Home Depot Bonsai Trees

Little_John

Here's my two cents worth...I got back from Home Depot, they had Bonsai trees!!! What a find, I thought to myself (They're really hard to find here in this tiny town). Here's what's wrong though...first, the trees were marked as Ficus, they were in fact Fukien tea...second these guys/gals wrapped wire around the trunk in several places, about an inch apart, I assume to make the trunk thicker faster. The problem is they sent them to the store like that and no one bothered to cut the wire off, so several of them had started growing over the wire. The second problem is the soil, mostly moss with TONS of styrofoam mixed in. I hate styrofoam...ruins the environment. These were not the Nursherymen's exchange trees...I have no clue who these folks use, but I really wish they wouldn't. I saved one, but unfortunately I can't save all of them.
Anyone else have similar experiences? Let us know...

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ChrisM

john, i too have seen these trees. in fact, i used to work in the nursery at a home depot. i will not use names, but they get the trees from an affiliate of a bonsai nursery that is located in new york, where the dodgers used to play. and some from an affiliate of what a bonsai MAN would have been refered to in his childhood days. at least thats where they WERE getting them from.

chris

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Little_John

Very nice...that's just about vague enough.
You know ,I'm beginning to think we need some social group like the ASPCA only for bonsai. I love the fact that places like Walmart and Home Depot sell them, but they should take care of them. I mean for real, some of these bonsai come from the equilivent of a "puppy farm". They plant, they cut, package, ship then sell and all VERY quickly. I find myself making pity purchases more than anything. I feel sorry for a tree and bring it home to save it rather than let them kill it.

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Ralph

Just a marketing gimmick. Not real bonsai. Real bonsai are works of art that take many years of craftsmanship to create.

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Little_John

I agree with that, Ralph, but where do you start if not with something basic...something decidedly NOT bonsai. If you get something from nature, then it's not bonsai, not until you take it home and transfrom it. Just a thought...

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jloeschner

I believe that I have heard it said, many times, that, "Small bonsai do not become large bonsai." These barely-rooted cuttings in glue-bound pots are not bonsai, and even if they were, they would not become large bonsai. Now, with that in mind, I have seen some examples of these "mallsai" being turned into somewhat decent bonsai over time. Of course, I believe that these few examples are the exception rather than the rule. Do not purchase one of these with the idea of "saving" it to be a great bonsai someday. You can get much better material for the same price at a "real" landscape nursery. As for the "saving" it idea...well, it is just a plant...and probably just a part of another plant that you will never see. These things have no feelings, hopes, dreams, or aspirations of a "better" life. They do not care...they cannot care. If provided better environments, they will grow better. But if not, they will not cry and bemoan their situation.

John

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bonsaial1

...as far as we know....

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sauce

I know a few good nurseries that offer nice potensai, saplings and seedlings for a pretty reasonable price. If you'd like links to their sites I'd be glad to post them.

palmettopark

The home depot here in my neighborhood also sells mallsai some from a local nursury. They have had the same trees for like 10 months mostly willowleaf ficus that are all dead or dying and some out of the pots or in broken pots. Even if its a gimick to sell crapy trees youd think they would keep the stock looking nice. The ones that sell the most are the Ponytail palms, and Sago palms with the glued rocks. There large potensai Juniper selection is none existant. Funny all these stores that sell mallsai are full of Catus, Orchids, and Suculants that they keep looking nice yet dont give 2 cents for the mallsai. Anyway stay away! For the same price you could have a tree twice as big and already in some sort of shape to work on. I think they call this kind of shopping IMPULSE BUYING!