Problems with serissa

[Matias_v21]

Hello to everyone, i'm new here. About a mounth ago i recived a bonsai as a gift, it's a Serrisa, at first evrithing was good, but some days ago the leavs started to turn yellow and fall.
I've been watering by inmersion only when the top soild drys.
Can you give me some advice?

 

[Anthony]

Please note - Tropics - response.

This is a Chinese serissa - Serissa s. grows outdoors in China in a zone 7, pot outdoors is probably zone 8
Needs soil that drains very well.
Lots of sun

See if you can get the attention of Mellow Mullet .

Where are you located ?
Best to you.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Matias_v21]

The soild is draining well, i think.
I'm in Montevideo, Uruguay. Here is summer and the plant is near a window facing south but it dosnt receives direct sun light.
Can you give me any other advice?

Thanks!

 

[sorce]

i'm new here.

Welcome to Crazy!

Serissa is a tough one.....
Be sure to thank the person that gave it to you, and tell them we said it's not your fault if it dies!

Giving someone a bonsai as a gift......
(Though forced down throats as "corporate, or wedding, or baby shower gifts." by greedy stick sellers)
Is like buying someone in an apartment a pony.

Just don't be upset if it dies is all.

Though. Leaf drop isn't completely abnormal.....and yours looks to be having a healthy leaf drop. Not brought on by disease.

Try to keep it in the same place. As much light as you can, without cold window drafts....and you should be ok.

Location dependant....
A repotting looks necessary. Icky soil.

Sorce

 

[Matias_v21]

Thank you for the answer.
I'm going to thank my girlfriend and as she was the one who gave it to me .
and I had read that after changing position serissa may suffer " stress " and that this could lead to the fall of the leaves, but I was a bit concerned .
I'm not sure if I dare repoting , I'm new at this and I'm afraid of doing something wrong .
hopefully not die, I 'll keep this updated with pictures so you can see the progress.
Thank you.
one last question would you recommend watering by immersion, with a shower, or spraying water on the leaves and soil ?

 

[sorce]

thank my girlfriend and as she was the one who gave it to me

Now you can always blame her for what will become a serious addiction!
Slick!

That soil looks like dooky.
If it gets fully watered by over head, I would do so.
If not...keep dunking it.

Depending on advice of others....and your location....
You may want to repot now.

Sorce

 

[GrimLore]

If not...keep dunking it.

Nope

I've been watering by inmersion only when the top soild drys.

They do not like "wet" or "dry". Use the chopstick method and never let it dry completely but do not let it get wet as yours is(why the soil looks like muck). Do not repot it now - wait until it is growing strong. Also skip the fertilizer for a month or so. When you start to fertilize again never fertilize it unless you are certain the roots are damp. If not the root tips will become damaged.

You can save it but not by loving it to much, just properly They are a very good plant and once you get used to the care it is not difficult as many think.

Grimmy

 

[Matias_v21]

thanks to all. I was afraid of not having watered enough. I will take into consideration all the tips and try to let it "rest" to recover. I will keep this updated so you can see the progress.

 

[Starfox]

Nope



They do not like "wet" or "dry". Use the chopstick method and never let it dry completely but do not let it get wet as yours is(why the soil looks like muck). Do not repot it now - wait until it is growing strong. Also skip the fertilizer for a month or so. When you start to fertilize again never fertilize it unless you are certain the roots are damp. If not the root tips will become damaged.

You can save it but not by loving it to much, just properly They are a very good plant and once you get used to the care it is not difficult as many think.

Grimmy

Hi Grimmy and Matias,

Hopefully I'm not hijacking your thread but can I ask a somewhat similar question about my newly acquired serissa?
I had read that serissa can be a bit temperamental when it comes to changing environments, positions in the yard or just looking at them the wrong way so I am fully expecting mine to chuck a wobbly after bringing it home and now the nights are getting a touch colder(no frost here though, zone 10b) I am seeing signs of just that.

It has dropped about 3 leaves and a few flowers and I can see there are more leaves starting to turn now too, not as many yet or as yellow as the ones in Matias' pics but I can only assume it's heading that way?

Anyway, the advice above seems sound enough but as mine is in flower with lots of new buds in wait should I do anything different, fertilise more or not at all? Cut the yellowing leaves away so the plant can focus on the buds or does the advice above hold and just let it do it's thing and worry about it in the spring?

 

[GrimLore]

I had read that serissa can be a bit temperamental when it comes to changing environments

Myself I would just water, watch the darn thing drop, and note how long it takes to throw new foliage. Keep in mind the more it drops the less water and fertilizer it needs. Still damp but never dry. I have several that have been indoors for about two months as it is a much colder climate. Each one is dropping and putting out new foliage differently, some are very full again while others are very slowly putting out new growth. Here they act a lot like Ficus when brought indoors for the Winter. Now that is here and quite different then there. I think @Mellow Mullet has a closer climate to you and just tagged him. I do suspect however what you see is "normal" - perhaps he will give us his thought on it!

Grimmy

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Serissa are semi-tropical and it is not uncommon for them to have leaf drop when fall/ winter hits. Mine stay out all year unless it drops below 35, I have others that are growing in the landscape that see whatever temps that winter can conjure up. Here are some pictures of some of mine that I took this morning showing their fall "leaf drop".









Your tree looks to be OK, it is probably just reacting to being moved around. When I bring mine in for a night or two, it usually drops most of the leaves that are left.

As others have mentioned, your soil looks like muck, I would repot into some good bonsai soil, but wait until spring. Also yours looks like it is awfully damp, be careful with the water, it is not using much now. Hold off on the fertilizer until spring, it doesn't need it.

John

 

[Starfox]

Myself I would just water, watch the darn thing drop, and note how long it takes to throw new foliage. Keep in mind the more it drops the less water and fertilizer it needs. Still damp but never dry. I have several that have been indoors for about two months as it is a much colder climate. Each one is dropping and putting out new foliage differently, some are very full again while others are very slowly putting out new growth. Here they act a lot like Ficus when brought indoors for the Winter. Now that is here and quite different then there. I think @Mellow Mullet has a closer climate to you and just tagged him. I do suspect however what you see is "normal" - perhaps he will give us his thought on it!

Grimmy

Cheers for the reply, yeah I was kind of expecting it to drop so that at least isn't a surprise but I just wanted to double check to see what if anything should be done.
It makes sense to just let it go so unless I see anything different I'll relax about it and wait it out.
Sorce mentione MM earlier and I have bookmarked some pages for reading, should get on to that.

 

[lieuz]

In my experience with serissas, they are like the young teenage tamper throwing sister you probably never wanted. I too got this species of tree as a gift and it really is tempermatic. When you place it outside it grows and grows and grows with dense small very dark green leaves. But depending on where you live, I almost always have to bring them in before November hits or when the temps dip blow 50s (10C) and into the low 40s(4C). When you bring them in they get moody because of light intensity changes. I found myself having to grow these under a grow light to make sure they get enough lighting. Drawing a connection to your tree, mine did look very similar. Mine came in very compact soil, much like yours, with a top gravel dressing and it seems that's what you have in your pot as well. This tree is not only picky about the light intensity, they need that really well draining soil and on top of that, they don't like to be slightly dry or overly wet. @GrimLore is right about them acting like ficus because the moment you move them from say a location that gets slightly less light or slightly more light, they tend to drop their leaves. I would put this guy outside and let it recover and possibly change out to a better more free draining soil mix.

 

[Starfox]

Ahh, you replied as I was typing.

Thanks for the info, seems best to just go with it then.
I have noticed the water consumption has dropped off now too, it seems to be taking a bit in overnight from heavy dew.

 

[lieuz]

This was what it looked like with a full summer of sun the first few months I got it.

After 7 years this is what it turned into. Top View. Note the very small dense foliage.

Here is the front.

 

[Anthony]

The Chinese type.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[sorce]

chuck a wobbly

Don't know what the fuck this means.......

And I love it!

@lieuz that picture....the shadows look like clouds....nice picture....nice tree!

Sorce

 

[Starfox]

Ahh... That'd be the old Aussie vernacular creeping in, that might happen occasionally.

"chuck a wobbly"

- To throw a tantrum
- To throw ones toys from the pram
- To lose ones shit
- Temporamental

Uses:
"If my boss knew I was drunk he would chuck a wobbly!"
"My wife would totally chuck a wobbly if she knew how much that Juniper cost!"
"I put my Serrissa outdoors for what is probably the first time in it's life and it chucked a wobbly"

Something along those lines anyway.

I suppose it makes up for having to convert fahrenheit in my head.
Crazy.