Hi,

I just brought a new mini Bonsai Tree from my local flower shop. The sales guy did not which tree species this is and looking online, I have been unable to figure it out for myself. There was also no care card attached with this plant.

Can someone please help me figure out what tree species this is and how I can care for it?
Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks,
Karan

This is a ficus benjamina, probably the Too Little variety.

Note that the surface rocks and moss stop you from seeing whether it needs to be watered. In some cases the rocks are even glued on top, stopping you from getting water in the pot.

Treat it as any houseplant ficus.

@leatherback

Thank you so much for helping me out with this.

You are right about some of the rocks being glued on top, but some are loose. The big one is definetely glued in. I never knew that plants could withstand being glued. There is also some fawn/brown colour type of moss on the tree base. I assume it is to let the plant breathe, as much as it is for decor.

The sales guy mentioned that it needs watering once a week, but I'm skeptical about that and will look into it more. Thank you once again.

Cheers,
Karan

sweckform2 wrote:

There is also some fawn/brown colour type of moss on the tree base. I assume it is to let the plant breathe, as much as it is for decor.

It is only for decoration and serves no purpose other than making it better look more like a real bonsai.

The sales guy mentioned that it needs watering once a week, but I'm skeptical about that and will look into it more. Thank you once again.

Indeed, if he doesn't even know how to recognize a ficus, I would not trust any advise I got from him.

@Auk

Thanks for the additional information Auk.

I am in Ontario, Canada and there hardly seems to be any Bonsai Tree Farms around here (there are only 3 in the entire state/province) and those are way out into nowhere.

The only way to acquire Bonsai trees (in Ontario) are through these local supermarket superstores (that have an attached flower shop). I guess I'll have to learn about rearing Bonsai trees on my own. I am glad I found this website and forum... it should make the process easier and fun.

Thanks again.

If you're looking for a place to start, the courses offered by bonsai empire are pretty good.

I need a little help please...

My bonsai fiscus benjamin, has some white powdery coating on the leaves. After reading about this online, I came to the conclusion that it could either be normal or a possible fungal infection. To be safe, I took precautions and did the following:

1. Removed any dead leaves (4 of them)

2. Used a q-tip soaked in a mild mix of Isopropyl Alcohol and Water to clean all the leaves (as I did so, I noticed that the q-tips became saturated with some brown color substance, which could not be seen with the naked eye, but showed up on the q-tips after cleaning)

3. I used another q-tip soaked in Neem oil and coated my tree's bark with it (I did not apply any to the leaves coating only the bark and twigs). I applied about 5-6 drops of Neem oil all over my tree's bark.


My concern and question is: did I do this right or have I harmed my tree even more?

Any help would e appreciated.

Thanks,
Karan

I am really curious.. Why do you ask questions afterwards?

I would never use pure alcohol directly on leaves, as alcohol is a dessicant. Neem oil can be an issue with some species.

Next time, first identify the problem, then take appropriate action. Don't just do something.

From behind a computer without pctures of before and after it is impossible to tell whether you did any damage.

sweckform2 wrote:

I need a little help please...

My bonsai fiscus benjamin, has some white powdery coating
My concern and question is: did I do this right or have I harmed my tree even more?

I usually do the same procedure with fluffy white stuff with brown eggs inside.
I have never killed a tree by doing it.

sweckform2 wrote:

@Auk

Thanks for the additional information Auk.

I am in Ontario, Canada and there hardly seems to be any Bonsai Tree Farms around here (there are only 3 in the entire state/province) and those are way out into nowhere.

The only way to acquire Bonsai trees (in Ontario) are through these local supermarket superstores (that have an attached flower shop). I guess I'll have to learn about rearing Bonsai trees on my own. I am glad I found this website and forum... it should make the process easier and fun.

Thanks again.

.

Not real close but in Rochester, NY there is a good place. It is an hour or so away, or four, depending on traffic.