Fukien Tea Question

mgodbee

Sorry to bother you again, but here goes...

I have this Fukien Tea tree. It was my very 1st tree from 2 years ago, and it has lived (YEAH). I goofed and did not repot it in the spring and needing repotting bad. So 3 weeks ago, in very hot weather (95 degrees or so) I repotted it. The tree looks healthy, has some small flowers, and the foliage it still nice, but the trunk has started to green some from almost the bottom to about midway. Also, towards the Apex, it looks to be turning black. The Apex has a pretty dense layer of foliage so lack of sunlight might be the culprit, but the green worries me a little. I have always heard these trees will difficult to maintain and frequently get insect/fungal attacks but in 2 years I have had no trouble and all I have done is spray it ocassionally with soapy water (per the advice from the local Bonsai place (BONSAI.MONK to you guys). Is this something I should worry about?? Is this related to the repotting at an inappropriate time? Keep in mind in 2 years, and roughly 20 trees I have only had to treat 1 tree (Kingsville Boxwood) so I have no knowledge about this stuff...

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bubba_k

Mgodbee, It is recommended to repot tropicals in the middle of the summer so I dont think your problem stems from the repotting time. Post up some pictures of the tree and someone will probably be able to help you diagnose the problem.

mgodbee

here is the pic with description....

Attached Images

Picture 257.jpg (43.1 KB, 118 views)

susieq

Greetings Mgodbee,
When you repotted the tree did you root prune? Did you then remove a corresponding amount of foliage from the tree? There should always be a balance in root prunning and trimming the top as well. Even if you don't do much more than defoliate it a bit by removing just leaves....kinda like plucking a chicken. During this summers work on my Fukien Teas, I had a couple of them do what yours is doing.

The leaves on two of the trees turned black and looked very dead. I had repotted them without removing much foliage to balance out the load. (silly me ) So on subsequent repots I trimmed what I thought needed to go but if there wasn't anything I really wanted to remove, I just plucked them. All of the trees that I plucked are now budding out nice little green buds. The first two that got all black leafed on me are still naked and I am still waiting for them to pop out. But they still scratch green and I am confident that they will pop too. Good luck with your tree.
susieq

mgodbee

I didn't really cut much of the rootage, maybe a 1/4 at most. No, I did not prune the tree at all. I am worried about the trunk, the lower part is turning green and the upper part toward the apex is turning black. In the picture, that really isn't a shadow, it is really that dark...

Repotter

As far as the green at the lower end of the trunk it may be a light covering of moss. And the darker parts up higher although not real clear looks like it may be sooty mold. Usually caused from dampness and lack of air circulation. Use a small brush (tooth brush) to scrub the trunk to remove it. There are products you can buy for this.

Good luck, Hector

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susieq

Mgodbee
You have never said if you scratched the trunk or any branches to see if it was still green underneath..... Do this in several places. Up top where it is black, and then down lower. Just a small scratch to peel off a tiny bit of outer layer to see if the underneath area is still green. If the top part isn't green then it is probably dead up in that area, so go down a little and try again, keep going until you hit green. ( when you hit green, you can smooth the peeled up bark back over the scratched area) If a bunch of the top is dead, you could probably go ahead and remove it.....to just above where it starts scratching green again. I think you should go ahead and scratch it to see if it is still alive or not. No point in trying to revive a tree if it is already dead....I hope it isn't.

If the tree is still alive, then give it some fresh air and some very limited sunlight until it starts to bud out again. If you have the moss or sooty mold repotter suspects (the toothbrush will tell you by being able to brush it off) then check this website for posts on these problems and how to solve/prevent them.
What ever happens, don't give up on bonsai. Many people get involved when they are given a gift bonsai that developes problems. You will find it a very soothing hobby once you are comfortable with your trees.

mgodbee

I am not giving up, like I said this was my very first tree, but I have had it for 2 years. I don't think it is dead up top, because it is still growing pretty vigously. I will check the trunk and see what's up.... nobody has commented on the slight white dots on the leaves though...

susieq

I am sorry Mgodbee,
I read your post over fairly quickly and thought you had said you only had the tree for two weeks!! Hence the theory that maybe it had been just recently repotted..... Plus a barage of stuff you probably already knew. I need to read the posts slower so I don't make a complete fool of myself...sorry.

Regarding the faint white dots, do they look almost like a dried water spot and seem to be only on the older leaves? I see that all the time on mine all the time. Don't know what causes it but it doesn't ever seem to be a problem. If it is a different type of spot you are seeing then it maybe a problem.
I have looked several times at the picture you posted and it is very hard to see the problem in the picture. What can be seen of the lower trunk looks fine to me. I can see some green patches here and there that could be the begining of moss starting. If you think the foliage is too thick up top, you can still pluck a few leaves to let some light and air in. I am sure you have checked it over good for pests.... Did you take a soft toothbrush and brush the darkened area of the trunk like Repotter suggested? Did a fine black powdery substance come floating off and get caught in the bristles of the brush? I have never had to deal with the black sooty mold on my "teas" but if that is the problem, someone on here will have an answer for you.
Sorry again for not reading your post correctly the first time. I hope you get some answers that help.
susieq with egg on her face......