sophiona
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Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:44 pm

Bonsai is suffering

Hello!
My chinese elm tree is kind of experiencing some troubles :(
I got it half a month ago in perfect condition. it's placed on my windowsill on a few books in front of a window facing east. I do have to mention, the light only hits the bark and the leafs, not the soil or the pot. I water it everyday, roughly 100 ml as I have been told by the shopkeeper.

Now, it's been losing leaves, and it's losing more and more. Also, I noticed some mold, or something that looks like mold growing on the soil. Image attached.

How do I save my bonsai? :(
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The mold :(
The mold :(

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I think everyday is probably too much water. Are you emptying the tray. Few plants will tolerate sitting in a swamp. if you look at the bonsai sticky it tells you how to use the chopstick test to see if the plant needs water.

sophiona
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Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:44 pm

Thank you for your reply!
No, I do not empty the tray. Should I? Should I start spraying water on the leaves? The twigs are starting to break off easily, I'm really worried :cry:
I'll try the chopstick test.
Also, the moss on the soil is starting to come off very easily and is going from the previously green to now a more brownish colour. Is it usual for bonsais to die this quickly?

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rainbowgardener
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No your bonsai should not die with proper care. The moss coming off does not mean the bonsai is dying, though it is clearly suffering. The moss needed to come off anyway.

The mold on the soil surface probably means it is staying too wet (that can cause yellowing leaves as well). Every day watering is all wrong for bonsai. It should be watered when it needs it, after the top layer of soil has dried (that's what the chopstick test is for). When you water it, it should be watered thoroughly until all the soil is wet and water is running freely out the drain holes (do it in the sink).

Water can and should stay in the tray AS LONG AS THE POT IS NOT TOUCHING IT. The tray is called a humidity tray. It should have pebbles or small rocks in it, to lift the pot up out of the water, so the pot sits over the water not in it. The idea is just to add some humidity to the air around the tree. Yes your tree will very much benefit from daily misting.

If you put chinese elm in the search box top left you will find lots of threads about them. see this thread about Chinese elms: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=71085&p=401891&hili ... lm#p401891

They are a sub tropical, kind of in-between temperate deciduous trees and tropical evergreens. As such, they can, with proper treatment stay evergreen indoors. But lots of people treat them as deciduous. Sitting in a window with no added light, in these shortest days of the year, probably triggered it into dormancy, which is why it is dropping leaves. Since yours has told you it "wants" some dormancy, I would treat it as such at this point. Now that it has dropped all its leaves, there is no point in trying to force it to come back now. Let it rest for a couple months. Put it in a cool, dim spot in your house, water very little and don't fertilize it. Don't do the misting, if it has dropped its leaves. Misting is only for the leaves, will be very bad for the bark.

In a couple months, when the days have gotten longer, bring it back out, give it lights and warmth and resume regular watering and feeding and it will re-leaf itself.

Bonsai are just trees and as such they need what trees need, which for most trees (that aren't below the canopy, shade loving tropicals) includes plenty of light. Once it is warm enough, you will bring your tree outdoors for the warm season (being sure to harden it off, gradually acclimatize it to the sunlight and outdoor conditions). When you bring it back in, in the fall, provide supplemental lighting for it. This thread viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73361&p=414454&hili ... ai#p414454 has some examples of lighting for bonsai. Your east facing window in the shortest days of the year is not enough light. South facing windows are better if you can, but it will still need supplemental lighting. But for now, probably best to let it have some dormancy.



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