lotty11 wrote:
hi i need help with my tree of a thousand stars.
It arrived at my house last tuesday (21st) and ever since more and more
of the leaves have started to turn yellow and drop off and i dont know
what i am doing wrong!
Ive been told they can be pretty tempermental and get a bit shocked by
moving and a new enviroment, is this what is making the leaves fall
out? it is currently sitting in a room with a constant temp between
15-20 degress C and has been watered once and is sprayed 2 or 3 times a
day.The tree is 12 years old.
snip
First of all, don't panic. What you have been told is correct - Serissa
foetida (the botanical name for your tree) will drop leaves over the
slightest perceived insult. ;-)
It will be happiest if it has a fair amount of light - a bright window
will work. Ordinary room light will not be enough. If you can't place it
near a window, a fluorescent light a few inches away will work. Don't
use incandescent (light-bulb type) grow lights - they are too hot if
kept close enough to do any good.
Resist the temptation to overwater - water only when it is _almost_ dry.
A preferred method of monitoring soil moisture is to leave a chopstick
or bamboo barbecue skewer stuck in the soil. Every day, pull out the
stick and touch the end that was in the soil. If it's almost dry, you
need to water. Water until it runs out of the drainage holes. It is
probably not necessary to mist the tree.
Serissa are actually pretty tough - I think that a lot of people give up
on them too soon when they drop leaves. Be patient, and if you give it
the right conditions it will recover.
Oh yes, you must also resolve to ignore anything you hear from the IHSC
(the I Hate Serissa Club), which has been pretty quiet of late. ;-)
Good luck!
Jay
Zone 6 - ish, Michigan, USA
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