New member new to Bonsai

[hinmo24t]

Get a $20 grow light from amazon and have it like 5" from the top of it perhaps. Prime will have it there in a couple days and maybe you can salvage it

 

[Carol 83]

Serissa are challenging indoors, wishing you the best of luck with it.

 

[Darran]

Hmm.. is Rhs zone 9 similar to USDA zone 7? How cold does your “coldest room” get?

When we who live in the US hear “Zone 9”.. we THINK fairly warm...

But i think RHS 7 MIGHT be like zone 5b or 6.. but I have NO idea..

Just trying to help, and curious, as well.

The zone I listed is the US zone not the RHS one. RHS rate the plant based on its hardiness. Temps outside can reach low minus in winter so typically -1 to -3 but have been lower.

according to the RHS site, my zone equivalent in the US is 9 hence why I set my usda zone as 9.

in the house I would say the room it’s in is dropping to around 7 degrees C on the coldest of nights, but during the day is around 12-15 degrees.

 

[Darran]

I monitored the temps in the room today, and was to surprised but it’s getting up as high as 20 degrees C. Also the base of the tree feels rather wet.

 

[hinmo24t]

these work well for what they cost

killer reviews too

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MV6TFFW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Darran]

Would something like this provide the light needed

LED Plant Lamp, 10-40W Grow Light for Plants Full Spectrum, Gooseneck, with Timers 3/9/12 H, 3 Lighting Modes, 10 Brightness Settings, for Flower Succulents Growing (105 Leds Per Tube),Single tube : Amazon.co.uk: Garden

LED Plant Lamp, 10-40W Grow Light for Plants Full Spectrum, Gooseneck, with Timers 3/9/12 H, 3 Lighting Modes, 10 Brightness Settings, for Flower Succulents Growing (105 Leds Per Tube),Single tube: LED Plant Lamp, 10-40W Grow Light for Plants Full Spectrum, Gooseneck, with Timers 3/9/12 H, 3...

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Darran]

I fear I am losing my gifted Serrisa, it is now dropping leaves at quite a rate. Some of them are turning from the variegated white and green to a pail green then yellow, this seems to be only the bigger leaves. The smaller ones that are dropping are either showing signs of death at the tips or look perfectly health.

I have it in the coolest room in the house although temps will still be as high as 15-20 degrees. It has extra artificial sunlight for 8-12 hours a day and I have tried to only water when the soil starts to dry out on the top.

I don’t know what is likely to be the issue, I’m new to growing anything. A lot of the leaves seem healthy but have just fallen off the tree, they do not feel dried up.

Not sure what to try next, afraid to water more or less in case I choose the wrong option.

 

[HorseloverFat]

8-12 hours a day for supplemental isn’t ideal... (others will have alternate ideas about what I just said)
In MY neck of the woods... Winters are BRIGHT... like some of the highest UV averages during winter... so my windows still allow decent light to pass through... in my room with a BIG window, I’m still on 18/6(ish) for my lights..

In my cold “spring” chamber.. there is ONLY artificial lights, two Fluoro bars and a big Full Spectrum.. THOSE lights run 20/4....

So while light MAY be your problem.. let’s talk about other possibilities..

Have you been fertilizing.. what kind?

I killed a Serissa I really like by simultaneously feeding it slow-release Nitrogen fert, and accidentally OVER-treating a gallon of water and feeding it “acid water”..

The Serissa cuttings NEXT to it.. got the “acid water” but NOT the Slow-release Nitrogen... they are fine... the ACTUAL specimen, of course, perished.

But having said that... don’t fertilize “sick trees”.. they WON’T know what to do with it.

Also.. I DON’T think your temperatures are too concerning... my serissas stay in “warm” 60-80 temps the whole winter. (I DO let them catch some “chilly” before I bring them in, though)

Hmmm.. not sure

Someone else may have some ideas.

 

[Darran]

8-12 hours a day for supplemental isn’t ideal... (others will have alternate ideas about what I just said)
In MY neck of the woods... Winters are BRIGHT... like some of the highest UV averages during winter... so my windows still allow decent light to pass through... in my room with a BIG window, I’m still on 18/6(ish) for my lights..

In my cold “spring” chamber.. there is ONLY artificial lights, two Fluoro bars and a big Full Spectrum.. THOSE lights run 20/4....

So while light MAY be your problem.. let’s talk about other possibilities..

Have you been fertilizing.. what kind?

I killed a Serissa I really like by simultaneously feeding it slow-release Nitrogen fert, and accidentally OVER-treating a gallon of water and feeding it “acid water”..

The Serissa cuttings NEXT to it.. got the “acid water” but NOT the Slow-release Nitrogen... they are fine... the ACTUAL specimen, of course, perished.

But having said that... don’t fertilize “sick trees”.. they WON’T know what to do with it.

Also.. I DON’T think your temperatures are too concerning... my serissas stay in “warm” 60-80 temps the whole winter. (I DO let them catch some “chilly” before I bring them in, though)

Hmmm.. not sure

Someone else may have some ideas.

Thanks for the reply, I as yet have not fed this tree anything, i got It late December, and rightly or wrongly decided to wait a while before trying any feeding. I assumed it should actually go dormant at this time and not require feeding.

i can of course increase the lighting to a longer period, at present here we only get a max of 12 hours sunlight, but I can keep the lights on when the sun goes down.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Thanks for the reply, I as yet have not fed this tree anything, i got It late December, and rightly or wrongly decided to wait a while before trying any feeding. I assumed it should actually go dormant at this time and not require feeding.

i can of course increase the lighting to a longer period, at present here we only get a max of 12 hours sunlight, but I can keep the lights on when the sun goes down.

Oh yes. I’d recommend at the VERY least 16 hours (I’d do 18) of Artificial lights supplementing window light...

If NO windows (for another venture, or anyone else reading ) 19/20 hours at the least.

That’s ok, about the fertilizing.. we’ll try to get this tree healthy.. THEN talk about getting him/her onto a schedule. (Others MAY have other ideas, this is just what I would do)

 

[Darran]

Oh yes. I’d recommend at the VERY least 16 hours (I’d do 18) of Artificial lights supplementing window light...

If NO windows (for another venture, or anyone else reading ) 19/20 hours at the least.

That’s ok, about the fertilizing.. we’ll try to get this tree healthy.. THEN talk about getting him/her onto a schedule. (Others MAY have other ideas, this is just what I would do)

I will make a change to the lighting then, as a start.

There are previous shots of the soil in this thread, I find when I water its sits on the top in pools and the. Suddenly seems to just fall through Soil, at present the tree is loose in the pot with the whole soil block lifting out if I lift the tree, it seems to dry out very quickly on the top soil but not so much below the surface.

I also mist the leaves in the morning, I am using rain water for misting and watering that has been allowed to get to room temp.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I will make a change to the lighting then, as a start.

There are previous shots of the soil in this thread, I find when I water its sits on the top in pools and the. Suddenly seems to just fall through Soil, at present the tree is loose in the pot with the whole soil block lifting out if I lift the tree, it seems to dry out very quickly on the top soil but not so much below the surface.

I also mist the leaves in the morning, I am using rain water for misting and watering that has been allowed to get to room temp.

Misting is it’s own “hot-button” issue, with VERY divided feelings.... I personally notice less fungal issues WITHOUT misting... I’m STILL thinking it might possibly be fungus.

A repot is necessary... but repotting a struggling tree, is somewhat like... chaos.. i guess. SOOO many tangents from baseline by that point, skewing, reverting.. impossible to trace back... If it was ME (I’m a savage, though ) I would consider a “re-pot”, bag it and cross-yer-finners”-type situation... but that’s only if I was SURE that fungus wasn’t an issue..

Hmmm we need two things..

Pictures of the leaves, dead, dying AND “fresh”(er).. to attempt further diagnosis.

And @JoeR (Dude CONSISTENTLY grows Serissas, like a BOSS!) to swing through and hear about your update, and weigh in.

 

[Darran]

Misting is it’s own “hot-button” issue, with VERY divided feelings.... I personally notice less fungal issues WITHOUT misting... I’m STILL thinking it might possibly be fungus.

A repot is necessary... but repotting a struggling tree, is somewhat like... chaos.. i guess. SOOO many tangents from baseline by that point, skewing, reverting.. impossible to trace back... If it was ME (I’m a savage, though ) I would consider a “re-pot”, bag it and cross-yer-finners”-type situation... but that’s only if I was SURE that fungus wasn’t an issue..

Hmmm we need two things..

Pictures of the leaves, dead, dying AND “fresh”(er).. to attempt further diagnosis.

And @JoeR (Dude CONSISTENTLY grows Serissas, like a BOSS!) to swing through and hear about your update, and weigh in.

Pictures I can do.. some of the trees, soil dropping leaves and a shot of my lights

 

[HorseloverFat]

Pictures I can do.. some of the trees, soil dropping leaves and a shot of my lights

That watering can is ADORABLE!

..stay focused.

Yeah, it’s not happy, it looks like it.. NEEDS... y’know?

It’s strange that the soil doesnt drain well.. because it doesn’t look too rootbound... possibly peat-heavy soil, allowed to get too dry.. just once.

 

[Darran]

That watering can is ADORABLE!

..stay focused.

Yeah, it’s not happy, it looks like it.. NEEDS... y’know?

It’s strange that the soil doesnt drain well.. because it doesn’t look too rootbound... possibly peat-heavy soil, allowed to get too dry.. just once.

So does the soil look over / under watered or about right ?

As another distraction my garden in the background is very devoid of plants, I was never a gardener, but i plan for a few trees this spring outdoors

 

[HorseloverFat]

So does the soil look over / under watered or about right ?

As another distraction my garden in the background is very devoid of plants, I was never a gardener, but i plan for a few trees this spring outdoors

It’ll be hard to tell, from looking, the ACTUAL moisture content in soils such as these. (Heavily organic particles HOLD on to water, so while the outermost COULD be dry, deep inside could be overmoist.. in nature, this is no problem.. the earth IS the “basin”.. in container gardening of most kinds, a well draining soil is what is normally “leaned towards” ((while saving retention, increasing EXCESS draining, and more frequent watering (((than the earth, itself, would provide))))

 

[Darran]

It’ll be hard to tell, from looking, the ACTUAL moisture content in soils such as these. (Heavily organic particles HOLD on to water, so while the outermost COULD be dry, deep inside could be overmoist.. in nature, this is no problem.. the earth IS the “basin”.. in container gardening of most kinds, a well draining soil is what is normally “leaned towards” ((while saving retention, increasing EXCESS draining, and more frequent watering (((than the earth, itself, would provide))))

Just read on here about testing with a bamboo chopstick

 

[HorseloverFat]

Just read on here about testing with a bamboo chopstick

Sure, that’ll work.

I’ve also heard of people using q-tips on the drainage holes.

For me, it’s weight.

 

[JoeR]

Wow thats a highly variegated serissa, super cool. That also means it is likely going to be an overall less vigorous plant compared to non-variegated cultivars.

Serissa go through phases of massive leaf yellowing followed by dropping. This should be only the older leaves; if new growth is yellowing then you have a big problem.

The soil looks like 1-2 year old degrading akadama or something sandy? But as mentioned it still has plenty of open air space so I think its fine, roots look healthy. Serissa love water but NOT being water logged. This is why they don't do well in shallow shallow pots, the water table is too high and they drown. You can test this by watering your plant heavily, letting it drain for a few minutes, and then tilting the pot to see if water pours out.

They also appreciate high humidity indoors in my experience, a heater running drying the air will cause old leaves to yellow and drop.

Which way does the window face? Any idea what kind of light the purple lights you have put out?

 

[Darran]

I don’t have any humidifiers etc, running in the house, just the central heating, of which this room has no heat source. The window is NW facing, my SW facing windows are either children’s bedrooms or the living room downstairs, the kids would kill it for sure. Downstairs there are radiators under the windows which would heat the window etc. So this is the coolest, safest place for it, but not ideal.

The light is this one, and is a combination of red , blue and yellow.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spectrum-Lighting-Adjustable-Gooseneck-Seedling/dp/B08NF5B9G8/ref=sr_1_54?dchild=1&keywords=LED+Grow+Lights&qid=1613858703&sr=8-5

if it’s not suitable I can try getting something else. It is positioned with both heads 6 inches from the tree, the third light is current on a seed tray with some seeds from a bonsai kit someone brought me. I have one seedling still alive of the 3 that germinated.

I have been watering the tree every 3-4 days depending on how dry the soil is getting. And misting the leaves once a day in the morning just before the lights go on. As said lights are on 8-12hrs a day currently, but I can increase that.