Please help my bonsai has lost a lot of leaves
Hi, I have a ficus since last december, always have it in the living room in the same place, I water it once per week, but 5 days ago I started noticing that a lot of leaves are falling of. They look like burned, they start becoming dark brown and then they fall off. I love my bonsai, I don't know what is wrong. I read a lot today and decided to move it in the same room but in another place, three days ago I started watering every day. Please help me, Thanks.
What kind of ficus is it? Though most are evergreen, some are deciduous and will lose their leaves in fall (though normally when they are kept outside).
Ficus are known for losing their leaves due to stress, so it may just be that something changed in the environment (has it been especially hot or cold lately, did you get a fan or turn the heater on, an air conditioner, has it been cloudy lately where you are, etc?). If you have been watering it regularly and it was doing fine, unless it got much hotter 5 days ago and has stayed that way, you shouldn't need to water it every day, and most ficus like to get a little dry before being watered again, so watering it daily is probably not going to do the trick (and may actually cause it to drop more leaves). Do you see any new leaves starting to grow? If so, it is probably just adjusting to some change, even if you didnt realize there was a change, and it will likely be fine if you just continue treating it how you were before.
What kind of soil is it in? How quickly does water drain when you water it? Does it kind of roll off the top? or does it go straight through it in a matter of seconds? or does it take a little time to get through? If it doesnt seem to be absorbing very well, either rolling off the surface or going through the soil so quickly that it doesnt actually get the soil wet, then the soil may not begiving it enough water, which means you will need to soak it instead of just watering normally. You can check to see how dry it is by sticking a toothpick or bamboo/wooden skewer in and seeing if it comes out damp, or you may be able to dig a little tiny hole down to look at the soil underneath the surface. Sometimes, even if the top half inch or so looks like its getting watered well, underneath that may not be.
If it is wet after being watered, how wet is it? When you were watering it once a week, was it getting a little dry in between, or was it staying wet the whole time? If the soil is too wet and they arent allowed to dry out a little between waterings, it can cause the roots to rot, or it can allow fungus to grow and attack the roots and even the trunk.
Did you fertilize any time around when the leaves started falling? Bonsai need fertilizer that has been diluted quite a lot, otherwise it can burn the roots.
fem
Ficus are known for losing their leaves due to stress, so it may just be that something changed in the environment (has it been especially hot or cold lately, did you get a fan or turn the heater on, an air conditioner, has it been cloudy lately where you are, etc?). If you have been watering it regularly and it was doing fine, unless it got much hotter 5 days ago and has stayed that way, you shouldn't need to water it every day, and most ficus like to get a little dry before being watered again, so watering it daily is probably not going to do the trick (and may actually cause it to drop more leaves). Do you see any new leaves starting to grow? If so, it is probably just adjusting to some change, even if you didnt realize there was a change, and it will likely be fine if you just continue treating it how you were before.
What kind of soil is it in? How quickly does water drain when you water it? Does it kind of roll off the top? or does it go straight through it in a matter of seconds? or does it take a little time to get through? If it doesnt seem to be absorbing very well, either rolling off the surface or going through the soil so quickly that it doesnt actually get the soil wet, then the soil may not begiving it enough water, which means you will need to soak it instead of just watering normally. You can check to see how dry it is by sticking a toothpick or bamboo/wooden skewer in and seeing if it comes out damp, or you may be able to dig a little tiny hole down to look at the soil underneath the surface. Sometimes, even if the top half inch or so looks like its getting watered well, underneath that may not be.
If it is wet after being watered, how wet is it? When you were watering it once a week, was it getting a little dry in between, or was it staying wet the whole time? If the soil is too wet and they arent allowed to dry out a little between waterings, it can cause the roots to rot, or it can allow fungus to grow and attack the roots and even the trunk.
Did you fertilize any time around when the leaves started falling? Bonsai need fertilizer that has been diluted quite a lot, otherwise it can burn the roots.
fem
Hi femlow, thanks for your response. I just checked the bonsai trying to response your questions: the toothpick came out damp, there is some growth but some of them are already brown, half of the tree is without leaves. I did not do any fertilizer, I have had always a ceiling fan in the livingroom, the bonsai is across the entrance of the house, but never had any problem, I got as a gift and it came with stones glued on the top so I don't know what kind of soil has and just know that is a ficus, Please help me
Ah well the very first thing to do is take the stones off the top. They can make it a lot harder for water to get to all the roots (and also harder to check the soil). I am going to guess that when you pull of the rocks, there will be pretty standard potting soil, and it normally tends to be prety compacted. This isnt the best soil for bonsai, and especially for ficus because they like pretty free draining soil. Let the soil dry out a little (keep checking with a toothpick to see what the soil is like atleast a half inch down, maybe even 3/4 to an inch) before watering it again and if it is pretty compacted, you may want to consider changing the soil, or atleast trying to loosen it up a bit so that it doesnt stay so wet because it sounds like the roots may be too waterlogged.
fem
fem
fem I agree. it sounds like its waterlogged. even when watering once a week, I know from experience that normal potting soild doesnt dry out unless its extremely hot out in full sun. with the rocks glued to the top, it makes it even worse. I would take the rocks off, buy proper bonsai soil, and repot it in a ceramic bonsai pot (unglazed on the inside). if this is done soon enough, I think the tree will make it.
also, remember that root rot, (which could happen from being waterlogged) is a fungus, and the roots should probably be treated with a fungicide before repotting. (if there is a fungal infection). I would also prune the dead or rotting roots. (unless it's all of them...), but thats just me..
also, remember that root rot, (which could happen from being waterlogged) is a fungus, and the roots should probably be treated with a fungicide before repotting. (if there is a fungal infection). I would also prune the dead or rotting roots. (unless it's all of them...), but thats just me..
glazed vs unglazed is an ongoing debate among many bonsaiers, but I use pots that are unglazed on the inside, and I definately think Joe is right for this scenario. If it is unglazed in the inside, the fired clay will absorb water when you water your tree and will release it slowly back to the tree as the water gets used up, helping to keep moisture in the pot, but also helping prevent the roots from being overly wet. A pot glazed on the inside would not absorb any of the water and would make it harder for the soil to dry out properly. And a pot that is not glazed at all (like your basic terra cotta pot) will dry out much too quickly.
The term "root rot" may refer to a specific fungal infection sometimes, however rotting roots in general are not necessarily due to a fungus. In this case though, it may be a good idea to treat with a fungicide, just to be careful.
fem
The term "root rot" may refer to a specific fungal infection sometimes, however rotting roots in general are not necessarily due to a fungus. In this case though, it may be a good idea to treat with a fungicide, just to be careful.
fem