Beginner with bougainvillea bonsai

Joanie

Don't carry it in and out... there's no reason to move it once you find a good spot. Remember, it's a tree, they are not very mobile on their own. They prefer to stay in one spot.

Bougies don't need a lot of humidity, but a house can be drier than a desert. However, outside it should do fine.

The white stuff may be a fungus, I would consider removing the leaves that have white on them and using a systemic fungicide like Bayer All in One. You dilute the Bayer and drench the soil with it, and the tree pulls it up into its leaves internally. That's a good way to keep it disease- and bug- free.

If the soil is still wet, please don't water it until the soil is dry on top and just damp underneath. You don't need to check for root rot... if it has root rot, that will show itself later. Just keep the soil moist but not wet all of the time, and you can see what the tree tells you.

Other people may come on during the week and give more advice, the forum is generally quiet over the weekends.
Joanie

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killervette666

thanks, i will keep it outside from now on

Where can i get the bayer all in one, is it sold in home depots or menards? or is it harder to find, and how much of it exactly should i dilute with water?
I will pick off the infeccted leaves right away.

also, how long would it take to see if it does have root rot, and how does it show?
Im just worried that by the time i discover it it will be too late, ive seen root rot on a cactus i had and it really killed it kinda quick.

Joanie

Wait until tomorrow and see if other people chime in... someone else may have an insight into what you should do. Nothing is going to happen to the bougie overnight.

Root rot will show itself mainly by wilting leaves... they look as if they are dry. People then tend to over water, and it just accelerates the process. By wilting, I mean that the leaves will droop and wither, like limp lettuce. This will happen to all of the leaves, so don't mix it up with the regular dropping off of older leaves, which of course all trees do.

Don't fuss too much over the tree, you don't want to make too many changes. There's plenty of time to consider, and get more advice. It's hard to both give and receive advice over the internet, since we aren't physically able to see the tree and the conditions. Your best bet is to read, research, ask questions, and apply what your common sense tells you.

Bayer can be purchased at most nurserys, you can call and ask before driving anywhere. They have multiple products, but we have been using the "All in One Rose and Flower Care". If that isn't available in your area, you can ask for the kind of systemic that is diluted in water and applied to the soil, that would be used on roses. Then follow the directions for the least amount, which I THINK is about three tablespoons per gallon, so maybe use two tablespoons in a gallon. (Check this, make sure that it's right) USE GLOVES and wash everything very carefully after you're done. Water the tree with the systemic, right down at the soil, NOT applying it to the foliage, until the medicine water flows freely out of the drainage holes. Then you can re-apply in about two weeks, another diluted solution. There are many other ways to deal with the problem, this is only one way, but it is the way that I have had some success with in my limited experience.

Joanie

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killervette666

thanks for all the advice joanie and everyone else that responded

Im glad its not a life or death situation, i have been looking around this forum and i certainly have seen some trees in far worse shape that have recovered.

It does seem to be dropping quite a bit of leaves and flowers, even young new ones, but hopefully itll pull out

Ill keep you guys updated

I decided to follow your advice and keep the bonsai outside for the night, is this better for it? and is there anything i should worry about when leaving it outside?

Im gona pick up the medicine treatment tommorow and apply it, im sure by then itll be a little drier and ready to be watered as well.


Im really excited about this bonsai so i apologize if ive been asking a ton of questions and making a lot of posts, im glad i found a great forum like this one to help me out

zube

Well, I don't have any advice to give, but the question I'd be asking is, "What am I going to do this winter?" You have a tropical plant in Chicago. I think it's gonna be an uphill battle. Joanie, can it be kept indoors through the long winter? I know they grow like weeds in San Diego, but I don't recall hearing much about them in colder climates.
zube

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Joanie

Zube, they live outdoors here, so someone else will have to answer that. I do recommend downloading and reading the first issue of Tropical Bonsai magazine, referenced in an earlier email.

Joanie

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hackberry

Killer-
You mentioned that you do not see water draining from the bottom. Given that this plant was mailed to you, I would bet that the top dressing has been glued to the soil. I am not kidding! It is common practice for gift bonsai (giftsai?) to have little rocks glued or waxed to keep them from falling out during shipment. If this is the case, you should try to remove them because sufficient water may not be getting to the roots. This will also give you a chance to inspect the soil.

Zube had a very good point about winter accomodations. Your tree will need to stay indoors during the winter. I usually let my bougie stay outside through the summer. As the weather cools it may shed some leaves. At this time, I cut it back as needed, take it inside, and put it under a flourescent light for the winter. This is not the only way to overwinter - I have heard of some people that keep their bougies dormant throughout the winter. Not sure how that is done, though...
Enjoy your tree! They are tough.

killervette666

Not this is not one of the mallsai that have rocks glued on top, it seems like the company had a little bit of a clue as to what they were doing because the soil seems to absorb water very quick, it doesnt just pool up on the top, but it is unfortunantly organic soil so i think thats why its maybe not draining because it is able to hold in more moisture than other free flowing bonsai soils. thanks for the tip though.

it seems to be doing okay but i am just worried about a lot of the leaves curling up and shriveling up, i want to water, but am afraid of overwatering, since everyone has said bougies like it dry.

Could the white stuff on the flower bracts be indication of too little water? they feel very brittle and dry.

I'm not too worried about winter yet, it wont get cold for a while here, id just like it to make it to winter, and then i think i will setup a nice greenhouse space for it, bright light with some humidity, gona be in a new house with lots more room for that kind of thing.

Thanks for all the advice.

agraham

My guess is that you are watering it often enough but not thorougly enough.I think it was mentioned before...water it a lot at one time(at least until the water comes out of the bottom)and then let it dry a little.

Watering too much(a misnomer) is a description of watering too often...not too much.

Leaves dropping would be normal if it is becoming accustomed to a new environment.Outside would be best for the tree...but you would have to water more often.

White stuff on leaves is possibly a buildup of salts from watering.If it is some kind of moving bug..it is probably mealybug.

andy

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