AusBonsai

Hey everyone,

I was given a Bonsai for Christmas, bought from a major nursery. I'm told it's a Cotoneaster Microphyllus but am not entirely sure. In the last week I've noticed that the leaves are rapidly turning a yellowish/brown colour. Every day the amount of yellow/brown leaves is increasing. I've looked all over the web for answers, suggesting overwatering, underwatering, too much sun, not enough sun, an unhealthy tree to begin with etc. leaving me really confused.

I was initially told to look and feel the soil to gauge whether the tree needed water, ie dry soil needs water, damp soil doesn't. This made sense to me and I've been following that advice but it doesn't seem to be working. I've moved it to a number of positions to give the tree varying degrees of sunlight but haven't been able to stop the change to yellow/brown.

I've become quite attached to the tree over the last month and am becoming a little distressed that the problem is beyond repair. Any help/suggestions/advice would be very, very appreciated.

Thanks.

Just pop it out of the pot and see if it is pot bound. Maybe just a quick slip re-pot might be in order, then seasol.

Mick

Handy mick has given good advice. The rocks on the top of the pot might be retaining to much moisture and Cotoneasters do not like wet feet. Slip potting means taking the tree out of the pot it is in now and putting it in a larger one. Just run a knife around the edge of the pot , turn it upside down and give it a slap on the bottom. Should just drop right out. Pot it up into a large normal black plastic pot until it recovers. Have fun

Awesome. Thanks a bunch guys. Will do that tomorrow morning and hopefully report back with good news in the coming weeks. Thanks again.

Is your bonsai kept indoors or out? Cotoneasters are not usually kept indoors.