What I mean by it is.. There is so much I think when I see a post like that, I am at a loss for words.

bob wrote:

When you pour water on the leaves it helps as it deters pests

Huh? Since when does water deter pests

bob wrote:

or you can get leaf cleaner.

What in the world is leaf cleaner. First time I have heard of it.

bob wrote:

Rainwater is the best as long as it is fresh

So why do people have rainwater barrels?

bob wrote:

and is mostly not to hard, but that is not very common, hard water.

Rain water is NEVER hard, as it does not have dissolved minerals (As you know, salts don't evaporate)

I have a bucket that was sitting outside when it last rained and is now full of rainwater. I thought it might be good for my tree.

moondragon wrote:

Okay, I bought my tree
Yaay, I'm so happy!

Nice
Good that you are happy and so enthousiastic about your new tree.
The price seems not too bad I think. Of course this is not a fully developed bonsai tree, but it's not bad and you will have something to work with.

My advise stays the same as what I wrote before: just take care of it, make it thrive. Do NOT try to bend/shape/repot.
You've got plenty of time to do that. All bonsai techniques require healthy and strong trees - just keep it healthy and vigorous. Take one step at a time, what you do mostly cannot be undone. Look for examples, decide what style fits the tree best, make a long-term plan. Ignore any advise Bob gives.

he guy that was caring for them when I got there explained to me the proper way to water it and how much light it needs and such. He told me that it is a Ficus (I don't know exactly what kind.

He said that it hasn't really been styled with wire or anything, so I can style it as I would like to. He said I can call him if I need help.

The tree does look healthy and well-established in its pot. Seems you found an honest and caring grower. Well done.

What are your recommendations in reference to pruning/styling?

Again I advise not to prune or style it at this moment. Let it grow. You need better roots and a better trunk - for this you need growth. Give it time, no rush. As said, countless trees are killed by their owners wanting to turn a plant into a bonsai too fast. Be patient.

Also, would it be good if I watered it with rainwater? And should I pour the water over the leaves or under them?

Yes, if you can get rainwater, that's good. As I wrote, I use a garden hose and spray my trees from the top - so over the leaves - as that seems more natural (like rain) and it will wash away dust and dirt. However, if the foliage is dense, you will need to check if enough water reaches the soil. It's OK to water under the leaves. You could shower the tree once in a while. Do not use leaf cleaning products or leaf shine products - they will do no good. Just water will do.

i mean it washes away lingering pests, leaf cleaner is like a polish, and I meant fresh, the barrels preserve the waters "freshness" so to speak and yes I have learnt something in the last sentence of leatherbacks post. and you said I was so called counter arguing.

Auk wrote:

moondragon wrote:

Okay, I bought my tree
Yaay, I'm so happy!

Nice
Good that you are happy and so enthousiastic about your new tree.
The price seems not too bad I think. Of course this is not a fully developed bonsai tree, but it's not bad and you will have something to work with.

My advise stays the same as what I wrote before: just take care of it, make it thrive. Do NOT try to bend/shape/repot.
You've got plenty of time to do that. All bonsai techniques require healthy and strong trees - just keep it healthy and vigorous. Take one step at a time, what you do mostly cannot be undone. Look for examples, decide what style fits the tree best, make a long-term plan. Ignore any advise Bob gives.

he guy that was caring for them when I got there explained to me the proper way to water it and how much light it needs and such. He told me that it is a Ficus (I don't know exactly what kind.

He said that it hasn't really been styled with wire or anything, so I can style it as I would like to. He said I can call him if I need help.

The tree does look healthy and well-established in its pot. Seems you found an honest and caring grower. Well done.

What are your recommendations in reference to pruning/styling?

Again I advise not to prune or style it at this moment. Let it grow. You need better roots and a better trunk - for this you need growth. Give it time, no rush. As said, countless trees are killed by their owners wanting to turn a plant into a bonsai too fast. Be patient.

Also, would it be good if I watered it with rainwater? And should I pour the water over the leaves or under them?

Yes, if you can get rainwater, that's good. As I wrote, I use a garden hose and spray my trees from the top - so over the leaves - as that seems more natural (like rain) and it will wash away dust and dirt. However, if the foliage is dense, you will need to check if enough water reaches the soil. It's OK to water under the leaves. You could shower the tree once in a while. Do not use leaf cleaning products or leaf shine products - they will do no good. Just water will do.

Thank you, that was extremely helpful! It has been raining quite a lot lately, so I will hopefully be able to use rain water to water it for a while. I do also have a sprayer on my hose, so that will work as well. The leaves are kind of dirty, so next time I water it I may go over the leaves.

I have not done anything to it yet outside of thinking of a training plan. I am thinking of something similar this in the future: www.bonsainorthsidenursery.com.au/wp-con...tyle-Height-68cm.jpg

My tree's trunk has a very slight curve, much like the one pictured above, and I think a similar shape would be easy to achieve with the branches that I have. However I do still have some considerations before I start anything. How long do you reccomend I allow it to grow? As in, when should I root prune (the man I purchased it from reccomended a I wait a few years)? And when should I begin styling it?

bob wrote:

i mean it washes away lingering pests, leaf cleaner is like a polish, and I meant fresh, the barrels preserve the waters "freshness" so to speak and yes I have learnt something in the last sentence of leatherbacks post. and you said I was so called counter arguing.

Leaf cleaners are not recommended. It clogs up the pores of the leaves, as you could have learned by doing a Google search, which would have taken you about 7 seconds (using the correct search terms).

Before you start arguing again: you did not write you should not use wax based leaf cleaners, so once again this was a bad advise.

garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Ficus_Tree_Care

Yeah sorry forgot About that one use baby bio leaf cleaner no wax there.

bob wrote:

Yeah sorry forgot About that one use baby bio leaf cleaner no wax there.

And there he twists again, and AGAIN you did not research.

www.bayergarden.co.uk/~/media/Bayer%20Cr...%20Shine%20MSDS.ashx

R12 Extremely flammable.
R53 May cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.
R66 Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking.
R67 Vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness
S 2 Keep out of the reach of children.
S16 Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking.
S23 Do not breathe spray.
S51 Use only in well-ventilated areas.


Components CAS-No. Control parameters Update Basis
Propan-2-ol 67-63-0 200 ppm
Propan-2-ol 67-63-0 999 mg/m3 / 400 ppm
Propan-2-ol 67-63-0 1,250 mg/m3 / 500 ppm
Butane 106-97-8 1,450 mg/m3 / 600 ppm
Butane 106-97-8 1,810 mg/m3 / 750 ppm
S 2 Keep out of the reach of children.
S16 Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking.
S23 Do not breathe spray.
S51 Use only in well-ventilated areas

You need to stop this Bob. I am dead serious and I am not joking.

This does NO GOOD AT ALL to your trees, it only makes them LOOK better for a while.

If you come up with another twist I am going to ask moderators to remove your posts, as almost all of them give bad advise.

Ai ai capt'n i have my methods you have yours i usee the cleaner to get rid of dust for mine sorry i will stop but i still do not knowhow i have twistd anything though. As you say your dutchfor your excuse mine is well, i am a stubborn arse.

I don't have the money to spend on leaf cleaner regardless. What is a good way to get dried dirt off the leaves, though?

How long should I allow it to grow before I attempt to prune or style it?