New owner...having problems
I got a ficus bonsai about a month ago at a nursery, where it was lush and beautiful. Now, the leaves are dropping like flies. There are only a few green leaves left. What am I doing wrong? I just don't want it to die...
I got a ficus bonsai about a month ago at a nursery, where it was lush and beautiful. Now, the leaves are dropping like flies. There are only a few green leaves left. What am I doing wrong? I just don't want it to die...
skibee11,
You have told us nothing at all about what you are doing, That makes it difficult to say the least to identify any errors.
Please put your location into your profile, This is often a factor.
Please post a picture if possible. Tell us a bit about the enviroment where you keep it, The light it gets, And your watering scenario.
ynot
I live in Reno, Nevada. The dead leaves that are falling off are brown, not yellow. It gets adequate sunlight...I think. It is not kept directly by a window, rather about four feet away. I have tried different watering plans. Lately I have been watering it a few times a day, as I read that if the leaves are brown than it means it is not getting enough water. Is that enough information??
Thanks.
Thanks.
...It's a startskibee11 wrote:I live in Reno, Nevada. The dead leaves that are falling off are brown, not yellow. It gets adequate sunlight...I think. It is not kept directly by a window, rather about four feet away. I have tried different watering plans. Lately I have been watering it a few times a day, as I read that if the leaves are brown than it means it is not getting enough water. Is that enough information??
Thanks.
Before we go further, Scratch the trunk and tell us what color you see.
Green= life
Brown=dead tree
Get it closer to the light, The intensity of light decreases exponentially with distance [Generally, The square of the distance]
What this means is your tree is getting 1/16th the light it would get 1' from the window.
I suspect your overwatering it has caused root damage which is keeping it from absorbing more water.
This in turn essentially dehydrated your tree. With no leaves it will have reduced transpiration and require even less water [As it has no way to exchange it without leaves.]
Do you even check to see if it requires water before you water it?
How to water:
If the soil is Moist [An inch or so UNDER the surface.] then do not water.
Check it everyday,ONLY water when it needs it.
When you water drench the soil completely until the water comes out of the drainage holes-Wait 5 minutes- Drench the soil again until the water flows from the holes again.
There are are articles for beginners at each of these sites:
Please read them as well as related articles addressing your species.
Other choice articles addresss Watering, Indoor bonsai, Lighting, etc...
https://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics.html
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm
Ficus are very tough, Given the [very imited] information I have available your tree could either allready be dead or possible to save.
The results from the scratch test will help determine the next step.
A picture would be helpfull also. [One of it healthy and one now would be great.]
good luck,
ynot
Ok. I scratched the root and it is still green. So, hopefully it is not too late to save. I think it was just getting watered too much, as I thougth that if the leaves were brown, that meant it was in need of water. So thank you for your advice on that. Another question, can it be under any light, or just sunlight? Thanks again.
skibee11 wrote:Ok. I scratched the root and it is still green. So, hopefully it is not too late to save.
Try an inconspicuous spot on the trunk, Not the root.In my previous post I wrote:Before we go further, Scratch the trunk and tell us what color you see.
skibee11 wrote:Another question, can it be under any light, or just sunlight? Thanks again.
ynotIn my previous post I wrote: There are are articles for beginners at each of these sites:
Please read them as well as related articles addressing your species.
Other choice articles address Watering, Indoor bonsai, Lighting, etc...
https://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics.html
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm
Last edited by ynot on Sun Oct 08, 2006 3:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OK, There is life in there to be saved yet.skibee11 wrote:Yeah, sorry, I meant the trunk....about two iches from the soil, and it is green.
Please do take the time to read the articles in the links I posted.
They will be extremely informative for you.
Indoor bonsai require supplemental lighting for optimal growth.
Flourescents are the light of choice for most hobbiests as they are cheap to get, Cheap to run and provide the proper spectrum of light for plant growth.
Do ask any questions you may have after reading the articles linked.
ynot