Cause of yellowish leaves...

[Cadillactaste]

My bougainvillea arrived already in the mail...but the leaves seem yellowish. Not like in the photo on the listing. I can't see the cold doing this. What do ones feel could be the reason behind the yellowish colored leaves?

The structure of the tree I feel can be an informal upright...or...if one chose they could make a slant by removing some of the upper canopy structure. Personally I see it carrying off a slant with far better structure.

 

[Paradox]

Soil looks kinda dry? Lack of water?

Or Chlorosis?

 

[Nybonsai12]

Has it dropped a lot of leaves?

 

[bonsaibp]

Could be from shipping depending how long it was in a box. Give it as much sun/ light as possible. A little fert. won't hurt either.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Auction ended on the 2nd...BUT...it came from a very warm climate...and it was a rain mixed with snow earlier today. So...cold here. So most likely it's not liking the climate change. The seller said if it doesn't bounce back he will replace it.

Now...from what my own nursery said...it takes temps in the 20's to kill a bougainvillea. It never reached those temps. So...if anything it should bounce back. He said the leaves were green upon shipping.

The pot was wrapped with wet paper towels and sealed in foil. And the box full of packaging peanuts...so that should have helped insulate it some...

 

[coh]

any evidence of mites?

 

[Cadillactaste]

any evidence of mites?

I'll go check...not that I can see.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Has it dropped a lot of leaves?

It just arrived in the mail today...so if there was leaf drop...it would be in the mix of tons of peanuts. As well as expected from shipping...hasn't dropped anything since I placed it in the sunroom.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Could be from shipping depending how long it was in a box. Give it as much sun/ light as possible. A little fert. won't hurt either.

Max...two days. But it came from a warm climate...and it's cold here.

 

[Nybonsai12]

I think it's just stressed from shipping and new climate. It should bounce back.

 

[jk_lewis]

Even indoors a bougainvillea is likely to get yellow leaves at this time of year. It may even lose them all. Keep the soil just barely damp and keep the tree in the sunniest indoor location you can find until it can go outside again. The will NOT accept wet feet in the winter.

Speaking of its feet, what are you going to do about those awful roots?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Even indoors a bougainvillea is likely to get yellow leaves at this time of year. It may even lose them all. Keep the soil just barely damp and keep the tree in the sunniest indoor location you can find until it can go outside again. The will NOT accept wet feet in the its feet, what are you going to do about those awful roots?

Thanks...as for the awful roots. In my Bougianvillea book. There is a guy named Sonny who gets much money for those sort of roots. Bougianvillea is a vine and the guy sells bonsai for several digit figures for mature bonsi trees with said awful roots. So apparently they look at them differently. Though I did take wire and fix the back roots to the soil. so they aren't taking flight.

 

[timetravel_0]

It isn't too little water, that's for sure. Those leaves will still stay green when completely dried out and crispy.

I will occasionally get a yellow leaf or two that drops off- but the entire rest of the tree is nice and healthy.

 

[Cadillactaste]

It isn't too little water, that's for sure. Those leaves will still stay green when completely dried out and crispy.

I will occasionally get a yellow leaf or two that drops off- but the entire rest of the tree is nice and healthy.

Yeah...I had one prior to this arriving. More concerned with if it was fungal...

 

[jk_lewis]

There is a guy named Sonny who gets much money for those sort of roots. Bougianvillea is a vine and the guy sells bonsai for several digit figures for mature bonsi trees with said awful roots.

I guess there is no accounting for taste both in terms of sellers and buyers. I guarantee you will never see roots like that in a serious show.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Possibly not...but, they seem to be very valuable though. I reckon they feel they are "natural" looking mature trees. Like what they see growing old and stately...and isn't that what we try and do with bonsai...mimic trees in nature? So unusual and sought after for their uniqueness verses "standard" material. So...I guess when I read books showing old stately Bougainvillea like that...my mind opens to understanding it. So...I actually like the quirkiness of it.
A link to photos that were in my book, just a few...
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?16798-A-few-photos-taken-from-my-bougainvillea-book

 

[dkraft81]

Even indoors a bougainvillea is likely to get yellow leaves at this time of year. It may even lose them all. Keep the soil just barely damp and keep the tree in the sunniest indoor location you can find until it can go outside again. The will NOT accept wet feet in the winter.

Speaking of its feet, what are you going to do about those awful roots?

Whar jkl said. Mine drops leaves like crazy while it adjusts from being outside to being inside. Nothing worry about.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Whar jkl said. Mine drops leaves like crazy while it adjusts from being outside to being inside. Nothing worry about.

Thanks...now I don't have to worry about it then.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I think the issue was the wet paper towels that wrapped the tree in shipping. While I mostly have shipped orchids, I found shipping something wet is more likely to cause trouble than shipping dry. Too wet in a closed container (box) just invites fungus to start to go rampant. Now that the tree is in your sun room, the problem should stop.

The moist root ball should be wrapped in such a way the moisture doesn't 'migrate' to the foliage while being shipped. Most plants do better being shipped on the dry side. I saran wrap the pot, roots and media, with several layers. That keeps the roots moist. Then wrap the rest of the plant in dry newspaper. Have had good results that way.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I did tack down those roots in the back...which made the roots less floating around. Though, since there is history with bougainvilleas with quirky roots. I sort of am okay with it, knowing that.

I don't plan on showing it...I think the girl who this was bought for, might think it cool to read the book and have a tree that resembles one that is to be considered valuable for said looks.

And...ones are allowed to think they are awful ...I'm okay with that as well. I guess if I hadn't read the book I might have questioned it myself. But...I think she'll get a hoot out of it having an odd root system as mentioned in the book.

But, I think they look better brought down a bit out of the air. At least in my minds eye...