She's twigs and branches now :/

[azzferns]

Hi,

So struggling Bonsai owner here. It was a gift. And a few days after I got her, she started to shed all her leaves. Luckily I got a shot of her while she was still healthy. Now shes mostly twigs and branches. I assumed she was an indoor plant, so her exposure to direct sunlight is extremely minimal. We live in the middle east, and right now humidity is about 60%.


I am unsure what to do right now, I imagine if I knew what kind of bonsai she is ... she might have a chance. Please help.


Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

I expect your bonsai is a ficus. It is one of the best trees for keeping indoors. Outdoors it does not want full direct sun, but indoors the light is so much less, you want to give it your best sunny spot. Sounds like your tree is not getting enough light. If you don't have a good sunny window, south or east facing, then you can give it supplemental light, from a lamp positioned right over it and just a few inches away.


Ficus are famous for dropping all their leaves, when they are moved or conditions are changed, particularly light levels. The good news about that is that since they readily drop all the leaves, they also readily grow more. Your ficus bonsai may come through this just fine, if you give it enough light and good care.

Bonsai trees in general need to dry out a little between waterings and to be in good free draining soil, less organic than potting soil.

It always helps to tell us where you are located and what your climate is. We have people writing in from Australia and South Africa where it is starting to be spring. What you should be doing with your bonsai is quite different if you are going in to spring or you are going in to fall.

But you can start reading up on ficus bonsai care as well as the general art of bonsai.

But all of this is well down the road. First you need to learn how to keep your bonsai tree alive and thriving.

Your little bonsai to be has never been shaped very well. Ficus do tend to be very leafy and twiggy and to my eye do not lend themselves to the most beautiful bonsai forms. But they can be opened up a bit to show the structure:


https://kuromatsubonsai.com/wp-content/u ... G_4787.jpg


https://p1.pkcdn.com/ficus-retusa-bonsai_118290.jpg

they can be given some movement:


https://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/1474308/2 ... bonsai.jpg

To my eye, [this is personal taste] some of the most successful ficus bonsai are in cascade or semi cascade styles:


https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R0UJbZofq54/T ... nsai_2.jpg

but all of this is well down the road. First you need to learn to keep your bonsai tree alive and thriving.

[imafan26]

Of all of the bonsai trees to get, ficus are probably the most forgiving. I actually keep ficus out in full sun, but they really do not like to go in and out of the light. They can tolerate fairly low light levels but should still have the brightest spot you can provide. If you take a ficus that has been indoors for awhile out into full sun the leaves will burn. Take a ficus from full sun or bright light and move it into a darker spot it will think it is suddenly winter and will drop all of its' leaves.

Even in the Middle East, your bonsai will be happier spending most of its time outside for most of the year. Unless you live in Saudi Arabia, you are further North than I am and my ficus are kept outdoors year round. The lowest temperatures I get are usually in the low 50's but once or twice it went down to 49 degrees F.

[Gnome]

azzferns,

Although the pictures are rather blurry I seem to be able to discern small serrations on the leaves. Is this correct? If so, this precludes Ficus. Perhaps it is Sageretia, theezans or Chinese Bird Plum. Try Google images and see if this matches your observations.

Norm

[imafan26]

Good eyes Tom the leaf edges are serrated. I missed that. I don't recognize this plant. The soil looks a little tired though and it might need repotting. The base of the tree looks like it might have had some rot issues and it is planted very high in the pot.

[rainbowgardener]

sorry, I completely missed that too. Even looking for it now, it is very subtle and only visible on some of the leaves...