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| About a month and a half ago someone gave me a Bonsai Carmona for a present...They told me it was about 100 years old,that is what the salesman told them anyways. It seemed fine the first week when I placed it indoors near a big window with plenty of light for it. I water it it one it when its surface looks dry..A bit later I realized that the leaves were getting yellow and a lot of them are subsequently falling.. It is losing its leaves daily.
Today I also saw small white balls that look like hard cotton balls on some of the older branches..It looks sick.. on the other hand though, it looks as if it is trying to revive, it is also growing small new branches with smaller younger leaves.. Is there anything I can do to help it?? |
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| First off I would make sure you are allowing adequate time for the soil to dry in between watering. A good method for beginners is to stick a chop stick in the soil near the edge of the pot. When the wooden chopstick is no longer wet its time to water again. It also sounds like you defiantly have a fungus problem (the white balls) and most likely will need to treat the infected areas with fungicide. If you could provide some pictures of the bonsai it would be helpful as well. |
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- Posted by head_cutter Vietnam (My Page) on Tue, Jan 11, 11 at 17:40
| The best thing for you to do, right now, is go do a Google Search. You say Carmona? Carmona Microphylla/fukien tea? Jerry Meislik www.bonsaihunk.us has some very good information about many tropicals, the fukien tea is one. While your friends had good intentions, they bought you what is probably THE tree which is the biggest pain in the butt in the world. Keeping one indoors compounds the problems -- but -- take heart, it can be done. You didn't say where you live but the tree is inside, they are indoor/tropical in temperate areas, outdoor in the semi-tropics and tropics. They are sensitive to almost anything; underwatering/overwatering, light, movement, feeding, pruning and are a magnet for almost any pest you can name. They don't seem to benefit -- or not -- from a great amount of humidity so that's not an issue. Less humidity, in dead air, will also cut your pest problems. A few hours of direct sunlight is enough to keep them happy unless the winters in your area get very dark days. They will drop some leaves but recover. It will benefit from a watering cycle that is to wet the soil up well then allow it to dry but not go totally dry, above moist. You can wiggle your finger down in the soil and get use to the way it feels over time. Watering is best done over-the-top like rain, if not possible for you soak the pot until the soil is good and wet then allow it to drain. You can feed at the same time (low concentration) and add a few drops of liquid soap to help the water wick better. Pests; what you describe could be mealy bug or scale, either is easy to control. While the tree is sensitive to most pesticides (diazanon will kill them) you can use common mild dish soap and alcohol to control your pests. For either use a fingernail and gently pry the infestation off or a Q-tip dipped in a soap solution or alcohol. Once cleaned you can occasionally give a spray of a well deluted soap solution for control. I have 2 large ones, we have a love/hate relationship. Good luck, Bob |
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- Posted by simsedward 6- MI (My Page) on Tue, Jan 11, 11 at 18:32
| Bob is so right. My fukien tea hates to be moved around at all. When you find a good location for yours, leave it there. My mom also has one and I had to bring it home on a rescue misson. She lost all of her leaves. After one week of being under my fluorescent lights, it is showing signs of recovery - new leaves forming everyday. I would follow Bob's advice and be patient. It will bounce back. |
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| [IMG]http://i838.photobucket.com/albums/zz302/gemalt/Bonsai0051.jpg[/I MG] |
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| It is round, white and hard shelled.Some of them are stuck on the bonsais branches |
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| Thank you all for the advise,My Bonsai is looking a bit better. I posted some pictures of it. The salesperson told my friend that it was over 100 years old.. Can some one that knows about Bonsais really tell around how old it might be??? And also it that small white little ball is the pest that can be handled with just alcohol and or soap water.. Thank YOu. |
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- Posted by simsedward 6- MI (My Page) on Fri, Jan 14, 11 at 19:59
| Let me just say that I think that tree is awesome. IMO it is impossible for any of us to tell the age of it, but I have one that is five years old and not nearly as thick as that. How tall is the tree? If it is 100 years old, it must have been a pretty penny. |
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| Not that expensive. Its value from what they told us was over 600 euros but no one would buy it at that price. The person selling it had it in his store for over two years, for that price but just recently sold it about 200 euros just to sell it from his store...My friends knew I really liked Bonsais so they bought it as a gift for me. Given the opportunity that it is such a lovely Bonsai.I don't know if it is true that it is 100 years old but it does really look old. It is such a beautiful tree,, I really want to take care of it and secure that nth happens to it.. Yesterday I saw a small worm in the mud? Tried to get to it but then couldn't find it. Would that worm subsequently harm the roots?? How can I protect it from stuff like that. Thank You for the reply. |
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- Posted by simsedward 6- MI (My Page) on Sat, Jan 15, 11 at 7:41
| Where do you live? What is the temperature now? If you keep it outside you can use some sort of systemic granular insecticide. Even a little garden sevin dust has worked for me (on the soil). Not sure from that location (which direction is the deck facing?) how much light the tree actually gets. Fukiens need a lot of light. You may need to supplement with some artificial lighting.Mine stay outside in sunlight all summer, but inside under fluorescents during our winters. It looks to me like it is still pretty healthy, just pitching a fit for its change of environment. Both of mine are very fussy like that. Keep it well light, watered only when near dry and feed it after it stops dropping its leaves and does not appear stressed any longer. |
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- Posted by simsedward 6- MI (My Page) on Sat, Jan 15, 11 at 7:46
| http://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/FukienTea.html Good link here |
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| I currently live in Sparti Greece, in an apartment on the second floor.The weather here in the fall and spring is mild and a bit humid. I have it inside now next to my balcony door to protect it from the winter. The weather gets unpredictable here in the winter , sometimes good sunny weather , not too cold but sometimes, cold and windy.Sometimes lots of rain. At night it gets very cold sometimes, so I definitely keep it in. Some days when it is a nice mild sunny day I take it outside a bit and put it on the balcony so it can get some air and more fresh light but not for too long , I always take it back in. Does the fact that I move it, not to far from it's spot inside, bother it?? One more question , what do you mean by feed it??? Because I only water it...Does it need anything else aside from water?? what is systemic granular insecticide? or sevin dust?? Since I have it indoors maybe not a good idea to put sth like that.. On the other hand I would like to protect the tree. So any good ideas would be appreciated. I am a beginner and I have heard that Carmonas are very sensitive to pesticides. Thank you for the reply. I couldn't find the link you sent me. |
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- Posted by simsedward 6- MI (My Page) on Sun, Jan 16, 11 at 19:34
| Only treat with insecticide if it is outside - and if you notice signs of infestation. You should fertilize it about once a month in winter and more often in spring/summer. Fertilize as you water it. http://www.joebonsai.com/fertilizer-information/ |
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