Help me save my tree

[AndrejsJ]

I had a question: How should I water my tree at this stage with basically no leafs left?
1. Should I water it throughly from top so that the water drips down from the pot holes completely?
2. Should I water minimally from top that water reach bottom of the pot NOT throughly?
3. Should I submerge pot for a couple of min?

Thanks!

 

[Carol 83]

Since no one else replied. Do what Judy said with the chopstick, she knows. If it is dry then water, until it runs out the bottom. It won't need much water, with no leaves. Don't submerge. Hopefully, someone with more expertise will chime in, just trying to help a little. They can be fussy, but they do not like overwatering. I'm 50/50 with them, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But with the recent repotting, it needs to rest and recover.

 

[Ingvill]

I've spent the last year reading tons of information about bonsai care, which means I still know basically nada.
But I have never read anywhere "to not water a tree thoroughly when watering".
My understanding is we should always water thoroughly, but then wait to water again until it's needed.
How often its needed depends on a number of things (species, time of year, which state the tree is in, climate where you live, day to day weather etc etc).
Which is why us newbies should check soil everyday.
On hot summer days, we need to check more than once a day, at least on many species.

When mine had very few or no leaves left, I still watered them from the top as I normally do.
I watered them thoroughly, water gushing through the drain holes of the pot, to make sure water reached ALL the roots spread around in the pot.
Then I checked soil everyday and didn't water again until it was needed.

Using a chop stick rather than your finger to check soil is a great suggestion to protect fragile roots.

 

[AndrejsJ]

Carol 83 and Ingvill Thank you!!!

I will use your suggestions, and hope for the best

 

[Akeron]

I had a similar problem with my Fukien tree... See my thread, it has some useful info as well. Mine is not in direct sunlight at all... It is by the window where it gets indirect sunlight in the shade. I sometimes put it in the balcony where it still doesn't have direct sunlight and for some reason it is doing spectacular now. One main reason it started dying was over watering on soil that did not drain as well as Akadama. I am also new to this but I think I have a system that works for me.

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/fukien-tea-bonsai-tree-questions.31004/

 

[AndrejsJ]

Thanks Akeron i also have a Fukea Tea bonsai potted next to my dying Carmona, but it looks perfectly fine and will flower, take a look + soil is the same, I bought regular bonsai soil and mixed it with kermzite since we do not have much stores with special bonsai care soil so i must order abroad if I want anything special.

But the fact that I did the same with Fukea Tea and it is healthy means that I did something wrong with my Carmona or it is just too stressed because of mine actions

 

[just.wing.it]

I thought Carmona is FU tea??

 

[Akeron]

I thought so too... I googled it.

 

[just.wing.it]

I thought so too... I googled it.

Hmm?...?

 

[Akeron]

Strange... your soil looks like it holds a lot more water than mine... When you repotted did you check roots? maybe it is too much water specially if the tree doesn't receive direct sun all the time.

 

[AndrejsJ]

Sorry I got confused they are both Fukea Tea (Carmonas) one is healthy

It only looks that way from top because soil is quite dark and there is plenty these little rocks (keramzite) mixed in which helps water go through very freely underneath.

The soil in my hand is actually the soil from the bag, it is completely dry but looks moist.

 

[Akeron]

Again, I am not one of the experts here, in fact my tree survived because of the help from a local pro and people in this forum. Having said that... maybe inspecting the roots is not a bad idea? I changed the watering of the tree to about twice a week making sure it is dry before I water again. I also made a cut at the very top of the highest branch to see if it was green. One of them was already dead so I started scaling back until I saw a bit of green and I knew branch was still active. Hope it helps!

 

[Akeron]

Sorry to reply to my reply... I am not sure that compo-Sana soil is what you need. Try searching amazon for something like that akadama-charcoal-Pumice-Lava mix I got. If others agree of course. My trees didn't really like that potting mix they were in before.

 

[Carol 83]

maybe inspecting the roots is not a bad idea?

He just repotted it. I don't think it's wise to insult it anymore. IMHO, I think it's a leave it alone, and hope for the best situation. The one I had that didn't make it was fine until I repotted it.

 

[Akeron]

I was thinking kinda a "peek" inspection to see whats going on? But if it was me I would follow Carol's advice

 

[Carol 83]

I am not pretending to know anything, just that the one I killed was fine, when I virtually ignored it. When I started messing with it, poof, dead. Killed it with kindness.