BRT Help please

[mroth]

In April my BRT looked great (see pictures) or at least I thought it did. Now it is dropping leaves constantly and seems to be drying out on the ends of the branches (also see pictures). I have had it inside since I got it in February as our weather is unpredictable. I honestly water it once or twice a week because the humidity In our house is so high that the soil stays wet for days. I don’t know what to do and am afraid I have already killed it but it also seems to be putting on tiny new buddy and leaves at the same time. Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated. Also the trunk seems to be peeling a bit at the base. Have I already killed it off or is there still hope?

 

[sorce]

Reckon the peeling is normal.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Katie0317]

A BRT isn't a house plant, they live outdoors. I understand in Canada that may be difficult but isn't it sunny there now? I see...'Almost' in Canada.

This is a time when they should be full of new leaflets and growing like crazy.

That's a nice tree so I hope it's alive. Did you do the scratch test? Scratch the trunk with a knife and if you see green it's alive. It doesn't mean the branches are though. Start cutting them a little at a time. If you don't see green it's dead. Keep cutting the branch back looking for green. You may have to cut a lot of branches but if you can save the trunk, it will grow back.

BRT's are very fast growers this time of year. So get it on course and cut it back if it needs it and put it outside. If you have to keep it indoors you'll have a tougher time and may need grow lights which I know nothing about. Good luck! I really hope it makes it.

 

[mroth]

It is sunny but the weather fluctuates rather excessively. I am in the north east corner of Montana and it has been extremely windy. It has only started staying above 40 at night in the last week or so and our storm season has been picking up. I guess I have been worried about the harsh extremes in weather hurting it. I do have grow lights and there is green when I do the scratch test.

 

[Katie0317]

You're right that it's not safe to leave it outdoors.

What you're trying to do is extremely difficult. It's not as though it's an elm. You're trying to grow a tropical tree in an environment that is extremely non-tropical, making it hard for the tree and hard for you. It would be like me trying to grow a Japanese maple. I'd like to have one very much but my environment and it's preferred environment are not a match.

Even with a match between the environment and the tree, it doesn't always mean it will be easy. I have a dwarf powderpuff I want to throw at a wall right now. It's making me crazy trying to figure out what's going on, yet my climate is ideal for it.

You said it's green. I'm assuming you mean the trunk? What about the branches...how much of them are green? You'll need to cut off anything that's brown.

I don't know anything about grow lights, but a tree needs sun to make energy. Lots of people on BN use grow lights in the winter and I hope one of them will help you out.

 

[mroth]

I have grow lights and used them from the time I got it in February and even now to supplement. The trunk is green and I trimmed one branch back and found green but not any of the others. I am afraid to get too aggressive. I do take them outside when I can (I also have a ficus and dwarf pomegranate that are doing well).

 

[Katie0317]

You can't get too aggressive when you're cutting off dead material. It's hard but necessary. Just using more energy keeping it there. The plant I mean..not you. It is hard though. The beauty is it will grow back but not with all the dead stuff there. So the sooner you get rid of the dead the sooner it can start growing again. They grow really fast! Get the grow lights out.

 

[Paradox]

I think the tree has a chance. If you are unsure about if the branch is alive or not, best to leave it alone. If the branches are truly dead, they will change color to brown.

Moving them inside and outside every other day can freak them out. 40 degrees is too cold to be outside. They can be kept inside under proper grow lights until it is warm enough to move them outside.

BRT prefer to be on the monster side but if the soil is staying sopping wet for days, the soil might be too water retentive.

My BRT are under lights when they are inside and need watering every other day when it's cooler and every day when it warms up.

Put it under lights and watch how much you are watering. When temperatures are reliably over 50, it should be put outside.

 

[mroth]

I have grow lights and used them from the time I got it in February and even now to supplement. The trunk is green and I trimmed one branch back and found green but not any of the others. I am afraid to get too aggressive. I do take them outside when I can (I also have a ficus and dwarf pomegranate that are doing well), I just have to be super conscious of the weather conditions. I will work on leaving it outside more and trim back to green and hope for the best.

 

[Paradox]

I have grow lights and used them from the time I got it in February and even now to supplement. The trunk is green and I trimmed one branch back and found green but not any of the others. I am afraid to get too aggressive. I do take them outside when I can (I also have a ficus and dwarf pomegranate that are doing well), I just have to be super conscious of the weather conditions. I will work on leaving it outside more and trim back to green and hope for the best.

Don't put it outside unless it's over 50 degrees.
Remember these are tropical trees

It also might be a good idea to repot it into a better draining mix if it's staying very wet for days. If you do that. Do not put it outside if temperatures are below 60 for two or three weeks.

 

[mroth]

I have grow lights and used them from the time I got it in February and even now to supplement. The trunk is green and I trimmed one branch back and found green but not any of the others. I am afraid to get too aggressive. I do take them outside when I can (I also have a ficus and dwarf pomegranate that are doing well)

Don't put it outside unless it's over 50 degrees.
Remember these are tropical trees

It also might be a good idea to repot it into a better draining mix if it's staying very wet for days. If you do that. Do not put it outside if temperatures are below 60 for two or three weeks.

Soil recommendations? I got this specimen from a local nursery when they did a bonsai class and it was the soil they had for the class.

 

[Paradox]

I have grow lights and used them from the time I got it in February and even now to supplement. The trunk is green and I trimmed one branch back and found green but not any of the others. I am afraid to get too aggressive. I do take them outside when I can (I also have a ficus and dwarf pomegranate that are doing well)

Soil recommendations? I got this specimen from a local nursery when they did a bonsai class and it was the soil they had for the class.

Did they say what that soil mix consisted of?
If its staying wet for days as you say, Id mix it half with pumice so that it drains better and doesnt stay as wet

 

[nuttiest]

It's likely just going into dormancy again, just let it until it can tolerate outside.

 

[Paradox]

It's likely just going into dormancy again, just let it until it can tolerate outside.

Wrong timing for this. They got the tree in February so cant even say it could be transportation or moving stress because it would be too much of a delayed reaction.
They dont really go dormant if they are kept inside.
I have 4 BRT that I have had for several years up here in NY.
Mine go through about 2 months of slower growth in January and February and start growing again in mid to late March.
They dont lose most of their leaves during that time as this one is doing so something else is going on.
The only time I have ever seen BRT shed most of thier leaves is if they dried out too much but according to the OP this one hasnt dried out unless they forgot to mention it.

 

[mroth]

Did they say what that soil mix consisted of?
If its staying wet for days as you say, Id mix it half with pumice so that it drains better and doesnt stay as wet

No. I know the humidity in our house has been around 47% which also contributes to the soil not drying out so I had my husband turn our humidifier down. It would be like 4 or 5 days of it being super damp on top all the way through so maybe starting with a soil change and going from there. I had it in a tiny green house when I first got it this winter in a more heated room of our house to mimic tropical environments and it did so great after that. I appreciate all the input. I only started getting into Bonsai in the last 6 months and have so much to learn.

Having grown up in the tropics I have a deep love of tropical plants and trees I just have to get creative when trying to grow them.

 

[nuttiest]

Night time temperature near the tree?

 

[Paradox]

No. I know the humidity in our house has been around 47% which also contributes to the soil not drying out so I had my husband turn our humidifier down. It would be like 4 or 5 days of it being super damp on top all the way through so maybe starting with a soil change and going from there. I had it in a tiny green house when I first got it this winter in a more heated room of our house to mimic tropical environments and it did so great after that. I appreciate all the input. I only started getting into Bonsai in the last 6 months and have so much to learn.

Having grown up in the tropics I have a deep love of tropical plants and trees I just have to get creative when trying to grow them.

No worries, most of us here want to help and remember what it was like when we were new.

Just an FYI for you. I keep my 4 BRT in my basement during the winter. The basement is kept at 65 degrees but it does get warmer.
I have them on a table in a tray to catch the excess water and I have the pots on tiles so that they drain well.
I have 4 foot shop lights over them for light. Under the lights it can get to 80 Deg F
I dont keep the trays full of water and there is no other source of humidity and they do just fine for me under those conditions.
A good light that is strong enough is essential though.

My winter set up for my BRT and ficus:

 

[mroth]

Night time temperature near the tree?

65-70

 

[nuttiest]

Probably soggy on bottom, do you have a terra cotta pot or any bonsai soil?

 

[caffeinated]

I didn't read through all the previous responses so apologies if I'm just repeating what others' have said. They are tropical so obviously would love to be out in the full sun all the time. I live in Seattle and mine is on my south facing indoor windowsill 10 months of the year and is fine. It's not living out it's full potential, but it's a nice attractive , slightly leggy tree. I don't have grow lights and it's my only indoor tree. They are fussy and will drop leaves sometimes when i just rotate it in the window. It always comes back. Not being vigorous in our climate it just stays in a bit of stasis but grows. I would not bring it in and out on warmer days. Just bring it out at the warmest part of summer and back in when it starts cooling down in a month or two to a window with a lot of light. It'll shed it's leaves each time probably.