my sarissa losing leaves?

[brian]

My Sarissa is losing leaves and seems to be dying off from the branches furthest away from the roots first. I have not changed anything about the environment or watering schedule. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless, Brian.

[bonsaiboy]

This tree appears to still be growing in the soil it came in when you got it, and apears to have the glued down rocks. If this is the case, it is vital to remove the glued down rocks, wich best works with a philips screw driver. Underneath, you’ll probably see that the roots are grown in normal potting soil. Change this soil to a bonsai soil. Then wait and hope for the best. It is also a good idea to remember that this tree is a subtropical tree, and requires cooler winter tempatures to remain happy.

[bonsaiboy]

Try this website: http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Serissa.html

[brian]

Thank you I will remove the rocks and see what i find and then i may post back with another picture of that. Should I be looking for a different pot as well prior to putting the tree in bonsai soil? Thanks again for the advice and God bless, Brian.

[Gnome]

brian,

If the rocks are glued on then I agree that they should be removed. Usually I see larger rocks used with the glue strategy though. If the soil is uniform throughout there is no urgency in re-potting. The top of your tree looks dead from here but I suppose it is possible that it will recover, just be prepared for the worst.

Do you keep the tree inside or out? I keep everything outside, even tropicals as long as the weather permits. Low levels of light and humidity are problems for most plants inside.

NOrm

[bonsaiboy]

Potting it in a diffrent pot realy depends on wether or not you like the pot it is currently in. If you find a pot that you like better than the one its in, than go ahead and pot it in that one, or you could just go with the pot its in now. Its your choice, but just make shure it has good drainage holes.

[seanabc]

I had a serissa which died on me over a period of a few months. I took a cutting from it though and the cutting is still going strong. The only difference in how I treated the cutting and the tree was that I have a plastic tent over the cutting which keeps the humidity levels up.