Othjar
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:12 am

Help - Dying zanthoxylum

Hello everyone!

I got a bonsai as a christmass present. At the beggining it seemed to be doing nice, I made a little research on watering and I tried to do it righ, but some times the soil was moist for 4-5 days (it was this organic compact soil that usually comes on retail bonsais).

After a while, my plant started to loose strengh and loose some leaves. It started to look "hangy" and "tired", made a little research on my own and feared that it may have a root rot problem. So I went to the gardening store, buy a better soil and a bigger pot, and repot it, but I didn't see any rooten rot. Since not enough light could also be a problem, I started to move it from one room in the morning and anotherone in the afternoon. So, right now I don't know what I'm doing wrong D:

I mean, since I changed the soil, I water it a little more frequently, but I'm unsure if now it's not enought water, not enough light, or both.

Also, I did cut some green branches, because I thought that maybe if it had a root problem, having some fewer leaves to maintain would help. But just some, not a lot of them.

That's the story, more or less. Now, some data:

I live in Mallorca, near the sea.
I have a south facing window, in my room, that's were I put it during morning. The problem is there is not a lot of sun after ~16:30 because of the surrounding buildings. That's why I move it to a west facing window on the afternoon.
The soil brand I used when repotting is mistral (one they have for bonsais). They did had akadama on the store, but only akadama, there was not any mix, neither any other substrates (I read about mixing akadama, pumice and volcanic rocks).
The fertilizer brand I'm using is Massó, also for bonsais, liquid. If I follow the schedule, I should fertilize the plant in 2 weeks (not sure if it will last that long D:)
The only info in the card about the plant was zanthoxylum, so I'm not sure what kind it is exactly.
During the afternoon I have two places to put it, but it gets more or less the same amount of light. Anyways, I get it back inside when there is no more light (because it gets colder :/)
In the morning I could even place it so it gets some direct sunlight for a few hours, but I read that is a bad idea to give them direct sunlight...
Aaaand... I'm not sure if I can give you guys any other useful info.

I took some pictures

Any idea what could I do? And how much time it would take to see if whatever I do is working?
Attachments
Indoor place for the afternoon
Indoor place for the afternoon
Indoor place for the afternoon
Indoor place for the afternoon
Outdoor place for the afternoon
Outdoor place for the afternoon
Outdoor place for the afternoon
Outdoor place for the afternoon
Outdoor place for the afternoon
Outdoor place for the afternoon

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

I looked up zanthoxylum. It is a species of citrus trees with aromatic leaves and yellowish bark. It is a deciduous tree so you may not be doing anything wrong since it is natural that this tree loses leaves. The tree looks pretty good. It looks like some of the leaves have grown back and you have cut back the deadwood.

Citrus trees are sun lovers they are not for dark places. You want to give them at least 6-8 hours of sun or artificial light. Citrus trees should be watered well and wait until they are almost dry to water again. How soon that is depends on how fast your mix dries out. My potted citrus tree leaves will curl and drop if I don't water for 4 days and one has been in cinder for 20 years and other has been about 12 years. I added some perlite and peat moss to the 20 year old one a couple of years ago but the other is still in just cinder. Citrus trees are not frost hardy but they can take close to 37 C or 100F.

I am not familiar with your bonsai mix, but I actually don't add anything to akadama except slow release fertilizer and some cinder. But I grow most of my succulents and bonsai I had mostly cinder because akadama is very expensive. My bonsai has a rougher surface than with akadama because the cinder is larger unless I crush and grade it with a seive. My plants are outside all year so they got watered just about every day.

Since the trees looks like it has got healthy leaves and it looks like the leaves are growing, make sure you feed the tree. I would only use slow release fertilizer or a water soluble with micros 1/4 strength. Water with liquid fertilizer weekly for 3 weeks or 3 waterings. The fourth watering should be a flush with water only and make sure the pot is in a sink and gets a good drenching and drain to wash out acuumulating salts. Citrus trees like potassium, and iron and a slightly acidic soil.

Othjar
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:12 am

Hello imafan26

Well, thanks, you comments make me feel a little more at ease. I was worried because when it was given to me (arround january), the green branches and the leaves had much more strenght, I mean, they were not hanging, but it a horizontal or upwards position, and right now there is nothing new growing on the tree, not after it "started to fade". So, it's loosing it's leaves when we're getting out of winter D:
I didn't knew it was a deciduous tree, since it was growig new leaves in january...

About the soil, it looks to be a mix of volcanic rocks and tiny wooden pieces (some of them just float when I water the bonsai).

So I'll move it from one room to another to give it the most light, and I'll water it as you said.
About the falling leaves, should I let them fall naturally or should I take out the ones I see "drying out"?

Again, thanks for your help, and any other advice will be very welcome :D
Reggards!

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

It is probably coir or fir bark. Some bonsai mixes use an orchid mix what has fir bark. It retains water longer. I think it would be ok to fertilize with with a slow release fertilizer. I don't know about you, but we are having a relatively warm winter so it should be o.k. I get hotter than you do. My night temps have gone down to 49 but this year it has stayed around 56 and the days aver 80 degrees. In a really hot summer where there is a lot of concrete and in the lowlands it can go over 100. I am higher so it is a little cooler. The highest it has gotten recently has been around 91 degrees in summer. Citrus trees don't like freezing but can handle heat better. They will need more water in summer. Harden your tree to go outside if you can if the weather is mild enough. For me December and January is the best time for me to move plants into full sun because the sun is milder and the air is cooler. It is harder to take things out into the sun in the summer heat.

Othjar
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:12 am

Hello everyone!

Status update:
I think the tree is dying, I have no idea if I can do something to help it.

Here is a picture taken today. The colour on the pictur is more green, but actually it looks pretty dry :(
Attachments
DSC_0038[1].jpg

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

You may be right.
The leaves look shriveled. If the branch is brittle it may be dying.

Othjar
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:12 am

hello everyone!

Well, since my tree seems to be dead, or at least going that way, I've decided to make some more updates, so at least I can learn from this experience and maybe this will help someone else in the future.

I kept watering the tree usin the stick trick (for some reason it stays fairly moist for a long time, so I'm waterin the tree every 4-5 days aprox). The leaves keep getting dry, and since all of them were already dead, I decided to cut them off. By doing this I noticed some white dots on the main trunk, that were hidden beneath the leaves. May be some kind of fungus? Anyone knows wich kind, the reason behind this, how to prevent it and how to treat it once it's already there?

Because as I said before, I have no idea what didd I do wrong, and will be nice not to do it again in the future :D

I took some pictures
Thanks for your help!
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rocifier
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Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:48 am

Hi. Is it winter there? What temperature ranges is the tree in each day?

Here is a wild one during winter, it looks similar to your last photo. Have you continued watering it occasionally since March?
Image



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