Serissa Double Snow Rose Dying? Please Help

[nastykaspy]

I was gifted a serissa flora-plena (double snow rose) about 5 months ago. It was healthy when I got it, and only got a little upset during the new homing process. For reference, I live in PA, climate zone 7a. There are a few pictures from the day after I got it, watered and placed it:

And it was doing very well inside on a window sill throughout most of the winter, here is a picture of it after I put it under a full spectrum grow light for about 6-8 hours each day and got a humidity tray. Lots of flowers!

But now it seems I am in dire straights. I left for a long weekend ski trip about a month and a half ago, and thus missed about two days of checking the soil. When I returned it had many green leaves, but TONS of them fell of when I first picked it up to water, within a few weeks most of them slowly fell off, and they have not yet returned. New buds try to sprout, but the new leaves quickly turn brown and the center of the buds turns dark brown and hard after the leaves fall, and it seems like the buds are dying before a flower can bloom...

Here are some of the sad pictures of it today:

I check soil moisture daily and dunk water when the bottom of the pot is almost dry. I thought at one point the humidity was too low, so I placed a large plastic bag around the entire tree and pot. That seemed to help a bit, as more new buds appeared, but they also turned brown and did not flower. Then I realized the trunk was very dark and the tree was most likely now too wet, so I have since removed the bag and am just checking soil moisture daily, dunk watering about every 2 days, as the soil dries out. Does anyone have any advice on what to do to revive my serissa if at all possible? I know its a finnicky tree but I am hoping I can get this one back in shape this spring!

 

[nastykaspy]

I have seen that @Shibui is a serissa expert... If you see this, please help!

 

[JudyB]

Serrisa are big fans of benign neglect from my recollection. I think that it's probably being kept too wet, but your soil does look like it has good drainage. I hope someone here can help you.

 

[Shibui]

Thanks for the vote of confidence but Shibui is far from an expert on Serissa. I've kept some alive for around 15 years but that's based on the above principle of benign neglect rather than great knowledge.

The initial problem could be dehydration - not being watered for a long weekend - but most indoor plants can last more than a few days unless close to heating so I'm still not convinced of direct dehydration. Another possibility is that it was overwatered from the start and it's just coincidental that it showed the symptoms around the time you went away.
The subsequent symptoms also sound like overwatering to me. I can't judge the soil type from here or whether the visible large particles are the soil type or just a surface layer or indicitive of the soil right through the pot so it's hard to be sure which way to lean. I am aware that sick trees and trees with no leaves use far less water than normal so continuing to water only makes the problem worse so overwatering is more likely with leafless trees.
The only way to be certain is to take the tree out of the pot and check the soil and condition of roots.

FWIW, I've found, where soil is causing a problem, it's far better to change the soil. I know there's a big thing about not repotting sick trees but if the current soil is actually causing the problem then leaving said soil will almost certainly kill the tree. Changing the soil at least gives it a fighting chance. If root rot is present then changing the soil and removing infected roots is critical to recovery.

A month and a half is a long time without leaves but I have had trees, including Serissa, come back after lengthy periods of leaflessness so there is still some faint hope.

Without a first hand look at the tree, soil and surrounding conditions I can't offer any better advice. I'll have to leave it in your hands to decide how to go forward.

 

[TrimmyWhimmy]

Serissa are sensitive to overwatering from what I've seen. Being a bit dry is something they tolerate quite well.

 

[nastykaspy]

Thanks for the vote of confidence but Shibui is far from an expert on Serissa. I've kept some alive for around 15 years but that's based on the above principle of benign neglect rather than great knowledge.

The initial problem could be dehydration - not being watered for a long weekend - but most indoor plants can last more than a few days unless close to heating so I'm still not convinced of direct dehydration. Another possibility is that it was overwatered from the start and it's just coincidental that it showed the symptoms around the time you went away.
The subsequent symptoms also sound like overwatering to me. I can't judge the soil type from here or whether the visible large particles are the soil type or just a surface layer or indicitive of the soil right through the pot so it's hard to be sure which way to lean. I am aware that sick trees and trees with no leaves use far less water than normal so continuing to water only makes the problem worse so overwatering is more likely with leafless trees.
The only way to be certain is to take the tree out of the pot and check the soil and condition of roots.

FWIW, I've found, where soil is causing a problem, it's far better to change the soil. I know there's a big thing about not repotting sick trees but if the current soil is actually causing the problem then leaving said soil will almost certainly kill the tree. Changing the soil at least gives it a fighting chance. If root rot is present then changing the soil and removing infected roots is critical to recovery.

A month and a half is a long time without leaves but I have had trees, including Serissa, come back after lengthy periods of leaflessness so there is still some faint hope.

Without a first hand look at the tree, soil and surrounding conditions I can't offer any better advice. I'll have to leave it in your hands to decide how to go forward.

Thanks for the reply. I spoke with a local bonsai nut, and he also suspects it is sick due to overwatering, which caused root issues. I think it dried out initially when I left for the trip, and then I because of leaf loss I got worried and overcompensated with watering when I returned. But, the local nut said he would not touch the roots yet.

He thinks I should prune down dead branches, keep it out of bright light for a few weeks and continue watering, letting the soil nearly dry out before each watering.

So I think I am going to do that, and potentially re-pot to remove any dead root mass? Or maybe just prune. I do not want to stress the poor tree anymore, and a prune + re-pot seems like the opposite of benign neglect. Whatever I decide I'll post an update soon.

 

[Shibui]

I do not want to stress the poor tree anymore, and a prune + re-pot seems like the opposite

How much stress is having the roots slowly rot away causing. My experience is that prune and root prune is actually far less stress than we believe. My trees grow far more vigorously after root pruning than the year before which indicates root pruning is actually good for trees.

I cannot speak for repotting in your climate. Maybe it's still too cold in GA? but then, this tree is indoors so protected from extremes?

So I think I am going to do that, and potentially re-pot to remove any dead root mass? Or maybe just prune.

What you do and who you listen to is entirely up to you. Hope it works out.
And if the tree doesn't come good you'll have a pot for another bonsai.

 

[FireAlchemy]

I was gifted a serissa flora-plena (double snow rose) about 5 months ago. It was healthy when I got it, and only got a little upset during the new homing process. For reference, I live in PA, climate zone 7a. There are a few pictures from the day after I got it, watered and placed it:
View attachment 588325View attachment 588326
And it was doing very well inside on a window sill throughout most of the winter, here is a picture of it after I put it under a full spectrum grow light for about 6-8 hours each day and got a humidity tray. Lots of flowers!
View attachment 588327
But now it seems I am in dire straights. I left for a long weekend ski trip about a month and a half ago, and thus missed about two days of checking the soil. When I returned it had many green leaves, but TONS of them fell of when I first picked it up to water, within a few weeks most of them slowly fell off, and they have not yet returned. New buds try to sprout, but the new leaves quickly turn brown and the center of the buds turns dark brown and hard after the leaves fall, and it seems like the buds are dying before a flower can bloom...

Here are some of the sad pictures of it today:
View attachment 588328View attachment 588329View attachment 588330View attachment 588331View attachment 588332
I check soil moisture daily and dunk water when the bottom of the pot is almost dry. I thought at one point the humidity was too low, so I placed a large plastic bag around the entire tree and pot. That seemed to help a bit, as more new buds appeared, but they also turned brown and did not flower. Then I realized the trunk was very dark and the tree was most likely now too wet, so I have since removed the bag and am just checking soil moisture daily, dunk watering about every 2 days, as the soil dries out. Does anyone have any advice on what to do to revive my serissa if at all possible? I know its a finnicky tree but I am hoping I can get this one back in shape this spring!

I hope it survives! The serissa conundrum is real. I think mine is past hope, which makes me very sad. Keeping one alive has become my white whale…