Save my bonsai!

nainiriel

Hi

Since I'm a newbie at this it's time I started a 'help my dying bonsai' thread.

I got a ficus (so it said on the tag, but they tagged their carmonas as ficuses too..) two months ago. It suffered quite a chock being dragged out in -15 C (5 F) and lost about half of its foilage. It recovered in about two weeks though and started budding and got new leaves.

Lately it's been dropping leaves like crazy and I don't know why! I watered it when the soil became just dry and now I wait until it's been dry 1-2 days just in case (it's not a bonsai, it's still in a normal pot). I water it maybe once a week. I keep a desk lamp (halogen) pointed at the tree. It gets light during 6 am - 10 pm. It's on my window sill. The room temperature drops to about 19 C (66 F) at night and the window is colder.

What could be causing this? Is it possibly a climate problem? February is a tough month in Sweden (very cold and low humidity). Even my carmona stopped flowering at about the same time. There are some buds but they seem to be dormant. It's doing ok otherwise..

Are Ficuses (or whatever it is) particularly sensitive to cold?

What can be causing the wilting? Am I overwatering or is it a soil problem? Should I repot?

I have attached a few pictures. Notice the wilting? They were taken a while ago, it's worse now...

BTW Is it a ficus?

Attached Images

	2.jpg (26.4 KB, 73 views)
	3.jpg (53.8 KB, 114 views)
	1.jpg (41.7 KB, 65 views)

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Aaron_K

Hi Nainiriel,

Its not a ficus. Its a Chinese elm. I wouldn't let the soil dry out completely - especially not for 2 days. This is probably what is causing the leaf drop. Indoors is warm and arid, and I suspect watering only once a week is not enough.

All the best,

Aaron

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Joanie

Looks like it's potted in pure organic, too. Can anyone suggest whether a repot into better draining soil would be appropriate, so that he can water it more often and not create root rot conditions?

Joanie

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Joanie

Does it sit on a radiator vent, or near one? That would be another concern...

Joanie

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fkokkas

I totally agree with Aaron!

Fanis

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Aaron_K

As Joanie says, the soil looks to be regular, unscreened potting compost. This isn't the greatest thing in the world to grow a tree in. When wet, the soil becomes like a swamp, with significantly reduced space for much needed oxygen, as water takes its place. This can lead to all sorts of problems such as root rot and ultimately the death of your tree.

When organic soil like this is allowed to dry out, it is often very hard to rehydrate it properly. The dry soil almost acts like a barrier, and water usually runs off before its had a chance to permeate sufficiently. When it gets like this, normally the only way of correcting it is to soak in a bowl of water. This then gives you the swamp in a pot again.... and so the cycle of extreme soil conditions continues.

The best solution is to get the tree into a fast draining soil, thereby eliminating all future headaches of over-watering and root rot. Ideally, repotting the tree should be done prior to the buds breaking open, but provided you don't root prune or damage too many in the process of removing the old soil, you could do it now. Chinese elms are one of the tougher species used for bonsai and can handle much more abuse/neglect. You say that the wilting is getting worse, and it does sound like an emergency repot might be needed.

Wash off all the old soil, either by dunking repeatedly in a bucket and working the soil out gently with your fingers or blasting it off with a hose. Use a fast draining mix, 60% or higher inorganic to 40% organic . Components such as pea gravel, grit, perlite, large grain sand, screened compost, will all work very well and should help promote root growth. An orchid soil mix, which are often sold pre-made should also be viable to use.

All the best,

Aaron

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Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Muriel Strode

Vulpes pilum mutat, non mores!

"A fox may change its skin but never its character"

nainiriel

Ok. Seems I have been abusing it a bit

Thanks for all the great answers. I will repot it as soon as possible in a better soil mix. I've bought aquarium sand and have been itching to try it out in a soil mix. (there are no good bonsai soils sold in sweden and I don't want to buy imported japanese soil from my fellow bonsai nuts..)

Joanie, the radiator is near the window although the heat does not penetrate the windowsill. It's accually cooler there than in the rest of the room. My landlord is very stingy with the heat so it's not very warm...

Ralph

FYI, as far as the radiator is concerned, the heat isn't the issue as much as the fact that it is drying out the air. The dryness of air inside our homes is not optimal for pant life. Some can make it okay in these dry conditions but they don't like it.

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Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

Alasdair

Getting too cold could also be a problem. If it is sitting on a windowsil with the curtains drawn at night it'll get prety much as cold as it does outside, and i'd imagine that sweeden gets real cold in february. Chinese elms do act deciduously if they get cold, which may explain the leaf fall.

I think. That said, this year my chinese elm has been outside non stop with almost no protection and hasn't lost a leaf.
Al

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