Seasonal indoor bonsai leaf drop
.Continue reading for some information on seasonal indoor bonsai leaf drop
Autumn is definitely approaching. The evenings are distinctly cooler and the leaves on some outdoor bonsai are turning beautiful shades of rusty yellow and orange. This is a perfectly normal seasonal change in deciduous outdoor bonsai. Enjoy the wonderful colours.
The indoor bonsai may also lose some of their older leaves. This is particularly obvious in the Chinese Elms. The older leaves turn yellow and then drop off. This is caused by a decrease in temperature and a shortening in the number of daylight hours. However, the new growing tips will not be affected.
Please do not worry if your indoor bonsai does drop some older leaves. You will find over the next few weeks that they are replaced by new fresh green buds. By the time the heating in the house has been turned on a little to take the chill out of autumn evenings your bonsai should have a new canopy of leaves.
Also, I love watching the seasonal changes in my bonsai.
Please continue to feed both indoor and outdoor bonsai, weekly for the time being. By october your outdoor bonsai will not require any feed. If you have any specific questions please leave a reply below.
All the best
Lloyd
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david –
My tea tree is loosing leaves, it still has a lot and its about 28 yrs old. I water it and spray it and feed it weekly, is this normal as it sheds loads of leaves but still very green ?
Bonsai Direct –
Hi David,
This sounds like seasonal leaf drop. Is it the old leaves (and not the new growing tips?)
Please be careful not to over-water now that it has fewer leaves. Tea tree bonsai like to be on the dryer side.
If you are worried please e-mail us a photo.
kind regards
Lloyd
lloyd@bonsaidirect.co.uk
Maria –
Hi Lloyd are you still answering questions about bonsai loosing its leaves?
Our bonsai is loosing all its leaves they are black now and the ones that are green are also looking like dead..
bonsaidirect –
Dear Maria,
Please can you tell me what variety of bonsai you have and where you keep it?
Black leaves can be a sign of drying out (if they are crispy), Over-watering )if the tips go black first. Or too cold depending upon the variety if the leaves go soft and black all over,
I hope this helps
kind regards
Dan
Friedrich –
Hi there,
I have an 18 yr old chinese elm and it has lost a lot of leaves in the past 10 days, some branches have pretty much no leaves! I am getting really worried and not sure what to do! I water it as I always have 1 a week (sometimes twice). I have relocated recently (in october) and the bonsai is in an area close to the window, hiwever not much sunlight comes in! Please help
bonsaidirect –
Dear David,
This is likely to be seasonal leaf drop. This would only affect the old leaves and not the new growing tips.
New buds should appear in the next 4-6 weeks.
Kind regards
Sarah
david –
Hi Lioyd,
Thanks for replying, the leaves it drops are old leaves and seem to be dead, there are loads of new green leaves on it and I make sure when we have sun in the morning it gets it for about 4 hours and I spray with a fine mist first thing.
I shall water about every 10 days now but I check the soil to make sure its not dry, also should I feed the bonsai as it seems to be growing ?
Bonsai Direct –
This definitely sounds like seasonal leaf drop – yes please feed with a bonsai fertiliser such as the one in this link:
http://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/item/1851/liquid-bonsai-fertiliser–t92-?ref=3177
best wishes
Lloyd
sophie –
Hello. I have 2 bonsai trees at the moment both 8 years old. This year they both seem to be losing a lot of leafs I’ve not noticed any new shoots growing just yet so im a little worried. I’m thinking of rebedding them soon but not when the best time is to do this and what soil will be best to use. Please can you help? Thank you.
Bonsai Direct –
Hi Sophie,
If it’s just the old leaves and new growing tips which are dropping, then is is not uncommon at this time of year.
The growth of bonsai at this time of year is much slower than through the spring and summer.
I regret I cannot advise you about re-potting because we do not know what variety of bonsai they are or even if they are outdoor or indoor varieties.
I am sorry about this; its just that this depends on variety, time of year and where in the world you live,
kind regards
Sarah
Danielle white –
Our bonsai as lost all its leaves and nothing has regrown for about 6 weeks now and has no sign of new shoots, we have still been watering and feeding it, should we give up hope or is there a chance it could come back to life? Is there anything we can do to help it? Thanks
Bonsai Direct –
Hi Danielle,
No dont give up. Not sure what type of bonsai you have.
If an outdoor bonsai, they will drop all their leaves at this time of year.
You can stop feeding it.
Please let me known what bonsai you have and what happened to the leaves when they dropped.
Did they change colour or go crispy?
Thanks
Sarah
Graham –
Hi my bonsai tree seems to have lost almost all its leaves, is this normal. If not what can I do to try save it? Thanks any help would be greatly appreciated.
Bonsai Direct –
Hi Graham,
It depends upon the variety of bonsai tree.
Outdoor bonsai are losing their leaves now.
Kind regards
Sarah
sue –
My bonsi tree has lost all its leafs even new leafs i keep i spray and water any idear where i am going wrong
Bonsai Direct –
Hi Sue,
Please could you send us a photo. At the moment we do not know what variety of bonsai you have.
Are the leaves dry and crispy?
Please e-mail to sarah@bonsaidirect.co.uk
many thanks
Sarah
Paul –
My indoor bonsai is loosing it’s leafs fast. It’s lost half of them and i only bought it from the garden centre 2 weeks ago. I have a water measure device and it floats n tells me what the optimal amount of water is. I have placed it on the window sill to get plenty of light but it’s behind the net curtain, not in front touching the actual glass. It’s a small round style but I’m unsure of the exact type of bonsai. Please help someone.
bonsaidirect –
Hi Paul,
This may be perfectly normal re-acclimatisation for this time of year but does depend upon the variety of bonsai.
I would be very careful using a measuring device, I have heard of people relying on them and they don’t work.
If it is just the old leaves and not the new growing tips and if they yellow first it will probably stabilise after approx 3 weeks. The new shoots should not be affected. Did the garden centre not tell you what variety it is?
I hope this helps
kind regards
Sarah
steven –
My chinese elm has been dropping a lot of leaves for several weeks now. They turn yellow then drop off. There have been no new shoots for weeks so I am starting to worry.
I’ve had it since last xmas and have never fertilized it as it’s always grown really well and needed constant trimming, with the odd leaf dying here and there.
Prior to the leaves beginning to drop on mass I had cut 2 thick shoots that had got really long. Could this have caused damage? I’m really concerned as it’s almost part of the family!
Patty –
Hello, I am plantsitting my mom’s indoor bonsai plants.
One of them is dropping leaves. Is it normal for December? I spray them every night and water them once a week. No direct sunlight. It isnt really cold here and we have the heat on. The house’s temprature is 24_25.
Please let me know if leaves dropping is normal.
Thank you
bonsaidirect –
Hi Patty,
It is not uncommon for an indoor bonsai to drop some of the older leaves as we go into winter (not the growing tips). I hope this helps.
Kind regards Sarah
bonsaidirect –
Dear Steven,
Thanks for your message. It sounds like the bonsai is just under going seasonal changes. It should be the old leaves and not the new growing tips which drop and they soon bud back up.
If you have had the bonsai for nearly a year it really will need some fertiliser. Please use a good bonsai feed and use it regularly. It makes such a difference.
The hard pruning will be a good thing and will not have caused this,
I hope this helps
kind regards Sarah
Hannah –
Hi. I bought my bonsai tree about 2 months ago. A lot of the leaves are falling off. Some are crispy and brown but some are green. There are now bald spots on my tree with only ends that look brown and burnt-like. I don’t think im overwatering because I only water about once a fortnight as the soil seems to retain moisture for a long time. There are still new buds coming up bot not where the leaves have dropped
bonsaidirect –
Hi Hannah,
I am not sure what type of bonsai you have some I may be a little vague with the advice.
In general brown crispy leaves are associated with too little water.
Generally you would water at least every 4 days and more often when hotter.
I suspect that the new shoots are all growing on the tips of the shoots.
To encourage new shoots further down the branches you need to prune off the growing tips.
I hope this video helps.
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/blog/bonsai-care-advice/bonsai-care-information/how-do-i-prune-my-bonsai-tree-2/
Kind regards
Sarah
Karl –
Hi,
I have a Chinese Elm tree, I have had it about 6 months and it sits by the window of the office.
about a month ago it started dropping its leaves, they turned yellow and then fell off. A few of the leaves didn’t fully drop and they have turned crispy but are still stuck to the tree. It kinda looks dead.
Traditionally i water the tree on weekdays as were not in the office over the weekend. so at most it goes four days without water, but i touch the soil to see how dry it is before water. I use a bonsai feed fertiliser also in the water. I water directly to the soil, not spray over the leaves as i dont have a mister. The excess water drains out of the bottom of the bowl onto the tray.
Im hoping this is just seasonal drop-page, but really cant see any new buds and its been at least 4 weeks now, im getting worried ive killed it.
Can you advise please?
bonsaidirect –
Hi Karl,
If the leaves have gone dry and crispy this indicates that the bonsai has dried out at some point.
Please stand the bonsai in water so that the water covers the entire pot (for about 5 mins).
Then allow to drain. This will evenly re-wet the root ball.
It will take a good 6 weeks to see if the bonsai will recover. During this time please keep the soil damp and do not feed it.
I hope this helps
kind regards
Sarah
Karl –
Amazing! Thanks Sarah, i shall keep you updated!
beshoy Beshara –
I’ve bonsai elm I bought it 9months ago it is big size and i kept it in door neer window.
Two months ago its leaves started to fall heavely and it was complete green leaves. I asked and the man how bought me told me to move it very close to the window and spray it every day and it works new leavs started be cone out.
Now I face the same problem again and leaves started to fall heavly an even I cannot sea any new leaves comes out.
Thanks in advance
bonsaidirect –
When the leaves on your bonsai drop do they go crispy or change colour?
This is most likely seasonal leaf drop if it is the old leaves which are dropping. Seasonal leaf drop should not affect any new growing tips.
I would have expected you to have new buds on the ends of the shoots by now.
Kind regards
Sarah – Bonsai Direct
Rachel Herron –
Hi, I really need help. I’m looking after a friend’s apartment for the next nine months, which includes looking after his chinese elm bonsai. It has been doing fine until 4 days ago when the leaves started to turn yellow and drop loads. There are new buds but I’ve noticed even small leaves have turned yellow are dropping off too. I thought i had beem following all care instructions. When i get up i open curtains to let it sit with lots of light, then mist it and put a little water in the bottom tray to help it absorb through roots. I don’t think it’s been over watered. But I spray it every day. really don’t want it to die under my care. Is this seasonal or what can I do to rescue it? Any suggestions or help welcome.
bonsaidirect –
Hi Rachel,
This could be seasonal leaf drop but I am concerned about the watering.
The bonsai should not be stood in water.
It should be check daily and only watered when the soil is barely damp. Then it should be watered well by soaking the root ball.
Do you know what variety of bonsai it is?
I hope this video on watering bonsai helps:
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/blog/bonsai-care-advice/bonsai-care-information/how-do-i-water-my-indoor-bonsai-tree-2/
I hope this helps
Kind regards Sarah
Cara –
Hi Sarah,
I have had my bonsai ligustrum sinense for a couple of years now. It was 9 years old when we brought it.
Last year it was fine, nice green leaves but it started growing out of the pot with the soil not covering all of it and towards the end of the year no new leaves were growing.
Beginning of this year new and old leaves started dropping (the older ones went dry and crispy and fell off) but the new shoots didn’t grow either. From what I can gather previous comments suggest it has most likely been over-watered during the colder months.
I re-potted the tree yesterday (not sure if this was the right thing to do), pruned the roots and put it in new soil and trimmed the branches, watered and fertilised. The tree itself is still green inside (after rubbing a small area of bark off towards the top of the tree).
It looks extremely sad, has no leaves at all. Is placed in the kitchen window and has been for the past year – it has at least a few hours of direct sunlight throughout the day. The house has been relatively warm throughout but through the winter it has possibly been exposed to a cold draft.
Does it have any chance of survival?
bonsaidirect –
Dear Cara,
If the leaves went dry and crispy this is usually an indication that the bonsai dried out at some point.
If the cambium layer this green, this is a excellent sign.
The roots on a ligustrum are very strong and they do need regular re-potting (every 1-2 years).
There is every chance the bonsai could recover.
If you have a garden please place it in semi-shade and don’t forget to check it for water daily.
If you have a mister please mist the foliage daily (in addition to checking the soil for water).
This is quite a tough bonsai and I believe the cold draught would not have caused this.
I hope it recovers,it is a good time of year.
All the best
Sarah
Bev –
Hi My new Water Jasmine Bonsai has lost almost all its leaves after i went for a 1 week vacation. My friend has been watering it and I keep it in the office. What shoud I do now? Can I email you directly with a picture and could you email me directly too at my indicated email address? thanks!!!!
bonsaidirect –
Dear Bee,
You are welcome to email a photo.
Please keep the soil damp (not too wet). I suspect some of the leaves have dropped off but hopefully in 4-5 weeks you will see new buds.
If you have a water mister please mist the leaves and branches daily, in addition to checking the soil.
This will help maintain good humidity,
I hope this helps
kind regards
Sarah
Chris –
Hi, I had a delivery of my indoor Ligustrum sinense bonsai from yourselves on Friday, and by Sunday, leaves, lots of them, had dropped. Some seemed dried out/crispy, but still retained a mostly green colour, and some were actual full leaves. I keep it indoors, not infront of a window, however I did put it infront of a window with sunlight for one day, so I’m not sure whether the sun has caused issues, or lack of water. I’m a little scared of overwatering, but have been trying to water a little more ever since, and I try to mist at least 2 times a day if I can. I haven’t really had the time to research bonsai’s properly, maybe stupidly was under the impression that as mine is an indoor version, it would be easier to care for?! Any tips would be great, I’m an absolute novice. Also, I wondered whether it was just an acclimatisation issue, after being shipped, and then being in a new environment. I live on the 7th floor of an apartment in London, so wondered whether I should be leaving it outside during the day whilst at work, or whether the English weather is too cold for it, and possibly windy as the terrace is 7 floors up? This is the bosai I bought if it helps, and I can take photo this evening to share tomorrow if that helps also? Thanks (https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/extremely-twisty-powerful-indoor-bonsai-relative-of-the-olive.html)
bonsaidirect –
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your message.
If the leaves have gone crispy it does sound as though the bonsai may have dried out too much.
How often are you watering it? You are correct this is an indoor variety.
Please could you email me a photo and I can check this out.
Here is a link to our bonsai care videos, this is an easy variety to care for so hopefully I can help quickly.
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/blog/bonsai-care-advice/bonsai-care-and-advice/
All the best
Sarah
Nadine –
Hi I have three bonsai a hawthorn, Lonicera and one we don’t know species … but the leaves have come off , all the leaves and for around six weeks, no new growth no leaves nothing please help !
bonsaidirect –
Dear Nadine,
Do you know the cause of the leaf drop? Did the bonsai get too dry?
Where are you keeping them?
Many thanks
Sarah
michaela stevens –
Please help! I got a bonsai for my birthday in June and all was well. I tried trimming it a bit but it started losing leaves. I repotted into a much bigger pot and used fresh bonsai soil and new leaves grew but now all the leaves are gone! I think we left it in the sun too long? I have been watering until water runs out the drainage hole every few days, is that too much? I have bonsai feed i give it once a week as the instructions say and the trunk looks ok apart from a little white mark!
bonsaidirect –
Dear Michaela,
This is very difficult to answer when I do not know what variety of bonsai it is and where you keep it.
Please could you email a photo.
kind regards Sarah
Amar –
Hi,
My indoor Chinese elm tree has lost quite a few leaves for the past month. I received this tree at Christmas and have kept it indoors until spring. Midway through August it has started to lose leaves. I have been feeding it slow release fertilizer but the tree has stopped growing any more leaves. I have watered it when the tree gets dry. What should I do?
bonsaidirect –
Dear Amar,
If you Chinese Elm is still outside I suspect the leaf drop is caused by the cooler nights and shorter day length. Basically it thinks it is autumn (which it is!).
It is not uncommon to lose some of the older leaves at this time of year. Please bring it inside at night if cooler. I hope this helps
kind regards Sarah
toby –
Hi, I bought a Chinese Pepper around four months ago. After around two months the leaves started drooping and then eventually falling off. It now has next to no leaves at all with little sign of new growth!
I’ve watered regularly and bought some SB plant invigorator/bug killer however not seeing any improvement. I keep on window ledge so around 4 hours of direct sunlight. Could I email a photo? Thanks, Toby.
bonsaidirect –
Hi Toby, yes of course please send a photo.
Kind regards
Sarah
Carl –
I have a Chinese elm indoor. I moved it from a window sill in the kitchen (sun all day) to the lounge away from any drafts about a week ago. I water twice a week if needed and was feeding every week to 14 days through the summer now a bit longer. It has lost 3/4 of leaves some dry some yellow or discoloured. I have had the tree about a year. I had two more from dobbies but they died with in 3 weeks of getting them home. (I wonder if they were already dying) I’m thinking of getting a new tree any particular type I should go for indoor and should I be moving them around when the weather gets colder for example.
Many thanks in advance
bonsaidirect –
Dear Carl,
I suspect the leaf drop is seasonal. This may affect the old leaves but not the new growing tips. It is followed by a growth period so in 4-5 weeks you should get new buds.
Please keep the soil damp to the touch.
I think a Ficus or Sweet Plum, Ligustrum or Jade Tree bonsai would be a great addition to your home.
I hope this helps
kind regards
Sarah
Joe –
I live in London and have an indoor Chinese elm Bonsai tree which I purchased on February of this year. I followed all the care instructions and even had a moisture meter. I started pruning as it grew really big and then the leaves started falling off many going yellow to the extent that its completely bare now with no leaves and has been bare for a few weeks now. Have I done something wrong? Should I get rid of it? Or wait and see if the buds bring new leaves?
bonsaidirect –
Dear Joe,
I suspect this is seasonal leaf drop but it does sound extreme. Did the leaves go dry and crispy before dropping?
To see if your bonsai is alive please make some small nicks with your thumb nail in the trunk and branches.
The layer just beneath the bark (the cambium layer) should be green.
In the meantime please keep the soil just damp and not too wet.
I hope this helps
kind regards
Sarah
Nora –
Hi
I bought an Ulmus indoor bonsai tree 3 weeks ago in Hungary (I live here). I couldn’t understand what did it need to be well looked after as I don’t speak Hungarian. I did a bit of research and I’ve been watering it once a week (dipping it in water for few seconds). One time I added some food liquid the shop sold me and told me to use once a month. Is this the correct way of looking after it? It is loosing quite a few leaves and I’m worrying. The shop told me it was 12 years old. Please advise me what to do. Also, does it need a lot of sunlight? Thank you very much.
bonsaidirect –
Dear Nora,
Thanks for your enquiry.
All the information on the following link will help you care for your Chinese Elm:
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/blog/bonsai-care-advice/bonsai-care-information/
The care sheet for the elm is in this link:
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/blog/bonsai-care-advice/bonsai-care-information/indoor-bonsai-tree-care-sheet-chinese-elm/
I hope this helps
kind regards
Lloyd
Mario –
Hello, I’m so upset
I have 6 indoor bonsai of different variety .
I bring them out in the summer and return in fall. In New Jersey.
They all seemed to do well outside even during the hottest part of summer. Well we had a hot spell in the end of August and I went to water them and 2 trees of different variety had the leaves turn brown and crispy overnite! And I did not let the roots dry out. I’m so depressed. I then brought them all in i guess it’s close to a month and continued to water. Those two still have no leaf growth.ive done this for 5 years now so I have no idea what happened. How much longer should I continue to water before I give up hope?
Thanks Mario
bonsaidirect –
Dear Mario,
Bonsai can dry out very quickly in intense heat and it sounds like you have just been unlikely and bee caught out.
You an get the situation where there is water in the pot but the plant cannot transpire quickly enough to get the water to the leaves, so they dry out.
In this instance a bonsai will drop its leave to protect itself and it may take several months to rebud.
To see if the bonsai is alive please make some small nicks in the trunk and branches.
The layer just beneath the bark (the cambium layer) should be green.
I hope this helps
kind regards
Sarah
Mario –
Did the little nick in the trunk and I’m seeing Green,
Yay ! maybe there’s hope. Some of the branches are dry though , that makes me nervous .
I’ll keep watering ,one last question ,
Should I fertilize at this point or just keep watering ?
Thanks , holding out hope.
Sarah –
Please keep the soil just damp, not wet.
Please do not feed.
You may have lost a few twigs but hopefully it will re-grow.
Logan –
Hello! I have a Japanese Maple and a Gingko tree that I keep indoors. In december both trees had their leaves change color and fall off naturally. I have kept their soil damp over the course of the winter and buds formed in early January late December. They still have not gone to leaves yet though despite adding supplemental light. Should I go ahead and start feeding them again to encourage the leaves to shoot? Thank you!
bonsaidirect –
Dear Logan,
Both these varieties of bonsai are outdoor trees and should go dormant and loose their leaves during winter months.
Please do not feed them until they are in full leaf – This would normally be April time although this does depend upon where you live,
kind regards Sarah – Bonsai Direct
Stephanie –
Hi …..I just brought a ficus panda recently….n it was doin good ….I water it generously till the excess water gets out of the drainage hole ….it is very small n is planted like a secculent ….the plant was doin good …until leafs started turning yellow n dropping off ….since m new to bonsai m a lil worried can u help me plz
bonsaidirect –
Dear Stephanie,
Please may I ask how long you have had the bonsai? A lot of indoor trees take 2-3 weeks to re-acclimatise to their new location and the bonsai can drop some of the old leaves during this period.
Are the new growing tips still strong and healthy?
The other thing that happen, a ficus does it quote dramatically, is for an indoor bonsai to drop the old leaves (but not the new growing tips) as we come out of winter and enter spring. This is followed by a growth period.
This could very likely be the cause of the problem.
Kind regards
Sarah
Stephanie –
I brought my ficus panda on 4 Feb I think its 3 weeks now. The new Growing tips r still strong …I have also kept a humidity Tray under the plant ..but from the tym I have brought dis plant the tips r not blooming …may I Kno how long does it take to bloom?
bonsaidirect –
Hi Stephanie,
It sounds like it is reacclimatising. If you are concerned please take it back to the nursery where you purchased it and ask their advice. I do not know where in the world you are, but most flowering bonsai flower in the summer and it is mid-winter here. Kind regards Sarah
Stephanie –
I live in India …..thank u so much for the information
Sarah …..yes I think it’s re accalimisting ….
Vivienne –
I have a 10 year old Chinese Elm that lives indoors, I have noticed a lot of leaves are falling off and a lot of the mature dark green leaves are going light green around the corners and some are going light green in the middle. I’m getting very worried. i mist it nearly every day and soak it on fertiliser once a week. What could be the cause of this. Please help.
bonsaidirect –
Dear Vivienne,
You can get some seasonal leaf drop as you enter spring; this should not affect the new growing tips.
I suspect watering once a week is insufficient as the weather gets warmer. Have any of the leaves gone crispy?
kind regards Bonsai Direct
Alex R –
Hi,
I bought my bonsai back in Feb/March and whilst it was initially thriving with plenty of new leaves over the last 3-4 weeks it has started to drop it leaves dramatically. There is no sign of new growth and the branches are bare. The leaves appear to be going a yellow/brown colour before dropping. and we have found some tiny white spiders in it.
This cant be due to time of year or acclimatisation. I am new to the world of bonsai and I am just wondering if there is anything I can do to check what is wrong and how to bring it back to health??
Thanks
Alex
bonsaidirect –
Dear Alex,
Thanks for your enquiry. Please can I ask where you purchased your bonsai from? It sounds unusual that it was thriving with new shoots and then has recently started dropping – did anything happen to shock the bonsai/
I am unsure whether you have an indoor or outdoor tree. Perhaps a photo would be helpful.
Many thanks
Sarah
jennifer amundson –
I got a sageretia about a week and s half ago. It was healthy when I got it, bit has developed black spots on the leaves. The leaves aren’t going soft, just getting black spots. I’ve removed the most affected leaves. It has young shoots that still have that bronze color to them so I can’t really tell if they have it or not. I water when the soil dries out a bit but I don’t let it dry out completely. Can you help me?
bonsaidirect –
Dear Jennifer,
Black spots on old leaves in a Chinese Sweet Plum are very normal. This is associated with aging and the bonsai re-accliamtsing in the frist 2-3 weeks.
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/blog/bonsai-care-advice/trouble-shooting/spotty-leaves-on-your-bonsai-tree/
I hope this link helps.
kind regards
Sarah
marge –
Given an older bonzai. & have it in kitchen window- morning sun. It is growing 3-4 larger leaves, and has not dropped any leaves. Seems healthy but about what do I do about these larger leaves?
bonsaidirect –
Dear Marge,
The more you prune the bonsai the smaller the leaves will become. Is it an indoor variety?
kind regards Sarah
Drew –
My bonsai lost almost all of its leaves over night last night. I moved it from one room to another about 2 month ago to give it better light. No other changes were made. It’s been watered normally and has been super healthy until I woke up today… it’s about 3 years old
bonsaidirect –
Hi Drew,
The only thing which I know can cause this is if the bonsai dried out.
Nothing else would happen so quickly. Have the leaves which have dropped gone crispy?
kind regards Sarah
Kayla –
Hello,
My indoor ficus bonsai has lost all of its leaves. The problem is I cannot tell the source as a few things happened to the tree all at one time. The weather changed yes, however also my tree also had mealybugs. I did as much research as I could and the main suggestion found was to spot treat with alcohol and a q tip and then rinse off leaves and branches. They are now completely gone. Around the same time the tree had to be moved temporarily (about a week) out of the ample sunlight it had been getting. It was still in a small amount of indirect sunlight, however it was an extremely dark and overcast week so it was out of my hands anyway. Between the moving of the tree, the weather chance, the alcohol treatment I am not sure what happened, so I do not know if it can be recovered. This is what throws me – some of the leaves were black and crispy. Some of the leaves were green with black tips, and some of the leave were yellow. I have done research and still cannot come to a conclusion. It is back to its normal spot and I am still tending to it as if it were full of leaves. Any suggestion would be helpful! Thank you so much!
bonsaidirect –
Dear Kayla,
It will also be impossible for us to tell the cause of the leaf drop. You have done the right thing – put it back in the position it was happy.
Keep the soil damp to the touch & not too wet. Mist the branches daily with water – this aids the humidity and speeds recovery.
Kind regards Sarah
Billy –
Hi,
I got a bonsai tree last Wednesday. It’s an oritenal tea tree bonsai. During this time it’s had two waterings. Only when it’s felt a little damp and the water drains through it I stop. It’s had a spray of plant invigorator (bonsai mist) yesterday. I will be feeding it in the next day or so. However. When I move him or a slight know. He (yes he’s a he lol) seems to be losing leaves. They seem to sometimes have a little brown/black on the end or near the tip, they aren’t crispy. I don’t know if I’m doing anything wrong. Or this is meant to happen. New little green shoots seem to be appearing on the tree. And the other leaves are green, with some light green. Thought I would ask in case I’m doing something wrong or this is normal. As the book says to not be concerned if after deliver some leaves fall.
bonsaidirect –
Hi Billy,
I suspect this is just caused by re-acclimatising to its new location. The fact you have new buds is an excellent sign.
If you are concerned please email a photo to info@bonsaidirect.co.uk
Many thanks
The Bonsai Direct Team
Alfie –
I have bought a Chinese box tree about 2 to 3 weeks ago and I have been watering it whenever the soil feels dry and left it in the bathroom and the leaves are crumpling/folding up and some have fell off most of them are a dark green and a rare few are a mix of yellow and dark green I am just wondering why the leaves are folding up
bonsaidirect –
Daer Alfie,
The Chinese box is often grown as an outdoor bonsai. It is probably worth asking the nursery where you purchased the bonsai whether it is intended for indoors or outdoors,
Kind regards Sarah
EM –
Hi, I gave my boyfriend a chinese peppertree bonsai February but after a few months it started losing some leaves, he then re-potted it and started using fertilizer – he noted sometimes red or white dots near the bottom of the trunk – do you have any thoughts what might be wrong and how to revive it? Thank you!
bonsaidirect –
Please could you send a photo so we can see what you mean. Kind regards
Sarah (sarah@bonsaidirect.co.uk)
Natalie –
Hello! Are you still answering questions about bonsai trees losing their leaves? I have a verigrated serissa/ Japanese snow rose, it has been kept on a south facing window all summer and seems to have thrived until the weather has turned cold the last few weeks. Lots of leaves have yellowed and fallen, the tips of others are turning brown. Even new tiny leaves are going brown very quickly. It has been very “grey” skied here the last few weeks and not very much sunshine, which I fear will only worsen through the winter. I thought my species was supposed to be evergreen and yet it’s still losing leaves? I’m worried it won’t recover over the winter due to lack of sunlight. I don’t have the money or space for growth lamps which I have seen suggested on some other sites. Can you help?
Bonsai Direct –
Hi Natalie,
This sounds like a watering issue. Please keep the soil just damp at all times, and do not allow the soil to be too wet, or too dry.
Here is a link to our watering video, which you may find helpful:
https://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/bonsai-care-advice/bonsai-care-information/how-do-i-water-my-indoor-bonsai-tree-2/
Please also mist the leaves regularly with water to increase the humidity.
It may take 6 weeks to see any signs of improvement, but hopefully over the coming weeks you should see new buds forming.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Bonsai Direct
Hania –
Hi,
I wonder if you still answering some questions- but I will try.
I have a problem with my indoor ( I live
in central europe) bonsai – it is 40 year old jaboticaba. I take it home with already brown tips on every leaves, buds was brown on tips too.
After few weeks all the leaves Fall off
For at least 6 weaks there is no signs of new growth. The braches are still alive – with green cambium. I repoted the tree-( 8 weeks ago )with little root touching – only some soil. I keep the soil mois- but let it dry on the surface- before next watering. I have additional light 10 hours a day. I gave some growth stimulant, root stimuant, good bacteria and microogranisms, put a little biogold in soil, keep whatering 5,5- 6 ph.
If you have some idea what to do, or do you thik there is still a chance for revieving?
It is so beautiful and old
The Linhay Barn Office –
Hi Hania,
It is difficult for us to comment on bonsai that haven’t come from us as we do not know their previous history, especially in a different country. Brown tips are a sign of overwatering and repotting a struggling bonsai will cause further damage. I would advise reaching out to the company you purchased it from to see if they can help you, or possibly ask on a forum and state the climate where you live as this will contribute to the bonsai.
Best Wishes, Bonsai Direct