Hi folks! I decided I finally needed a bonsai disease FAQ, but
haven't been successful at getting it included on the website
(webmaster on very long vacation?). I thought I'd post it here and
get your reactions and comments. These questions probably represent
90% of the queries I get on the webpage.




Bonsai Disease FAQ

Q: I don't know what kind of tree I have. Does it matter?

A: Yes. Each species of bonsai has specific care requirements, and I
can't help you very well if I don't know what tree you have. You
may have an outdoor bonsai that you are mistakenly keeping indoors,
for instance. In addition, many fungi and insects that attack trees
are host-specific, so if I don't know what kind of tree you have,
I'll have a hard time identifiying what pest you have.

You should take your tree to a reputable nursery (a nursery that
specializes in bonsai or has a staff that clearly knows what they're
talking about) and have the tree identified. The nursery can give
you care instructions for your tree.

Q: My indoor juniper is brittle. What should I do?

A: Junipers are not indoor bonsai, despite what you may have been
told when you bought it. They require high levels of light and
humidity, things not found in the average house unless the house has
a glassed-in conservatory, or unless you install fluorescent lighting
and a humidifier. Junipers also do better with a cold dormant period
in winter. All in all, it's best to keep junipers outdoors.

Your juniper is probably dead (junipers tend to look alive long after
they've given up the ghost), but you can make sure by scratching a
small area at the base of the trunk with a toothpick. If you see
green inner bark, the tree is still alive. You can move it outside
(to deep shade at first) and hope for the best.

Q: I water my indoor fig every other day and mist it each morning. Is that OK?

A: No. You should never water bonsai on a fixed schedule; water when
the soil is barely moist an inch down. For an indoor bonsai, that's
generally every 3-4 days. Misting does very little to change the
relative humidity in your house; you need a humidifier, or a plant
that tolerates dry air (and figs do).

Q: My Serissa ("tree of a thousand stars") has leaves that yellow and
drop off. What's wrong?

A: Serissas are very finicky plants; any change in their environment
can make them drop leaves. In addition, they will drop leaves if
attacked by spidermites or if they are over- or under-watered.

Q: My indoor bonsai has twigs that are dying back, and the leaves are sticky.

A: The tree may have aphids, mealy bugs or scale insects, all of
which suck sap and secrete a sticky honeydew. Look carefully for
insects. Mealy bugs are woolly and scale insects look like shiny
bumps. Both will scrape off easily, and "bleed" when poked. Aphids
can be washed off with a hard stream of water. Adult mealy bugs and
scales are resistant to insecticides but can be removed by hand; an
insecticide labeled for indoor control of these insects can be used
to kill the immature "crawler" stage.

Q: My indoor bonsai came with rocks glued on the surface of soil.
Water runs right off the surface, so I've been immersing the whole
pot. Is that OK?

A: Immersing is OK, but if you have more than one bonsai, you could
spreat root diseases from pot to pot by using the same water to
immerse them. Most people water from the top. No *real* bonsai has
rocks glued to the soil; you bought a mass-produced bonsai. You
should pry the rocks off (if they won't come loose, soak the entire
pot in a bucket of water until they do. Now check the soil
underneath: is it regular peaty potting soil? Bonsai need a coarse,
well-draining mix. If yours isn't, repot in a mix specially designed
for bonsai or cacti, or mix your own, using 50% gravel (coarse sand,
turface, or granite chicken grit) and 50% fine bark compost.

Q: I'm in Hawaii and my bonsai looks like this (includes large,
out-of-focus jpeg of tree). What's wrong?

A: It's hard for me to diagnose a problem like that from a thousand
miles away. You should take your tree to your nearest County
Cooperative Extension Office and let them look at it. For a nominal
fee (usually about $20), they'll diagnose the problem and tell you
the best method of control.

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