Hello everyone and well met, this is my very first post. I will start off by saying that I am complete newbie as far as bonsai trees goes. I've always wanted a small one and my wife bought one for me. It was to be a Christmas present but I stumbled upon it in the room where she hid it
On to the questions. Firstly, we're not even sure if this is a "real" bonsai tree. Is there a way to tell? She purchased it from a vendor in the parking lot just outside a nursery in the area, for $60. The vendor told her it is 8 years old. He also told her that the bonsai should be dunk in water enough to cover the entire pot, once a week, and let it sit in water until there are no more air bubbles coming out. He also said the tree should be taken outside for a day, once a week. Is all this accurate?
I took a close look at it. The pebbles on top aren't glued together like you'd find in a Wal-Mart cheapo desk plant variety pots. Not sure what type of soil is in it. Also, on the bottom of the pot there's two holes the size of a quarter roughly, with some netting to prevent the soil from pouring out.
Here's a couple of pics. The tree actually has a faint smell of pine tree to it.
All in all, a nice looking, quality tree.
To sum it up,
does it look like a "real" bonsai?
any way to tell it's age?
watering directions accurate?
what about fertilizers?
Any thoughts?
Thanks everyone!