A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Eleena...My Bonsai

http://tuakid.tripod.com/id3.html

Eleena.... Like her? Got her for Cristmas. Any hints on taking care of her.

I've also got two lemon cuttings waiting to root (Clea & Claire). I might post a picture too.

What a great Bonsai! It does not look like a rose to me either! It actually looks like my lugustrium let me see if I can find a picture of mine and I will post it here for you OK!!

Yep... I have a feeling that's it. Thanks. I'm gonna post Claire and Clea's sit now. You can't see much in the photo but it's better than nothing.

I have a lemon and lime too.. They are great to watch grow!! Once mine took off they were like wild fire!!

With these type of bonsai it is VERY important to keep them watered daily and to make sure that you fertalize them let me go find the specs... they like a daily spritz as well as the humidity tray....Mine grows very fast so trimming is esential... Is yours suppose to bloom little white flowers?

Don't know really... It's only been at me a couple of days, and it didn't come in packaging ( I should have got one with info right? Yeah, I know) Today i'll do the tray.. it already has a base, I need to fill it with stones & water right?

Yep that is what you do... Did you get it from a bonsai store?

On these types you should also pinch the big leaves off so they stay small..

I have this great book ... Perhaps you could find it at a library.. It is called "The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Bonsai" By Ken Norman... It has helped me a TON with my bonsai!!

I'll look around for it .. thanks

Nope, Just a regular garden centre.I doubt a bonsai store exists in malta. Too small for something so specific.

Gotcha.. Well I will help you out as much as I can..

If you don't catch me around .. Just PM me and I will respond to your question ok!!

Are you 13?

Yep... Why?

What a cool bonsai!

I've always wanted to have one[not to mention a lemon and/or lime tree! ]
I had a little bonsai book... once...
I was given a little, little plant... it was very cool
I don't quite remember what happened to it..


Where is Malta?

--Mark--

Malta is to the south of italy... Lemme see if I find a map....

I think it is Really cool seeing younger people into gardening!!

It is Here:

http://www.malta-map.com/maltese_islands/europe/666463/europe_malta_map_location.gif

And Looks like THis:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/malta_pol84.jpg

And Mark is reading my mind ...

Does that awnser your question?

[very cool place to live ]

I Put the tray with rocks & water... but there seems to be mould on Eleena's soil!... How do I get rid of it?

I scrape it all off... I do keep small little pebbles on top of the soil.. What kind of soil do you have?? You really need a bonsai soil.. wich is small pebbles or a near sand type of soil.. It binds the roots so it can't grow as fast..

Do you keep it inside or outside?? Mine I keep outside in the spring and summer and inside during our winter... It could have to do with the soil used at the store...
Is there any way you can take a better picture of the soil?

Try this first .. scrape the mold off.. Get it some more sunlight and let it dry out a little more like I would say let it go 2 days with no water just to get rid of the mold... Not for Normal care.. do that and let me know how it goes ..

K... she's outside already .. dont know 'bout a piccy but the soil doesn't look very sand-like. I'll scrape the mould off as you said.

Our winters are Veeeeeeeery mild so I doubt i'll have to bring it in

OK just give her a bit less water and that is suppose to help the mold problem.. If it stays around 40 you should be good to go!! If EVER a chance of frost just put it close to the house or right inside by the door so it stays cool!! So you don't shock it!

Do you fertalize it?

No.... I haven't bought yet 'cos my aunt is meant to get me some because she once had a bonsai and never got rid of the ferilizer once it died.

Ohh I see... I don't use specific bonsai stuff. I have been giving it compost tea from my worm bin..

Is the mold going away a little??

Yep... She's fine now.... watered her again yesterday. Re-did the front garden... bought some Pensieri(which i think are pansies to you) and Gazanjas (No clue what they are in english) and a Hibiscus. I removed a dying hibiscus and replaced it with a new one, and the dying one is in a pot and we're trying to revive it.

Is it summer there or your winter??

Just wondering cause my hybiscus die down in the winter here and pop back up in the spring...

I am happy your bonsai is doing better!!
Just keep a close eye out for the mold!!

It's Winter... but its very mild here.... We never get frost snow etc... I have some piccys on Photo bucket but i don't know to where i should link....

You can direct link them right to the site just right click on the img... then come back and paste it to the box you type in...

Hibiscus:
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r193/tuame/Hibiscous1.jpg?t=1168884370


And our Pensieri:
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r193/tuame/Pensieri.jpg?t=1168884519

They bloom even in winter there huh?? Beautiful!!

I like them... Alot. Winter's mild here, as i have already said. It never reaches below 40F. It reaches highs of 105 though....

Wish I was there right now for that type of winter it is 0 degrees out here right now and even colder with the wind!!

So yours never die down for the winter...That is cool!! Ohh and Yes they are what we call Pansies in the one picture!!

But summer gets 2 hot 4 them though...they dry up quickly here so watering is V Imp!

re-sync

How is your bonsai doing?

Tuame, not to take away from The Garden Helper but there are several very good bonsai specific websites out there that can potentially give very specific advice to your tree. If you want to know of my favorites feel free to message me, as I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post links to them here.

I am a fairly new bonsai-er, but I've spent several months reading everything I possibly can (page after page after page) and may suggest a slightly different watering technique which given your climate may end up to be similar to what was said above.

With about any bonsai I've heard of, the standard sugggestions for watering say to wait until the top centimeter or so of the soil is dry before rewatering. Keeping the soil wet at all times could lead to root rot which will end up slowly killing the plant. The humidity tray is a great idea, though I've read that misting doesn't necessarily do much. (I'm not trying to intentionally negate what spring Fever is saying which is why I suggest a more bonsai specific website, I could very well be wrong, just going with the accounts I've read along the way)

I agree with the previous sentiment of young gardeners. I wish I'd have gotten into bonsai when I was your age. I'd have many trees now that were in bonsai stages that I like rather than still waiting for my trees to fill out.

Good luck with all your gardening!

With the species she has it is important to keep it watered at least everyother day!!

I could very well be wrong... I was just warning of root rot. No offense intended!

None taken.....

spring Fever: I finally got the fertilizer from my aunt.. Haven't tried it yet though. Eleena's doing fine... It seems to have sone (very little, but noticable) new growth. We're having very wild winter this year, even by our standard. All the better if it thinks it spring though.... MORE GROWTH! MUHAHAHAHA!

PS
HE has.. please...

sorry My Bad!!
I am happy to hear Eleena is doing well!! I will have to go look up on the fertalizer though I use compost tea in mine ... Not really sure of the regular feeding schedule

We have had a odd winter too!!

It says very clearly on the back of the bottle when it should be fed... if that;s what you want to know. It's at home and i'm at dad's office so I cant tell you what it reccomends right now.

Ps: Don't worry 'bout the he/she thing....

That is good Tuame! I sometimes get it from people and the bag or instructions are gone!!

My aun't isn't that kind of person...By the way, My hibiscous is flowering regularly! I;m glad I bought it now

Emm... Eleena ain't doing too good. Mum's starting to think it's not an outdoor. I'm going to get it in in some hope to get it alive again...Let's hope I don't kill it...

These are very hardy trees.. Did the leaves fall off? did you leave it out when it got too cold? I left mine out in the 40F and he still made it! Can you snap a picture of Eleena and post it?

The leaves haven't fallen off but there is very little green in them. 40F?(4C) Hardly! It never goes below 53F(12C) here. I thought she wasn't getting enough sun really. SO I moved it to a sunnier spot in the garden. Hope I dont kill her (yet).

They are Very Hardy!! I had a mishap with mine all the leaves fell off and they grew back..
Are the leaves yellowing? did you fertalize it to much?

THey're ...Browning....
Nope, can't see how. More like too little. Hoping that she'll green up a bit. The trunk is 100% fine though so i was hoping it'll grow more leaves

It should Grow new Leaves ... your watering everyday?
It is outdoors..is in in need of a new container? are the roots growing out of the bottom?

I'll check. Get beck to you whenI do . By the way, thanks for all the help

No Problem...

The only other thing I could think of would be pull the tree up and inspect the soil for any pests... If there is anything in there rinse the root Really well.. Wash the pot really well and re-plant with new soil..

Have you moved it at all? Could it be shock?
Good Luck