Bonsai Tree Dying

I highly recommend downloading this  app and recording each time you water. And if not on the app, record it another way so you have helpful information so you can better diagnose what’s happening with your bonsai trees.

And now… let’s get to the diagnosing!

Why is my bonsai turning yellow? Dried out, dying leaves

First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that dying leaves are a natural part of every plant’s life — and bonsai trees are no exception. This doesn’t always mean that your bonsai is dying, or that you’re doing anything wrong. Bonsai trees can turn yellow, mainly due to a watering issue.

As your plant grows, it creates new leaves, while the older ones die. So, if you’re seeing dry, crispy leaves at the bottom of the plant–and only at the bottom– there’s no need to worry. This is normal!

If the dry leaves start to get unsightly, just gently pull them away from the plant and throw them away. When you remove the leaves, keep your plant potted so you don’t disturb the roots.

Only pull off the leaves that come off easily, or are totally dead.

How to revive a dying bonsai?

Over-watering

While dead leaves at the bottom of your bonsai are perfectly healthy, dead leaves on the upper parts of new growth are a sign of a problem–usually over- or under-watering. Soil can also cause problems for bonsai trees, as I explain in this article.

If your plant’s leaves are starting to look yellow and transparent, and feel soggy or mushy to the touch, it’s likely suffered from overwatering.

An early sign of over-watering is that leaves will start to fall off with just a slight bump. If you start to notice soft black spots on your plant’s leaves or stem, the over-watering is getting severe, and it may be difficult to save your bonsai.

Here’s a bonsai in which the plant has been severely over-watered, and has completely rotted as a result. You can see that the stems of the plants in the bottom left are starting to rot as well.

How to save an over-watered bonsai tree

The best way to avoid over-watering is to make sure your soil is completely dried out before watering again. As I’ve said in a lot of my other articles, most bonsai trees can easily go three days (and sometimes even a week or more) without water–so when it doubt, wait before watering.

As soon as you notice the symptoms of over-watering on one of your plants, start by cutting back on your watering schedule. Also check if you might need to switch to a better soil mixture.

But if you’re seeing black spots on the stem, you’ll need to do a little surgery to save your plant. This is much easier than it sounds! Just cut off the top of your plant, trim away any black spots, give the cutting three to five days to dry out, then propagate it in new soil.

On the cuttings below, you can see how I cut off every part of the stem that was soggy or blackened.

While it’s unlikely that the original plant will survive, it’s worth waiting to see! Leave the bottom section as-is, and don’t water it until the soil is dry (all the way to the bottom of the pot). If you’re lucky, a few days of drying-out time will allow the plant to recover from the over-watering, and it may start to put off new growth.

Under-watering

While over-watering bonsai trees is the most common problem, many bonsais are also sensitive to under-watering.

Juniper bonsai tree dying? I’ve found that Juniper Bonsais like to be watered more frequently than other bonsais.