anyone buy bonsai from lowe's or home depot?

black20

i just bought one today cause i thought it looked nice
came in a nice pot (ceramic i think) and the bonsai itself looks fairly healthy
theres a divider down the middle to fill one side with water to act as a pont
also has a couple rocks and a old man fishing

i figured for $20, it was a pretty good buy
did a little researching, i believe its a juniper bonsai
searched around for tips on watering but im finding mixed opinions

located in socal and the weather is about 70 right now
i would appreciate any help

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PatArizona

G'day Black...

"...bonsai from lowe's or home depot?..."

Not the best places to buy bonsai...howewver, you just might luck out...

The first thing you should do is...scrape a small area of bark (on the trunk) with your fingernail...or a sharp knife. If you find a damp green surface, you may have a keeper. You got green? If yes, it IS a keeper. No green? Then your bonsai is probably dead. If it's a Juniper, as you suspect...be advised that some Junipers continue to carry green foliage...look alive...for, sometimes several months before they look dead.

If it is alive...is the soil covered with glued down rocks? If yes...REMOVE the glued down rocks...as soon as possible. They will interfer with proper watering.

Now, check the bottom of the pot...if it doesn't have at least one drain hole, you need to get your bonsai into a pot that has at least one drain hole...to allow excess water to drain.

As to "...tips on watering..."... Water your bonsai ONLY when it needs water...and then water it thoroughly. Always water from the top, and water until flows freely out of thye bottom of the pot.

By the way...Junipers are outdoor plants. If you keep your bonsai indoors...it will die. Guaranteed!

You said "...located in socal...". Beaches...valleys... mountains...deserts... As I recall, that's a pretty large area. Right? We can better help you if we know where you live.

One more thought...Bonsai is a trip that requires time and patience. Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey...

Pat

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THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life.

bisjoe

Pat's right about those trees. I was in both of those stores buying non-bonsai items and stopped to take a look. All had glued on rocks, and most looked pretty sad. The worst part is that the tags did not list the tree species, and the really general care instructions were totally wrong on every one I checked. Most of them were ginseng ficus with huge roots and just a few tiny branches, not more than about 6-10 leaves.

treebeard55

I've bought raw material from the general nursery stock at Lowe's; usually a good place to browse, at the right times of year. And of course you have to know what to look for.

As for what they offer as bonsai -- a few times I've seen trees with potential. It's all up to you now, to make it the best it can be.

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Treebeard 55

"To do bunjin is easy. However, to do a bunjin masterpiece is difficult." -- Susumu Nakamura, at MBS '07

black20

just scraped off a little piece of the bark and its still greenish yellow
whew

currently removing the rocks
im going to leave a little on there, ,like 10%
also, it does have a whole on the bottom to drain

it looks nearly identical to this one
http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/product253.html

so its a must to keep it outdoors?
i bought it so i can keep it in my room
maybe theres some way around it

fogot to mention, im located in the valley