I just got my plan a month/two ago, and it was wonderfully green and healthy. now it has started to loose leaves, and I believe that I might have overwatered it at one point, because the soil seemed to never dry, even a couple of days after it felt humid. the soil is back to normal now, but the leaves keep on dropping. some leaves drop even if they are being perfectly green and look healthy. I moved it to the window (to receive the few sunhours we have here in Scandinavia now) in hopes of helping. Today I noticed that it has some sort of snowy crystals on the visible roots! I wonder if this is a disease or just because the window might be too cold for the plant. I'll attach a photo below. very grateful for all your help. I will read through your bonsai tree-care articles and try to be a more conscious bonsai-carer further on.
snowy roots? ficus microcarpa ginseng
Hello knowledgeable bosaiers.
I just got my plan a month/two ago, and it was wonderfully green and healthy. now it has started to loose leaves, and I believe that I might have overwatered it at one point, because the soil seemed to never dry, even a couple of days after it felt humid. the soil is back to normal now, but the leaves keep on dropping. some leaves drop even if they are being perfectly green and look healthy. I moved it to the window (to receive the few sunhours we have here in Scandinavia now) in hopes of helping. Today I noticed that it has some sort of snowy crystals on the visible roots! I wonder if this is a disease or just because the window might be too cold for the plant. I'll attach a photo below. very grateful for all your help. I will read through your bonsai tree-care articles and try to be a more conscious bonsai-carer further on.
I just got my plan a month/two ago, and it was wonderfully green and healthy. now it has started to loose leaves, and I believe that I might have overwatered it at one point, because the soil seemed to never dry, even a couple of days after it felt humid. the soil is back to normal now, but the leaves keep on dropping. some leaves drop even if they are being perfectly green and look healthy. I moved it to the window (to receive the few sunhours we have here in Scandinavia now) in hopes of helping. Today I noticed that it has some sort of snowy crystals on the visible roots! I wonder if this is a disease or just because the window might be too cold for the plant. I'll attach a photo below. very grateful for all your help. I will read through your bonsai tree-care articles and try to be a more conscious bonsai-carer further on.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
I believe the "snowy crystals" are some kind of fungus/ mold/ mildew from being grown in conditions of too much moisture and not enough light (and warmth?).
To start with your soil is all wrong for it - heavy and organic and moisture holding. Proper bonsai soil is very loose, free draining, mineral, gritty. When you have very moisture holding soil like that, you have to be VERY careful about watering, and let it dry out some between waterings, even if it takes a long time. In the spring, you should repot into good bonsai soil.
With only a few sun hours in the winter, you will need to provide it with supplemental lighting. That would be dedicated lamp shining directly on it from only a few inches away, on at least 12 hrs a day.
And though the roots don't want to stay wet, it does benefit from increased humidity - winter indoor environments are very dry. Put it on a humidity tray and mist it daily.
You could treat the fungus/ whatever with a spray of hydrogen peroxide and wiping it off gently.
Ficus are prone to dropping leaves when they are moved/ conditions change/ the conditions they are in are not optimum for them. But that means they also readily regrow them. Your bonsai may yet come through! .
Welcome to the Forum! Keep us updated on how your bonsai does!
To start with your soil is all wrong for it - heavy and organic and moisture holding. Proper bonsai soil is very loose, free draining, mineral, gritty. When you have very moisture holding soil like that, you have to be VERY careful about watering, and let it dry out some between waterings, even if it takes a long time. In the spring, you should repot into good bonsai soil.
With only a few sun hours in the winter, you will need to provide it with supplemental lighting. That would be dedicated lamp shining directly on it from only a few inches away, on at least 12 hrs a day.
And though the roots don't want to stay wet, it does benefit from increased humidity - winter indoor environments are very dry. Put it on a humidity tray and mist it daily.
You could treat the fungus/ whatever with a spray of hydrogen peroxide and wiping it off gently.
Ficus are prone to dropping leaves when they are moved/ conditions change/ the conditions they are in are not optimum for them. But that means they also readily regrow them. Your bonsai may yet come through! .
Welcome to the Forum! Keep us updated on how your bonsai does!
I think you should repot the plant in a propper fast draining soil mix. You will need to cut away all of the dead roots and gently clean off what you can. Soak the plant in a fungicide solution for about 10 minutes. The best fungicide for soil fungal issues is subdue but it is expensive.
I have used physan 10% solution, and 10% bleach solution. But I do this on orchids and roses without harm and the roots are washed off in water after the treatment. I do this to prevent problems since it is hard not to break a few roots when handling orchids and roses and they are highly susceptible to fungal diseases. Usually if the roots are very bad it is usually not worthwhile to try to save the plant, so I take cuttings instead and try to save it that way.
Either start with a new pot, preferably one that breathes or at least has a couple of drain holes in them. If you are going to use the same pot it needs to be disinfected by scrubbing the pot and soaking it in a 10% bleach solution. Otherwise the spores in the pot will reinfect the plant. I prefer to soak my pots for a week but that might not be an option for you. Soaking clay pots for a week removes the white salt build up on the pot and I don't have to scrub the pots. After a week the bleach dissipates and I don't have to spend a lot of time rinsing the bleach out of the pots.
Learn how to water your plants. Check out the bonsai basics in the bonsai forum. Air circulation is another problem with indoor plants. They need good air circulation so the soil can dry in a reasonable amount of time.
https://www.gardenguides.com/131321-fung ... t-rot.html
I have used physan 10% solution, and 10% bleach solution. But I do this on orchids and roses without harm and the roots are washed off in water after the treatment. I do this to prevent problems since it is hard not to break a few roots when handling orchids and roses and they are highly susceptible to fungal diseases. Usually if the roots are very bad it is usually not worthwhile to try to save the plant, so I take cuttings instead and try to save it that way.
Either start with a new pot, preferably one that breathes or at least has a couple of drain holes in them. If you are going to use the same pot it needs to be disinfected by scrubbing the pot and soaking it in a 10% bleach solution. Otherwise the spores in the pot will reinfect the plant. I prefer to soak my pots for a week but that might not be an option for you. Soaking clay pots for a week removes the white salt build up on the pot and I don't have to scrub the pots. After a week the bleach dissipates and I don't have to spend a lot of time rinsing the bleach out of the pots.
Learn how to water your plants. Check out the bonsai basics in the bonsai forum. Air circulation is another problem with indoor plants. They need good air circulation so the soil can dry in a reasonable amount of time.
https://www.gardenguides.com/131321-fung ... t-rot.html
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b