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Metalhead11592 · Mar 28, 2010, 03:26 PM

Hey everyone its been a while since I posted something I've been busy I just got these bonsai trees 3 smaller ones for my parents 25th anniversary and I have one for myself. I was just wondering if anyone could give me some tips for taking care of these great little trees. :D I'm just worried that these great little trees will die on me. The little 3 smaller ones are about maybe 5months-1 year old. My slightly larger one is 1-3 years old. What types of fertilizer are available like at a home depot that I can get for these trees without harming the roots. Also if I post pictures could anyone identify the types of trees.

twinkiedooter · Mar 28, 2010, 03:38 PM

I've been a bonsai fan for years. Please post the photos so I can identify the trees.

They are probably much older than you think. I will be able to tell when I see the photos.

Buy a mister for one to daily mist the upper portion or leaves of your tree. The tree needs to be watered from the bottom up - not the top down. You only need to water them once a week normally but if they are kept in a sunny window they may need watering every 5 days or so. Don't overwater as you will get root rot very easily.

As far as shaping the trees as they grow once I see what species of trees they are I can help you on this.

You're not really going to need fertilizer for a long time with these so don't waste your money buying any right now. They are NOT like the trees in your yard and you could easily over fertilize them and kill the tree and roots!!

Metalhead11592 · Mar 28, 2010, 04:15 PM

Thank you very much! I'll take the pictures once I find my camera haha.. and I wasn't making self estimations this is what I was told by the lady who sold me them.

Metalhead11592 · Mar 28, 2010, 05:57 PM

Is this how I post photos up

Metalhead11592 · Mar 29, 2010, 09:18 AM

I just purchased this tree and was told Very very little about it by the lady who sold it to me it was an little old chinese lady who was very nice all she said was little water and sun. Can someone tell me what type of plant this is so I don't kill it?:confused:

twinkiedooter · Mar 29, 2010, 11:06 AM

Am not familiar with this particular species but I would venture a guess that it's in the fig family.

BTW you can bonsai ANY kind of tree or shrub provided it has a woody stem or trunk.

I had several fig bonsais that had leaves similar to your photos. Same shape. They are fast growing as figs trees are fast growing.

I currently have a jade tree and a spruce tree bonsai that I keep on my computer tower.

I have a question concerning the pebbles on top of the soil. Are they loose or are they glued together? If they are loose, that is good. If they are glued together not so good.

You might also want to get some moss to add to the illusion of a tree with grass around it.

Bonsai trees are used by the Japanese in meditation. They look at the tree and envision a larger (full size) tree with the rocks and moss. I catch myself staring at my 2 on the computer tower all the time. It is very calming.

When you go to water your tree be sure to place the dish in a saucer like dish with about 1/2 inch of water. Let the plant drink the water for 1/2 hour and take the saucer away. You do not want to have them sitting in water all the time. No tree in the wild sits in water all the time except willows.

You probably won't have to prune down any upper portion of your little tre for sometime. When you do you need to carefully trim one leaf and one branch at a time.

Don't do anything now to your tree except give it sunlight and water and see how it adapts to it's new environment. Your tree may have some leaves brown and fall off and new shoots take their place at the ends of the teeny branches. Don't worry. This is normal for them to do this. They kind of go through a shock state and then recover within about 2 weeks.

Keep me posted with PM's of any new developments. I'm the kind of gardener who can put a popsicle stick in the ground and it will bloom!

Are your parents tree the same species also?

twinkiedooter · Mar 29, 2010, 11:07 AM

Your tree is a beauty. Forgot to mention that!

Metalhead11592 · Mar 29, 2010, 11:33 AM

Hehe, thanks I only have had it for a little bit but I love the little guy. And they have the same type but 3 of them in one pot... I'm telling them to separate theirs because I'm afraid the roots will choak each other. Also you said it was a Fig, if I move it to a bigger pot in a year or so will it grow slightly bigger?

Metalhead11592 · Mar 29, 2010, 03:25 PM

Hey I was recently told by a friend that when its raining outside that I should water the tree even if it is slightly because the tree can sense the pressure change and it absorbs the water better.

twinkiedooter · Mar 31, 2010, 07:10 AM

DO NOT separate the trees if they are growing in one container! Do not do this as the roots take a long time to crowd out and you will be killing the trees if you improperly separate them.

Your friend is correct about putting them out in the rain. Just be sure that you don't put any saucers out under them so that any excess water will drain through the pot and not have the tree in standing water.