Hello all,

I'm a newbie in the hobby: just got a 3-year-old Serissa Variegata in August as a father's day gift from my employer.
I live in Curitiba, a cloudy city in the south of Brazil, and my apartment doesn't get much sunlight. So, I decided to install LED light and make myself a support tray with aquarium rocks to maintain the humidity.
The articles in this forum are extremely helpful and I think I'm reaching my initial goal, that is preventing the bonsai do die, taking care of light and watering.
You'll find attached some pictures of the bonsai and my indoor setup, I really appreciate your comments.
Right now I have only one question regarding the fertilization: looks like there is some fertilizer in the soil (small white balls) and I'm not sure when to replace it, how to choose the best fertilizer and calculate the correct quantity. Could you please provide some advice?

Cheers,
Prex

Hi prex, I am Brazilian too, from São Paulo, seja bem vindo ao forum.
It happens I've got a Serissa Variegata and it likes to be outside (a lot); but your inside light fixture seems ok IF you leave it on for at least 16hours/day and IF your house has no heating to overdry the ambient.
Air circulation could be an issue also, as the way the plant is enclosed now, allows for little to no fresh air; a fan is helpful in these instances.
As for the fertilizers, to be sure of the timing, take the white balls off the soil and replace them with osmocote plus; and since it's spring now, you can also liquid fertilize it every 15 days (I use Forth Bonsai, diluted and soil applicable) during the growing season. Here in SP I refrain to fertilize my plants during high summer (january/february) as many of them enter in summer dormancy, but I know Curitiba summers can be much colder, so..
Experiment.

Hello Clicio,
Glad to see brazilians here, and thank you very much for your suggestions.
I had made a hole in the furniture to install a PC cooler (still need to buy it) to increase the air flow. I have no ar-conditioning or heating in the leaving room, and I think the tray provides enough humidity.
Currently the photoperiod I´m using is 12 hours, I will gradually increase it according to your suggestion. I was afraid that a longer photoperiod could burn the leaves as my fixture has 115 leds, totalizing 45W.
Regarding the fertilization, I will follow your tips, thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Cheers,
Prex

Now it is flowering!

I think it indicates that the environmental conditions are ok, am I right?

Since the last update I replaced the fertilizer and increased the photoperiod to 14 hours/day (still gradually increasing) as suggested by Clicio.

Best Regards,

Prex