Bonsai Lost Most of it's Leaves (Serissa)

[The Helpful Gardener]

IB, that's a variegated plant, I used to have one called 'Mt. Fuji'; a real dwarf with exquisite variegation sort of like 'Variegata', but I killed that years ago...

The variegated forms lack all the chlorophyll of their green counter parts and they are real sissies about drafts (what got mine in winter; artificial heating and drafty windows (back in my renting days; my house is like a drum now... ).

You'll need humidity for indoors; average humidities around 30% for most heated homes, and the Sahara averages around 50%...

HG

[kdodds]

This is definitely a Serissa of one kind or another. My GUESS would be S. foetida, maybe "Pink Mountain" or similar variegated variety. The real killer of Serissa, IME, is change in any way, shape, or form. IOW, if it's doing okay, mess with it as little as possible, and pray it doesn't croak if you look at it sideways. Repotting is the usual nightmare scenario. In fact, I've conversed with someone keeping a dozen who lost 11 within a couple of months of repotting, and the twelfth half a year later. They had previously been sitting in nursery pots, in the same soil used for the repot, for two years.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yeah, I did Serissa when I was doing inside growing and even then it's a difficult customer. My experience closely follows kdodds experience; careful not to break wind around a Serissa or it will enter permanent dormancy

HG

[IndorBonsai]

Well now I'm all worried my serissas are going to drop their leaves and die any moment now.
But they seem to be growing like crazy. I have to keep up on the trimming so they don't get to big.
Maby I got some weird plants or something.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Nope, you just have them happy. Don't change a thing...

HG

[KSalitrik]

Well...I've been considering to just try to keep it alive but find something more interactive that won't die so easily and likes the climate of where I am more. Currently, I've been thinking of either a weeping willow or a wild cherry tree, and someone on another board mentioned a crabapple tree. I have easy access to all three and most likely can find a sapling of the wild cherry or crab apple, however, I would need a cutting for the weeping willow. My main questions about it are:

If I find a sapling do I instantly dig it up and repot it, or do I wait for it to grow to 3-4 inches and then do it?
With a cutting, once I get it to start rooting do I repot it or, again, do I wait for it to start looking a bit more like a tree than a branch and then pot it?
Does anyone have any advice on what to use for soil for any of these plants?

[kdodds]

Growing a "bonsai" from a sapling or cutting is a long and arduous process that takes, literally, YEARS before you have anything reasonable to work with. I'd recommend going beyond that and trying to obtain a "starter" (if you're interested in a completely unstyled tree) that is already a few years old. By far, though, the best bet for a beginner is a tree that is already at least a bit refined, or better yet, in the beginnings of styling.

[KSalitrik]

Maybe so, but I'd rather do something that takes a long time and doesn't cost me much rather than spending $30-50 every time I screw up. Plus, growing one from a cutting or sapling would be a bit more satisfying

[IndorBonsai]

I thought this might help you out, there are all kinds of plants out there you can get for next to nothing $1- 6 bucks ( the pots are the most expensive part) I think it is fun to just browse the nurserys and buy plants that they are selling cheep then make Bonsai out of them Here are a few I made a few months ago.

Dwarf Rhododendron(impeditum)
[url=https://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rhod1.jpg][img]https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9913/rhod1.jpg[/img][/url]

Another Picture a few weeks ago
[url=https://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dwarfrhodi.jpg][img]https://img514.imageshack.us/img514/9020/dwarfrhodi.jpg[/img][/url]

Pink Beauty Potentilla, I thought this was dead so did the nursery I bought it from for $1 dollar.
[url=https://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pink1c.jpg][img]https://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3959/pink1c.jpg[/img][/url]

Ficus, I bought this from a local box store $6 dollars. I made two Bonsai from the one plant I bought. I guess $3 dollars a tree then
[url=https://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ficus2.jpg][img]https://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9935/ficus2.jpg[/img][/url]

And the other Ficus bonsai I made from the same plant. My friend from Japan calls this one the Dragon
[url=https://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ficus1.jpg][img]https://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4014/ficus1.jpg[/img][/url]

I posted these to hopefully be inspirational, Don't be afraid to experiment with new plants or ideas you might have. Bonsai is a hobby for some and art to others. But the most important thing about Bonsai is that you enjoy it and like what YOU create

[KSalitrik]

The only problem is that I know of no actual bonsai nurseries near Uniontown. Maybe in Pittsburgh there are some, but I'm not sure.

[IndorBonsai]

I don't have a Bonsai nursery around here either, these plants were bought from normal local nursery and stores like lowes or home depot. I found a local pottery shop and they are making me my pots, I have tried to make a few of my own at that shop too. hehe not the best looking pots but its fun :)I also ordered a few pots off the internet.
All my tropical indoor bonsai I had to order off the internet because there is no where local to buy tropical plants from. I have been able to make starts from them so now I have more tropical plants