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SandraG3012
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Is my Bonsai ok
I got a bonsai last year from my husband, and I'm not sure what kind it is. Well recently it's leaves have been falling off and now they are almost all off. Is it dying or what am I doing wrong. I've had it on the same table since I got it and I don't water it daily or anything. It had been doing good. Any advice will be much appreciated.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
How would anyone be able to tell you what kind it is or what is wrong with it or give you any advice with no information?
If you care about getting some help, you need to: post a couple pictures of your tree, overall view and closer up view of leaves, if any are left. If it has zero leaves, it will be harder to identify. If it really doesn't have enough leaves to get a picture of, then you need to do the best you can to tell us what the leaves were like... more like needles, like juniper
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2775/5847 ... 241c_b.jpg
broad leafed like ficus:
https://I.ytimg.com/vi/XzGOT7yk_qU/maxresdefault.jpg
notched broad leaves = Fukien tea
https://eschmidtpabonsai.files.wordpres ... c03491.jpg
Japanese maple
https://I.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_a ... I-tree.jpg
That's a few of the commoner bonsai types. But even if you can ID it from this, if you want help to figure out what is wrong with it, you need to post the pictures.
Also you said you don't water it daily (good), but how often and how (much/ process) do you water? What else have you done to it? Fertilized? Pruned? Repotted? Trimmed roots? Misted? It is on a table, indoors. How much light does it get (hours of sun a day)? Assuming it is near a window, what direction does the window face? Did the leaves just fall or did they turn brown first? Get spots? What is the soil like that it is in (soft, peat mossy vs gritty, gravelly)? Where are you located and what temperature, etc conditions has it been in? What season are you in (we get people writing in from Australia, etc, where it is fall going in to winter)? Is the tree near a radiator or heat vent?
It may well be dying, but at least we may be able to help you figure out what went wrong. The more information you can give us, the better help we can give. Zero information = zero help.
Welcome to the Forum, anyway ...
If you care about getting some help, you need to: post a couple pictures of your tree, overall view and closer up view of leaves, if any are left. If it has zero leaves, it will be harder to identify. If it really doesn't have enough leaves to get a picture of, then you need to do the best you can to tell us what the leaves were like... more like needles, like juniper
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2775/5847 ... 241c_b.jpg
broad leafed like ficus:
https://I.ytimg.com/vi/XzGOT7yk_qU/maxresdefault.jpg
notched broad leaves = Fukien tea
https://eschmidtpabonsai.files.wordpres ... c03491.jpg
Japanese maple
https://I.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_a ... I-tree.jpg
That's a few of the commoner bonsai types. But even if you can ID it from this, if you want help to figure out what is wrong with it, you need to post the pictures.
Also you said you don't water it daily (good), but how often and how (much/ process) do you water? What else have you done to it? Fertilized? Pruned? Repotted? Trimmed roots? Misted? It is on a table, indoors. How much light does it get (hours of sun a day)? Assuming it is near a window, what direction does the window face? Did the leaves just fall or did they turn brown first? Get spots? What is the soil like that it is in (soft, peat mossy vs gritty, gravelly)? Where are you located and what temperature, etc conditions has it been in? What season are you in (we get people writing in from Australia, etc, where it is fall going in to winter)? Is the tree near a radiator or heat vent?
It may well be dying, but at least we may be able to help you figure out what went wrong. The more information you can give us, the better help we can give. Zero information = zero help.
Welcome to the Forum, anyway ...
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SandraG3012
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- Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 11:55 pm
Lets operate under the presumption it is a fig (ficus). I want you to start using something wooden (like) a chop stick or BBQ squewer to poke soil daily and only water if it comes out dry to touch. Right now it doesn't have any leaves, so it will be easy to over-water.
Figs easily shed leaves if its environment changes. So the A/C kicks in and every leaf drops on your fig. if it is regrowing leaves, a fig becomes more likely. For as easy as a fig can be to shed leaves, it will regrow them too.
if there are glued on stones please remove them. They were only intended for shipment of your tree. Its time for them to go.
I live in SE-OH USA all my tropical trees are out doors, If you live in zone 6-A + its time for them to get some sun.
We really really want you and your tree-baby to have a long life together. Step one is for you to pick up your tree baby every day and check it out and breathe on it every day. Talking to it couldn't hurt either.
You need to know every wrinkle of this tree better than you know your own face. Your going to need it to notice changes in your tree before it becomes "every leaf has fallen off".
Figs easily shed leaves if its environment changes. So the A/C kicks in and every leaf drops on your fig. if it is regrowing leaves, a fig becomes more likely. For as easy as a fig can be to shed leaves, it will regrow them too.
if there are glued on stones please remove them. They were only intended for shipment of your tree. Its time for them to go.
I live in SE-OH USA all my tropical trees are out doors, If you live in zone 6-A + its time for them to get some sun.
We really really want you and your tree-baby to have a long life together. Step one is for you to pick up your tree baby every day and check it out and breathe on it every day. Talking to it couldn't hurt either.
You need to know every wrinkle of this tree better than you know your own face. Your going to need it to notice changes in your tree before it becomes "every leaf has fallen off".
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SandraG3012
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- Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 11:55 pm
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
A couple pictures would still help and answering my questions:
Where are you located? Also you said you don't water it daily (good), but how often and how (much/ process) do you water? What else have you done to it? Fertilized? Pruned? Repotted? Trimmed roots? Misted? It is on a table, indoors. How much light does it get (hours of sun a day)? Assuming it is near a window, what direction does the window face? Did the leaves just fall or did they turn brown first? Get spots? What is the soil like that it is in (soft, peat mossy vs gritty, gravelly)? Where are you located and what temperature, etc conditions has it been in? What season are you in (we get people writing in from Australia, etc, where it is fall going in to winter)? Is the tree near a radiator or heat vent?
Tom is right, if it is a ficus, that is good news. They more readily drop their leaves than some types of bonsai, but they also more readily grow them back.
Where are you located? Also you said you don't water it daily (good), but how often and how (much/ process) do you water? What else have you done to it? Fertilized? Pruned? Repotted? Trimmed roots? Misted? It is on a table, indoors. How much light does it get (hours of sun a day)? Assuming it is near a window, what direction does the window face? Did the leaves just fall or did they turn brown first? Get spots? What is the soil like that it is in (soft, peat mossy vs gritty, gravelly)? Where are you located and what temperature, etc conditions has it been in? What season are you in (we get people writing in from Australia, etc, where it is fall going in to winter)? Is the tree near a radiator or heat vent?
Tom is right, if it is a ficus, that is good news. They more readily drop their leaves than some types of bonsai, but they also more readily grow them back.
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SandraG3012
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- Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 11:55 pm
I water it when the top inch of the soil is dry. It has soft soil, and I've never fertilized it. I've trimmed the roots, and pruned it. Some of the leaves turn brown and the ends and fall off, but others are greenish slightly yellow, but barely and they fall off. It's not directly by a window. It's on a table in between my dining room and living room and the both have big windows. My living room window faces the south and my dining room window the north. It's gets light from both ends. I recently trimmed the roots because the leaves were falling, because I thought that it might help. It was the first time I've trimmed them. The season is spring here. I live in Colorado, and the weather has been sunny, and been rainy. We even had snow here like a month ago. I never have my bonsai outside. It's always been inside. I don't have pics right now. I'm not home, but will post some when I get home if you need some.
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SandraG3012
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rainbowgardener
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
Well ficus is one of the things that can survive year around indoors, though it might thrive more if you took it out for the warm season. But a tree in a little bonsai pot cannot go a year without being fertilized. It is such a tiny amount of soil, the nutrients in it re used up quickly. You have to water pretty often and all that watering flushes nutrients out of the soil.
"Use an organic liquid fertilizer or a chemical fertilizer diluted to one half strength. Fertilize every two weeks during the growing season and once a month in the winter. Ficus responds quickly and enthusiastically to fertilizing; do not skip it."
https://www.bonsaioutlet.com/ficus-bonsai-care/
"Use an organic liquid fertilizer or a chemical fertilizer diluted to one half strength. Fertilize every two weeks during the growing season and once a month in the winter. Ficus responds quickly and enthusiastically to fertilizing; do not skip it."
https://www.bonsaioutlet.com/ficus-bonsai-care/
If your phone has email, email it to your computer and then upload it to the site. There is an option to upload the pictures on this site when you post a message. Just scroll down below the text box and you will see it. Click on upload attachment and it will ask you to choose a file. Get file from your stored pictures.
If a ficus has been overwatered and rot set in its less likely to recover.
But if any irregular watering happens,if it gets too dry it very likely it will return.
Mine do it from time to time.
Just keep watering.
Or if you want to get involved take it out of the pot for a thorough inspection of the roots.use clean tools get ALL the soil out and wash the roots.
Cut out crossing roots as you would branches.
and cut out any rot!
Trim the feeder roots but be sure to leave enough feeder roots for a quick recovery.keep it warm,not below 40f
Just my opinion.
If I'm wrong please correct me.
No harm no foul.
But if any irregular watering happens,if it gets too dry it very likely it will return.
Mine do it from time to time.
Just keep watering.
Or if you want to get involved take it out of the pot for a thorough inspection of the roots.use clean tools get ALL the soil out and wash the roots.
Cut out crossing roots as you would branches.
and cut out any rot!
Trim the feeder roots but be sure to leave enough feeder roots for a quick recovery.keep it warm,not below 40f
Just my opinion.
If I'm wrong please correct me.
No harm no foul.