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Newbie- Help!
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Posted by
plantomaniac (
My Page) on
Thu, Dec 7, 06 at 22:41
Hi everyone,
My Dad just came home with a bonsai tree today. He got it at Sam's Club. Well, I see the common glued rocks and the common moss around it (I have read some of the previous postings on here), and realize these both need to go and it needs repotted, but I really need some basic tips on how to care for a bonsai tree. I do not know what kind it is, but it has some blooms on it and lots of leaves. I read online that it needs "akadama" soil. It is in a bonsai pot with a drainage hole right now, so we will probably repot it in the same pot, but what else? What kind of light does it need? What about watering it? Anything else? Everything please! I live in Georgia, close to South Carolina. It will be an indoor bonsai as the tag says not fit for going outside. It is about 75-80 in our house with central heating and AC during the summer. We do not have much light in our house but do have a 60W plant light bulb... will this do? If so, how many hours a day? It might get medium light or low light in our house in certain areas (probably low light right now since it is the winter here, maybe medium in the summer, I do not know). Please help me as we are clueless! It looks awfully cute and I do not want to see it die. Boy these rocks are sure glued tightly... I hope we can get them off without harming it! Thanks a bunch! |
Follow-Up Postings:
Second Thought
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| Um... the rocks are stuck like very stuck... I don't know if I can get the plant out of the pot! They are stuck to the side of the pot... how is this thing supposed to live? |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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First off take this for what it's worth. I am painfully new to bonsai and haven't accomplished much more than keeping a lot of possible stock alive and kicking.
With that being said... The rocks have to go. I've heard some people say they soaked the pot and this loosened the glue holding the rocks together. Personally I would work a screwdriver or ice pick in between the rocks and start prying away from the tree. You're going to need to determine what species your plant is to do much more than this. If you can post a picture that would help. If not try searching for images of the following bonsai as they are most commonly sold as mallsai. Ficus, serissa, juniper, chinese elm, fukien tea. There are vastly more experienced members who can give you much more specific direction once you find out what kind of tree you have. Good luck! |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Plantomaniac, Grog is on the right track regarding the rocks and the necessity of a proper ID. Since it has flowers concentrate your searches on Serissa and Fukien Tea. Once the rocks are off you will evaluate the soil. Is it dark and peaty or coarse and gritty? The former is more likely. As far as Akadama is concerned it is only one choice among many when it comes to soil components, but don't worry about that at the moment. You mention a "60 watt plant light bulb" if by that you mean an incandescent bulb it is a very poor choice. It will get much too hot and produces too little energy. A fluorescent light is a better choice. Not that it is important now but your plant will do much better outside during the summer. Get back to us and let us know about the rocks, soil and identification. Norm |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| I pry the rocks off with little pliers beginning at the hole - quicker and less traumatic (water-wise) to the tree. Akadama is expensive and hard to find, and a serissa (are the flowers tiny white ones?) or pomegranate wouldn't need it the same way a pine might. Without knowing what your tree is though, how can you take care of it? Post a picture in the gallery of this forum and leave a note here saying you've done it so we'll go take a look. Get a relative close-up of the leaves, but not so big we can't 'see' it. Once that happens we can advise you. Tip - don't water til at least the top layer of the tree is dry, do keep it in the highest light for the most hours a day you can, and don't have it near a heater or A/C. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Thank you for all of your advice so far. As to prying the rocks out from the hole, the only hole that I can tell the pot has is on the bottom, so I am unsure what you meant Lucy? As for flowers, to be honest, they are all green right now so I am assuming that they have not opened yet? I will do my best to get a picture for you all as soon as I can. In reference to the plant light I was speaking of, I am not sure what kind of light it is to be honest. I do not know if it is a "incandescent bulb" or not? It is made by GE and comes in a cardboard box (like most single light bubls) and has "Plant Light" typed on the box... I thought it was good for the plants but apparently not? We put it in a desk lamp and use it that way, but as for being hot you are right! I burned my arm a couple times this week trying to move it around... ouch! Do you know if anyone makes flurescent bulbs in the form of light bubls? I do not want to have to put a long tube somewhere in the house but I guess if I have to I will... I am clueless about plant lights hehe. What kind of soil do I need if I cannot find Akadama anywhere? I hate to take the rocks off of the top of the pot if I do not have any soil to replace the rocks with. We have Miracle Grow container soil at the moment and some cacti and succulent soil, but I do not think either is good for a bonsai? Please help me... I feel cluless and confused. I tried to look online for the names you provided me, but ours does not look like any of the pictures. I has bush like leaves, the hard wavy leaves that somewhat curl under on the edges. The flowers that have opened and died, but are still attached, are about I'd say half an inch or 1/3 in in diamater? Quite small. Thanks again. Elizabeth |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Elizabeth, An incandescent bulb is one that produces light via a hot, glowing (incandescent) filament as does a conventional light bulb, avoid this type of bulb. There are indeed fluorescent bulbs that screw into a conventional socket they are sold as "compact fluorescent" bulbs. Choose one with the highest lumen rating. Two would be better if you can manage it. Depending on the style of the fixture you may be able to utilize a bulb splitter, a Y shaped device that allows two bulbs to be used in a single fixture. If possible orient the bulb(s) horizontally, not vertically as in a ceiling fixture. There are also smaller (than 4 feet)fluorescent fixtures available. You are correct in saying that you will probably have to backfill once the rocks are removed. The cacti soil may be a better choice than standard potting soil. Does it have a gritty component and a little texture as opposed to just humus/peat? As far as replacing your soil, for now just concentrate on learning how to keep the plant alive. Although soil composition is very important, the grower can compensate to some degree by adjusting their watering practices. As Lucy said, not too wet or too dry. Follow the link below. Click on the "Bonsai Basics" tab at the top. Read whatever seems relevant to you, the articles on watering and soil should come first. Later explore the whole site. Please get a picture up as soon as you can. I personally don't grow many indoor trees but hopefully someone else can help in that regard, good luck. Norm |
Here is a link that might be useful: Bonsai 4 Me
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Hi - Mix the cactus soil about 50/50 with small sized aquarium gravel and you'll be fine, but M-G is too peaty and will hold water too long. Cactus soil may be peaty too, but also has sand in it and the gravel is a must. The 'hole' would be the one the plant is growing out of on top. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| With that description, I bet I have an incandescent bulb. I have been using these bulbs for over a year now with my other house plants and assumed it was ok, but I am glad to know now that I need something else. I tried looking online before but some websites got into how plants like blues or plants like reds (lights) and boy I just got confused. So what is a lumen by the way? I mean what should I look for? I think I will try to find one that screws into this desk lamp that I have like a normal light bulb since if I read correctly, you said they are made. If not, I will have to figure something out. Oh I see what you mean about "hole." I could try that. It appears that the moss has been glued around it though so we will have to see what happens in the regards of taking it out of the glued down rocks. I guess my main question is... can I have this as an indoor plant or will it just be more of a hassle than it is worth? I always thought bonsai plants were made for the indoors... seen it in too many magazines, commercials, whatever... I might just tell my Dad to take it back if this is going to be more of a hassle than it is worth. I hate to say that as I respect bonsai plants and their owners, but I do not know if they can even thrive indoors like other houseplants. If I have any more questions I will let you know. I will wait on posting the picture as I do not even know if this thing can grow indoors at the moment. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| 10-12,000 lumens is what you aim for in lights, and fluorescents are relatively inexpensive, but understand that they will lose effectiveness in about six months whether or not you can see it yet, so one pair of bulbs is usually good for about one Oct. thru March season. |
RE: Newbie needs Help!
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| Hi - You still haven't provided an ID (gone back to the store and looked at others like it with ID's on them?), but presuming it's either Serissa or pomegranate, it's an indoor one. My problem is your seeming desire to get away with houseplant care on a bonsai. It won't work, you'll waste your money and think you have a brown thumb, when with just a little bit of learning you could enter a terrifically interesting world here for life. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| I am sorry. I do not have a scanner or a digital camera so I cannot get a picture on here for a while. All the ones at the store apparently did not come with tags. They all say indoor bonsai on the tags, however (that is all they say about how to care for it). I do not think I have a brown thumb as I have about 30 other plants, I just think this plant has more special needs than my others. I just looked online under pomegranate and Serissa, but it does not look like either of the two. It has leaves like pomegrante but the ones on mine are dark dark green. It has leaves like an outdoor bush if that helps any at all. I really do not know how to take care of this thing. Should I attempt to repot it and then get it in the 50/50 mix potting soil and then try to find a flurescent bulb for it? Please someone just give me the basics all in one post... I am getting confused by the mismatchesness... not to appear rude I just am confused I think. |
I think I know what it is?
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| Ok, maybe not, but I think I have something to say that may help identify it. It has dark green leaves, wavy, like bushes, but! It has light colored white spots all over the top side of the dark leaves. Does that help identify it any? |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Elizabeth, You have been given sound advice so far but when you express uncertainty regarding your interest in bonsai others will be less inclined to put the effort into answering your questions. There are no such things as indoor plants, they all evolved outside. There are, however plants that will adapt to indoor culture as you have learned with your houseplants. All of your plants will do better with better lighting so don't dwell on that. Lumens is a scale measuring light output, more is better. Wavy edges huh, try the link below. Norm |
Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese Holly
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| I tried your link Norm, but it dos not look like a Japanese Holly either. It does not have pointy leaves, jus somewhat wavy leaves, in the shape of most leaves I guess you see (ovalish shaped, a little more pointy at the ends of the leaves). Do the white spots on the leaves help in identifying it? I would not go as far as to say I do not care about bonsai trees. I do care, but you have to understand my frustration with caring for plants. I have researched bonsai plants among other plants and always seem to find complex, confusing, and contradicting information, hence my frustrations. I do not think plants are so difficult to care for but it seems as if I cannot win either way I try because another source online (not here) will only tell me I am not doing the right thing for a plant. I do not care if I have to buy it a better light or water it more or whatever it requires, I just do not know what it requires. I would like to have someone write me a post telling me the exact lighting, watering, soil, etc. needs for a bonsai. I realize they can vary based on the plant, but until someone is able to identify it, I think general care should suffice for now. -Elizabeth |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Bonsai come in hundreds of different types... of trees, and there is just no simple 1-2-3 step answer for you, let alone trying to do it for an unidentified tree. Each one has different needs, and how you meet them will be different depending on where you live (even indoor plants are affected by your outdoor environment), how YOU water things, what your tree is planted in, how much light it gets when and from where, what season of the year it is, etc. etc. I and others have already given you advice, but your confusion seems to be more a factor of some anxiety rather than a lack of ability - you are taking care of your other plants after all. See if you can find a bonsai club/assoc. close by and attend a mtg. or two, and see how things are actually carried out and find out why, when, how, etc. You cannot learn 'bonsai' in a few internet tips. It's as big a subject as any other, and it's one thing to help you with a couple of aspects of basic care for an individual tree, but another to give you a whole course on horticulture, hundreds of species, climates, soil components, watering techniques, etc. in one forum posting. I've been at this for a long (LONG!) time and still feel I'm just beginning to learn sometimes. No one (responsible) will spoon feed you info. on one (UNknown) tree in your home so that you can take it in and make it work all at once. You'll have to start doing some reading, research, etc. like the rest of us have, and you'll probably lose some trees along the way like we all have, and you'll have learned something from each of those too. It's a cool 'pursuit', obsession, hobby, whatever, but not if it's causing you so much grief. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Elizabeth, If you have not already done so make sure you read and absorb the information in the first link that I provided you. The basic information that you seek is there. In the meantime, I'll try once more with the identification. Try this one. Norm |
Here is a link that might be useful: Ficus
RE: Newbie- Help!
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Norm,
I will check it out. I did not have much time the other day to check it out in depth. I am sorry to say that ficus is not it either. It has more rounded leaves than a ficus (even on the ends, the leaves are not pointy on the ends). Hmm... Did the white spots on the leaves help with the identification? |
I think this may help?
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| Ok, think of the wavy surface of a holly and cut all the spikes off from the tips of the leaves, rounding the leave. Put white spots on the leaves... does this make a species of bonsai you are familar with? I think if I knew what species flowered and had white spots all over the leaves, we would be in luck. |
Brush Cherry Maybe?
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| Maybe a Brush Cherry? There are so many species it seems like! |
Problem
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| I have noticed whitish stuff on almost all the leaves, is this a form of mildew? If so, how do I get it off? It appears to be on both sides of the leaves and the plant has dropped some dead leaves with the white stuff all over it and has dropped some still somewhat alive leaves with the stuff all over it. Attached is a link to what I believe my bonsai looks like. The picture says the bonsai is a boxwood, but when I look at other pictures, they do not look the same as this picture? Mine has darker green leaves however and has the white dots on the leaves. |
Here is a link that might be useful: It Looks like this but has darker green leaves
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Do your leaves have 2-3 tiny 'teeth' on their ends? Then you have a Fukien tea! Let me know... |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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Lucy,
It was hard to find a good picture that zoomed in enough, but from a few pictures that I saw, it does look very similar. I am sorry to say that through all this going back and forth, back and forth, we have decided to return it. My Mom and I really like it, but we are afraid of what looks to be mildew all over it. I thought it was plant stains at first, coloring the leaves whitish from water minerals, but after a closer glimpse today (the plant light hit it just right), I noticed the whitish stuff all over it, backside of the leaves... everywhere. I think it is mildew. In fear of the rest of our plants, we are raking a precaution and taking it back. Maybe in the future we can find a much better cared for bonsai without the glued rocks, peat moss, and... mildew. Thanks everyone for you help. I did not mean to appear that I do not care about bonsai plants. I think typing online can be misread (when trying to read emotions from the typing). If anything, I was just frustrated with all the confusing and contradicting information I found online (not here). -Elizabeth |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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http://www.bonsaigardener.org/azalea-bonsai-care.html
check that link out and tell me if that is the plant. Im guessing azalea, they just started to flower and every store you can imagaine is selling them down here in the south. |
Here is a link that might be useful: azalea
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| Oh gosh, I never meant to imply that you didn't like bonsai, just that I felt you had gotten lost in this one somehow and maybe needed a focus of some kind to go forward with, rather than trying to assimilate everything all at once, which is overwhelming. Too bad about the mildew, etc Maybe regroup, do a little reading, wait til spring and find a little healthy nursery tree to work on - I would hate to think you're abandoning bonsai because of a one bad experience. It's not that hard - you just started out with the wrong tree at the wrong time. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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Lucy,
I will try my luck in the spring. It is hard to find plants here as it seems like our local home improvement stores only have certain plants. We only have one nursery that I can think of as other have gone out of business over the years. I honestly cannot think of any place that sells bonsai trees here, but by no means are we giving up completely. We might end up ordering one online, do you know a good place that has decent prices and quality bonsai trees? We have ordered from Daniels Specialty Nursery (succulents and cacti), and are waiting to receive our order this week, but sadly they do not sell bonsai trees. I agree with you, wrong plant, wrong time. No problem though. Thanks for your help. |
RE: Newbie- Help!
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| You don't need a 'bonsai' place to get trees. For outdoor ones, go to any local nursery and start working (learning) on their young ones, and for indoor (tropicals) most supermarkets, W-M, H-D have house plants that are suitable to play with, sometimes excellent ones - all you want is a trunk that gets woody (or plant with lots of little ones that you can wrap for 6 mos-1 yr to fuse them into one ... a few inches up from the soil line to the lowest branches) and fairly small leaves. Humidity, high light and good air circulation are vital as is knowing what you're buying (and what it needs) before you spend. |
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