bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - My experimental Serissa i dying on me, why?

Coldsmith:
It seems to me that you are probably keeping your Serissa too warm.... and maybe too wet. I say that because you mentioned that both Serissa are acting the same way. The soil should almost dry out before waterings. Have you tried using a wooden or bamboo skewer to check the soil?

To check to see if your tree is alive, use your fingernail to scrape a small amount of the bark to see if the bright green cambium layer is visible. If it is not bright green and shows brown, that part of the tree is dead.

Serissa are verty tough trees, and I keep mine out doors year round in Zone 6/7. They seem to thrive when they have a dormancy period.

Another thought is that the "ugly" tree may have come from a warmer climate and the tree was trying to acclimate to its new environment. It is always adviseable to keep a new tree away from your other trees. Just in case the new tree was sick when you obtained it and isolation is adviseable for a minimum of a month or more.

Keep your fingers crossed...

19-Mar-2006	#3
clrosner bonsaiTALK Master Chief Join Date: Nov-2001 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA Country: USA USDA Zone: 6/7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 1,077	Coldsmith: It seems to me that you are probably keeping your Serissa too warm.... and maybe too wet. I say that because you mentioned that both Serissa are acting the same way. The soil should almost dry out before waterings. Have you tried using a wooden or bamboo skewer to check the soil? To check to see if your tree is alive, use your fingernail to scrape a small amount of the bark to see if the bright green cambium layer is visible. If it is not bright green and shows brown, that part of the tree is dead. Serissa are verty tough trees, and I keep mine out doors year round in Zone 6/7. They seem to thrive when they have a dormancy period. Another thought is that the "ugly" tree may have come from a warmer climate and the tree was trying to acclimate to its new environment. It is always adviseable to keep a new tree away from your other trees. Just in case the new tree was sick when you obtained it and isolation is adviseable for a minimum of a month or more. Keep your fingers crossed... __________________ Carl L. Rosner - near Atlantic City zone 6/7 arteacher3725@yahoo.com CHECK OUT MY UPDATED WEBSITE AT[B]: www.carlrosner.com