- When the sleeping tree loses all its leaves
- Silk tree loses all leaves in winter
- Choose a location that is as bright as possible
- Water and fertilize the sleeping tree properly
When the ornamental silk tree, also known as the silk acacia or dormant tree, loses its leaves, it's not always a cause for concern. Sometimes, however, incorrect care is also responsible for the loss of leaves. Why is it losing its leaves and what can you do about it?
The silk tree always loses its leaves in autumn
When the sleeping tree loses all its leaves
Possible causes for the loss of leaves from a silk acacia are:
- Location too dark
- too much / too little watered
- fertilized too often / too little
- frost damage
Silk tree loses all leaves in winter
If the silk tree overwinters in a frost-free place indoors, it almost always loses all its leaves. That's because it's just too dark in winter. If you want, you can try using plant lamps to provide more light.
But this is not really necessary, because the leaves will sprout again in spring when the sleeping tree is otherwise healthy.
Choose a location that is as bright as possible
The silk tree needs a lot of light. If you plant it in the garden, choose a location where it is as sunny as possible but also sheltered from the wind.
When caring for the sleeping tree in a bucket or as a bonsai, place it in a sunny spot on the terrace or balcony.
Water and fertilize the sleeping tree properly
If the silk tree loses all its leaves during the gardening year, poor care can also be to blame. Proper watering and fertilizing is particularly important.
Do not water too much or too little. Water so much that the root ball is slightly damp but never too wet. In the field, make sure that the soil is permeable to water so that waterlogging does not form. You should create a drainage in the bucket.
Do not give the silk acacia too little but also not too much nutrients. Fertilize fortnightly only during the growing season from March to September. Older silk trees outdoors do not need additional fertilizer.
tips
A silk tree can be grown from seed itself. However, that takes time. Propagation is only worthwhile if you can provide a warm location for the young plants.