At 07:17 PM 9/5/2003 +0100, Jamie Williams wrote:
Hello,

I was given a small size Chinese Elm type Bonsai tree for my birthday and
well I have taken it upon myself to try my best to keep it alive. I done
some basic research on the Internet about it and I agree with Jim Wilson of
this NG that most sites advise points towards a) watering b) plenty of
natural light and c) nutrients.

A few things have been bugging me since I had it for two weeks now, first of
all the advise on watering says every 2-3 days and make sure the soil is
dump.

The primary on water is when the soil top is dry to the touch.

Well, the tree is in a well insulated loft with big windows on one
side (usually open in the summer as London has summers on and off) so loads
of light

Perhaps too much light? Do you leave it there when the window is closed
and the sun is shining?

however the soil seems to dry daily which seems too quick and
whilst I do not use excessive amount of water (1/2 a wine glass and from
filtered drinking water) in fear of killing it

I don't know the size of your pot, but you should water well, then allow to
dry out a bit.

I am also curious why quite a
few of its leaves are turning yellow and withering away. So should I use
more water or same amount but more frequent i.e. daily?

It is fall and this is a deciduous tree. It will loose its leaves


Last but not least what type of nutrients do I ask for at the gardening
store? Is there any recommended or is it normal fertiliser? I am sorry if
this sounds ridiculous but I have no idea here what to use, and is this
nutrient you would use during the growing periods i.e. spring/summer or
throughout the year?

You probably shouldn't fertilize now as the plant is approaching
dormancy. If you do, use a balanced fertilizer at half or one third strength.


Any advise to shed some light on this matter would be great! Also I trust to
be a regular in this NG as I quite like looking after these weird plants!

Welcome,
Kitsune Miko

:-)

Jamie

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In a message dated 9/5/2003 2:39:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:
loads
of light however the soil seems to dry daily which seems too quick and
whilst I do not use excessive amount of water (1/2 a wine glass and from
filtered drinking water) in fear of killing it I am also curious why quite a
few of its leaves are turning yellow and withering away. So should I use
more water or same amount but more frequent i.e. daily?

Last but not least what type of nutrients do I ask for at the gardening
store? Is there any recommended or is it normal fertiliser? I am sorry if
this sounds ridiculous but I have no idea here what to use, and is this
nutrient you would use during the growing periods i.e. spring/summer or
throughout the year?
Jamie:

Yellowing of leaves is frequently associated with excessive watering. Insert
a chopstick into th root pad. Remove the chopstick on a daily basis and
touch the portion of the stick that was in the soil. When the stick is almost
dry, thoroughly rewater.

As for feeding the tree, simply purchase a balanced chemical fertilizer
(Peters, Schultz, whatever) such as a 20-20-20 and apply at a rate of one
tablespoon per gallon of water.

Cordially,

Michael Persiano
The Michael Persiano Bonsai Studio

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Dale Cochoy++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

In article ,
(Jamie Williams) wrote:

Last but not least what type of nutrients do I ask for at the
gardening
store? Is there any recommended or is it normal fertiliser?

You can buy proper bonsai ferti, from bonsai shops and
suppliers, possibly
from a normal garden centre.

NORMAL fertilizer. Plants (especially plants in pots) don't
really care how they get the nutrients they need. They want NP
and K and trace elements, so read the label. Virtually any
houseplant fertilizer, or Peters, or Miracle Grow, or . . . will
do just fine.

A note: Buying something that is otherwise easily available
(like fertilizer) but with the word "bonsai" attached to it
guarantees the price is at least 50% too high.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Dale Cochoy++++
************************************************** ******************************
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