What is wrong with my bonsai?

Question

Hi all,
I have has a Chinese elm bonsai now for approx 2 months now. It's started off great, however, lately I've noticed that the leaves keep falling off and some are even turning brown before falling off. I water it regularly with bottled non-tap water ( from above the compost ) yet the surface of the compost seems to also have a kind of white substance over it. The tree itself is sitting in a wooden tray filled with gravel. Any ideas why this could be happening, and what could be sone for it? Thank you in advance!

jean ann j · Accepted Answer

Can be the bottled water.  You need distilled water.
It should not be soggy.

Anonymous · Answer

I can't say for sure, but I can suggest some things for you to look at.  Plants can drop their leaves for a variety of reasons:
Too dry
Too wet
Insufficient drainage (soil stays too wet)
Too hot
Too cold
Sudden temperature changes (drafts)
Something in the water
Wrong soil
Soil packed too hard
Insufficient light
Plant may be going dormant for the winter
Too much or wrong kind of fertilizer.

In your case, the first thing I would do is use different water.  You may want to buy a couple gallons of bottled distilled water (about 88 cents/gallon) and slowly pour it through the pot to wash out any contaminants that may have gotten into the soil.  If you can transplant the tree to different soil, that would be better.  If you bought it at a nursery I'd go back and ask their advice. They may even replace it for you.

Too much water and too much fertilizer are the most common ways people kill plants by trying to give them more than they actually need. It's even got a name:  "Loving them to death."
Good luck.

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What is wrong with my bonsai?

2 Answers