Hello all,
Here's the story:
I got my ficus bonsai in early March of this year (I had no prior experience with bonsai). It went through its transition shock, I spent many hours worry-warting over it, and while it stayed rather finicky it was mostly fine. Several months later, I moved to Tennessee (had been in Pennsylvania before). My ficus went through zero transition shock at the move - in fact, it seemed to be THRILLED with its new location. It was sprouting new growth all over the place, the leaves were healthy, it had never seemed so happy. This golden period lasted for about 6 weeks.
Then, suddenly, with no apparent change in environment or watering or ANYthing, it became displeased.
The leaves started turning yellow-green and getting kind of "crispy," snapping off at the slightest touch (it had had this problem in PA, too). I started giving it small doses of bonsai fertilizer - didn't help. I started giving it a bit of Miracid - didn't help. The leaf-yellowing-and-dropping continued. I watered it with Brita-filtered water because the water around here tends to be hard. It wasn't near an air vent. I carefully inspected it for signs of bugs or mites or mildew - nothing. As the leaves yellowed, I snapped them off (which mostly just required brushing my fingers against them).
Eventually, I was down to just 8 big, healthy-looking leaves on the entire plant. At about the same time, I realized that many of the small branches on the tree were drying out and snapping off (I had snapped off a few tiny ones accidentally while I was removing the yellow leaves). Knowing that healthy branches are supposed to be somewhat pliable, not flimsy and brittle, I started testing the branches - and sure enough, many of the small branches snapped right off, and were brown and dusty-looking on the inside, not green.
Then I left town for a week (making sure to water/nourish it beforehand), and when I returned, my bonsai had dropped its few remaining leaves, several more small branches had dried out, and the picture included here shows what a sad, decrepit plant it's become.
My question is: is it dead? I know I can test it by scraping off some bark, and I'll do that if I have to, but I'd rather not because I'm worried that wounding it (even that tiny bit) would be the "straw that breaks the camel's back." If it's dead, any ideas as to what I did to kill it, so that I can avoid doing those things next time? If it's NOT dead, any suggestions as to how to save it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated - I'm stumped!
Thank you!!!
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Currently_Planted
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Have I killed my ficus? (pic included)
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Gnome
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Currently_Planted,
Can you describe your watering practices leading up to, and during, its decline? It's hard to tell from the picture; is the soil dense and organic or loose and gritty in texture?
You might try enclosing it in a plastic bag to keep the humidity up. If you do make sure it is not in direct sunlight as it might get too hot that way.
Norm
Can you describe your watering practices leading up to, and during, its decline? It's hard to tell from the picture; is the soil dense and organic or loose and gritty in texture?
You might try enclosing it in a plastic bag to keep the humidity up. If you do make sure it is not in direct sunlight as it might get too hot that way.
Norm
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Currently_Planted
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Thank you so much for your responses!
As far as soil-type goes, I'm not really sure...I would say it's more "loose and gritty" than "dense and organic," though. It's the same soil it had when I got the plant, back in March. It contains lots of tiny little rocks, bits of what looks like bark, and small green balls (they look like plastic, though I assume they're not), as well as, of course, the dirt.
Watering practices - I used Brita-filtered tap water to water it about once every 7-10 days. I checked that the soil was dry before I watered it, to help avoid over-watering. Each time I watered it, I used roughly a cup or so of water - I poured it slowly onto the soil and stopped when I saw the water seeping into the saucer from the bottom of the pot. When it started to decline, I started watering it more often (about every 5 days), thinking that maybe it was getting too dried out from sitting near a leaky window (it's an old house). I used the bottle-recommended amount of water-soluble fertilizer when I remembered to do so, which was maybe every 3rd watering.
The plastic bag is a good idea - I've been thinking humidity might have been part of the problem.
There is some water in the saucer in the picture, but that's because I watered it right before I took the picture. There is normally not water left in the saucer.
I'm going to attempt to lift the plant from the pot and check the roots now, which is a mildly terrifying prospect (I'm a raw beginner-gardener)...
As far as soil-type goes, I'm not really sure...I would say it's more "loose and gritty" than "dense and organic," though. It's the same soil it had when I got the plant, back in March. It contains lots of tiny little rocks, bits of what looks like bark, and small green balls (they look like plastic, though I assume they're not), as well as, of course, the dirt.
Watering practices - I used Brita-filtered tap water to water it about once every 7-10 days. I checked that the soil was dry before I watered it, to help avoid over-watering. Each time I watered it, I used roughly a cup or so of water - I poured it slowly onto the soil and stopped when I saw the water seeping into the saucer from the bottom of the pot. When it started to decline, I started watering it more often (about every 5 days), thinking that maybe it was getting too dried out from sitting near a leaky window (it's an old house). I used the bottle-recommended amount of water-soluble fertilizer when I remembered to do so, which was maybe every 3rd watering.
The plastic bag is a good idea - I've been thinking humidity might have been part of the problem.
There is some water in the saucer in the picture, but that's because I watered it right before I took the picture. There is normally not water left in the saucer.
I'm going to attempt to lift the plant from the pot and check the roots now, which is a mildly terrifying prospect (I'm a raw beginner-gardener)...
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Currently_Planted
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Update:
Managed to remove the ficus from the pot. (Easier said than done; I realized it was still wired onto the pot, so I had to dig around to find the wire-twists to dismantle the thing.) Pictures of the soil, roots when I first removed them from the pot, and roots after I gently shook/pulled away as much of the soil as possible are included here.
The roots did not appear to be black and/or moldy and/or mushy (to me, at least - I'll yield to you people's judgment). They did not smell bad, just smelled like regular earthy dirt. The roots didn't seem at all brittle, which I suppose is a good thing, although I don't know how significant that is. Several small chunks of "feathery" roots fell off as I was brushing away the soil, although I was very careful not to pull on the roots. I also found a few short pieces of thick wire (not thin shaping wires; these were chunks of the same heavy-duty wire used to bind the plant to the pot) within the soil, which I assume weren't supposed to be there, so I removed them before I re-potted. I also did not re-bind the plant to the pot.
I have virtually no basis for thinking this (and it very well might just be wishful thinking), but I have the feeling that while the ficus is certainly not doing well at all, it IS still alive. What are some steps I can take to coax it away from the brink of death? Also, what should I NOT do? Should I give it some fertilizer/Miracid/etc. to boost its health, or would that stress it too much? Does the temperature of the water I give it have any effect? It had been right in front of a south-easterly-facing window (both when it was perky and healthy AND when it went into decline) - is there a better direction for it to facing as it recuperates?
Thank you!
Managed to remove the ficus from the pot. (Easier said than done; I realized it was still wired onto the pot, so I had to dig around to find the wire-twists to dismantle the thing.) Pictures of the soil, roots when I first removed them from the pot, and roots after I gently shook/pulled away as much of the soil as possible are included here.
The roots did not appear to be black and/or moldy and/or mushy (to me, at least - I'll yield to you people's judgment). They did not smell bad, just smelled like regular earthy dirt. The roots didn't seem at all brittle, which I suppose is a good thing, although I don't know how significant that is. Several small chunks of "feathery" roots fell off as I was brushing away the soil, although I was very careful not to pull on the roots. I also found a few short pieces of thick wire (not thin shaping wires; these were chunks of the same heavy-duty wire used to bind the plant to the pot) within the soil, which I assume weren't supposed to be there, so I removed them before I re-potted. I also did not re-bind the plant to the pot.
I have virtually no basis for thinking this (and it very well might just be wishful thinking), but I have the feeling that while the ficus is certainly not doing well at all, it IS still alive. What are some steps I can take to coax it away from the brink of death? Also, what should I NOT do? Should I give it some fertilizer/Miracid/etc. to boost its health, or would that stress it too much? Does the temperature of the water I give it have any effect? It had been right in front of a south-easterly-facing window (both when it was perky and healthy AND when it went into decline) - is there a better direction for it to facing as it recuperates?
Thank you!
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Bonsai are typically wired in a pot to keep them from falling out of the shallow dish and to stabilize it. The soil looks like it might have been time to change it anyway. The little balls you saw were probably osmocote. When the fertilizer is spent, the empty soy casing sometimes remains.
Bonsai mixes are very porus and use different sizes of gravel. There are bonsai screens in different eye sizes if you really get into it, but there are some bonsai mixes you can get off the shelf. The size of gravel you use is determined by your plant type and sometimes by the size of the pot.
If you cannot repot it right away, plant it in a grower pot with a well drained mix. Let the plant recover and then reduce the roots later.
Ficus are really fussy about changes in light. They drop leaves and go dormant when light is reduced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5GNxqz8LqI
https://www.bonsailearningcenter.com/IMA ... /Soils.pdf
Bonsai mixes are very porus and use different sizes of gravel. There are bonsai screens in different eye sizes if you really get into it, but there are some bonsai mixes you can get off the shelf. The size of gravel you use is determined by your plant type and sometimes by the size of the pot.
If you cannot repot it right away, plant it in a grower pot with a well drained mix. Let the plant recover and then reduce the roots later.
Ficus are really fussy about changes in light. They drop leaves and go dormant when light is reduced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5GNxqz8LqI
https://www.bonsailearningcenter.com/IMA ... /Soils.pdf
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applestar
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Unless I misunderstood, you mentioned it was in front of a leaky window... We've had some ridiculously (I.e.abnormally) low temperatures down to teens (of course now we're having ridiculously warm temperatures -- 62°F on Dec morning?)
Ficus should be kept above 50°s... So that may have been why it shed/lost its leaves?
...p.s. I was basing my comment on Pennsylvania as your location but you moved to TN? If so my weather related comments may not apply.
Ficus should be kept above 50°s... So that may have been why it shed/lost its leaves?
...p.s. I was basing my comment on Pennsylvania as your location but you moved to TN? If so my weather related comments may not apply.
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rainbowgardener
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The roots look pretty healthy, but I would want to do the bark test. A little scraping with your fingernail won't hurt the tree. Ficus quite commonly drop a bunch of leaves when they are upset, but branches shrivelling up is a whole different thing.
Do NOT fertilize a plant that is struggling. That is just another stressor at that point. Just give it the best basic care with plenty of light, a little water (but not too much), warmth, humidity. I'm with applestar, that cold drafts from a leaky window would be really hard on it. It will tolerate normal house temperatures, but really it likes 75 deg in the daytime and 65 at night. As little as one hour of freezing will kill a full sized ficus tree. It does want the soil to dry out a bit between waterings, but the atmosphere to be humid, which you can do with a humidity tray and regular misting.
They are pretty tough and good at bouncing back from all the times they drop leaves, so yours may yet make it. Good Luck!
Do NOT fertilize a plant that is struggling. That is just another stressor at that point. Just give it the best basic care with plenty of light, a little water (but not too much), warmth, humidity. I'm with applestar, that cold drafts from a leaky window would be really hard on it. It will tolerate normal house temperatures, but really it likes 75 deg in the daytime and 65 at night. As little as one hour of freezing will kill a full sized ficus tree. It does want the soil to dry out a bit between waterings, but the atmosphere to be humid, which you can do with a humidity tray and regular misting.
They are pretty tough and good at bouncing back from all the times they drop leaves, so yours may yet make it. Good Luck!
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Currently_Planted
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Thank you all for your helpful and prompt responses!
I scraped off some bark (picture included here).
It doesn't look good, does it? If I'm supposed to "dig in" a little more to be 100% certain whether it's dead or not, please let me know, but otherwise....I think I killed it. Does it look dead to you guys, too?
I tried so hard to keep it happy. I wish I could figure out where I went wrong...
I scraped off some bark (picture included here).
It doesn't look good, does it? If I'm supposed to "dig in" a little more to be 100% certain whether it's dead or not, please let me know, but otherwise....I think I killed it. Does it look dead to you guys, too?
I tried so hard to keep it happy. I wish I could figure out where I went wrong...- Attachments
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rainbowgardener
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The answers to imafan's questions are important, but off hand it is not looking good. Your ficus may have died. And I don't really know why, since it sounds like you were trying hard to give it good care. The week away when it was already really suffering may have been the last straw, but it does sound like the problem was already well advanced by then.
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Currently_Planted
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The branches were brittle and dry; they bled no sap whatsoever.
The flesh under the bark (sorry, I don't know proper plant terminology) was firm. It was mostly dry, although some sections did feel like they had some moisture...I tried a few different areas, figuring that since chances are good that it's dead (or very close to it), wounding it multiple times probably wouldn't make much difference.
So....it's dead, yeah? Or if not "officially, 100%" dead, it's probably way beyond the point of no return?
Thank you all for your help...I suppose I should have asked for advice a little earlier! You guys are great!
(Anyone have clever ideas about what to do with the wooden corpse of a ficus, like wood-carving-wise or something? I feel like it's too cool of a shape to just throw in the trash. Plus simply throwing it away would make me feel guilty for having been a bad plant-parent.)
The flesh under the bark (sorry, I don't know proper plant terminology) was firm. It was mostly dry, although some sections did feel like they had some moisture...I tried a few different areas, figuring that since chances are good that it's dead (or very close to it), wounding it multiple times probably wouldn't make much difference.
So....it's dead, yeah? Or if not "officially, 100%" dead, it's probably way beyond the point of no return?
Thank you all for your help...I suppose I should have asked for advice a little earlier! You guys are great!
(Anyone have clever ideas about what to do with the wooden corpse of a ficus, like wood-carving-wise or something? I feel like it's too cool of a shape to just throw in the trash. Plus simply throwing it away would make me feel guilty for having been a bad plant-parent.)
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rainbowgardener
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Yup, sorry, a goner.
This is things to do with tree stumps:
https://www.pinterest.com/barbright/thi ... ree-stump/
they are thinking about much larger stumps than your baby bonsai, but perhaps a few of them are adaptable.
The guy who invented the honeysuckle popper ( https://www.misterhoneysuckle.com/ ) lives not too far from me. He takes the pulled honeysuckle stumps and turn them upside down so all the gnarly roots are pointing to the sky and then paints gnome faces on them with the roots for hair.
Perhaps you can find some teeny-tiny glass balls to hang on it?
This is things to do with tree stumps:
https://www.pinterest.com/barbright/thi ... ree-stump/
they are thinking about much larger stumps than your baby bonsai, but perhaps a few of them are adaptable.
The guy who invented the honeysuckle popper ( https://www.misterhoneysuckle.com/ ) lives not too far from me. He takes the pulled honeysuckle stumps and turn them upside down so all the gnarly roots are pointing to the sky and then paints gnome faces on them with the roots for hair.
Perhaps you can find some teeny-tiny glass balls to hang on it?