How to Save a变色木 Losing Leaves
Today, the editor will introduce how to save a变色木 losing leaves and the reasons and solutions for leaf drop, which will definitely bring you help. Let's learn about it together!
I am a colorful and beloved变色木. You can tell from my name that I am a plant mainly appreciated for its leaves, and indeed, this is the case. My leaves have always been my pride, because unlike my other sisters, my leaf color is not single. My leaves are adorned with white, yellow, or red patterns, making them look particularly beautiful.
But since my leaves fell off, my owner has blamed me for everything, even threatening to replace me. I am so委屈. I want to vent here because losing leaves is not my fault. It's mainly because you don't understand me and don't take good care of me, leading to my leaf drop.
I am a colorful and graceful变色木
I originally grew in subtropical regions and am a small tree plant mainly appreciated for its leaves. My plant shape is quite elegant, with elliptical leaves and a variety of colorful patterns on the leaf surface, making my leaf color bright and diverse, with high ornamental value. That's why owners usually plant me in their yards to showcase my unique charm.
I prefer a warm and humid growing environment. If you can keep the temperature between 20-30°C when taking care of me, that would be best. This way, I can grow strong and have lush leaves. I depend heavily on sunlight, and I need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day to maintain my bright leaf color. I require more water and fertilizer, but this is not an excuse for you to water and fertilize me excessively, as too much water and fertilizer can be harmful to my growth and even cause leaf drop. If you have the intention to plant me in loose, fertile, and well-draining soil, that would be best. This way, my roots can grow well, which is very beneficial for my growth.
Why am I experiencing leaf drop?
Like us, leaf-appreciated plants, we usually cherish our leaves very much, treating them as our lives. But in your hands, my leaves always fall off, even becoming a "bare stick." Owner, don't you think about it? You always push the blame on me, but in fact, the biggest "culprit" is you yourself. You don't understand me at all and always manage me blindly based on your own ideas, which makes me worse and worse, eventually leading to leaf drop. If I were to elaborate, you haven't done well in the following aspects.
1. Excessive sunlight
I like to be with the sun and cannot leave the sun throughout my entire growth process. Only with sufficient sunlight can I better promote my photosynthetic function, giving me more energy for growth and keeping my leaves bright and vigorous. However, I am also afraid of strong sunlight, as excessive sunlight can easily burn my plant body, causing my leaves to lose a lot of moisture, become withered, and even fall off. When taking care of me, you completely ignore this characteristic of mine and always leave me outside without paying attention. Even in the hot summer, you don't provide me with shade. How can I not drop leaves like this?
To prevent my leaves from falling off, you need to provide me with sunlight like this
I like soft sunlight and am afraid of strong sunlight. So, after entering summer, you can use shading nets or bamboo curtains or other porous objects to provide shade, blocking 30% of the strong sunlight. If you find it troublesome, you can also keep me in a semi-shaded and well-ventilated area to avoid getting burned by strong sunlight. In spring and autumn, when the sun is gentle, you can take care of me normally, but you need to ensure that I get at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. In winter, due to the low temperature and my intolerance to cold, you need to keep me in a warm and sunny place to avoid frostbite.
2. Low temperature
We 变色木 are warm plants and are not tolerant to severe cold. The most suitable growing temperature for us is between 20-30°C. Only by controlling the temperature within this range can we promote our growth better. When the temperature drops below 15°C, our 变色木 will grow slowly, and once it drops below 10°C, the top leaves will first droop and become soft, and then slowly fall off. Therefore, managing temperature is very important for us 变色木. When taking care of me, you don't put in much effort. Even in the coldest days, you still leave me outside to endure the wind, frost, and snow, causing my leaves to fall off one after another, which breaks my heart.
To prevent my leaves from falling off, you need to manage the temperature well
I originally grew in subtropical regions, and the climate there determined my preference for warmth. So, after entering winter, you need to move me to a sunny indoor area promptly and increase the temperature, trying to keep the room temperature above 15°C. I believe that through sunlight and temperature increase, I can safely survive the winter. Additionally, the hottest period of the year is the dog days of summer when the temperature can reach above 35°C. During this time, you should move me to a ventilated semi-shaded area and spray water frequently to cool down, so as not to "burn" my leaves due to high temperatures.
How to Save a变色木 Losing Leaves
3. Excessive watering
I like a humid growing environment, but this does not mean you can water me blindly and excessively. Although I like moisture, I am not tolerant to waterlogging. If excessive watering causes the soil to remain waterlogged for a long time, it will hinder my root respiration, eventually leading to root rot. Once my roots rot, the consequences should be clear to you. It will definitely affect my absorption function, causing my leaves to lose moisture without sufficient water replenishment, and over time, the leaves will become yellow and eventually fall off. You should understand this, but you still water me carelessly according to your own nature. I can only say one thing: you don't love me anymore.
To prevent my leaves from falling off, you need to water me like this
Since I like a humid growing environment but can't tolerate waterlogging, you can observe the dryness of the soil before watering to determine if I am in a "thirsty" state. Specifically, you can use your hand or a small stick to insert into the soil 2 inches deep to see if the soil is dry and white. If the soil has dried up, you need to water it promptly to moisten the soil. Let me give you a watering tip: adjust the watering frequency according to seasonal changes. For example, you can water me every 2 days in spring and autumn to keep the soil moist, water me twice a day in the morning and evening in summer to prevent soil dryness, and in winter, due to the low temperature and slow evaporation of water, you can appropriately extend the watering interval, watering once a week.
4. Over-fertilization
My fast growth and numerous leaves require a lot of nutrients to maintain good growth, which determines my preference for fertilizer. However, although I like fertilizer, I don't like large amounts of fertilizer. Excessive fertilization will only increase the burden on my roots, even causing root burn, making my plant body wilt, the leaves turn yellow and dry, and eventually fall off. In severe cases, it can directly cause me to lose my vitality. When fertilizing, you don't care whether I need it or not and always sprinkle a handful of fertilizer on my roots. No wonder I drop leaves; it's a miracle I can survive.
To prevent my leaves from falling off, you need to fertilize me like this
I like fertilizer but dislike large amounts of concentrated fertilizer, so when fertilizing me, it's best to follow the principle of less fertilizer and more applications. For example, during my growing period, you can apply fermented liquid fertilizer every 15 days to ensure the nutrient content in the soil is sufficient, allowing me to grow strong and vigorous. After entering autumn, apply phosphorus fertilizer twice to improve my frost resistance and prepare me for a safe winter. In winter, I will enter a dormant state, so you should stop applying fertilizer to avoid fertilizer damage. It's important to note that each time you fertilize me, it's best to loosen the soil and water moderately, so that the fertilizer can be better absorbed and utilized by me.
Do you know that I am picky about soil?
Our 变色木 roots are slightly more developed than those of other plants, but this does not mean we have no requirements for the soil. We don't like poor-quality, non-porous, compacted, and hard soil. Because in such soil, our roots cannot extend downward better, our respiration is hindered, and over time, it will affect our overall absorption function, and even cause rot, leading to leaf drop.
So, if you want us 变色木 to grow strong and keep our leaves forever bright, it's best to prepare some loose, fertile, and well-draining soil for us. You can use 3 parts of decomposed leaf soil, 3 parts of coarse peat, 2 parts of sand, and add some organic fertilizers during the preparation. This way, the soil nutrient content is richer, which is very beneficial for the growth of our 变色木, and we will not experience leaf drop in the later stages.
The above shares the full content of how to save a变色木 losing leaves and the reasons and solutions for leaf drop. I hope it helps green plant enthusiasts!