife gave it to me as a gift. Its also the first tree I've ever repotted into actual bonsai soil and she swears i killed it because its not in real "dirt". I don't want to have to hear about this for the next fifty years! LOL especially with spring coming and I'm planning on getting all of my trees out of their collected and nursery soil. I don't need her over my shoulder cursing all that I do with my trees! Im going to keep up hope. I have been watering it frequently but I don't think I'm overdoing it. I hope it doesn't take 60 days to sprout some green!

 

[jkd2572]

If it does die. Do the old "buy a new gold fish thing". You can't let here be right.

 

[Mike MoMo]

I have a Barbados Cherry purchased from NE bonsai last year. I removed it from it's nursery container and it was very root bound. When it was root pruned and moved to its first bonsai pot It freaked out and dropped every leaf, I watered it less and kept it in shade. 2 months later after being leafless for 60+ days it exploded with new growth and is now happy and healthy. Give it time and don't overwater it. If the branches are green under the bark it's probably alive.

 

[Mike MoMo]

Thanks I have a Barbados Cherry which dropped all its leaves after a repotting as a root over rock. I see green buds so i feel better now.