[IBC] Newbie with Serissa Foetida
 

...So, does anyone have any insight as to what I'm doing wrong?
Should
I stop feeding my tree so much, or move it to sunnier climbs?
I'd
rather not remove it from my room - but if it's not going to
survive,
sobeit.


Three things:

1. It is a Serissa. WhenEVER they are moved to a new location,
they sulk, let their leaves turn brown and fall off, and
generally thumb their nose at you.

2. You are watering too much. ONLY water when the soil feels
dry. You can keep a wooden chop or match stick jammed in the
soil. Remove it every day at the same time and feel the dirty
end. If it feels damp, do NOT water. If it is dry, water.
Overwatering is the largest single cause of death for bonsai with
new owners.

3. A north window (especially a north window in the UK) will
never provide enough light. Even a south window may not give
enough. Others can advise as to fluorescents or other kinds of
grow lights. When temperatures outside stay about 40 degrees F
it will prefer being outdoors. I don't think your bedroom is
gonna be its preferred location.

4. (I know, I said 3) A bit of fertilizer (houseplant fertilizer
is fine) won't hurt, but don't overdo. Once every month or so is
probably OK.

Good luck -- and welcome to the (sometimes frustrating) world of
bonsai.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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[IBC] Newbie with Serissa Foetida
 

Jim Lewis wrote, with great restraint for a founding member of the IHSC (I Hate
Serrissa Club):

1. It is a Serissa. WhenEVER they are moved to a new location,
they sulk, let their leaves turn brown and fall off, and
generally thumb their nose at you.

Very true. Don't panic - with reasonable care, and a bit of beginners luck, it will
recover nicely.

2. You are watering too much... Overwatering is the largest single cause of
death for bonsai with new owners.

Yep. Also, if there are rocks glued to the surface of the soil, remove them _now_
and fill the space left with good potting soil or bonsai soil. The rocks will
interfere with water penetration.

3. A north window (especially a north window in the UK) will
never provide enough light. Even a south window may not give
enough. Others can advise as to fluorescents or other kinds of
grow lights.

Mine are very happy under fluorescent lights. The cheapest and most readily
available is what in the U.S. is called a shop light - an ordinary 4 foot fixture.
You don't need to worry about expensive Gro-lite tubes - ordinary cool white will
do fine. Set it up so that the tubes are just a few inches above the plant. Leave
it on for 16 or so hours per day (a timer will help here). It will, as Jim
predicted, go into a snit and lose many of its leaves (see #1 above). Cut back on
the water and be patient - the leaves will grow back.

Don't use incandescent lights - they are too hot. Serrissas like to be a bit on the
cool side, anyway.

When temperatures outside stay about 40 degrees F
it will prefer being outdoors. I don't think your bedroom is
gonna be its preferred location.

Mine enjoy the bright shade on my porch, with a bit of morning and afternoon sun.
See #1 for what will happen when you move it outdoors. ;-)

Good luck, and welcome.

Jay Sinclair
Zone 5, Michigan USA

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

[IBC] Newbie with Serissa Foetida
 

I am an absolute novice (a good way to start): I purchased a Tree of a
Thousand Stars on Friday, and keep it in my bedroom.
I have a north facing room, and so don't get much in the way of direct sunlight


Terrible. Find a south facing window or put it under a fluorescent light.

the temperature is around 18 to 22 degrees Celsius throughout the year (day
and night).

Much too hot. Should be around 15, especially at night, and outdoors all
summer.

Some of the leaves of my tree are starting to yellow;

Telling you about the above.

(I've been watering my tree pretty generously),

Stick your finger or a wooden skewer down in the soil. Don't water until it
starts to get dry.

I'd rather not remove it from my room

Give it to someone else before it dies & get an aspidistra for your room.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)