Trying to rescue bonsai from scale

bonsai1978

Hello. I'm babysitting my friend's bonsai for about a month. After researching the boards, I believe it is a Fukien Tea because when she bought it, it had red berries. And it also had flowers at some point. Anyway, I was told to water it twice a week and that's all I needed to do. All was well until I noticed a few days ago that the green fruit buds were all shriveling up. And when I looked closer, the leaves didn't look too hot either. And when I looked EVEN CLOSER, I realized the trunks and branches were covered with scale. Brown scale to be exact. EW!!! So for the past two days I've been picking off scale with a toothpick. I think I got most of them...but now what? The leaves still looks so sad, and I feel bad returning the bonsai in this condition. It's been sitting by a sunny, west-facing window. I put it on my balcony yesterday for the afternooon since I read that Fukien Teas like lots of sun...but I think that stressed it out even more.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

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rschlafer

There are sprays that will kill scale and I've also used an insecticide that is made by Bayer® that you apply to the surface (it's little granuals). Make sure you aren't overwatering as well. Your environment is different that your friends and the tree might need more or less water.

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- Todd

coloradobonsai.com
Specializing in Yamadori Bonsai/Pre Bonsai.

Joanie

The tree needs to be watered when the soil is dry on top, and damp underneath. Not on a schedule. Stick your finger into the soil if you can, and determine how dry the tree is by how the soil feels. Then water it very well, from above, making sure that the water flows through the holes. Put the tree into morning sun/afternoon shade or lightly dappled shade, so that it can recover. Don't move it around. If it's in the house, it may be drying out from the air conditioning or fans.... which takes the moisture out of the leaves quickly. Been pretty hot in LA.

Find the best place to put it, where the sun won't bake it and the fans don't dry it out. Check it daily and water it when needed. Hopefully it will begin to put out new leaves (the leaves currently on it won't look better, they're pretty well goners) Keep picking off the scale, which is a very effective way to remove them without using chemicals. I would worry about using anything on it until it recovers.

Good luck!
Joanie

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