Are you a Bonsai Enthusiast? Do you love practicing the art of Bonsai? Did your Bonsai plant start dropping leaves? Have you any idea about the reasons behind the Bonsai dropping leaves? Are there any chances of Bonsai growing its leaves back? Why is Bonsai dropping leaves in summer or winter? What can you do to fix this issue?
So, all the Bonsai lovers: stop searching right here. If you want to know the answers to all of the above queries, you are going to learn it here. As we are going to share the reasons for your problematic Bonsai tree and the solution to fix it.
The main reason for Bonsai dropping leaves is due to improper care. It may include overwatering, underwatering, overwintering, insufficient sunlight, disease, and pest infestation.
If you do not follow the specific care guidelines for indoor and outdoor Bonsai and select a species not suitable for your climate, consequently, your tree will drop leaves and can eventually die.
The word “Bonsai” belongs to the Japanese language that means “Tray Planting”. In Japanese traditions, it is an art form in which miniature trees are cultivated in pots and containers. Mostly, Bonsai art beginners face leaves shedding problems and become hopeless. No doubt, it’s really painful to watch your artistic tree dying.
Care specifications for indoor and outdoor Bonsai
Bonsai trees love temperate climates. Traditionally, these miniature trees are grown outdoors in containers. Some tropical and subtropical species can also thrive indoors.
However, some species like Juniper Bonsai can survive both indoors and outdoors if provided with the right amount of light, humidity, water, and temperature.
That’s why It is crucial to discuss here that both indoor and outdoor species of Bonsai need different care. This way, you can identify if the leaf dropping problem of your Bonsai tree is due to its location or not.
Care requirements of indoor Bonsai
Normally, tropical and subtropical species are cultivated indoors. Tropical species require a temperature above 60° Fahrenheit (15°C) and below 81 F (27°C) throughout the year. While subtropical species can be kept in low temperatures below the standard room temperature.
These miniature trees should be kept indoors, facing bright light in front of the window. Mostly, indoor Bonsai drop leaves due to lack of light, improper watering, and poor soil conditions.
The most commonly used and easy to care indoor Bonsai include Ficus Bonsai, Snow Rose Bonsai, Segeretia (Sweet Plum), Dwarf Pomegranate Bonsai, Crassula (Jade), Carmona (Fukien Tea Bonsai), Schefflera Arboricola Hawaiin Umbrella Bonsai).
Care requirements of outdoor Bonsai
Normally, temperate species can survive the outdoors. Some of these species are deciduous, for example, Chinese Elm; while others are evergreen, just like Junipers.
For deciduous species, dropping leaves is common during autumn and winter. But if the tree is losing leaves out of season, it may be due to some other reasons.
The selection of the outdoor Bonsai highly depends on the climatic conditions of your location. In the Mediterranean climate, you can grow species that can tolerate frost, like Chinese Elm (Ulmus Parvifolia), Chinese privet (Ligustrum Sinensis), Olive (Olivia Europea), Pomegranate (Punica Granatum).
If winters are cool enough, you can grow species like Trident maples (Acer Buergerianum) and Japanese maple that can through winter dormancy.
Top Reasons For Bonsai Dropping Leaves
After identifying if your Bonsai Tree is suited for indoors or outdoors, you can easily sort out the reason behind leaves dropping. The most common reasons for leaves shedding are mentioned below. So, let’s describe each one in more detail.
Reason 1: Lack Of Sufficient Light
If your indoor Bonsai is not receiving adequate sunlight, it is the main reason for its leaves dropping. Naturally, these are sun-loving trees. Typical indoor light for humans is not sufficient for the growth of most of the species.
Although insufficient light will not kill the plant right away, it will slow down the process of growth that may cause leaves to drop. Eventually, if you prune the tree, its leaves and branches won’t grow back.
Indoors, place the tree on a windowsill receiving the most sunlight, as they need lots of it to thrive.
At the same time, many outdoor species of Bonsai can’t withstand extreme temperatures, and their nodes and internodes may grow too large. Consequently, these species can also shed leaves. Moreover, they are more susceptible to diseases and pest infestation.
Reason 2: Improper drainage
Being miniature trees, Bonsai are grown in smaller pots. Both indoor and outdoor Bonsai need specific care as compared to other potted plants. Trees grown in smaller pots have limited space for nutrients and water.
While watering the Bonsai, if you notice that the water is drained too quickly or not drained at all, it can be due to it being “rootbound”. It’s a condition in which the root system becomes disrupted. As a consequence, roots will not absorb water and nutrients properly.
These trees are more susceptible to drying up quickly or may retain extra moisture due to overwatering. That’s why these plants are more prone to show signs of trouble like yellowing leaves and dropping leaves out of season.
Reason 3: Underwatering
Bonsai have different water requirements depending on the species, climate, and location of the plant. The average amount of water needed by a plant changes throughout the year. These dwarf trees require extra care while watering as compared to other plants.
As Bonsai are grown in pots, they have limited space for water and nutrients. Indoor species dry up quickly due to heating or cooling systems and lack of humidity around.
Dry soil causes the leaves to drop within days. Outdoor species can survive underwatering to some extent because they can absorb humidity from nearby plants.
Rainwater and bottled water (second best) are suitable options for watering Bonsai.
Reason 4: Overwatering
Most beginners become passionate about their new Bonsai growing hobby. Their extra care sometimes results in overwatering the plant.
Overwatering is detrimental for your Bonsai tree because it causes the condition of “root rot”, in which the roots of your tree become weak. Eventually, extra moisture retention is also a huge reason for your Bonsai losing leaves.
The use of poor quality soil in the pots is a major cause of water retention due to overwatering.
Besides, watering your Bonsai tree during intensive sunlight hours or in direct sunlight can burn your tree. However, the root rot problem doesn’t occur overnight.
Also, watering a few times daily will not impact the overall health of your miniature tree.
Reason 5: Underfeeding or overfeeding
Food is crucial for the healthy growth of your Bonsai tree. You can give both liquid and solid fertilizer depending on the needs of the species.
If there is a lack of nutrients in the soil, the leaves will become lighter in color, and shoots will not grow properly. Eventually, your tree will lose the ability to fight against the disease.
Normally, osmosis occurs in plants in which fluids travel from roots to the tree. But if you overfeed your tree, plasmolysis will occur in which fluids start to travel in the opposite direction, unlike osmosis. As a result of plasmolysis, the leaves will become dull in color and start to fall out.
Bonsai require feeding roughly once a month during growth season. Fertilizers mainly contain nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) potassium (K). Bonsai will do best with an organic feed + with beneficial microorganisms like this one. Make sure to switch to a low nitrogen feed during refinement.
Reason 6: Pests and Disease
If your Bonsai keep on shedding leaves even after following all the care sheets, it can be due to a disease or pests. The most common diseases are root rot, rust, and black spot, fungal diseases like damping, galls, powdery mildew.
Pests are also responsible for leaves dropping in Bonsai trees. The most common pests that damage these plants are aphids, vine weevil, root aphids, red spider mite, Scale insects, adelgids.
Reason 7: Recent repotting
Have you recently repotted your Bonsai? If yes, this is likely to make many, if not most leaves to fall off. When repotting a Bonsai, due to root pruning, Bonsai start losing leaves.
Repotting, in general, if very stressful for Bonsai, especially sensitive ones like Ficus. Make sure to only repot in the early spring when Bonsai is coming out of dormancy. Temperatures should be at around 50 F (10 C), and Bonsai needs to be kept at around 64 F (18 C) after repotting for a few weeks.
After repotting, make sure to keep your Bonsai in a mostly shaded area for 2-3 weeks. Water and mist your Bonsai, but don’t water too much if your Bonsai don’t have too many leaves.
Don’t use any fertilizer for at least 3-4 weeks. After this, choose a higher nitrogen or organic fertilizer to boost foliage growth. Organic fertilizers especially promote development of beneficial bacteria in the soil, boosting growth.
If your Bonsai is dying after repotting, you can find tips in this post.
5 easy ways to fix dropping leaves in Bonsai
Hopefully, you are now thoroughly aware of the factors responsible for leaves shedding in your masterpiece of art – Bonsai. Here are some ways to bring your miniature tree back to life. Let’s discuss those ways below.
1. Water Your Bonsai Properly
There is no hard and fast rule of watering your Bonsai plant. Just avoid watering regularly and during sunlight hours.
Whenever you notice the drying of the top layer of soil, water it by using a spray bottle or garden hose with a fine spray or mist attachment. Also, allow the soil to dry between watering and only then water again.
You can also use the top-down method of watering by soaking the foliage. It will allow the plant to absorb moisture from foliage and washes away pests.
Akadama that is often used for Bonsai turns reddish when dry, as opposed to darker brown when it’s wet. This change in soil color can help you decide when to water your Bonsai tree.
2. Improve Soil Quality
If water is draining through the pot too quickly, it means the soil is not absorbing water. It may be due to a tree being rootbound or due to poor quality soil. In this case, your Bonsai will require repotting and pruning of damaged roots.
There can be different soil mixes made for your Bonsai depending on species. But in general, Akadama, lava rock, pumice, some river sand and charcoal are used. The best option is to make your own soil mix using separate ingredients like this pumice.
3. Balanced Sunlight Exposure
Lack of sunlight puts a great impact on the overall health of Bonsai. Indoor species should be placed on a windowsill for balanced sunlight exposure. If you live in colder climates and you have many Bonsai species, you can use fluorescent lighting that emits growth-friendly spectra.
For light-sensitive outdoor plants, you can place them on the balcony with a few hours of shade. It all depends on the light requirements of the species that you will select.
If the leaves dropping issue is due to lack of light, you can fix it by changing the location of your plant.
4. Balanced Fertilization
Feed your Bonsai in a balanced way to promote osmosis, in which fluid and nutrients travel from roots to tree. Balanced fertilizers are most suitable for most Bonsai species.
If you over-fertilize your plant, the salt content will increase in the soil, which will promote plasmolysis and eventually leaves dropping.
Normally you can use both liquid and solid fertilizer. The liquid fertilizer should be in diluted form twice a month during the growing period of the young plant. Solid fertilizer should be used twice a year.
Both organic and synthetic fertilizer can be used. Synthetic fertilizers can be absorbed by Bonsai straight away, without the need of microorganisms. You can also control how much to feed.
However, it will be mostly washed away with next waterings. Try to avoid synthetic fertilizers because they can kill beneficial soil bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi.
Organic fertilizers work by slow release. It’s much harder to overfeed with an organic fertilizer, than a synthetic one. But also, it’s harder to control how much of it is released.
But make sure to always follow package instructions. Throughout the growth season, you can fertilize as often as 1-2 times a month. Please use an organic feed with balanced ratio of elements and beneficial microorganisms like this one.
Stop any feed in winter.
5. Disease and Pest Control
Like other potted plants, Bonsai can drop leaves due to disease and pests. We have mentioned a list of the names of diseases/pests, symptoms, and their treatment plan.
Common diseases in Bonsai, symptoms and solutions:
| Disease | Symptoms | Treatment |
| Leaf Spot Disease | The appearance of small brown spots on leaves is caused by mold and may result in discoloration of leaves. | Remove the and use a solution for treatment. |
| Powdery Mildew | A powdery white mold starts to appear on the backside of leaves. | Apply an anti-mildew agent and place your trees in a sunny spot with good airflow. |
| Sooty Mold | Soot appears on leaves, branches, and the surface of the trunk. It is caused by a mold that if found in poop of pests. | Using insecticides to kill the pests can treat this disease. |
| Root Rot | It is caused by a fungus that attacks due to poor drainage. Roots appear to be messy and entangled. | It is a serious disease sometimes impossible to cure. Proper drainage and root care will prevent this condition. |
| Rust and Blackspot | Yellowing of leaves and premature leaves dropping in the mid-summer. | Apply fungicide and remove all the affected leaves. |
Common pests in Bonsai, symptoms and solutions
| Pests | Identification | Treatment |
| Aphids | These pests feed on the fluids of plants and cause slow growth. | In the case of infestation, you can knock off aphids by using a brush and apply the pesticide. |
| Red Spider Mite | Identified by the white cow webs in the joints between the branches. | Insecticides like Malathion helps in getting rid of these mites. |
| Scale insect | These insects suck the fluids out of trees and are seen at the bark and stalk of trees. | Apply a pesticide and remove the insects by using a brush. |
For any fungal infections, you will need to use fungicide. Copper-based fungicide like this will help get rid of an infection. For pest and insect infestation, make sure to insecticide.
Bonsai Dropping Leaves In Summer
Are you worried about your Bonsai dropping leaves in summer? Don’t worry. These are common reasons for Bonsai dropping leaves in the summer season.
- If you are not properly watering your Bonsai.
- Your Bonsai plant may need repotting.
- You may have over-fed your Bonsai.
- Your indoor plant is not getting enough sunlight
- The Outdoor Bonsai tree is not tolerating intensive sunlight
- Some sort of disease or pests can also cause leaves shedding.
For fixing this problem, follow our above-mentioned tips and revive your Bonsai tree.
Bonsai Dropping Leaves in Winter
Did your Bonsai drop leaves in winter? If yes, just don’t be panic and keep reading. Trees drop their leaves to retain maximum water that they can utilize in the dormant state. It is the major reason for Bonsai dropping leaves in winter.
Normally, all the species of trees undergo a period of dormancy in winters. With the decrease in the day length, deciduous trees begin to drop leaves and go into a state of dormancy.
It is a part of the natural life cycle, and trees react to changing day lengths. If you bring your dormant tree inside for winter protection, you will mess with nature and make your tree die eventually.
However, if the temperature remains below zero degrees for more than 48 hours, it is referred to as overwintering.
In this condition, you should move your trees to the greenhouse or shed to increase the temperature by just a few degrees. You can also use a horticultural frost cloth like this that will provide frost protection.
Again, avoid putting your dormant trees in a heated room. Moreover, Bonsai need low amounts water during dormancy in freezing temperatures.
Bonsai Leaves Turning Yellow and Falling Off
You might be wondering why the leaves of your Bonsai turn yellow and fall off? The answer is quite simple.
Many deciduous and even evergreen species change leaf color during winter, and they fall off. Similarly, it is natural that old leaves are replaced by new leaves.
However, if the leave shedding problem occurs in the season other than autumn and winter, and along with leaves, the shoots are also turning yellow, then it might be due to the following reasons. So, first, sort out the problem and then try to fix it by following the specific care guidelines.
- Water stress due to overwatering or underwatering.
- Lack of sunlight
- Overwintering
- Diseases or pests
- Over-fertilizing
Bonsai Leaves Turning Brown and Falling Off
Have you any idea why Bonsai leaves turn brown and fall off? If no, let’s explain it first.
The main reason for Bonsai leaves turning brown and falling off is mostly due to over-exposure to the sun. This condition is known as “leaf scorch”. Many factors responsible for leaf scorch are mentioned below:
- Damaged roots due to overwatering and underwatering
- Overexposure to strong winds
- Over-fertilizing
By identifying the actual problem, you can bring your Bonsai back to life with special care and attention.
Will Your Bonsai Leaves Grow Back?
It is one of the most important queries of Bonsai art lovers. Let’s answer it briefly. It all depends on the extent of damage to the Bonsai tree.
If your tree is still alive, the leaves will grow back quickly with proper care. However, if the roots of your tree are completely dried up, the chances of leaving growing back are minimum.
The key to the successful recovery of your Bonsai highly depends on early intervention of leaves shedding. Make sure to moderately water your tree for a few weeks and keep it at a sunny spot in the room.
In the case of disease, recovery is difficult unless you go for a suitable treatment. In short, a mild to moderate leaves shedding problem can be solved by appropriate care.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have learned a lot about the leaves shedding problem in your miniature artistic plant. The most important point is, select the Bonsai species that can thrive in your climate.
Make sure to take care of your plants. Never leave them unattended. When you are out of your home for a long time, make arrangements to water them in your absence. No doubt, it gives a sense of deep satisfaction whenever you see your hobby flourishing and blooming with glory.
To learn more about Bonsai care, please check this resource page.