AusBonsai

BensonP wrote:Ok I bought some Seasol with Feed.

Could anybody with experience suggest a good ratio and how to best apply? I don't want to burn his roots!

Thanks

As suggested already, just follow the instructions on the bottle. I think i use two cap fulls for 9liters of water

I diluted it down to go in a water bottle!

I'll apply lightly every 2 or 3 days and see how he goes.

Fingers crossed

BensonP wrote:I diluted it down to go in a water bottle!

I'll apply lightly every 2 or 3 days and see how he goes.

Fingers crossed

Good luck mate

If it does pass into bonsai heaven, then just remember that every dead tree is a lesson learnt We probably learn more from losing a tree, then we do in keeping them alive

Serissa are really a pain in the butt. Some lucky people have no trouble with them but I have had no luck. Dad can't keep them alive in a pot either. The one in the garden is fine!

I had a serissa seamingly completely die to the point I gave up and stopped watering it , so I moved house last week and whilst moving my plants I found it and it has a little growth at the bottom !! So I cut the dead wood back and here I go again

I have one serissa (foetida), that i've had for about 2 years now and apart from the initial repot and change of location from bonsai northside to my house where it dropped leaves and looked a little unwell it has been no hassles at all. The only issue is training new growth as the branches are so fine and numerous. I will have to post a few pics sometime soon as I need to with a lot of my trees.

BensonP, firstly this plant is a sook. It will sulk if you dont have the right area, enough water, too much water, if you move it from one position to another etc... Having said that it seems to be a tough so n so. I look at mine the wrong way and the leaves brown off, only to come back again. i have lost count of the number of times this has lost its leaves for no apparent reason, and come good again. So its a tricky little bugger. Find a place for it outside, morning sun, afternoon shade and water every day in summer. Look it up, it is a wetland plant. You didn't mention how you water twice a day. What is your watering technique? Is it inside????
When I say water, let the water run through the pot give it a good soaking. I water with a hose to the count of ten. Then repeat. Every second to third day in winter depending if we have had rain.
This is for all the newbies. When acquiring a plant or about to get a plant. Look it up. Read where it comes from. Growing conditions, Mountain, wetland, creekbeds, deserts, etc.... This information will generally tell you the conditions that your plant will want to grow in. If desert, don't water it two to three time a day. If wetland don't sit it in hot afternoon sun and forget to water it. And when watering don't just mist. Mist is not watering. If uncertain that your plant is watered enough place it in a tub for 10-15 minutes, it can even have Seasol in it. Then remove allow to drain and repeat next day in summer or every other in winter as required. I only water twice a day if the weather gets 40 in Melbourne. To grow anything, first you must get to know what you are growing and what it needs to survive! Without this general knowledge you will have difficulty growing Bonsai. This information is for Bonsai that grow outside. The same will not apply to plants growing inside.
Cheers

Benson hasn't been online since April, so I wouldn't be holding my breath for his response.

BensonP wrote:

treeman wrote:

BensonP wrote:

Do now what you will eventually do anyway. Throw it away and get a juniper or something.

With all do respect, I'd rather not.

This tree has sentimental value and if rather spend the time and money trying to save it.

Thanks for the suggestion of another bonsai to get though!

Has anyone asked the "is it kept outside" question?

I'm with Treeman. In fact I'll give you a Juniper to replace it, if you toss the Serissa. And I'll show you how to keep it alive. Interested? PM me.

Cheers,
Mojo

Edit: LOL just readthe above posts too late!!

Mojo, I missed it too. I agree with you, that is the biggest question to most of these new posts is it outside? Watering two n three times a day? Do they mean misting? Misting is NOT watering. We need a basic newbie site for just general growing of plants forget bonsai. Anyone misting thinking they are watering really needs basic growing info.
Cheers

KIRKY wrote:We need a basic newbie site for just general growing of plants forget bonsai. Anyone misting thinking they are watering really needs basic growing info.

You really should have a good read of the AusBonsai Wiki, there is a wealth of information there about plants and keeping them alive. If you feel the need to add/remove/modify any of the information on the Wiki, you can.

So when a newbie joins, you can just point them in the direction of the Wiki.

Also:

Jarad wrote:Benson hasn't been online since April, so I wouldn't be holding my breath for his response.

Jarad, I know he hasn't been on this post for awhile. You don't need to repeat yourself! However, this post has been viewed 2207 times so this is not just directed to him. There are other new growers out there reading this post without basic knowledge. Yes Wiki has many good reading posts. I'm suggesting that upon joining Ausbonsai "newbies" are directed via a "Newbie"post to help get them started.
Again
Cheers

Yeah I have viewed this thread before and was tempted to bump it as opposed to starting a new one as I too have a Serissa I'm starting to get concerned with.
It went through the initial shock period which I expected with some leaf drop and yellowing and for a little while I could see the green returning and figured it was recovering but recently it's starting to lose the green vibrance and even some browning on the tip of the leaves.

I don't really know if it is just winter(no frosts at all) but what I do know is the soil is horrid, it's practically compacted dirt and quite solid and it is pot bound.
Early on I was worried I was over watering it and our water is very hard and chlorinated so I cut back and started filtering the water and that is when the green started to come back but she is sickly now.
I suspect it may be too late to do anything about and even then the only thing I can think of is doing a repot but that might finish it off.
I really don't know.

KIRKY wrote:Jarad, I know he hasn't been on this post for awhile. You don't need to repeat yourself! However, this post has been viewed 2207 times so this is not just directed to him. There are other new growers out there reading this post without basic knowledge. Yes Wiki has many good reading posts. I'm suggesting that upon joining Ausbonsai "newbies" are directed via a "Newbie"post to help get them started.
Again
Cheers

The problem is that how do we know that a new member is a newbie upon joining?
I usually point all replies about basic topics to the wiki "newbie' Page here https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index.php?title=Newbie so they can get some good basic info and lots of links to further reading.
If anyone has got any better ideas let us knwo

Ken