Serissa bonsai (serissa foetida) information and care
Serissas make excellent bonsai with the right care and shaping. They are an evergreen shrub native to China, Japan, and Indochina (Southeast Asia) where it may be found growing in the woods and wet fields. The serissa foetida has small oval leaves which are slightly larger than the serissa japonica’s. It may erupt with small white flowers several times per year giving it the nickname the “thousand star” serissa. Additionally, it naturally grows surface roots and an interesting bark pattern on the trunk which give them the desirable appearance of age.
Along with junipers this is one of the most common bonsai trees for beginners. Unfortunately this has also led to them getting a bad reputation for being easy to picky and easy to kill. With the right care this is not the case.
Serissa care
The most important thing learn about serissa bonsai is that they do not like change. They also do not like extremes. If a serissa bonsai is unhappy it lets you know by dropping its leaves and flowers.
Watering
Keeping your serissa watered properly is the most important part of its care. If you over or underwater your serissa it will lose its leaves. Serissas do not tolerate drying out and the shock may kill them. You should keep the soil moist but not wet or soggy. They also like a humid environment. We recommend that you place a humidity tray under its pot to create an area of humidity around the tree. Occasionally misting the leaves when the tree is not in bloom will also help. If you purchased the bonsai tree from a store that does not specialize in bonsai it may not be potted in the correct soil. Repotting your serissa in a well draining bonsai soil bonsai soil will help make it harder to overwater your serissa bonsai.
Light
Serissa can be grown indoors or outdoors. If kept outdoors a mix of full and partial sun in most zones will be fine. If kept indoors it can do well under fluorescent lighting, but keeping it in a room where it can get indirect light from an open window and supplementary fluorescent lighting tends to work best. If the serissa does not get enough light its growth may not be compact enough to give it a nice bonsai appearance.
Special care should be taken when bringing the plant indoors after it has been living outside or outside if it has been growing indoors. As noted earlier, serissa do not like change. If it had been growing in a sunny area try gradually moving it into a shadier location before bringing it indoors. Additionally, make sure the indoor location receives a good amount of light. If you use a grow light it may need to be left on for 12 hours per day. If the tree was indoors move it into a shadier outdoor area before moving it to a very sunny spot.
Temperature
The serissa grows in USDA zones 7-11 and hardiness range 8A to 9B. However, serissa may not survive freezing temperatures and will lose their leaves when the temperate approaches freezing. If you live in an area with a cold winter you may want to take precautions or bring the tree inside when the temperatures begin to fall below 50 degrees F.
When you should repot
Serissa should be repotted during their growing season which is in spring. You should do this every 1-2 years when the tree is younger. Use a bonsai soil that holds moisture, but drains easily without remaining soggy. The leaves and roots tend to smell pretty bad when you prune them. This is normal.
Styling
Serissa tend to be pretty flexible on styles they can be trained into. They can be grown into informal upright, informal broom, oak style, and semi-cascade. They do not work very well as formal upright and formal broom. You can use the clip and grow method or wire on these trees. Wiring allows for more intricate designs. Serissa are often used in Chinese Penjing landscapes.
Serissa bonsai pests
Spider Mites
Scale
Wooly Aphids
Mildew
For more information checkout http://www.mellobonsai.com/care/
Bonsai (kanji: 盆栽, (literally “bon-planted”, where a ‘bon’ is a tray-like pot typically used in bonsai culture is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees, or of developing woody or semi-woody plants shaped as trees, by growing them in containers. Cultivation includes techniques for shaping, watering, and repotting in various styles of containers. ‘Bonsai’ is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai (盆栽). The word bonsai is used in the West as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots.
A quick look at my bonsai trees on sept 30 2008. A mix of trees bought from dealers and quite a few made on my back porch which I planted using the new easy bonsai method found on youtube.
Hello Bonsai devotees, my name is Suhendra. I want to share my knowledge about Ficus Glomerata Variegata (Loa Varigata in Indonesian Language). I bought the bonsai in northern Bandung in 2004. I drove my own car accompanied by employees. When arrived, I see numerous small and raw bonsai. Some were good, but some were only raw bonsai. Then the owner invited us to see his farm, which had raw bonsai planted in soil and polybags. Some of them were planted from seeds, graftings, and natures.
In his farm I saw a Kaliandar Variegata whose flowers were red, like timber tree flowers and I wanted to buy it. Unfortunately, the owner didn’t sell because he said it will die if dug in dry season. I was quite confused, since the tree was 2 meter height and had so many saplings. Why didn’t he separate them and planted in pots or polybags to be sold. I think the tree was good, because it had yellow striped leaves that very contrast plus red flowers. I thought it will attract so many people to buy.
When we were talking, he mentioned about Ficus Glomerata Variegata whose fertile was not good. I was interested to know more because I was interested in collecting rare plants especially that could be created as bonsai. When I saw the plant, it was only planted in polybag using unhulled paddy (paddy plants /rice that are hulled and then separated from the stalks) as media. It was put in the middle of higher trees, so there was possibility watering process could not be completed. Sunshine was also not than one hour, and there were so many branches were not cut in the lower position that made the variegata lost. I think that were the factors.
After I bought and took it home, I did the repotting: 1 part soil + 2 part fertilizer + 1 part Malang sand (any sand taken from volcanoes). Before the substances mixed in pot, the bottom should be covered by filter to shut the hole. On the filter put rough sand (2-3 mm), then softer sand (1 mm), and goat manure (mixed with unhulled paddy) with comparison 1:1. Cut all the branches, leaves including the green and variegata from the stalk. After that, pull the tree from its polybag, clean the soil, and cut and the oversized roots. Finally, put the tree in the pot, do watering, and keep in shaded place. Put in a place with 2 hour morning sunshine when the tree grows new buds. After having many variegata leaves, full dry in the sun. When the tree grow green leaves, cut immediately.
The result after 6 months, the tree became so fertile and good. So I started to shape it with Slanting Style. After 2 years with good nursery, it became 80% qualified bonsai. I kept doing the intensive care for the purpose of joining National Bonsai Competition.
One day there was a bonsai lover outside Bandung city came to my place to see bonsai. When he saw the Ficus Glomerata Variegata, he was so impressed and eager to buy it. I understood his feeling, because I had ever the same experiences when I wanted to buy good and rare bonsai tree. After he did some very good offer, I sold the tree. Why? Because I had the saplings from prior graftings, so I still could have the same trees. I felt happy because there was a person who appreciated my work from the same hobby.
And that’s the whole story and experience about how to do repotting and plant bonsai with the substances made especially for the Ficus Glomerata Variegata. I hope my information could give positive input for you, the world bonsai devotees. Thank you.
Suhendra is the owner of Bonsai Star Gallery (http://www.bonsaistar.com) and former chief of Bandung-Indonesia Bonsai Society (2003-2004). In his site you will get information on bonsai Tree, bonsai plant, bonsai for sale and everything about bonsai.
Your bonsai tree is somewhat dependent on you to provide it with the nutrients it needs to sustain life. While most trees can get the ease from the environment, the bonsai is confined to a pot and so it is up to you to be sure that it gets everything It needs to survive.
Just like anything other living thing, bonsai’s need food. This, of course, comes in the form of fertilizer. Fertilizer can be found at your local nursery or even bought online. The most common fertilizer contains nitrogen, phosphates and potassium. In addition to these three elements, the bonsai also needs iron and, believe it or not, vitamins in particular the B-complex vitamins.
if you can’t find the complex vitamins for your bonsai you might try beer. Of course the alcohol content needs to be very low or you might damage or tree. Try using a weak beer and dilute it using a half beer half water mixture before using it on your bonsai.
You can also get B-complex vitamins and supplement form but no matter how you are getting the vitamins to bonsai one good way to administer it is to spraying the leaves. This needs to be done when the temperature is below 85°F as above that temperature the holes in the leaves close and the tree stops breathing so the exchange of moisture, and therefore the vitamins, will be negligible.
While you’re bonsai can benefit from having its leaves sprayed, doing this in hot weather can actually be harmful to your plant as it will cause the leaves to open up but then more sure be lost to the hot air. This can dry out the leaves and eventually the tree causing harm. The most common cause of bonsai death is actually incorrect watering so be careful when spraying your leaves.
You probably take vitamin pills to get your nutrients, right? Well you can give nutrients you bonsai the same way! You can buy commercially made pills that have all the nutrients your tree needs. Just put them in the soil on either sides of the trunk and water each day the water will cause the nutrients to be leached out of the pills and down into the soil.
How much nutrients you give your bonsai depends on many things includeing the species of the tree the size of the tree the age of the tree and how long it has been in Its current pot as well as the drainage in the pot and the development of the root system. Start off by following the directions on the nutrient package and watch your tree carefully. If you see signs of burnt leaves or drooping flowers you may be giving it too much nutrient.
When your tree is growing, you will want to give it more nutrients but in the fall you can also give It a little bit. Try using a mixture that is 0-10-10 (NPK) for the fall months.
Don’t feed your tree right after repotting at but otherwise a schedule of every two to four weeks is ideal. After repotting you want to wait at least four weeks before feeding. Feeding is best done when the soil is moist.
Proper care, including proper feeding of your bonsai tree will ensure that you have a beautiful healthy plant for many years to come.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://bonsai.garden-corner.com where you can learn more about bonsai trees and how to start your own bonsai hobby.