Fukien Tea Tree

mikerosal

I am planning to acquire a fukien tea starter to work on as bonsai...which I really like to work on tropics...but I live now in oregon...

I read it somewhere that it is quite hard to work with, How hard it is to work on?

And anyone knows any decent place to acquire some nice starters...I tried scourging the portland metro area and somehow they have eluded me...

Thanks
Mike

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LivingArt

Depends on your skill.
They don't wire easy and the limbs snap a little easier then most so it's best to use clip and grow. Never let the roots completely dry out. I recommend keeping in a half inorganic half organic soil. Keep in well lit place but not in the suns direct rays. This is all from first hand experience. Someone who has experience with large fukien (Foo-zee-in) told me that they have to many problems when they get big (over 10 inches).
My favorite plant so far.

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erubeck

My experience with Fukien Teas is as follows:

Need bright light but not sun. Indoors they do OK with a bright grow light.

Last post is good advice regarding soil and moisture.

They are very sensitive to chemicals. I use only Neem Oil or Fertiloam's Red Spider and Mite Spray. It contains pyrethrins and has been very effective for mealy bugs and aphids.

They like warm temperatures, 75º to 80ºF. They will barely survive at sustained temps of 60º to 70ºF.

As in the above post, use clip and grow method for styling rather than wiring.

They are also sensitive to over fertilizing. Use half strength soluble once a month. You can also use Superthrive as directed. They seem to like that.

These ar just a few thoughts from my experience with about a dozen of them. Hope this helps.

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Regards,

Ed

Bonsai-gecko

My experience is a bit counterdictory to eurobeck's. Mine love as much sun as possible They are put in a southern window in the winter, and outside in full sun in the warm weather. You just have to slowly aclimate them to the higher light levels. Mine are outdoors now and thriving with daytime temps around 70° with it getting about mid 50°s at night. I bring mine in for the winter once the temps are projected to get below 50° at night.

They ARE very sensative to chemicals, ask someone before you use it on them. Diazon will flat out kill the tree. Neem-oil as eurobeck suggested has been used by many people with no problems.

Clip and grow is the best way to shape, but you can wire if you are carefull enough and do it in stages. New shoots are very flexible too.

Fukien has a habit of yellowing and dropping leaves whenever it is stress, leading some to over treat it with chemicals/fertilizes and lead to the killing of the tree. If you leave it alone they bounce back readily.