Sageretia - Some leaves turning pale (+pics)

[ntrino]

Hi there,

I have a Sageretia Theezans which is kept indoors with supplimental lighting and lately when the temperatures are high enough and the sun is out I have been letting it enjoy the natural light and atmosphere outside. I have also started feeding it every two weeks with a general bonsai feed,

This is a cautionary post, as I am not yet alarmed, but I am not sure why about 4 or 5 of the leaves on the top of the plant appear to be losing their 'green' and turning towards a more white-ish transparent colour.

I have been misting the foliage a couple times day (perhaps too regularly?) and this does appear to have caused some water markings which also appear kind of white. Also, the leaves seem more brittle than usual since doing this and have lost a bit of their natural shine. Perhaps this is water erosion at work? You can see the leaves in question below.

[img]https://www.firestarta.com/photos/d/380-1/100_0798.JPG[/img]

Speculation: Am I misting too much, or am I looking at a potential soil pH problem here. The only thing I've found online suggests that the soil may not be acidic enough for the absorption of certain nutrients (mainly iron?) which are required for the production of chlorophyll.

I am seeking some guidance early so that I have some ideas if the trend continues. I know how quickly things can turn with Bonsai so I thought it best to call on your collective experience.

Here's a photo of the rest of the tree (on the right) which in general seems quite healthy. It has been growing very heavily lately, and perhaps it needs a bit of pruning.

[img]https://www.firestarta.com/photos/d/383-1/100_0794.JPG[/img]

I will stop misting the plant for starters and see if that helps. I would be greatful for your comments.

ntrino

[TomM]

ntrino, I have no scientific answers for you but similar observations with my small Sageretia theezans. Like you I keep mine inside during cold weather, with lighting and frequent misting. It sometimes loses a few 'older' leaves and that doesn't alarm me as new ones grow out profusely.

But now, with milder weather, I too take the little guy outside to enjoy some sunshine. I have recently read that this tree does not like much direct sun but rather 'dappled' or filtered sunlight. Sorry I can't give you a specific reference for this as I forget where I got the info. But you might want to Google search - see if you can find it.

Try my theory if you want. See if it helps.
PS - I only mist and water with collected rain water now - much softer water, and I think the tree collection loves it !!!

[ntrino]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your reply. That's interesting. If I do return to misting I will try collected rainwater. I wonder if distilled water would also be better than ordinary tap water which can be a bit hard. As a sidethought I'm thinking that calcium deposits from hard water might be raising the pH of the soil making it too alkaline, and leaving those white deposits on the leaves.

However I'm fairly sure that the whitening/translucency I'm really wondering about isn't to do with calcium deposits.

I actually did mist them this morning, but this time with some chamomile tea. I read that if you mist Sageretia then you must be prepared to use a mild fungicide.. and chamomile tea is recommended for this purpose. I simply boiled a cup, let it go cold, and then mixed it about 2:1 with normal tap water and put it in a sprayer.

We'll see how that goes..

ntrino

[TomM]

Hey I like that idea - combining an herbal remedy with a bonsai situation !! Thanks. I will try it too.
And BTW - nice pics.