iwasbornin1986
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Chinese Pepper Plant leaves turning yellow - help!

Calling all bonsai experts...

Over Christmas I was given a ten year old Chinese Pepper bonsai. Lately I've noticed that some of her leaves are very, very pale green - almost yellow. I thought this was just the new growth, and mostly it is, but it's also happening on the end of some of the longer branches (she has several very long ones and needs pruning).

I check her soil twice a day and, when the soil is a little dryer than damp, I water her thoroughly. I also mist her leaves once a day. She is kept on a windowsill which does get plenty of light but which is also above a radiator.

Can anyone help?

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rainbowgardener
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It would help to tell us where you are. There are few gardening questions that can be answered without regard to location and climate, even indoor gardening ones.

What kind of soil is your bonsai in? Frequently bonsai trees are sold in soil which is similar to potting soil, very organic with a lot of peat moss in it. This is very bad for them, holds too much moisture and doesn't allow for enough water and air circulation. Good bonsai soil is very inorganic, mineral, gritty, and free draining.

The commonest cause for yellowing leaves is over watering / too much moisture. You say you are letting it dry a little bit in between, but if your soil is very organic, that may not be enough.

Are you fertilizing it at all? The next cause of yellowing leaves could be some nutritional deficits. Chinese Pepper is a subtropical, semi-evergreen. If you are trying to keep it growing and active all winter, then it will need at least a bit of fertilization through the winter as well.

Also "Chinese Peppers have glossy semi evergreen leaves most of which stay on the tree all year round. They are vigorous growers so full twiggy branches are quick and easy to grow. A mature looking bark forms quickly so young trees have an aged appearance. Easy to keep, just be sure it’s well watered and away from dry heat sources." (underlining added, from https://www.bonsaioutlet.com/chinese-pepper-bonsai-care/ ). Your radiator is a dry heat source.

Welcome to the Forum! Keep us posted how your new bonsai does!

iwasbornin1986
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Thank you so much for your response.

I live in Southern England, so it's in the low celcius right now (5-6 degrees).

I did not buy my bonsai from a specialist - I got her from my local garden centre which only stocks a couple - so changing the soil is probably a good first move. Should I remove the old soil completely from around the roots?

I will also try letting it dry more in between waterings. I normally water as soon as there is no damp residue on my finger when pressed to the soil - perhaps this is too often. Regarding the radiator I have very few other options in terms of where to keep her, so perhaps I'll turn it off and brave the cold!

Thanks again. Also, thanks for not mocking me for speaking about my plant like she's a person... or even a female for that matter.

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rainbowgardener
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Yes, when you repot, you want to rinse all the old soil from the roots. Usually then the roots are trimmed and the tree is wired back securely in to the pot. But now is not really a good time to do that. Repotting like that is another stress and your tree is already showing signs of stress. You probably want to get your bonsai soil ready in time to do the repotting when you are getting ready to move your tree outdoors in the spring. You can order bonsai soil on line, if your garden center doesn't carry it.

In the meantime, just give it the best care you can. You are right, your test sounds like over-watering. You don't want to just test the surface, you want to test an inch (or more depending on depth of your pot) down. Get a wooden chopstick and stick it well down into the soil and leave it for a few minutes (or half an hour or all the time). When you pull it out, if it is damp and darkened, the soil is damp and doesn't need water. If the chopstick is still dry, so is the soil and you can water. Water until water is running out of the drain holes, let it drain, and then do it again. Or every few weeks water by submerging it in water up to the soil line, leave it a few minutes, and then let it drain. Especially with peat in the mix, you have to be sure it is thoroughly wetted. Water can run off of dry peat like it does off a dry sponge.

iwasbornin1986
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Thanks again, I will start doing that with the watering. One other thing - I wasn't aware that a Chinese Pepper tree needed to be moved outside for spring? I know that's a mistake a lot of people make - keeping plants indoors all the time - but u thought this tree was meant to be indoors? I will try to do some further research. If she does need to go outside, is it for around a 6 month period? And whereabouts would be best to place her?

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rainbowgardener
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All indoor trees and house plants benefit from a vacation outdoors when the weather is right for them. That may not be for half the year. When temps are consistently above 50 degrees F, you can bring it out (I think that would be 10 deg C). You need to gradually harden it off, get it adapted to the new conditions, by just bringing it out for a few hours at first and then stepping it up.

I'm no expert and have never grown one of these, but they say it wants bright indirect light or filtered sun. You also need some shelter from rain, so that the tree is not beaten down or the soil washed away by rain.

Demosouthpaw
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Small reduced leaf size and yellowish leaves may also be lack of nitrogen.

Perenial Paul
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Demosouthpaw wrote:Small reduced leaf size and yellowish leaves may also be lack of nitrogen.
I presume that's were fertilizer would be of benefit?



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