takira
Yamadori
Short bit of background, all three of the trees in this post originated in a gift shop. All three have been seemingly healthy and keep putting out new growth, but this summer I've noticed the new growth has retained a pale/yellowish color compared to the darker/bluer green of the older growth.
In the pic below, the tree on the left was purchased 4/1/23 and repotted (2:1 pumice:akadama) 3/24/24. The tree on the right was purchased 10/27/23 and repotted (same mix) 4/7/24.
The second photo is actually the first tree I got (in fact, my first bonsai since childhood, so I feel great sentimental attachment to it) - it was purchased 10/14/22, overwintered indoors (it had been in a gift shop in PA so I didn't think it would acclimate to Michigan winter that quickly) but has been living as an outdoor tree since spring of 2023. It has not been repotted - couldn't tell you what the mix it's in is composed of but it does look like some form of bonsai mix (vs. regular potting soil), though the soil level seems to have collapsed a little over time. I parted the branches so you can see the old color compared to the new.
These guys are all getting watered daily and have been getting fed with a liquid (7-9-5) fertilizer every two weeks since late June. It's been a pretty hot summer and they do get direct afternoon sun. The foliage itself looks healthy apart from the lighter/yellower color - it's not dry or crackly and I don't see any obvious parasites with the naked eye. The two that have been repotted had normal looking roots at the time of repotting.
I'm not sure if this is just due to sun exposure, inadequate fertilizer or if I'm possibly overwatering them - I welcome any input! They may be cheap gift shop trees but they're near and dear to my heart and I want to keep them healthy.
Thanks for any help!
In the pic below, the tree on the left was purchased 4/1/23 and repotted (2:1 pumice:akadama) 3/24/24. The tree on the right was purchased 10/27/23 and repotted (same mix) 4/7/24.
The second photo is actually the first tree I got (in fact, my first bonsai since childhood, so I feel great sentimental attachment to it) - it was purchased 10/14/22, overwintered indoors (it had been in a gift shop in PA so I didn't think it would acclimate to Michigan winter that quickly) but has been living as an outdoor tree since spring of 2023. It has not been repotted - couldn't tell you what the mix it's in is composed of but it does look like some form of bonsai mix (vs. regular potting soil), though the soil level seems to have collapsed a little over time. I parted the branches so you can see the old color compared to the new.
These guys are all getting watered daily and have been getting fed with a liquid (7-9-5) fertilizer every two weeks since late June. It's been a pretty hot summer and they do get direct afternoon sun. The foliage itself looks healthy apart from the lighter/yellower color - it's not dry or crackly and I don't see any obvious parasites with the naked eye. The two that have been repotted had normal looking roots at the time of repotting.
I'm not sure if this is just due to sun exposure, inadequate fertilizer or if I'm possibly overwatering them - I welcome any input! They may be cheap gift shop trees but they're near and dear to my heart and I want to keep them healthy.
Thanks for any help!
