so I have been giving the task of attempting to save my buddys Fukian Tea tree. I don't know anything about Bonsai's but I am always down for a challenge. He has not really told me much about it, but I don't believe the soil has ever been changed, even since he bought it over a year ago. is there anything I can do to save this tree? or is it beyond hope? thanks again!
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The last pic looks like the tree has scale. These pests need to be removed/killed. They can be scraped off by hand and/or treated with horticultural soap or oil. Worst case scenario use some dish soap in water and spray the solution all over the tree (under leaves and soil as well). The other thing is now that the tree has no leaves, DO NOT water it anymore. WAit until the soil is bone dry, and water sparingly.
Tree also needs serious light and some humidity of possible. Do a search on Fukien tea on this site. There are a lot of posts for this type of tree due to the difficulty of it's care. Good luck
Tree also needs serious light and some humidity of possible. Do a search on Fukien tea on this site. There are a lot of posts for this type of tree due to the difficulty of it's care. Good luck
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ok so I removed the moss, and I sprayed soap and water on the tree. should I change the soil out? and with thoes "scale" things will the soap and water remove them, or will I still need to scrape them off by hand? caus there is quite a bit of them all over the tree
and I'm not 100% sure on lighting situation, I think it got some light, but nothing direct. I believe it was on his kitchen table which is about 8 feet away from a window that has no shades on it.
and I'm not 100% sure on lighting situation, I think it got some light, but nothing direct. I believe it was on his kitchen table which is about 8 feet away from a window that has no shades on it.
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I just talked to him and he said that the tree started declining after he sprayed this stuff on it because he was having a problem with some bugs that were on it. could this be whats killing the tree?
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Some insecticides are hard on Fukien Teas. Best bet right now is to take as many off by hand, scrape off and spray it with soapy water. Make sure the soil remains dry and only water it sparingly if your confident there is no water left in the soil. Remember a tree with no leaves needs very little water.
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Suicidal Hamster,
I was once given a small Ficus that was badly infected with Scale and after numerous attempts to control them I simply gave up on it and threw it out. Remember even if you think you have them under control you must be vigilant and not allow them to become reestablished.
Norm
They are protected by their shells so physical removal is definitely a good idea. When they are at the nymph stage is when they are vulnerable to treatment.with thoes "scale" things will the soap and water remove them, or will I still need to scrape them off by hand?
All the more reason to get rid of them ASAP.caus there is quite a bit of them all over the tree
I suppose it's possible that the insecticide he used could have some adverse effects. I don't grow Fukiens but common wisdom has it that they can react badly to some products. I would not have guessed that the product he used would cause trouble though.I just talked to him and he said that the tree started declining after he sprayed this stuff on it because he was having a problem with some bugs that were on it. could this be whats killing the tree?
I was once given a small Ficus that was badly infected with Scale and after numerous attempts to control them I simply gave up on it and threw it out. Remember even if you think you have them under control you must be vigilant and not allow them to become reestablished.
Norm
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Hamster, Your efforts to save your buddies tree is very honorable indeed. But I want to be realistic here and it will sound like I'm throwing cold water on those efforts. I don't believe there is an issue with water or lighting, but the scale. Fukien tea is notorious for it - and other bugs. They seem to come from miles around to "dine" on it's savory juices. You can pick them off for hours (I do it with the tip of a toothpick) but, alas, they do come back. That's because of the eggs laid along the new shoots and beneath the leaves, many are also totally hidden down in the soil. We try every insecticidal soap and safe insecticide known to man and they still come back!!!
It's your call - but I would get it the 'heck' out of the house, clean all areas of your house where it has been. Get your buddy, and yourself, a new practice tree - perhaps a jade or one from the ficus family. Study up on it and keep your bonsai interest alive.
TomM
It's your call - but I would get it the 'heck' out of the house, clean all areas of your house where it has been. Get your buddy, and yourself, a new practice tree - perhaps a jade or one from the ficus family. Study up on it and keep your bonsai interest alive.
TomM
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Hell, I use straight alcohol (95%) in a spray at times, although it might kill new shoots on the Fukien tree but it kills the scale. I also use Neem oil and soap in a spray and that seems to work as well. The former might be a little hard on trees but definitely wipes out critters. You can dilute the alcohol if your concerned about the effect on the trees. I've used these methods on scale on ficus, which are much worse for scale, and come back with excellent results. Either method should kill eggs and live bugs.TomM wrote:Hamster, Your efforts to save your buddies tree is very honorable indeed. But I want to be realistic here and it will sound like I'm throwing cold water on those efforts. I don't believe there is an issue with water or lighting, but the scale. Fukien tea is notorious for it - and other bugs. They seem to come from miles around to "dine" on it's savory juices. You can pick them off for hours (I do it with the tip of a toothpick) but, alas, they do come back. That's because of the eggs laid along the new shoots and beneath the leaves, many are also totally hidden down in the soil. We try every insecticidal soap and safe insecticide known to man and they still come back!!!
It's your call - but I would get it the 'heck' out of the house, clean all areas of your house where it has been. Get your buddy, and yourself, a new practice tree - perhaps a jade or one from the ficus family. Study up on it and keep your bonsai interest alive.
TomM
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alright so I went over the tree today with a toothpick and removed every last scale and I gave it a good spray down with soap water. I have also removed the moss that was sitting on it. I'm still wondering about Soil. Do I need to repot it? and if so what is the best all around soil mixture to use for it?
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I'd just leave it alone for now. Let the soil dry out completely and water lightly. The tree is currently under stress and repotting will pretty much likely kill it if it is not dead already. Wait a while (2-4 weeks) to see of it starts to put out leaf buds. If yes, then your lucky.Suicidal Hamster wrote:alright so I went over the tree today with a toothpick and removed every last scale and I gave it a good spray down with soap water. I have also removed the moss that was sitting on it. I'm still wondering about Soil. Do I need to repot it? and if so what is the best all around soil mixture to use for it?