Yellow leaves! Help please!

[hannahgehrke]

Any idea what could be wrong with our bonsai?

She gets watered once a week and has direct sunlight. We’ve had her 4 years and have never had this problem! We recently moved from AL to CO but she’s never outside and we’ve changed nothing.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Carol 83]

Welcome to the site! Are those rocks glued on? If so, take them off please. Is there even a drainage hole in the pot? I suspect the yellowing leaves are a watering problem. Once nighttime temps are reliably above 50, it wants to be outside. Tropical's are best repotted in the summer. Let it gain some strength, then consider repotting in a well draining soil, in a pot that has good drainage. Pruning would get rid of that straggly growth and get it growing again.

 

[hannahgehrke]

Welcome to the site! Are those rocks glued on? If so, take them off please. Is there even a drainage hole in the pot? I suspect the yellowing leaves are a watering problem. Once nighttime temps are reliably above 50, it wants to be outside. Tropical's are best repotted in the summer. Let it gain some strength, then consider repotting in a well draining soil, in a pot that has good drainage. Pruning would get rid of that straggly growth and get it growing again.

Hello! Thanks for replying! The rocks are not glued on. They seem to be mixed in with the soil with the majority on top. There is one small drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.

Should we be pruning the long growth or just the yellow leaves?

 

[Carol 83]

Should we be pruning the long growth or just the yellow leaves?

The long growth, or internodes. Insufficient light is most likely the cause. If you are unsure about your watering, stick a wooden skewer in the soil, and leave it in the pot. If you pull it out and it is wet, don't water.

 

[Firstflush]

I had a pot like that. Make sure the drainage hole does not have glue or any other substance blocking it.
Maybe check with a paperclip. Pull out the hole plug if there is one. Also, right now, spring, watering once a week maybe too much. Let the soil dry some. You can pluck the yellow leaves or leave them to fall off on their own. I would let it get healthy before pruning.

 

[Shibui]

Diagnosis of plant problems is difficult in person. Even harder by distance with just a few photos and sketchy background info.

Oldest leaves will eventually turn yellow and fall as they age but in this one it seems to be leaves in mid stem or near the top so unlikely to be the cause for you.
Yellow leaves are usually either watering or nutrient deficiency.
Even indoor bonsai need to be watered well when they get watered. If water never runs out the bottom of the pot nutrient salts can build up in the pot and eventually become toxic. Only water when the soil gets just dry but water well when you do.
All living things need nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Plants get theirs from the soil. If we do not add nutrients (fertilizer) regularly plants in pots will begin to starve. How often do you apply fertilizer?

Occasionally I get some yellow leaves on ficus in winter which I put down to cold and/or fungal infection because air flow is not so good when the trees are crowded together indoors. The yellow leaves will fall off and new ones are usually OK when the weather warms up and air quality improves. Cut off yellow leaves and dispose so any problem does not spread.

Long shoots is the natural growth habit of ficus. If we want a bushy tree we need to force it to do so by trimming long shoots. Trimming will not hurt ficus. They can sprout new buds all over the branches and trunk. I agree that this one has even longer spindly growth than usual so likely not enough light. What we see as bright is still really dark for a tree that should be growing outdoors.

Lots of things to consider. Hope some of it will help.

 

[sorce]

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