Is my Bonsai dead?

[bonsibeginnerlondon]

Hi!

Pretty new to bonsai and plants overall! Got this beauty as a gift, and have been doing my best to take care of it, however, because of how I work I am away from home at times. The plant was taken care of but some how grew mold. This was about three months ago and worked to get it off. Now it seems it is just very dry. I have been moderately watering it (it does have a draining hole) but seems as if its just not imporving.

Info: Live in London, have had the tree in the window for sun during days but removed it now that it was very dry. It is a ”bonsai syzygium”.

I wish to know if I can salvage this, and the best way to do it (change soil etc)!

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Paradox]

Is it an azalea or an Ilex?
I cant tell from the pictures.

Either way if you had this inside all winter, it probably isnt going to fare very well.
Trees that need a dormancy period need to be below 40 deg F for a few months in the winter

 

[bonsibeginnerlondon]

as far as I can tell it is an azalea! I see, I didn’t know that, I don't really have access to put it outside during that time, for future reference do you know any good way to deal with this?

I will keep trying with it and maybe it will make it

 

[Paradox]

as far as I can tell it is an azalea! I see, I didn’t know that, I don't really have access to put it outside during that time, for future reference do you know any good way to deal with this?

I will keep trying with it and maybe it will make it

Keep trees that dont need dormancy and can be grown indoors year-round like a ficus.
There are lots of varieties of ficus that make nice bonsai. Willow leaf ficus is my favorite ficus
There is no way to get around the inability to give a tree a dormant period that requires it

 

[bonsibeginnerlondon]

Thank you for telling me, if he survives I will make sure to get him to someone who can have him outside!

Thank you for the advice on the ficus as well, I will make sure to look into to it!

 

[rockm]

Syzyium is Syyzgium Paniculata or Eugenia, or Brush Cherry. It's an Australian native broadleaf evergreen tree and not all that easy as bonsai. They are commonly sold in "big box" stores because they flower. As bonsai, they need bright light, warm temperatures and don't like changes at all. They have to be kept relatively moist, not dry, or wet. As they shed leaves easily at both extremes.

Unfortunately, this one looks dead. Most likely a combination of low light, chronic overwatering/underwatering, and extremely bad soil. The roots likely rotted. The leaves dried out because the roots were no longer able to transfer water from the soil up to them as they died and decayed.

You can do a "scratch test" of the bark to see if there's any life left in it. Take your thumbnail an press it into the bark of the tree as deep as you can and scratch down. This won't really affect the tree if the scratch remains small. If there is a vivid green under the bark, the tree is still alive. If you can't piece the bark, or if there is only brown tissue underneath, the tree is gone.