Chinese Pepper Tree Issues

[FearlessPenguin]

Hi!

I have had my Chinese pepper bonsai for a few months now and had been getting on ok with it. In the past few weeks however I noticed the leaves starting to dry and a lot falling off. I had attributed this to possibly drying out in the hot weather we’d been having and have given it a thorough watering. I just wondered if this looked like it lined up with under watering or if something else may be to blame. It was placed in a bright but not direct sunlit spot. Attached some photos. Any help would be greatly appreciated to help the little tree!! Thanks.

[imafan26]

What kind of soil are you using and do you have a tray under it? It may be staying wet too long and causing root damage.

[FearlessPenguin]

What kind of soil are you using and do you have a tray under it? It may be staying wet too long and causing root damage.

Thanks for your reply! It’s still in the soil it was in when it came from the shop, feels pretty light. It is on a tray however the pot is raised on feet and so water is able to freely drain out of the bottom.

[imafan26]

How long does it take for the soil to dry out? Have you let the soil dry out too long?

Usually, wilting is caused by water issues. Either being kept to wet, causing root rot or letting the pot get too dry for too long with causes wilting and roots to die.

Bonsai are in a confined space, so they need to be watered and fed on time. They cannot tolerate either too much or too little. Either extreme can damage the roots. Chinese pepper is one that does not tolerate drying out between watering.

[FearlessPenguin]

Thanks so much for the reply! Of the two, I’d definitely say underwatering was most likely . Is there anything I’m able to do to try and revive it. I have seen many things about completely defoliating it and removing all leaves before rehydrating.

[imafan26]

That depends on how much root damage was done and if it can recover. Dead leaves and branches can be taken off, but I usually wait to see if there are signs of life. When the tree is stressed, it is more important to make sure you water enough without going over or under. Do not feed the tree unless you see new growth. Stressed trees cannot handle being pushed with fertilizer when they are in distress. All you can do is wait is out and see if it recovers. There comes a point when too much of the root mass dies and there is no point of return.