Mike Corazzi
Masterpiece
I tried a couple back when they were at every nursery. None made it.
What do they want?
Soil, temp, location ??
What do they want?
Soil, temp, location ??
What's the secret to serissa
- Thread starter Mike Corazzi
- Start date
coachspinks
Chumono
While I don't have any that I would call bonsai, I have a couple in pots that grow like weeds. I also have 2 Serissa bushes in the landscape that are 5'-6' tall. I don't do anything outside the norm. It was 22 degrees the other night and one in a pot is blooming. A couple of things that I have found is that they like sun but do not like to dry out. They also pout after root work so I am a little more gradual at reducing their root balls. Mine are in a basic inorganic bonsai mix. One thing I have observed is that when they are brought inside they are not real happy. They eventually adapt but to me they are never as vigorous as they are when they are outside.
Lutonian
Chumono
I think the secret is to live in a subtropical climate
Clicio
Masterpiece
The secret is not having them.
I had a few.
I have managed to kill them all at different times, at different places.
I hate Serissas, and they hate me.
I had a few.
I have managed to kill them all at different times, at different places.
I hate Serissas, and they hate me.
Mike Westervelt
Chumono
The secret is, save your money
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
It's all about the roots. They are weak, prone to damage, and will rot quickly if the plant is in saturated soil. Therefore it is critical to get them established in good soil... but very carefully. Then you want to leave the roots alone, while you can be pretty aggressive with the top of the plant. They do better in soil that is on the dry side versus soil that is wet.
JoeR
Masterpiece
The one thing I have found about growing serissa is they require decently high humidity. They do not tolerate the low humidity of my indoor livingroom setup, at least not the drastic change. Mine really flourish in the spring when it rains almost constantly, dont like the heat as much in the summer but appreciate the humidity, and then they stall over winter due to the dry air.
So along with what Greg said about roots, make sure you keep the humidity up when growing indoors.
So along with what Greg said about roots, make sure you keep the humidity up when growing indoors.
Mike Corazzi
Masterpiece
Money can't buy humidity.
Cmd5235
Chumono
Oh serissa! So I’ve actually had very good experiences with serissa over the past decade. My bought my first tree in 2007 in high school from a garden center here in Southeast Pennsylvania. Every tree I have now is a cutting from that original tree, which I’ve kept alive since.
Serissa are definitely finicky, and I think some of the advice in books makes people inadvertently kill them. They are tough, but this is what I’ve learned:
1. They don’t like to be babied, but they don’t always like to be neglected. If you let them grow, they turn into weeds.
2. Watering: I never let mine sit near or in any water. If the soil is damp, the tree will rot and die. This kills a lot of them, especially when books and resources recommend humidity trays. I always let mine dry out completely before watering as well. Sometimes the tree will start to wilt a bit (they bounce right back), but I DO let the soil dry out- I’d much rather underwater than overwater, which is a death sentence.
3. Soil: I usually report mine in either a cactus mix or a cactus mix with more fired clay. I like to keep some organics, but not super heavy. I will, however, use potting soil to establish cuttings.
4. Lighting: I put mine in full sun during the summer. During the winter, I keep them under a LED grow light on a 14 hour timer. Super important. The light also helps to maintain heat.
5. Temperature: I move mine outside when night temps don’t drop below like 55 (the room they’re in during the winter is at about 62, so I don’t like to shock them with colder temps when moving them outside). If there’s one day of a drop after a few weeks, no biggie. I leave my trees outside until one or two nights before the first frost, so down into the upper 30’s with no problem. I find it encourages flowering.
6. Garden position: I place mine in pots directly onto the soil. This helps with moisture retention. If I’m going on vacation, I will bury the pots before I go.
7. Pruning and potting- during the summer, I let the roots grow through the bottom of the pot and into the ground. A few weeks later, they explode with growth. I let them do this all summer. Just before I move then in, I cut the roots back drastically (I usually cut the roots that grew into the ground out and repot the tree), and I cut the new growth back drastically. I’ve never lost a serissa doing this. During the winter, they do grow under grow lights, just not as much. But the light keeps the leggy-ness down and intervals small, and I’ve never had them lose a branch.
Just my tips! Don’t give up Serissa, just don’t expect great success at first. They can be fantastic, but go with an elm or a more forgiving tree first.
Serissa are definitely finicky, and I think some of the advice in books makes people inadvertently kill them. They are tough, but this is what I’ve learned:
1. They don’t like to be babied, but they don’t always like to be neglected. If you let them grow, they turn into weeds.
2. Watering: I never let mine sit near or in any water. If the soil is damp, the tree will rot and die. This kills a lot of them, especially when books and resources recommend humidity trays. I always let mine dry out completely before watering as well. Sometimes the tree will start to wilt a bit (they bounce right back), but I DO let the soil dry out- I’d much rather underwater than overwater, which is a death sentence.
3. Soil: I usually report mine in either a cactus mix or a cactus mix with more fired clay. I like to keep some organics, but not super heavy. I will, however, use potting soil to establish cuttings.
4. Lighting: I put mine in full sun during the summer. During the winter, I keep them under a LED grow light on a 14 hour timer. Super important. The light also helps to maintain heat.
5. Temperature: I move mine outside when night temps don’t drop below like 55 (the room they’re in during the winter is at about 62, so I don’t like to shock them with colder temps when moving them outside). If there’s one day of a drop after a few weeks, no biggie. I leave my trees outside until one or two nights before the first frost, so down into the upper 30’s with no problem. I find it encourages flowering.
6. Garden position: I place mine in pots directly onto the soil. This helps with moisture retention. If I’m going on vacation, I will bury the pots before I go.
7. Pruning and potting- during the summer, I let the roots grow through the bottom of the pot and into the ground. A few weeks later, they explode with growth. I let them do this all summer. Just before I move then in, I cut the roots back drastically (I usually cut the roots that grew into the ground out and repot the tree), and I cut the new growth back drastically. I’ve never lost a serissa doing this. During the winter, they do grow under grow lights, just not as much. But the light keeps the leggy-ness down and intervals small, and I’ve never had them lose a branch.
Just my tips! Don’t give up Serissa, just don’t expect great success at first. They can be fantastic, but go with an elm or a more forgiving tree first.
Mine did wonderfully on the east side of my house where they got morning sun, grew like weeds and flowered constantly. They did OK at first inside, they are struggling a bit now. I think @JoeR is right about the humidity. At least I have some cuttings I struck this summer that are doing well in case the parents crap out.
Mike Corazzi
Masterpiece
Plastic serissas should sell like hotcakes.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Just saying... they grow outside in landscape in Southern California... not known for its humidityMoney can't buy humidity.
^^^ This
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