Help with my brazilian rain tree

I've had my brazilian rain tree for about 2 and a half years. I live in Brooklyn NY so I have to bring it indoors every winter. It gets great light and I keep it on a good watering schedule. Every year it looses almost all of its leaves and I'm worried it's on a slow decline. It's a well developed old tree and I'd hate to lose it. If anyone has any advice on what I can do to keep it in good health I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks, Lawrence

I'm sure it is complaining abut having to be inside. My willow-leaf figs do the same thing, but they bounce bak nicely in the spring.

Do you provide artificial light for your tree?

Thanks Jim, I hope I have the same luck. I do have a light with a large bulb but I can't hang it above the tree because there is a large stag horn fern on the wall above it. The tree is losing a lot of its foliage and I'm pretty worried about it. I hope it pulls through.

Lawrence

Be careful of water, maybe too much. Although a tropical, when kept indoors it can really suffer from root rot.

The typical indoor environment is not conducive to good bonsai growing. It is too dry, too dim, and not breezy enough. There may appear to be enough light to you, but I'd bet you need to put a fluorescent light close over it for 12-13 hours a day, and place an oscillating fan so it blows over it. Maybe the fern is helping to keep humidity up.

And yes, do watch your watering, though I can give no advice on what this tree might need over the course of a northern winter.

My BRT looses it's leaves when I move it inside for the winter. Then it always puts on a ton of new growth. I don't do anything more than put it near a sunny west facing window. I've had it for at least 5 years, and had no problem with it inside during winter. If anything, it grows more, and looks happier inside than out! Go figure... I think it's just shedding the old batch of leaves for fresh ones and the cycle corresponds to moving it in. I do mist this tree daily, it seems to like it a lot.

Are your leaves turning a color before they drop?

I have a Raintree that comes indoors for the winter. Mine drops the leaves too. Kind of hard to replicate the sun's strength without it. Definitely watch the watering. My experience is that even though they like it wet when outside, as soon as they come indoors water uptake slows down tremendously.

Good luck with it.
Have a great weekend!!!
Sam

Sam Ogranaja wrote:My experience is that even though they like it wet when outside, as soon as they come indoors water uptake slows down tremendously.

This is important advise and is probably the most tricky thing to get right with C. Tortum as it makes its transition from rapid outside growth to a state of near dormancy indoors. Mine is still holding on to plenty of leaves although it's in front of a 5x8 foot south window. It is watered when I visibly begin to see leaves wilting a bit. Same with the Bougey.

-Jay

drgonzo wrote:

Sam Ogranaja wrote:My experience is that even though they like it wet when outside, as soon as they come indoors water uptake slows down tremendously.

It is watered when I visibly begin to see leaves wilting a bit.
-Jay

This is also what I do. I forgot to mention that earlier.

Thanks everyone for your input, all sounds like good advice to me.

Lawrence