Hi. I'm desperately looking for some advice if my bonsai tree can still be saved. It is small chinese elm species and I'm worried that it may have died.
Last month the tree lost all its leaves but I kept it watered and hoped that it would recover. I have read online that to check if tree is still alive, I have to look for green layer under bark if I scratch the tree. I have done the test in several places on the branches and trunk but I can't see the green layer. There is only one small area at the bottom of the trunk where there is a little green ( please see picture). Is there a chance it is still alive and may be saved? If so, how to save it? Please help.
-
Katiekatie242411
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:15 pm
-
TreesEasey
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2023 9:07 pm
- Location: Detroit
A picture is always instructive, but in its absence stop watering it more than once every two or three weeks. Remove dead leaves by cutting the leaf stem. Leave the petiole (stem) on to guard the bud growing in the axil. It is probably responding to indoor light conditions as it would to the reduced light of autumn and is resting. Or it's dead. Treat a resting tree like it needs water all the time and the roots will rot and it will die. Treat a resting tree like it's dead keeping it too dry and it will die. A resting tree will transpire very little because it has no leaves, but the trunk & branches will transpire a little and the roots may actually grow a little. Touch the soil and don't water if damp to your fingertip. Watch for buds that will begin to swell as more light comes to it with the longer days. When you see buds, start feeding it once a month with any commercial liquid fert.
Anything new should be acclimatized to your indoor conditions. People get antsy in winter and buy houseplants. Not wise, next time buy in late spring or summer. You have no way to duplicate the seller's growing conditions except by dumb luck. Normally, (tree) houseplants are the healthiest if summered outdoors for one growing season where they can happily grow a whole new set of leaves, moved into partial shade, then more shade, and finally to full shade over a period of a few weeks in late summer. That would be similar to most household window conditions where it would park for winter, not growing, just holding the head of foliage which was all new from summer. Don't rotate. One side will acclimate to brighter light and the inner side will acclimate to less light. The plant will still look OK at the end of the winter indoors, ~May 1st or so. Then, all the leaves are cut off at the base of the leaf, trim twig ends back to a live bud pointed in the direction you want it to grow to keep it within bounds (to a shape you like), and set in best light (for its species) outdoors. Water every day it doesn't rain, about 2 PM so it never goes thru the hottest part of the day bone dry, but doesn't cycle between soggy all night and too dry by the end of the day. Feed the plant every two to 4 weeks during the growing season outdoors. Too much feeding makes the plant big. Just enough feeding will keep it growing, but at a minimum, -as though it's going to winter over in a normal size house. It's your choice. If fed indoors in typical lousy light it will grow leggy and out of bounds. Enjoy! Bonsai is a hobby for the rest of your life.
Anything new should be acclimatized to your indoor conditions. People get antsy in winter and buy houseplants. Not wise, next time buy in late spring or summer. You have no way to duplicate the seller's growing conditions except by dumb luck. Normally, (tree) houseplants are the healthiest if summered outdoors for one growing season where they can happily grow a whole new set of leaves, moved into partial shade, then more shade, and finally to full shade over a period of a few weeks in late summer. That would be similar to most household window conditions where it would park for winter, not growing, just holding the head of foliage which was all new from summer. Don't rotate. One side will acclimate to brighter light and the inner side will acclimate to less light. The plant will still look OK at the end of the winter indoors, ~May 1st or so. Then, all the leaves are cut off at the base of the leaf, trim twig ends back to a live bud pointed in the direction you want it to grow to keep it within bounds (to a shape you like), and set in best light (for its species) outdoors. Water every day it doesn't rain, about 2 PM so it never goes thru the hottest part of the day bone dry, but doesn't cycle between soggy all night and too dry by the end of the day. Feed the plant every two to 4 weeks during the growing season outdoors. Too much feeding makes the plant big. Just enough feeding will keep it growing, but at a minimum, -as though it's going to winter over in a normal size house. It's your choice. If fed indoors in typical lousy light it will grow leggy and out of bounds. Enjoy! Bonsai is a hobby for the rest of your life.