Lost Hope

Gsrrwr

I am new at Bonsai's and have been reading many articles on the 'how to' of the art, regretfully no has a trouble shooting section in their articals. Recently I was given a bonsai and have been having great difficulty with it and I am looking for some advice. I do not know what type of Bonsai it is yet, since it was a gift. I have had it for about 4 months; shortly after receiving it the leaves turned yellow then brown. I monitored the water and soaked it as necessary. It appeared to start a come back with some new growth showing but then suddenly just seemed to 'die'. It has been about 2 months now since any new growth and what did start has turned brown. The leaves have not yet fallen from the tree and when I run my hand across the top of the tree the leaves stay intacked and the branches are flexible. I do not want to give up on it because it is a very unique tree with a wonderful design but it seems that to much time has passed to have a succesful recovery. Does anyone have any ideas about what I can do or how to proceed?

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pootsie

Hello Gsrrwr.

Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to give you advice without knowing what kind of tree you have. Whatever it is, if all of the leaves are brown, that is likely a bad sign.

If you can tell us what you have, we might be able to help. Other than that, it would be advisable to find out what you have before it gets in trouble and learn about that particular specie's needs.

It is possible the tree suffered from over-watering, which is a common mistake. Most species of tree used for bonsai like to have the soil get a bit dry between waterings, rather than keep the soil constantly wet. Again this is just a guess.

BTW, what part of the world do you live in?

pootsie

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Gsrrwr

Hello Pootsie,


My best guess right now on the type of tree, is that it is some type of fig tree. The bark, basic structure and leaf shape all lean in this direction but I have yet to find an exact match on it's type.

I am located in the USA, good old icky Ohio. It's about 90 degrees here ever day with 80% to 90% humidity with no wind and blazing sunshine! I love the summer but this has been to much this year! Guess I'm getting old?!

jloeschner

FWIW, the description of the weather in your area sounds like ficus (fig) paradise. These trees love moisture, warmth, and humidity. So, if it was(is) a ficus, and you were(are) keeping it outside, it may pull through. A pic would be great, but if you could describe the foliage (the way it was before it turned brown), it might help some. If it is a fig, then keeping it moist, warm, and in bright light might just help it. Of course, if it isn't a fig, the care for it will probably be different...provided that it can recover at all.

Regards,
John

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