BubblePopScott
Mame
Welcome to the bonsai nut club, Stick around and show us your tree in 2 months time once it has recovered 
Dying Fukien Tea Tree Bonsai
- Thread starter Ilokee16
- Start date
MattE
Shohin
this has almost the same title as mine wrong thread lmao MY BADWelcome to the bonsai nut club, Stick around and show us your tree in 2 months time once it has recovered
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
They will do even better outside, glad they came back. They are pretty tough...
MattE
Shohin
yeah every tree will but i cant keep them outside where i am all year, as you can see im a 3B they would be dead in october. for me its easier to climatize them to indoors , keeping humidity high and in south face big bay windows compare to keeping them outside then moving them in then out then in ect. from what i have read if you can pick a spot that makes them happy let em be happy
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
Oh, I meant keep them outside until the weather drops below 50°F, glad they are doing well in the window though!
It’s been 3 weeks since the Fukien Tea Tree Repotting Disaster happened and he only looks sadder and deader by the day 
He’s in the same spot I put him in after getting into the forum. I’ve been trying to keep conditions stable but as the season changes from reaaaally sunny and dry to super windy and rainy I don’t think he’s getting used to living here instead of the nursery
I did as was told, bought two other plants, and again all my trees seem to be dying (tho it’s only been about a week since I transplanted them) I don’t get hoy to NOT shock them when I clean the root ball and pot them for bonsai making. I’m being slow and tender with the roots, I keep them wet and I’m not pruning anything. And yet! D: it’s making me feel like a huge black thumb
He’s in the same spot I put him in after getting into the forum. I’ve been trying to keep conditions stable but as the season changes from reaaaally sunny and dry to super windy and rainy I don’t think he’s getting used to living here instead of the nursery
I did as was told, bought two other plants, and again all my trees seem to be dying (tho it’s only been about a week since I transplanted them) I don’t get hoy to NOT shock them when I clean the root ball and pot them for bonsai making. I’m being slow and tender with the roots, I keep them wet and I’m not pruning anything. And yet! D: it’s making me feel like a huge black thumb
It’s cool. There’s like a thousand “HELP! my tree is dying” threads. Glad your guys are looking good !
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
"I keep them wet."
This could be the issue. Your roots could be rotting if you are overwatering. The soil looks very organic and will retain a lot of water. I believe I had read Fukien Tea doesnt like to be consantly wet.
I would:
1. Remove the fallen leaves which arent letting the soil evaporate out.
2. Put outside in a partly shaded spot that gets morning and afternoon sun but no midday sun.
3. Let soil dry out a bit before watering. Top inch of pot should be dry before next watering.
4. Hope for best.
This could be the issue. Your roots could be rotting if you are overwatering. The soil looks very organic and will retain a lot of water. I believe I had read Fukien Tea doesnt like to be consantly wet.
I would:
1. Remove the fallen leaves which arent letting the soil evaporate out.
2. Put outside in a partly shaded spot that gets morning and afternoon sun but no midday sun.
3. Let soil dry out a bit before watering. Top inch of pot should be dry before next watering.
4. Hope for best.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
I don't give mine full sun even in the greenhouse up here at 45° latitude and keep it pretty wet. If the OP's was repotted and put in full Panamanian sun, that might be problematic. And terminal, not to speak of just what kind of root removal was done to transition to bonsai. There's pruning, and there's PRUNING.
What kind of environment was it in at the nursery? Outdoors in full sun, or indoors in the middle of the shop? Something in-between?
What kind of environment was it in at the nursery? Outdoors in full sun, or indoors in the middle of the shop? Something in-between?
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
You said your other two trees are suffering too? What species are those?
If all three are dying, and they are different species, then its something that is likely a constant between them all and I believe that constant is your watering schedule.
If you are in panama, and its humid all the time, and its the rainy season, and your tree is in a water retentive organic soil, you probably wouldnt have to ever water an outdoor bonsai.
Do you have photos of the tree's roots during repot?
If all three are dying, and they are different species, then its something that is likely a constant between them all and I believe that constant is your watering schedule.
If you are in panama, and its humid all the time, and its the rainy season, and your tree is in a water retentive organic soil, you probably wouldnt have to ever water an outdoor bonsai.
Do you have photos of the tree's roots during repot?
Mayank
Chumono
Interesting thread. Lots of different viewpoints on fukien. Our fukien is one of the first bonsai I've ever bought. I believe we got it in 2004. (Hence the dreaded S-curve!)
Anyway, we're up in Michigan and ours gets full sun from around 8 am to 7 pm and I don't let it dry out completely. I probably over water but it's used to it.
Many near death events especially in late fall early winter and it's come back thank goodness.
Every time I ask any visiting master or my own Sensei, Vance Hanna, how I could restyle it or make it better, the only response I get is: you've kept it alive for over fifteen years, that itself is an achievement!
Anyway, we're up in Michigan and ours gets full sun from around 8 am to 7 pm and I don't let it dry out completely. I probably over water but it's used to it.
Many near death events especially in late fall early winter and it's come back thank goodness.
Every time I ask any visiting master or my own Sensei, Vance Hanna, how I could restyle it or make it better, the only response I get is: you've kept it alive for over fifteen years, that itself is an achievement!
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Vinnie Charity
Shohin
Both of mine do the same thing, every Fall and during the Winter they drop leaves, grow them back, drop more leaves, grow them back, get aphids, become very thinned out, and when I put them out every Spring, they recover just fine.
I'm going to repot them into better soil this week to see if that helps, they are both in Hoffman's mix, which is meh. Akadama, pumice, and lava should do the trick...
Mayank
Chumono
Ours hasn't been repotted in heaven knows how long
and is definitely in soil that is too organic!
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
Ours hasn't been repotted in heaven knows how long
I would get it out of that organic soil and into some good bonsai for sure. Great looking tree and I love white pots for Fukien Tea!!!
Here is one of mine...
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
Here is the other one...
plantdady
Seed
Reading this thread now and I'm very happy for you @llokee16 that your tree came back to life.
The same thing happened to my Fukien tree when I did a minor root pruning and repotting (same soil) back in June of 2021. It has since lost all of its leaves. It held on two a few leaves till Dec but lost those too. I have been following the instructions everyone provided here since June but no dice. I have checked to see if it is alive by pealing the trunk a bit and it has healed but I might be dealing with a dying tree on its way out
Unless anyone has any suggestions (besides the ones already provided here) I was going to take a desperate, I mean drastic measure by taking it out, prune quite a bit of its branches (reduce load), and replant it using entirely bonsai (non-organic) soil with some rooting hormones.
See photos below showing what it was and what it became a week after (very minor) root pruning (there wasn't much to prune anyways) 7 months ago.
P.S. The bonsai soil when it was healthy is just the topping. It primarily has had organic soil for all of its life.
The same thing happened to my Fukien tree when I did a minor root pruning and repotting (same soil) back in June of 2021. It has since lost all of its leaves. It held on two a few leaves till Dec but lost those too. I have been following the instructions everyone provided here since June but no dice. I have checked to see if it is alive by pealing the trunk a bit and it has healed but I might be dealing with a dying tree on its way out
Unless anyone has any suggestions (besides the ones already provided here) I was going to take a desperate, I mean drastic measure by taking it out, prune quite a bit of its branches (reduce load), and replant it using entirely bonsai (non-organic) soil with some rooting hormones.
See photos below showing what it was and what it became a week after (very minor) root pruning (there wasn't much to prune anyways) 7 months ago.
P.S. The bonsai soil when it was healthy is just the topping. It primarily has had organic soil for all of its life.
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If it had such a drastic reaction to the first repotting, I think repotting it again in winter is a death sentence if it still has some life in it. Have a little patience, water sparingly and see what happens.
plantdady
Seed
Thanks! Would that still be the case in San Francisco? I keep it indoor which stays between 68-75. But even outside it only goes down to 45 (if that).
P.S. I'm new to using forums. In this case, should I start a new thread or this conversation is fine here?
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Even in San Francisco, repotting a sick tree is not a good idea.
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