Hi everyone i am relativley new to the forum i recently purchased a dwarf rhodidendrun bonsai starter it arrived around a week ago but it looks very sickly any ideas what i might be able to do to improve its health. Thank you all in advance for any help you can give.

Some mail order plant companies include a care sheet that stresses this poor plant has just spent days in darkness and who knows what heat conditions (or cold). They recommend putting the plant in a place that gets some partial sun but nothing like full sun and keeping the soil damp but not wet, usually for several weeks. They recommend no fertilizer for weeks. It just takes time for the stress to go away.

If there is no care sheet like that from the company you ordered, don't go there again. Do try applying the above guidance.

One of the most important ingredients for bonsai is patience. Also, the ingredient in shortest supply.

Thank you for the advice i will do that. No its didnt come with anything it was packaged badly aswell just rolling around in the box i have it in a partialy shaded spot because they dont like full sun Rhodis. I was debating weather or not to feed it but i will hold off on it now for a while and see if it picks up. im not sure if the medium is right i did a bit of research and it says they like acidic soil and to use aracacious soil i think it was i havent used this soil before so i dont know what it looks like etc but the medium it came in feels rubbery

Was this really sold as a bonsai starter? Did it arrive like this? Why is it not properly potted? Why is it in a bonsai pot?

Yes it was sold as a starter didnt look so unhealthy in the pictures though. it came in a small orange pot i put it in that one as i had it spare.

You are keeping this outside, I hope?
The soil looks on the dry side.
if a plant is in trouble you do not repot unless you are very ceertain the roots ARE the problem, and you know what to do about it. For now, keep out of direct sun, water with care and wait.

Kevski wrote:

Yes... it came in a small orange pot i put it in that one as i had it spare.

So, you are saying you have repotted the plant that arrived already sick.
Bad move, I guess.

I know it wasnt ideal but the pot it came in was far to small it looked as though it had been in a larger pot whilst grown around a third of the root ball was sticking over the top but was still in the shape of a pot the medium it came in as i said earlier has a almost rubbery feel i think this may be why it held its shap in a pot too small