Fukien tea tree in the last frontier

[Moefroe09]

I am new to bonsai and my niece gave me a beautiful Fukien tea tree which I fear is sick. It was flourishing over the summer, loving all the sun we get here in Alaska and now as our daylight dwindles and the temp is dropping it doesn't seem so happy. I have been watering it regularly and fertilize with organic fish meal, but it still seems unhappy, help me please. I don't want to lose it!

[rainbowgardener]

A picture would help. In what way does it seem unhappy? Dropping leaves? Yellowing? Anything else?

I assume it is indoors. Was it outdoors for the summer? How much light is it getting now that the days are getting shorter? You saw that it likes a lot of light. If you don't have a good south facing window that gets a lot of light, you may need to give it supplemental lighting - which would be a lamp dedicated to it, that shines on it from just a few inches away.

[Moefroe09]

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It's leaves are yellowing a bit and drooping, the pre-existing buds are browning, and I haven't seen any new growth. This past summer was the wettest on record so I kept it inside in a huge bay window facing south, it still faces south but on a table away from the cold window.

During our summer months it was getting anywhere between 15 to 20 hours of daylight and since we loose light rapidly after the solstice the hours of daylight have decreased to about 10 per day.

I hope the picture helps diagnose the problem and thank you!

[imafan26]

Fukien tea is a weed for me, but yours does look pretty sickly. It actually looks like it is too wet.

You should be watering the plant in the tub or sink and let it drip dry and do not leave any water in the saucer. The soil also does not look like bonsai soil. What are you using?

[Moefroe09]

So, I have a humidity tray underneath, our climate is very dry and I was told a humidity tray is important, should I ditch it? And when you water your tree, do you let it soak in water for a bit and then drain it?

Also, the soil is the same the tree came in, I received it in May of this year and haven't repotted it or anything yet. I'm not sure what the soil is but it looks like a mixture of dry gray clay and dirt.

I'm sure your right on both accounts, I appreciate the help Any chance you can recommend a good bonsai soil for my poor guy? Thanks again!

[imafan26]

Humidity trays are fine as long as the tray is filled with marbles or pebbles and the pot isn't really sitting in the water. The other way to humidify would be to mist. Air conditioning dries the air out more.

Bonsai soil should not really have dirt in it. It is should be about 75% fine gravel and 25% organic media like very fine bark, charcoal and such. Gravel and bark are usually screened and washed to remove as much dirt as possible. 1/8 inch mesh screen. I can get fine gravel at the stone yard where they sell concrete tiles, builders sand and gravel. Look for the finest grade they have. I have also used aquarium stones but it is hard to find ones that have not been dyed. I use the bigger pieces for other projects like between pavers and pathways. Clay particles, if you have the time and enery smash a terra cotta pot (clean it first) and sift it. I usually have broken terra cotta around that I use to pot up orchids so I don't have to smash new ones. Wear goggles and do the breaking inside of a bag so the shards don't go flying. It isn't hard to break so you can do it gently. Activated charcoal for aquarium filters help keep the media fresh. Use only a little. I was told I could pot vanda on charcoal chunks and they did not like it. Make sure the charcoal is natural and has no firestarter or chemicals added to it. I get orchid bark from an agricultural supplier. If you have an orchid club in your area contact them or go to a meeting and ask the regulars where they get their bark from. Someone in the club may sell you some. Orchidists usually buy big bags of it. You do want the fine grade not the medium or large.

http://www.bonsailearningcenter.com/IMA ... /Soils.pdf

[rainbowgardener]

Or you can buy a ready mixed bonsai soil on line. Just search on bonsai soil.

Here's one e.g

http://www.easternleaf.com/Organic_Blen ... 7Aod9hcACA

Here's the list of ingredients in it:
•Ingredients: Turface Calcined Clay, Peat Moss, Pumice, Small Fir Bark, Vermiculite, Sand

Notice it is called Organic, since it does have some peat moss. Some shrubs and trees do better with a small amount of organic material like that, some don't and you can get bonsai soil without the peat.

Lots of bonsai people use turface as part of their potting mix. It is sold as a product to get up oil from garage floors.

But yes, the potting mix it is in looks way too organic, dense and moisture holding and would be part of the problem.

[Moefroe09]

Thank you for all the suggestions, I have soil on its way and will hopefully be posting a healthier picture of my tree soon.
You said you have a Fukien tea tree, right? What type of fertilizer do you feed it? I have only used organic fish fertilizer and even though it was suggested to me, I'm afraid it's not doing the trick. Any suggestions? Thanks you!