My Bonsais leaves are yellow!

Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:14 pm

I have a bonsai tree that I have had for 2 years or so. I soak it every week for 24 hours and it has been doing great. Recently I moved to an office with no windows so the only light it gets is from a florescent light right above it. I went on vacation for 6 days and left it soaking in water by accident. When i returned the water smelled as if it had soured and my cherry bonsai leaves were yellow. I realize my tree was overwatered but what can I do to save him? :shock:

Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:35 pm

tamarabond,

When i returned the water smelled as if it had soured and my cherry bonsai leaves were yellow. I realize my tree was overwatered but what can I do to save him?

Let it dry out. :wink:

Seriously, have you ever re-potted it and what type of soil is it in now? Is it heavy and peaty like conventional potting soil or is it gritty and airy like small rocks and bark?

Gently remove it from the pot and see if you can determine the condition of the roots. An emergency re-potting may be in order. This will give you an opportunity to examine the roots and prune any dead material away. The problem is that, ideally, it should be in a gritty, free draining medium and you probably don't have any around. Have a quick look at this sticky.
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... php?t=3422

You could also simply re-pot with whatever you have on hand or just cross your fingers and wait it out.

Norm

Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:49 pm

Ok- I checked the soil and it seems to be drying out. It is grainy like it should be. I have never transplnted it but I see that it should be done every 2 years. The last tree I had I transplanted and it died... probably wrong soil. I'm going to go this weekend and get him soil and fertilizer just for bonsais. Do you have any tips on transplanting so he doesn't go into shock? Also, I pruned some of the leaves back. Any other help you can give me? Should the next pot I get be bigger than the one it is currently in?

Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:18 pm

tamarabond,

I was going by the assumption that it was probably in a heavy, potting soil type medium. If it is in a better medium then it may not be necessary. Are you able to remove it from the pot and have a quick look at the roots? If they are not rotten it may be better off to leave it alone.

What does the trunk look like, is it firm and is the bark still intact? Are the branches shriveled or do they look pretty much the same? Are there any buds forming at the locations of the previous leaves? The bottom line is that this sort of thing is a judgment call and I am not able to tell you from here what is best for your tree, that is your decision.

Norm