hans

Hi, I have a 2007 Privet (Ligustrum) which is indoors. It is losing leaves by the day. It is not in the sun and I water daily as recommended on the plant info.

I live in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Is this natural for the plant ?

Thanks
Hans Minnaar

philgrayser

Hi hans, Privets should be kept outside as they dont like indoors. All trees are actually outdoor plants but some like ficus can handle growing indoors and will thrive in the home if kept right.
I also wouldnt water daily either. If the leaves are yellowing before they drop then i would put it down to overwatering! Take it outside and put it somewhere shaded for a few weeks till it perks up then slowly introduce it to a more sunny spot in the garden.
These are quite hardy plants and should manage a few days at a time without water depending on the size of the pot its in of course. If its drying out daily then i would put it into a slightly bigger pot as well as this could help with the recovery. cheers Phil G

hans

Hi Phil, Thanks for the advice. I will do as you suggested and keep you posted on the progress.

Mike423

Philgrayser is right you are most likely over watering, while it is hard to say how often your Bonsai should be watered due to variables like heat/atmosphere, soil composition, root mass etc.. The best method to use for watering (in my opinion) is the finger method where you can stick your finger in the soil near the edge of the pot at least to the first knuckle, if not a little further. if the soil feels almost completely dry with just the slightest hint on moisture its time to water. This can take a little getting used to at first but if you would like you can also use the beginners method by sticking a chop stick in the soil by the edge of the pot. Check it every now and then and when the chopstick is dry its time to water.

I would recommend keeping the tree in a shaded spot while outside until it begins to recuperate, then slowly acclimate it into more sun every day until it gets a full sun exposure (which it likes). Make sure not to fertilize bonsai when stressed and in most cases a stressed tree does better with watering more sparingly (by which I maen a non "saturating" watering).

While we are are all tempted to have our trees inside they are meant for out side enjoyment as 99.9% of species have to be in their natural environment to thrive and survive. If you have a special occasion etc.. that you would like to display the tree that would be fine, but I would not keep it indoors for any more than a day or two.

Good luck

-Mike

artyanimal

Hans,

For what its worth, I am in zone 10 which, I believe is similar to yours. I use various additives in my soil mix but, for our purposes, I use about 60% calcined clay/lava rock and 40% organics such as compost, regular potting soil and small bark chips in the mixture for privets.

Outdoors in a shallow pot, a mixture like this can dry fairly quickly. As I am a fan of AM watering I more or less adjust the plant's location based on both its sun needs and its drying time. Unless it is uncommonly windy, I find that at this 60/40 ratio, privets thrive in full sun until about 1 PM and then like some shade or filtered light (and stay damp) the rest of the day.

I have tried them in full sun with this mix but, usually have to water twice to avoid burning from late spring all the way to early fall. I have also tried them with a 50/50 and 40/60 mix and still cannot say they look greener or are in any other way better off than those kept in half day sun.

Cheers,

Arty