The beloved bonsai can also lose its leaves for various reasons. If care errors are responsible for this, they can be corrected quickly and easily.
If all the leaves suddenly fall off a plant, it is a huge shock for the garden lover. The owner naturally wonders why this is so. Especially with bonsai, this can have various causes. It's often not that bad and can be remedied relatively quickly.
It is important that you do not act rashly and throw the plant in the garbage. First go to root cause analysis. The following overview of the four most common causes and treatment tips will help you to assess the situation correctly. But if it doesn't get better, you can always break up.
The 4 most common causes of falling bonsai leaves & possible treatment tips
1. Bonsai loses leaves after purchase or relocation
If the bonsai loses its leaves immediately after purchase or a change of location, this is usually due to normal metabolic adaptations. The combination of higher temperatures and less light leads to a mismatch between energy consumption and energy production.
The bonsai responds by shedding any leaves that use more energy than they put into the bonsai.
Solution:
Place the bonsai in a place that is as bright as possible and not too warm in the apartment. The window sill in an unheated hallway or stairwell is very suitable. The shedding of leaves will probably end very soon after this repeated change of location.
2. Bonsai loses leaves due to lack of waterEspecially in the hot season, the flat bonsai pots dry out quickly. The result is an acute lack of water. In extreme cases, the bonsai reacts to this within a day with drooping leaves, which it then quickly sheds. The immersion bath is a useful immediate measure.
Solution:
Place the bonsai and pot in lukewarm water and wait until no more bubbles appear. The water must be able to run off unhindered after the immersion bath. In the period that follows, water the bonsai more regularly, preferably in the morning and during the dayhigh temperatures in the evening.
Reading tip: Watering bonsai - 6 tips on timing, quantity & technique
3. Bonsai loses leaves due to nutrient s alts
Many fertilizers contain more nutrient s alts than is good for the bonsai. An oversupply of these s alts causes water to escape from the roots in a process known as osmosis. Strong osmosis eventually kills the roots and the bonsai begins to shed its leaves.
Solution:
By replacing the substrate in the bonsai pot you can remedy the situation immediately. Then switch to organic fertilizer. Read here how to fertilize correctly.
4. Bonsai loses leaves in autumn
The complete shedding of leaves in autumn is completely normal for deciduous trees, even if it is a bonsai. You do not have to worry. Coniferous bonsai lose some of their needles in autumn. After how many years this partial shedding begins depends on the type of tree. For example, a black pine can take eight years to regenerate.