iqvm
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:09 am

New to Bonsai - need help with sick tree

I have a Serissa (sp?). It came from a nursery and was said to be around 10 years old. When I got it, it looked beautiful. Full, green, not a dead leaf.

Well, I gave it to my mom as a gift and a few months later it was dying... have only a small patch of green leaves. I took it home to try and fix it. Ended up getting cut-paste and trimming the branches down to where they showed green when doing a scrape test. Also got some vitamins and fertilizer for it.

So it looked as if it was coming back to life and then days later lost all of its leaves. Where I cut and put cut paste isn't growing (but thats probably because there's paste preventing it. Scratch test show bright green on the branches and trunk.

Any ideas what to do next? Theres no leaves and I've seen 0 growth over the past week.

Thanks for any insight.

Sharp
Senior Member
Posts: 139
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:42 pm

Serissas are not a beginner tree I'm afraid.

Things we should address are:

Watering
Amounts of Sun
Temps

Those are usually the 3 bigs that seem to downfall for most serissas. And its usually a HUGE balancing act for these guys. Too much water, not good. Too little water, not good. Look at the color of the leaves that are dropping. Usually yellowing leaves means too much water, while brown/black leaves not enough. It needs good sun sources and warm temps. Oh and it loves tons of humidity.

I wouldnt recommend ferterlizing it till it has alot more regrowth.

iqvm
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:09 am

So if it's lost all of it's leaves is there any chance it can grow again? When scraping the tree still looks healthy, lot's of green even at the tips of the branches.

I clipped almost all of the branches and put cut paste on the ends... I'm wondering how this works... does the cut paste eventually dissolve giving way to new growth or does it prohibit growth for good?

Thanks

Sharp
Senior Member
Posts: 139
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:42 pm

iqvm wrote:So if it's lost all of it's leaves is there any chance it can grow again? When scraping the tree still looks healthy, lot's of green even at the tips of the branches.

I clipped almost all of the branches and put cut paste on the ends... I'm wondering how this works... does the cut paste eventually dissolve giving way to new growth or does it prohibit growth for good?

Thanks

https://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Serissa.html

Give that a good read.

New growth wont happen till we figure out what made the leaves drop in the 1st place.

ynot
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1219
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:49 am
Location: USDA Z:5a Sunset Z. 41 IL

iqvm wrote: does the cut paste eventually dissolve giving way to new growth or does it prohibit growth for good?

Thanks
All good info from sharp so far. Do indulge in the link he posted [Harrys' site is great!] and do seek out more like these IE:

https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/bonsaibe.htm
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/bonsaip.htm

The primary purpose of cut paste two fold, One is to prevent the tree from drying out via moisture loss While also providing a barrier against infection. It is mainly used for larger pruning wounds, I doubt if it was required here but you have done no harm with it.

Getting green when you scratch is good news. There is life within, Hang in there.

What is your geographic location please and where are you keeping the tree?
ynot



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