Amatuer with dying unidentified Bonsai.

CirclesCenter

Sorry to bother anyone but here's the Bonsai that my little sister got me for Christmas. She was quite worried it was going to die in her care and decided to give it to me early.

Well it looks as though her fears were justified. I am noted as the green thumb in my family (unwarranted title) and despite my effort the plant does not want to continue. If I knew what it is that would certainly help, but I can't find it anywhere. (I'm not so good at this though...) Maybe it's a bonsai bush or something whacky like that? (Is that whacky? I dunno.)

I've always thought it best to admire bonsai from afar, while secretly pining for one of my own, now this little plant is depending on me and my little sister will cry like mad if it dies. These pics were after soaking it because that was the only thing I could think of to get it enough water, being that the ammount of soil is virtually nil and the root system can't be much better.

Height is approx 10 inches, base is about 5-6 inches across and 3 1/2 wide and 2 inches deep. Additionally this is an inside plant. It does not seem to do well with low temperatures and when I leave for work it is usually 20F.



Offsite links to provide more detail.
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http://i1.tinypic.com/832srph.jpg

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Bonsai Barry

Can't help you with identifying the tree, but I'm pretty certain that soaking its roots is not the solution. Is it in a window that gets alot of lot? It doesn't look beyond hope to me. Some trees like the serissa will lose their leaves when stressed but will regrow them if you keep them in sunlight and keep the soil moist.


Good luck.

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Bonsai Barry

"Our talent lies in our choices."

Kyle

Looks like a Eugenia (or Cherry Brush). If it is, then perhaps lack of sun light or too much cold whether is the problem. I know they like ("like" haha) to have constant sun light (they are not ideal indoor plants), and I know that they are sensitive to freezing temperatures.

I have a couple Eugenias that I've learned to bring inside on especially cold,windy nights. Hope this helps.

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GrumbleGuts

Not a bother....

This is a forum, so noone is going to be bothered by any pics or questions. That's why we read it I guess.

It's hard to see with the photo. The lighter underside of the leaves make it look a little like an olive perhaps. Someone with better ID sense than me will now tell me I'm an idiot.. well guess what I already knew that.

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roo

the rocks on top of the soil are probably glued on for shipping and should be broken of you could try reading some of the "bonsaisite" tutorials. ones you can see the soil you will be able to better judge if it needs waterd you can also pull the whole plant out of the pot and lood for dense mucky soil and root discoloration if that present you might want to gingerly repot. For ID purposes you might want to take a close pic of one single leaf.

Asus101

It does look like the rocks are glued on

CirclesCenter

I can assure you they are not, I can't help but be extremely careful in their even arrangement. (Maybe a lilttle bit of OCD? )

I'll start poking around in the pot, see what I can find and I'll report back. (Thanks for the tips BTW!)

JayC

You might want to do a search on "serissa". serissa are a genus of plants that are often sold as bonsai. The serissa i own seem to be invincible but a lot of people on here claim that they drop leaves from being moved. So, since this bonsai is a recent purchase, it could just be part of its normal behaviour. It doesnt look too good to me but it could bounce right back if it is a serissa. Good luck!

JayC

Vance Wood

Australian Brush Cherry: Eugenia something or other. Often sold comercially as bonsai and seldom kept for more than a year successfully. They like high humidity, and an evenly moist soil; not soaking wet or bone dry but like a well squeezed out sponge. Try putting the tree in a clear plastic bag with the top shut and place it where it gets a lot of light for a couple of weeks and see what happens. If it is wet now do not water it again till it starts to show signs of drying out.

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