Total Noob - Bonsai tree root shrinking and dying

[bonsaito]

Hello,

I'm a total newbie and I could really use some help with my bonsai tree. It's a ficus microcarpa bonsai tree that I bought earlier in the year. It was supposed to be a good beginner bonsai, but now it just seems to be in bad shape and I don't know why.

As you can see in the pictures, one of the roots has almost completely shrunk and died and I don't know why. I water it once a week and keep it close but not too close to a window for sunlight. I've also bought bonsai fertilizer to help it, but it just seems to very slowly be dying. I'm considering re-potting next, but I'm not sure if that would help since I don't know what the root problem could be.

Has anybody seen this root shrinking before? Would really appreciate any suggestions to save my tree.

Thank you!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Sorry not conversant in Ficus. However please add location to profile and be persistant. Stick around even if negative results this time.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!


The drip tray, wet leaves, and abundant moss suggest it's too wet.

These types of tropicals that root readily, even above ground, have an exceptional ability to remain alive whilst most of the low roots are dying. Then once they're all gone, fresh roots in the good top dry/wet zone can start dying. This is made worse if dunk watering, floating pathogens to up to the dry/wet zone. As opposed to flushing down heavily with top watering. This flushing is usually minimized indoors, unless you are pissing off the spouse by having trees draining in the Official JRE Covaids Treatment Regimen.

Those fattie tubers can tell of things too, though reading them is , knowing there purpose can help. The natural cycle of these is a wet and dry season. (Not that we follow it, water) While them ballooned up may not be a direct sign you are "overwatering", they store energy here to support the tree during the dry season, without this "dry season", they just become confused.

I found that after cutting off old tubers, or beginning with a cutting, you can minimize tubers by not watering excessively during the "wet season", so it has no excess to store.

Hard to kill anyway.

I took this pic for another thread then forgot the thread where I was talking about leaving this to grow into earth and ripping it out every fall.



I've since savagely cut off most of those roots under it and it's sitting in the basement atop another tree's pot under weak old lighting, it's doing fine.
I forget the years, but this has been left in the shade to dry out one winter indoors, froze once one spring, second or third time being ripped from the ground, let it dry out under lights last year, slight scale problem.....no die.

Sorce

 

[ShadyStump]

Just startin in on ficus myself with a benjamina, but I've learned allot in the past few months.
They can take sunlight like a champ. Full, partial, barely any, whatever; so don't be afraid to put it directly in the window, especially if the window doesn't get direct sun.
Have you learned the chopstick trick yet? Stab a bambo chopstick or skewer into the soil directly benieth the tree, and leave it there. It's now a dipstick for checking soil moisture levels. Pull it out, see how wet it is. Only water when it get to where it's just mildly damp, but never let it dry out. You'll sort out your watering needs in a day or so.
They also like fertilizer, but don't even try until you've sorted out the watering for a couple weeks. If you're not up for strict fertilizing regemine and are keeping it indoors, Osmocote or similar product of any brand does well for me. Sprinkle a few pellets on top of the soil, and water like normal. They enjoy lots of nitrogen, but I use a 12-12-12 because I use the same fert on other trees with other requirements.

Ficus are generally very forgiving, which is why they're great for beginners. Mine lives on my desk at work, under a desklamp with grow bulb nowhere near a window. I just had to make a hard chop out of season because it had grown so much in the last couple months that I was running out of room on my desk. Yours should spring back as soon as you figure out the basics.

But really, the chopstick trick is a life saver. They say learning proper watering is the hardest part of beginning in bonsai, and this takes all the guess work out.

 

[bonsaito]

Welcome to Crazy!
View attachment 406740

The drip tray, wet leaves, and abundant moss suggest it's too wet.

These types of tropicals that root readily, even above ground, have an exceptional ability to remain alive whilst most of the low roots are dying. Then once they're all gone, fresh roots in the good top dry/wet zone can start dying. This is made worse if dunk watering, floating pathogens to up to the dry/wet zone. As opposed to flushing down heavily with top watering. This flushing is usually minimized indoors, unless you are pissing off the spouse by having trees draining in the Official JRE Covaids Treatment Regimen.

Those fattie tubers can tell of things too, though reading them is , knowing there purpose can help. The natural cycle of these is a wet and dry season. (Not that we follow it, water) While them ballooned up may not be a direct sign you are "overwatering", they store energy here to support the tree during the dry season, without this "dry season", they just become confused.

I found that after cutting off old tubers, or beginning with a cutting, you can minimize tubers by not watering excessively during the "wet season", so it has no excess to store.

Hard to kill anyway.

I took this pic for another thread then forgot the thread where I was talking about leaving this to grow into earth and ripping it out every fall.

View attachment 406742

I've since savagely cut off most of those roots under it and it's sitting in the basement atop another tree's pot under weak old lighting, it's doing fine.
I forget the years, but this has been left in the shade to dry out one winter indoors, froze once one spring, second or third time being ripped from the ground, let it dry out under lights last year, slight scale problem.....no die.

Sorce

I'm thinking the culprit certainly is over watering. I bought this tree for $50 and thought that would get me a good pot, but apparently it did not as it does not have a drainage hole and it's made out of plastic. I feel ripped off!

Yours looks so pretty! Hope I can make mine look like that.

 

[bonsaito]

Just startin in on ficus myself with a benjamina, but I've learned allot in the past few months.
They can take sunlight like a champ. Full, partial, barely any, whatever; so don't be afraid to put it directly in the window, especially if the window doesn't get direct sun.
Have you learned the chopstick trick yet? Stab a bambo chopstick or skewer into the soil directly benieth the tree, and leave it there. It's now a dipstick for checking soil moisture levels. Pull it out, see how wet it is. Only water when it get to where it's just mildly damp, but never let it dry out. You'll sort out your watering needs in a day or so.
They also like fertilizer, but don't even try until you've sorted out the watering for a couple weeks. If you're not up for strict fertilizing regemine and are keeping it indoors, Osmocote or similar product of any brand does well for me. Sprinkle a few pellets on top of the soil, and water like normal. They enjoy lots of nitrogen, but I use a 12-12-12 because I use the same fert on other trees with other requirements.

Ficus are generally very forgiving, which is why they're great for beginners. Mine lives on my desk at work, under a desklamp with grow bulb nowhere near a window. I just had to make a hard chop out of season because it had grown so much in the last couple months that I was running out of room on my desk. Yours should spring back as soon as you figure out the basics.

But really, the chopstick trick is a life saver. They say learning proper watering is the hardest part of beginning in bonsai, and this takes all the guess work out.

I did not know that chopstick trick, neat! I'll definitely give it a try.

Regarding fertilizer, I bought this one:

Amazon.com : Perfect Plants Liquid Bonsai Fertilizer | 8oz. of Premium Concentrated Indoor and Outdoor Bonsai Fertilizer | Use with All Bonsai Varieties | Trees in Pots : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Perfect Plants Liquid Bonsai Fertilizer | 8oz. of Premium Concentrated Indoor and Outdoor Bonsai Fertilizer | Use with All Bonsai Varieties | Trees in Pots : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

I'm also going to repot it with better soil and pot:

Tinyroots Bonsai Tree Soil - Tropical Blend

Shop Bonsai Outlet's large selection of Bonsai Trees. With 30 years of experience, a #1 Bonsai Retailer with over 250,000 Bonsai Trees shipped.

www.bonsaioutlet.com

The new pot has two drainage holes, so I'm hoping this takes care of the over watering issue. I'll definitely be more careful about this.

Thanks for all the advise.

 

[ShadyStump]

A nice pot in the bonsai world is $50 on its own.
Don't worry. You'll have an amazing tree some day. Just don't expect it to be this one. I've killed more trees than I can shake a stick at. Gonna keep killing 'em until I don't know how to any more.

For now, punch a couple holes in that pot, and find a chopstick. Leave the tree in the sunniest place you can manage, and you'll be the one giving advice soon enough.

 

[sorce]

Hope I can make mine look like that.

There are Much better goals!

Sorce

 

[ShadyStump]

Welcome to Crazy!
View attachment 406740

The drip tray, wet leaves, and abundant moss suggest it's too wet.

These types of tropicals that root readily, even above ground, have an exceptional ability to remain alive whilst most of the low roots are dying. Then once they're all gone, fresh roots in the good top dry/wet zone can start dying. This is made worse if dunk watering, floating pathogens to up to the dry/wet zone. As opposed to flushing down heavily with top watering. This flushing is usually minimized indoors, unless you are pissing off the spouse by having trees draining in the Official JRE Covaids Treatment Regimen.

Those fattie tubers can tell of things too, though reading them is , knowing there purpose can help. The natural cycle of these is a wet and dry season. (Not that we follow it, water) While them ballooned up may not be a direct sign you are "overwatering", they store energy here to support the tree during the dry season, without this "dry season", they just become confused.

I found that after cutting off old tubers, or beginning with a cutting, you can minimize tubers by not watering excessively during the "wet season", so it has no excess to store.

Hard to kill anyway.

I took this pic for another thread then forgot the thread where I was talking about leaving this to grow into earth and ripping it out every fall.

View attachment 406742

I've since savagely cut off most of those roots under it and it's sitting in the basement atop another tree's pot under weak old lighting, it's doing fine.
I forget the years, but this has been left in the shade to dry out one winter indoors, froze once one spring, second or third time being ripped from the ground, let it dry out under lights last year, slight scale problem.....no die.

Sorce

Also, that meme is epic! I remember hat episode. Ah, good times.

 

[ShadyStump]

I did not know that chopstick trick, neat! I'll definitely give it a try.

Regarding fertilizer, I bought this one:

Amazon.com : Perfect Plants Liquid Bonsai Fertilizer | 8oz. of Premium Concentrated Indoor and Outdoor Bonsai Fertilizer | Use with All Bonsai Varieties | Trees in Pots : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Perfect Plants Liquid Bonsai Fertilizer | 8oz. of Premium Concentrated Indoor and Outdoor Bonsai Fertilizer | Use with All Bonsai Varieties | Trees in Pots : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

I'm also going to repot it with better soil and pot:

Tinyroots Bonsai Tree Soil - Tropical Blend

Shop Bonsai Outlet's large selection of Bonsai Trees. With 30 years of experience, a #1 Bonsai Retailer with over 250,000 Bonsai Trees shipped.

www.bonsaioutlet.com

The new pot has two drainage holes, so I'm hoping this takes care of the over watering issue. I'll definitely be more careful about this.

Thanks for all the advise.

The fertilizer actually looks to be the garden center standard "tree" fertilizer. It shouldn't hurt yours at all, but different species need different NPK ratios.

I won't open you up to soil wars too soon by commenting on that. Oi ve, the soil wars. (My device is not cooperating with emojis at the moment, but picture eye roll and facepalm here,)
Only things you need to know about soil is not too wet, not too dry, free draining, porous so air can reach the roots. Balance those and your golden.
Oh, and evreyone else's soil mix is better than yours, That's what they'll tell you any way.
Yours may dry quickly. Remember that many in the bonsai world arent opposed to watering two or three times a day. In my observation- allbeit limited- most premix soils are geared around once a day watering depending on the pot size.

Oh and if you're going to try a repot this time of year in MA, (awesome getting your location in there early, BTW) do what you can to not mess with the roots too much. Ficus can often tolerate it I understand, but don't push your luck unless you're cool with a tree grave yard.
But that's my niche, so don't.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Welcome to Crazy!
View attachment 406740

The drip tray, wet leaves, and abundant moss suggest it's too wet.

These types of tropicals that root readily, even above ground, have an exceptional ability to remain alive whilst most of the low roots are dying. Then once they're all gone, fresh roots in the good top dry/wet zone can start dying. This is made worse if dunk watering, floating pathogens to up to the dry/wet zone. As opposed to flushing down heavily with top watering. This flushing is usually minimized indoors, unless you are pissing off the spouse by having trees draining in the Official JRE Covaids Treatment Regimen.

Those fattie tubers can tell of things too, though reading them is , knowing there purpose can help. The natural cycle of these is a wet and dry season. (Not that we follow it, water) While them ballooned up may not be a direct sign you are "overwatering", they store energy here to support the tree during the dry season, without this "dry season", they just become confused.

I found that after cutting off old tubers, or beginning with a cutting, you can minimize tubers by not watering excessively during the "wet season", so it has no excess to store.

Hard to kill anyway.

I took this pic for another thread then forgot the thread where I was talking about leaving this to grow into earth and ripping it out every fall.

View attachment 406742

I've since savagely cut off most of those roots under it and it's sitting in the basement atop another tree's pot under weak old lighting, it's doing fine.
I forget the years, but this has been left in the shade to dry out one winter indoors, froze once one spring, second or third time being ripped from the ground, let it dry out under lights last year, slight scale problem.....no die.

Sorce

Beast.