bonsaiTALK Home Page  

Go Back   bonsaiTALK Community > Ask the Bonsai Doctor > Beginner Q&A
Reload this Page Fukien Tea
User Name
Password
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read
Forum Gallery Weather Journals Links Webring Wiki NEW:Shop
Articles Opinion T.O.D. NEW:Radio Contests Humor NEW: Auctions! Donate


Fukien Tea

Reply
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
bonsaiTALK Hint: Did you know you can double click any bonsai term on this page for its definition?
Old 1-Jun-2007   #1
smallbonsai
bonsaiTALK Neophyte
 
Join Date: Apr-2007
Location: Brooklyn
Country: US
Posts: 8
Huh? Fukien Tea
Hello everybody,
I am starting a new Fukien Tea bonsai tree. I got it from local nusery. When I got it the leaves are small (between .25" and .5"). Now the leaves are getting big. They are about 1". Is it typical Fukien tea leave size? Thanks.
Fred
smallbonsai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Sponsor Message Fukien Tea
Advertisement
Forum Sponsor
Old 1-Jun-2007   #2
bisjoe
bonsaiTALK Expert
 
bisjoe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct-2006
Location: Sammamish
Country: USA
Posts: 192
Quote:
Originally Posted by smallbonsai
Hello everybody,
I am starting a new Fukien Tea bonsai tree. I got it from local nusery. When I got it the leaves are small (between .25" and .5"). Now the leaves are getting big. They are about 1". Is it typical Fukien tea leave size? Thanks.
Fred
Where are you keeping it? Leaves will get larger when there's not enough light. They like full sun, if indoors it may need supplemental light.
bisjoe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1-Jun-2007   #3
smallbonsai
bonsaiTALK Neophyte
 
Join Date: Apr-2007
Location: Brooklyn
Country: US
Posts: 8
I see. I put it by the window facing to south.
smallbonsai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1-Jun-2007   #4
bisjoe
bonsaiTALK Expert
 
bisjoe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct-2006
Location: Sammamish
Country: USA
Posts: 192
Quote:
Originally Posted by smallbonsai
I see. I put it by the window facing to south.
If that's the best you can do, at the very least, you should be rotating it every day or two so that all sides get sun. Better for indoors is a greenhouse window where it gets sun from the top, or a grow light 8-10 hours a day.

You can also put it outside this time of year, as long as you harden it off first.
bisjoe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1-Jun-2007   #5
smallbonsai
bonsaiTALK Neophyte
 
Join Date: Apr-2007
Location: Brooklyn
Country: US
Posts: 8
Thank you.
Forget to mention one thing, I am using the water from my fish tank for my plant. Is it going to effect something?
smallbonsai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2-Jun-2007   #6
susieq
Intermediate
 
Join Date: Jun-2002
Location: Hudson, FL
Country: USA
Posts: 435
fukien tea...
Are you keeping it trimmed up as it grows? Letting it grow without trimming regularly will also allow the leaves to revert back to their normal size. Regular trimming helps to reduce the leaf size and keep the internodes (the space between sets of leaves) smaller also. Keeps everything compact....
susieq is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2-Jun-2007   #7
vince
bonsaiTALK Craftsman
 
vince's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr-2004
Location: aberdeen
Country: scotland
USDA Zone: varies
Posts: 88
Using water from a fish tank is okay, Providing? your fish were surviving, remember your plants in the tank are using up the nitrogen under lights.
Your biggest prob. in a tank is Nitrates, but your filter should take care of that.
As far as a Fukien? they are one of my " Nemesis "
Can be very touchy. I read somewhere to cut off all flowers as soon as they sprout, this i have done, and so far so good, this is supposed to encourage leaf growth, have had it for over a year, this is a record for me.
Have it under strong lights with some Ficus, this keeps the leaves small, but i don't think i would worry about large leaves at the moment, keeping the damn thing alive is the main thing. Cheers.
vince is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2-Jun-2007   #8
smallbonsai
bonsaiTALK Neophyte
 
Join Date: Apr-2007
Location: Brooklyn
Country: US
Posts: 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by susieq
Are you keeping it trimmed up as it grows? Letting it grow without trimming regularly will also allow the leaves to revert back to their normal size. Regular trimming helps to reduce the leaf size and keep the internodes (the space between sets of leaves) smaller also. Keeps everything compact....
Thank sesieq..
I haven't trimmed yet. I will do it soon.
smallbonsai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2-Jun-2007   #9
smallbonsai
bonsaiTALK Neophyte
 
Join Date: Apr-2007
Location: Brooklyn
Country: US
Posts: 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by vince
Using water from a fish tank is okay, Providing? your fish were surviving, remember your plants in the tank are using up the nitrogen under lights.
Your biggest prob. in a tank is Nitrates, but your filter should take care of that.
As far as a Fukien? they are one of my " Nemesis "
Can be very touchy. I read somewhere to cut off all flowers as soon as they sprout, this i have done, and so far so good, this is supposed to encourage leaf growth, have had it for over a year, this is a record for me.
Have it under strong lights with some Ficus, this keeps the leaves small, but i don't think i would worry about large leaves at the moment, keeping the damn thing alive is the main thing. Cheers.
Thanks for your suggestions..
Cheers..
smallbonsai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2-Jun-2007   #10
susieq
Intermediate
 
Join Date: Jun-2002
Location: Hudson, FL
Country: USA
Posts: 435
fukien tea...
I realize that a lot depends on where you live.....or where you are trying to make the fukien tea live, such as in your house, but where I live (in Florida) they are anything BUT fussy. Three years ago I planted a bunch of them in the ground along the North side of my house, in very poor, sandy soil and pretty much ignored them for most of the year and yet they live and grow uncontrolably..... I throw a little time release fertilizer on them when I remember. I finally got around to cutting them back two weeks ago so I could see what if any, trunk development is going on.

Even during the drought that we have been having, they do not show any ill effects and I do not water them very often. I don't even cover them in the winter when we are under frost or freeze warnings anymore..... I have always said you can carry this over fussing too far and kill a plant with kindness.
Even so, I know it is not an easy thing to keep them indoors. I wish you luck with that.

With regard to the aquarium water, as long as you are not treating your fish with any chemicals for disease, there is nothing in the water that will hurt your plants. It is just mild natural fertilizer and very beneficial. I used to save all the water changes from my two very large aquariums and water the trees with it.
susieq
susieq is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >

« how would you style this? | Acer Palmatum: Repot now? »

Thread Tools
Display Modes
Linear Mode Linear Mode

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
help fukien tea leaves turning black? drying up too chad02 bonsaiTALK FAQ 3 29-Jun-2007 10:05 PM
Fukien tea problems mat Dying Bonsai 9 24-Dec-2006 10:46 AM
Fighting Aphids on Fukien Tea bneff General 10 24-Dec-2005 07:32 PM
Fukien Tea Leaf Shape mikerosal General 6 30-Oct-2003 02:19 PM
Just received Fukien Tea as a gift neici Beginner Q&A 2 7-Jul-2002 08:39 PM


All times are GMT -3. The time now is 11:04 PM.

bonsaiTALK Staff - Contact Us - bonsaiTALK - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin v3.6.5
Copyright ©2000-2007, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC8