CSPELLS
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2018 4:32 pm
Location: Southern Indiana, Zone 6 I believe

My poor little bonsai trees

My delonix regia trees I started from seeds were doing so good but now they have lost all of their leaves. One has started to sprout new leaves but I’m worried about what I’m doing wrong. I use bonsai soil mix and I spritz them with water every morning and evening religiously as I have read to do. What am I doing wrong? Please help, I love my trees.
Attachments
5A893141-A480-428F-ADCC-A31A2F83FF3F.jpeg
8A4A9677-3D75-4441-84F5-1F1796F8005B.png

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Of course you don't have bonsai trees yet; you have poinciana seedlings. If they are really in bonsai soil, that may be wrong for them at this point. Bonsai soil is very mineral and gritty, doesn't hold water or have any nutrients.

Misting is not watering. They may be dropping leaves because the roots are not getting enough water. I would grow them in potting soil with fertilizer until they are a lot bigger and more ready to think about doing some shaping.

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Agree that seedlings don't have not developed a large enough root system for bonsai soil yet. I think the pots may also be to large for some of the smaller seedlings. Trees need a lot of light and in winter there is less of it. Plants should be watered well and flushed so that salts can be washed out of the pots as well. The trick is to learn how often to water. For that you need to either learn how to weigh your pots when they are dry and when they are wet or how to use your finger to feel the soil for dampness.
Royal Poinciana are street trees here. In high rainfall areas like mine they get very large but if they are kept in drier parts of the state and pretty much neglected they stay much smaller. They will even grow through asphalt in the parking lots. They do need a well drained mix and like to be on the drier side. So a well drained mix with a little compost is good. Water when it is almost dry. It is a legume so it does not need a lot of fertilizer but all plants in pots should get something. I use osmocote. For small pots you only need a few grains every 4-6 months.

I had one a Royal Poinciana growing on my curbing and the city refused to cut it down until half of it fell into the street. It shaded my front yard so badly I had to change to a more shade tolerant grass (dwarf St. Augustine which is a lot more work than Emerald zoysia since it needs more mowing.) The flowers would clog the balcony drains. When the city chose the tree, they did not realize it would get to big and rip up sidewalks and streets in a wetter area. The roots even pushed the water meter box and lifted it. Where it grows in Honolulu, it remains a small tree.



Return to “Indoor Bonsai Forum”