Really big leaves on my Fukien Tea

FoolsRun

Hi,
My Fukien Tea has finally started producing new leaves in abundance, which is great, but all of the leaves it is producing are really, really big. The tree is only about six inches tall, and some of the new leaves are as long as an inch or more. I’m not fertilizing it too often, so I doubt that is the problem. What can I do to reduce the size of the leaves and convince the tree to grow smaller leaves?

The same thing is happening with my Serissa. Could it be my water? Location?

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FoolsRun

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erubeck

I,m no expert but I have a Fukien Tea and care for several others and I have not seen the phenomenon. Perhaps it is the amount of light. Some trees will grow larger leaves in dim light. One of the techniques for growing smaller leaves on Schefflera, for instance, is to increase the light. On the other hand I had my tree inside near a window which turned out to be insufficient light and the leaves started turning yellow. As soon as I put it outside (not in direct sun) the leaves stopped yellowing and the tree thrived.

I will also be interested to see what others say about your question.

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Regards,

Ed

TreeBay

Oversize leaves may be a survival strategy for too little light, or it may reflect rampant growth following repotting.

If all your trees are doing this, you probably don't have nearly the light level the plants require, which is a frequent problem indoors. You can look at supplemental light or a different (perhaps outdoor?) location until the colder weather sets in.

Regards,

Matt

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Adam

I too think that it's got to be to little light. You might try setting both trees outside during the day.

Your Friend,
Adam

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[Adam]
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BonzaiSquirrel

I have a fukien tea bonsai that is 22 years old. It's a recent purchase, and it has only been in my care for a month now. When I first got it, the leaves were very small and dark green. But then it got spider mites, and after many vigorous soap baths the mites all died, but the poor tree had lost most of its leaves, and the remainding ones had all turned yellow. After that I fertilized it, and set up a plant light. I had been keeping it near a window, but I thought it might need some more light.

The tree absolutely loved the new light, and the fertilizer, and now it is covered in green, healthy foliage. The problem is that the leaves are HUGE! And I do mean huge!!! I noticed that someone on here said large leaves might be the result of too little light, but I've got it next to a window where it receives plenty of sunlight in the first half of the day, and the rest of the day I have the plant light turned on, shining directly on it. I'm wondering if perhaps I had over-fertilized it? Or maybe the large leaves are a result of it trying to recover from its bout of illness and leaf loss? I really have no idea. The plant light I'm using is 65 watts. Could it be that it's getting too much light? Have I un-bonsaied my tree?