Very sick Serissa Foetida

bammy99

Hi everyone. I'm totally newbie to Bonsai and I've had this Serissa now for about 9 months.

The history is within a month of getting it, the cat managed to knock it off the table smashing the pot and breaking off three or four branches. After dashing out to the nearest nursery for a new pot and soil, I managed to get it re-potted and it seemed to be ok.

However, 2 months later, it started to gradually show signs of poor health. I have the Serissa in a bright window which catches the sun in the morning. I have been watering it when it started to feel dry to the touch and after doing some reading over the last few days, I think this may be my biggest failing and I think I should have been watering it a little more frequently. I water it from the top rather than soaking as this is the advise I was given by the nursery.

I've done the scratch test in a few places and I think that some of the branches are dead, but others are still green under the surface. What can I do to stop this tree from deteriorating any further? Could I have got something very wrong in the re-potting or could it be just the watering. What should I do with the dead branches? should I cut them back? How do I promote growth of new branches/leaves from the living parts of the tree. I'm going to take some cuttings just in case but I am desperate to recover the one I already have. Any help would be much appreciated. I've attached the best picture I could get that shows one unhappy this chap really is. Please help! Thanks.

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ALDEVAUX

The first thing to do is to remove the plant from the pot and examine the roots to see if there is no root rot. The roots should be firm, whitish but not have brownish or blackish rootlets. If there is root rot it should be repotted. This could be done throughout most of the year, although, the best times for repotting are in early spring.

At repotting, all the visible unhealthy roots only must be removed and the plant placed in a good very free draining soil so that no free water remains at the bottom of the pot. When the soil is free draining, you can water daily without problems because in that way the roots can then get as much oxygen as needed.

The tree should be pruned to remove all the dead branches (those that show no green coloration under the bark) and maintained at winter temperatures above 55 degrees F and also it grows best in high light and in sunny, warm locations. It needs as much light as possible and should be kept in a well-aired area where there is plenty of light and a temperature between 13-18 degrees C (55-65 degrees F. It should also get as much humidity as possible.

Be carefull not to over fertilise : chemical fertilizers may be used but should be diluted to approximately one half strength in winter so that valuable roots are not damaged and easily rotted.
Normally, if this is done new buds should appear in time. Best of luck.

soonami

There isn't much that you can do with the serissa, they tend to be very fussy with changes in temperature, sun, humidity, watering, etc. Serissa is the petulant child of bonsai.

Don't get me wrong, I have a big old serissa, but it continues to drop leaves even though it has been in the same position in my sunroom for the past two months.

What you can do is make sure the tree gets maximum light, reduce the watering a bit until the soil is dry to about half an inch in depth. A humidity tray underneath the pot will be good for increase moisture.

But really you will probably do more harm by worrying and messing with it. Just leave it be, feed it a little of fertilizer and let it regain its strength.

Aaron_K

Hi Bammy,

If memory serves me correct, Serissa can give hints as to their health. Yellowing leaves (as with many species) tend to indicate over-watering, IE the soil is not draining quick enough and ideally should be changed for a soil that does. At first glance yours does appear to have good sized soil particles, so I don't think drainage is a problem.

If you notice brown spots on the leaves, this is a good indication of light deficiency in Serissa Foetida, and so moving to a sunnier location or topping up with a few hours of artificial lighting should prove beneficial.

It could be that you haven't been watering it often enough, particularly as the indoor environment lacks the natural humidiy of outside. Try keeping a drip tray filled with gravel and water under the pot to increase the moisture around the tree.

One thing I did notice is a radiator in the background of your photo. These can be harmful if the tree is kept close to or above one. The pot can become pretty hot, and the roots slow baked, as the soil dries quickly. If this is the case, try re-locating the bonsai somewhere away from immediate heat sources.

In mid to late spring (whenever the temperature is a minimum of 12c), I'd be inclined to get the tree outside in the sunshine, wind and rain, as it should flourish being in a more natural setting.

All the best,

Aaron

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bonsainotwar

A lot of tropicals are this way.Mangoes come to mind immediately.

ChrisM

the key is humidity. i had one do the same to me. after checking all the standards - watering, roots, etc. i decided to get a clear plastic storage bucket to solve the problem. heres what i suggest - prune of all the dead stuff, water well, place pot on top of rocky soil inside the container (maybe even a little water on the rocks too). leave in a well lit (sunny) area and wait until you see new growth. the container acts like a greenhouse, keeping in the moisture and in effect causing the evaporation to "rain" back down on the plant. if the cover is not clear, just use the container upside down with the pot on the cover. (picture) anyway, it worked for me and mine is now out of the container and recovering nicely.

chris

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bammy99

Thanks everyone for all the great advice and apologies for the late response.

I can confirm though that the radiator is normally at the opposite side of the room. I'd literally put it there to try and get a decent photo. Second, I do have it on a tray full of gravel to try and aid the humidity.

I think next step is to prune back all the dead stuff. I'm then going to give it a couple of months with slightly increased watering till we get back to spring, then I can look at re-potting and checking the roots. Think I may also give it a try outside as recommended when it gets warm enough.

The last thing I'm not really sure about is, how do you encourage them to put out new shoots from fairly aged branches. After pruning, I'm going to end up with a tree with four major branches, of which only two have living branches and leaves. The other two just appear dead. How can I encourage foliage from these old branches.. or can't I?

Once again, thanks everyone. Much appreciated

ChrisM

yours is doing better than mine was when i tried the method i described. i don't know if i would increase the watering, it might not need it, then you'll have more problems. i would however, increase the humidity by not only using the tray as you are, but by misting it with a spray bottle maybe twice a day (or whatever seems to work). mine was doing pretty bad and i clipped about and inch and a half off every branch, it had no foliage left!! so maybe my method was in response to my extreme methods, but it does work. keep us informed about your progress.

chris

__________________
A bonsai is like a good marriage.You commit, for better or for worse, till death do you part. I DO!!!

soonami

When I get home from Florida I'll get some pictures of my Serissa.

But as was said, they are fussy and just when you think it is doing better, it'll go through a bad week and drop half its leaves. Then the next week, dormant buds on 5 year old wood will sprout and you'll have new growth and then in another week, more leaves will yellow and drop.

I think in the winter, keeping the tree alive is good enough and I have completely stopped pinching new growth, haven't rotated the tree in my sun room to get better light, and haven't done any wiring. I just feed it every couple of weeks with high phosphate fert and water as needed.