Expert: BonsaiOutlet.com - 7/1/2009

Question
Hello, My niece has an azalea bonzai I bought for her about 2 months ago and it looks pretty sad.  The leaves are all light green and they fall off at the slightest touch.  THANK YOU in advance for any advice you have for us. Take care, Heather

Answer
Hi Heather,

Sorry for the delayed response. I'll give you some areas to explore, but this is not enough information for me to tell you specifically what the problem is.

An Azealea is an outdoor tree. Is the tree outdoors? If it is not, it should be moved outdoors, but not in full sun until it gets a little healthier.

If the leaves are falling off, it's usually because of light or water. If your plant getting enough water? Azalea also like acidis soil so you may want to use an azalea fertilizer. But do NOT fertilize your bonsai (or any plant) if it appears stressed. In your case, the Azalea is definitely stress.

Move the tree outdoors, and water it. May sure that the soil does not go dry.

A great new website for bonsai gardeners is www.learning2bonsai.com. It's new, but there is a section to ask questions. I am sure someone will help. There are alos lots of articles that will help you with watering, fertilizing, etc...

I hope this helped a little and i wish you luck. Don't give up bonsai gardening because of one dead tree.