I've had my Jade Bonsai for a little over a year now. He has been doing very well, despite some root rot when I first got him but he rebounded very well. I am from Colorado and had kept him and my Brazilian Raintree inside where they can get a lot of sun. I watered him every 5-6 days or so and that was working well. I recently moved to Southern Tennessee and I have all my bonsai (Jade, Brazilian, and Juniper) outside where they get about 5-6 hours of morning sun everyday. I have cut back the Jade's watering to about every 10-14 days or so because it is so humid down here.
Well recently, I have noticed that the base of his trunk has become white and his leaves are turning yellowish and brown around the edges. Everyday or two a couple leaves will fall off. Can someone explain what may be happening? I have attached pictures as well to help.
Side note: My watering method for all plants is to fill the sink with water and set the whole pot in their and let them soak for 8-10 minutes. My Brazilian Raintree is thriving and my Juniper seems to be in decent health as well. It is my Jade that has me concerned as of recent.
your portocularia is probably too wet. Let it dry out a lot; even to the point of wrinkly leaves, between watering. Also, I would recommend watering with a watering can, instead of dropping it in a bucket of water.
Portulacaria afra is sensitive to changes in its environment and dropping leaves is a sign of it.
If leaves shrivel and fall off, its a sign of underwatering. If leaves yellow/brown and fall its a sign of stress and over-watering.
I live in Singapore with 85%+ humidity throughout the year and tempratures can get upto 35C (95F) on a regular basis. What worked for me was to totally defoliate the plant when its leaves began to drop, (when i moved it from its original location)... reduced watering significantly for about 2 weeks and then resume back watering normally. The tree immediately bounced back and grew all its foliage in about 2-3 weeks and put out new branch growth.
If your soil is well draining and the container is small, there is a chance that it dries out pretty quickly and may need to be watered more frequently. I water mine every 3-4 days depending on if the top soil looks dry or not and it has regained its vigor. I also used a diluted fish emulsion fertilizer that helped with regaining some of that lost vigor.
Also, i agree with leatherback... move to a can, dont dunk the tree.
Overall, it seems like your tree is getting acclimated and will bounce back. Give it some time and the right environment. 2-3 hours of evening sun should be good..
Lastly, if you leave me your email address, i will email you a document that was sent to me by a Bonsai Artist specializing in Portulacaria Afra bonsais... pretty basic,
by leroycoutts
The following user(s) said Thank You: Clicio, jakobonsai
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