need help with new bonsai

[bonsaibaby]

I just bought a bonsai today and I am not sure if it is going to live or not. I will post pictures as soon as it is daylight(so dark in house pictures come out bad). I believe it is a fukien tea based on leaf picture comparison. It is about 9-10 inches tall and bark is light grey and can slightly tell there is green underneath. The problem is it is about to be fall and then winter but the tree only has new tiny baby leaves on it. They are growing off of the tree on limbs and stumps that used to be limbs. The largest leaf is still smaller than my pinky nail. The soil it was in was bone dry and it had pebbled glued together on top of soil so I removed all the pebbles and mixed part of the soil it was in with miracle gro moisture control potting mix(all I have at the moment until I can get different soil) and watered it. Was thinking of putting it outside in morning for some sunlight. The place where I got it had it on a shelf under other shelves with plants and I have no idea when it last had actual sunlight. I will get pictures up as soon as possible since I know that will help. I am already attached to it even though I am new to bonsai and it is a difficult species to keep. Should it only have tiny baby leaves this late in summer? Nights here already getting down into 50s and high 70s at most. What is the best way to care for it and bring it back to life?

 

[jk_lewis]

WHY buy a bonsai when:

1. "I am not sure whether it is going to live or not"

and

2. You don't know what it is?

 

[Oliver Muscio]

Well, JKL has given you a couple of reasons why you probably should not have bought the tree in the first place, but, now that you have it, what do you do? You have made a good start by removing the glued pebbles (one of the first signs of a tree you should not buy). The added potting soil is OK for now, but you will want to replace all the soil with a more suitable mix for bonsai, probaly next Spring. Keep the soil moist but not constantly wet (check with your finger.)

I am not experienced with Fukien tea (if that is what it is--pictures, please), so perhaps someone who is can better advise you. However, I am pretty sure it is not winter hardy at temperatures at or below freezing, so you will have to keep it indoors this winter. Provide it as much light as possible (a south window, at least, and a grow-light even better). Repot next Spring, and keep it outdoors once the temperature is consistently warm enough. Spend the winter reading up on this tree so next Spring you know better what to do.
Oliver

 

[JudyB]

Although small leaves are what we all strive for with bonsai, it sounds like perhaps yours has either been lost all it's leaves recently or been pruned hard. Given that it was under a shelf and had no light, it would seem like all the leaves that you are seeing are new leaves, and if you can keep it alive, will get larger as it recovers. If this is a fukien tea, you'll have to be vigilant, as they are pretty picky trees. The additive of a moisture control soil will probably make it more difficult, as most new bonsai owners tend to overwater their trees. Put a chopstick or wooden skewer in the soil, and check it daily. When it is almost dry, then it's time to water again. Water it until the water comes out the drain holes - the pot does have drain holes - right??? If not, then you need to make some holes, or put it in a different pot, as standing water in the bottom of a pot is a sure way to kill it. I would say that if this is a fukien, your biggest challenge will be to give it enough light. They do like a bright location. I have mine in a north facing window in the winter, and it lives outside in full sun all summer. They are actually pretty tough trees, just finicky. Please jump on the web and read read read...

 

[bonsaibaby]

It will have to be inside for winter as everything I've read says it can't handle temps below 50s. The others that were with it were mostly palms and moneytrees. I don't know whether it lost all leaves or whether it was stripped of leaves before shipment to the store. Since the only other kind there that looked similar had leaves I assume it lost them due to stress. I ordered some books to read and I have been looking online. I read that they are so sensitive that moving from room to room kills them and that they are very hardy and can be kept outside all summer(depending on where you live). JudyB "They do like a bright location. I have mine in a north facing window in the winter, and it lives outside in full sun all summer" where do you live at? I live in GA and it gets pretty hot out here. Right now it's outside on the porch in the shade but it got some sun earlier. Attempting to get computer to accept pictures from phone, hopefully I can get them up tonight. I know it probably wasn't a good idea to get it but it wasn't that expensive and I couldn't not get it. I actually left the store, got home and drove back just to get it as I couldn't get the little guy out of my head. The pot does have holes in it and I made sure when I watered it yesterday that they were draining properly. My main concern about it living is the fact that all the leaves(which are less than 30 total) are all smaller than my pinky nail and appear to have just started growing as some are very tiny. Hopefully with correct light, temps, and water it will continue to grow leaves and look like a full tree again. Hopefully my computer will be more cooperative later and let me put pictures up

 

[JudyB]

Whoops, I meant to say South facing window - Mine is in a South window.... Sounds like you could let yours stay outside for a bit yet given where you live. The leaves will grow, just give it some time. To be safe, you could do afternoon shade if its super hot, but I've had no trouble with mine in full sun. This tree is stressed out right now, so just let it recover... Don't move it around a lot, try to find a spot that will get sun and protection from strong winds for now. And don't do anything else but water and maybe a bit of fertilizer. My Fukien has come back from the dead a couple of times.

 

[rockm]

DO NOT put the plant on a windowsill when you bring it in for the winter. Windowsills can be extremely drafty and any cold air that comes in won't be buffered by the inside heat. This can kill a tropical in very cold weather.

Put the plant in a location NEAR the window...

 

[JudyB]

DO NOT put the plant on a windowsill when you bring it in for the winter. Windowsills can be extremely drafty and any cold air that comes in won't be buffered by the inside heat. This can kill a tropical in very cold weather.

Put the plant in a location NEAR the window...

Completely right, I don't have mine on a windowsill, (its too big anyway) just in the window's "sun shadow" if you will. Even the sill itself will transfer the cold from outside to the bottom of the plant.
Sorry if I was unclear...

 

[stacy allen muse]

Put the tea outside for now, you still have a little while before it gets cold. Do Not put it directly in the full-sun, especially if it has not seen the sun for a while. It will either drop all it's leaves or fry them. Put it in the shade / partial sun, and water it every other day. I personally have never planted any of my teas in actual bonsai soil, mainly because they actually like a moist soil. I usually use a tree / shrub mix from lowes, with pinebark in it and a little pea-gravel thrown in, to help enhance drainage.

When one brings "any" plant inside though, remember that it is not like being outside... so cut the watering down to once a week. They don't like temps below 50, watch the windows as Rockm has suggested, and be sure and close the vents, so the heat does not dry them out.
I think that your plant's leaf size is the result of too little light and to little water... it is hibernating so to speak.