wayne barnier
Full Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:05 pm
Location: Lapeer, Michigan

Fukien Tea Problems

I thank everyone for responding to my past questions regarding my fukien tea!A little over a week ago I bought a fukien tea from Flordia,it was a 3 day shipping where it was coming from a warm climate to a colder one.When I received the tree it was for the most part shinny green,it did have alot of leaves that were turning a pal green,light yellow,and falling off!The one thing I have noticed alot of leaves are getting black spots,and falling off to the touch.The tree is approx.30 inches high in a 18 inch pot it came in.I didnt buy a humidity tray so I made one out of a big cake square cooking sheet,with rocks!I have the tree in a eastern door wall with my birds of paridise plants,desert rose plants,and I also have had a olive black olive tree for about 2 months that is doing pretty good!!I have also bought a moisture meter!I find it a little confusing that everybody has a different opinion on how moist to keep the soil.Since yesterday I started buying spring water because my Ph was too high around 8.I have heard from some, you are to let the soil dry out sorta between waterings,and than water good! I have heard from others to not let the soil get dry at all that you have to keep the soil moist at all times!!!So I am a little confused!I have been letting the soil go until it barly gets dry,than watering over the sink,I have been watering about 2 times a week!I just want to make sure I am doing everythin correctly for this big tree,my other plants seem to be doing really well in this same location!One other thing,the plant does seem to be growing new shoots with some new leaves,but is still dropping the existing ones daily!!!Thank you all for your time,and look forward to your feed back!!!Best regards!!!!

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djlen
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Posts: 660
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:37 pm
Location: Just East of Zone 7a

Two questions:
Please tell us exactly how you are lighting the tree. Are you using fluorescent light and if so how much? Or are you just giving it available light from a window or sky-light etc.? Light and misting are important for this tree and as I mentioned in your other thread, keep an eye on the new growth for stickiness/or distorted growth. Aphids find this plant!!

I mentioned Miami Bonsai, where I got mine, previously because if that's where you got it I'd know how it was potted and have a general idea of how much water it needs based on that, but you didn't respond as to where you bought it. I re-potted mine into a lighter mix after I got it because while not root bound, I felt it needed more space and a more airy medium. It has responded nicely to that for me and I water every 2 or 3 days and it does well with that regimen. This is not to say that that will work for your tree because I have a fan going for circulation, 24/7 in my plant room and my room might be more humid or warmer than yours.
How much to water is a trial and error thing not only from a location perspective but from a tree to tree perspective. Don't get into a habit of watering each one at the same time because they will need individual attention based on the type of plant.
My trees profit greatly from a daily (or more often) misting. I mist more often than most because I like to maintain a high humidity and at the same time run the fan. Buy a cheap water bottle mister and mist it daily and you should see nice results.
Even my Baobab, which needs very infrequent watering, loves it's misting daily.

wayne barnier
Full Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:05 pm
Location: Lapeer, Michigan

Thank you for your time,Yes I did buy the tree from Miami Tropical!I love the tree,and paid alot of money for it!!I just started misting the plants about 2-3 days ago.The tree I bought is in a 16-18inch shallow plastic bonsai pot!I have the plant in a eastern window,which they say is second best to the southern window in Michigan!At night I have been giving additional light using a 125 floresent grow light for a couple hours!When I got this tree,everyone was telling me that this is a great house plant,and It does not require the light that a black olive,desert rose,or birds of paridise plants need!These plants seem to be doing really good,desert rose is just starting to loose leaves,but doing good,so I don't know why the fukien tea would not prosper in the same location as well!!!Is the soil suppost to stay moist,or are you suppost to let it dry out some than water?Would the shipping be the reason for the leaf loss?Would it still be dropping leaves a week later???Thanks as always, Wayne

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djlen
Green Thumb
Posts: 660
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:37 pm
Location: Just East of Zone 7a

My guess is that it needs the light you are giving it at night in addition to the window light. I would leave the light on during the day as well. The sun is even lower in the sky in your area than here in N. Jersey.
Fukien's have a tendency to shed leaves even when completely happy and also after a change in location. Even after it adapts to your location it will drop leaves but not as frequently, IME.
If you have forced hot air heat it will dry out faster than radiation or baseboard heat or in the summer with more humidity in the air.
I water mine every two or every three days. I would try something along those lines. No sooner than 2 and no later than 3 or 4 and see how it responds. If you give it the light and misting it needs it will respond to the watering and you'll be able to figure out which makes it happier over time. It is a more difficult three than your Olive but certainly not impossible and I find them more resilient than given credit for. It won't die on you while you figure out what makes it do it's best. Mine throws new leaves quickly and flowers when happy. I use the new growth as a barometer of it's state of mind....lol. When happy you will see fast, new growth.
Are you feeding it? Do you intend to re-pot in the winter or wait until the spring? I think from your description, you bought the next size up from the one I bought. Mine could have waited until spring but I wanted to give it more room. It was also over-sized for the plastic pot it cam in an so I just gave it a pot about a half inch extra on each side and didn't trim the roots at all. I will pull it in April for a trim if necessary.

josh1812@live.com
Senior Member
Posts: 144
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:12 pm
Location: Florida

Miami Tropical Bonsai is a very great source for your bonsai call them up and they will give you all the advice they can free of charge I virtually live right next door so I never called but their over phone advice is just as good can we see a picture and was it the 65 or 125 dollar plant, I wanted to know and see because ive been saving up for a good quality finished tree and would like to see what they look like other than the one on display.

wayne barnier
Full Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:05 pm
Location: Lapeer, Michigan

Thanks again,I will do some of those things you are talking about!I will try to post some pictures of my tree in the next week(my camera is broken)Also I do have forced air,and The meter I bought says it starts to go dry in 2-3 days,so you are probably on to something!I did also talk to miami tropical about my concerns,they were great!!!They did say it should be fine in michigan in a window,but if I could get some extra light in the fall and winter months that would be a bonus!!!They also said it would take at least a couple weeks for the tree to get adjusted to the surroundings,and climate.They said to call them back in a couple weeks!!!Thanks as always you guys are great!!!! Wayne



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