First bonsai got some questions

[jimrawr]

First let me say hello to everyone. I just joined the forum after purchasing a Bonsai yesterday. It wasnt in a mall but the tree may be classified as similar to those. I got it from a local nursery here in Florida, had it potted as well when I purchased it. I BELIEVE its a Fukien Tea tree but I am not sure, and that was going to be my first question. Could anyone positively ID the tree for me?

I have done a bit (quite a bit) of reading so far so I think I got the basics but always open to more advice. I planned on keeping this bonsai inside my home right on a window sill that faces east and gets a LOT of direct sunlight from 8am-11am. I do have a small balcony that I can keep it on as well so debating doing that.

When the plant was potted he used a soil, not sure if it was a bonsai soil or not but he had quite a few of them, some in the $1,000+ price range so I do think he used bonsai soil.

So could anyone give me an ID on this bonsai, and also let me know what you think as far as inside/outside. If I need to give it supplemental lighting via a lightbulb to keep it indoors then I will probably just keep it outside. If the window sill is enough then I would probably prefer that.

Thanks

 

[Poink88]

It is fukien tea.

Please update your profile so we will know if your tree can tolerate the weather. Normally, plants should be kept outside...unless it is beyond their range.

I personally do not trust that substrate, better check it and replace if needed come spring.

 

[Vance Wood]

This is a Sweet Plum Segretia Thesans, it is sub-tropical and you are going to have to keep it indoors if you are in a temperate climate with a winter.

 

[jimrawr]

Profile updated. I am in Delray Beach, FL

 

[Thomas J.]

This is a Sweet Plum Segretia Thesans

Vance I believe your mistaken on this one. The tree your talking about has soft leaves while this one as you can probably tell has hard leaves, and that little flower on the last pic is a dead giveaway for fukien tea. The bark on both trees are very different also. I work on both of these trees at a bonsai nursery.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Sorry Vance, leaf shape isn't right for it to be Sageretia, it's definitely a Fukien. They can be quite finicky. Give it as much light as possible.

 

[Poink88]

In FL, you should be able to leave it outdoors most of the time...just bring it in when temps are forecasted to dip around 35*F overnight. Let the soil dry up a bit between watering (not bone dry).

You can tell by the sheen of the leaves when the soil is totally dry, they become dull (vs shiny) when dry... then wilt. If they reach the wilting stage, some leaves may drop but will be replaced quickly if properly cared.

Mine love being neglected other than the twice a week watering and occasional pruning.

Good luck with it!

 

[nathanbs]

Definitely a Fukien tea. If there is a tree that might do ok in your windowsill in Florida it would be either this or a ficus. Only one way to find out. Do it. I traded my computer IT guy a tiger bark retusa ficus for some computer work and his wife has that growing better indoors than it does outdoors here. And they grow very well here in so. Cal. Give it a shot. Water it only when it is drying out. Probably need to remove all of those ornamental rocks and stuff to ever check your soil for dampness

 

[Vance Wood]

Vance I believe your mistaken on this one. The tree your talking about has soft leaves while this one as you can probably tell has hard leaves, and that little flower on the last pic is a dead giveaway for fukien tea. The bark on both trees are very different also. I work on both of these trees at a bonsai nursery.

You're right. Shows you how much I know about tropicals.

 

[stacy allen muse]

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[jimrawr]

Thanks for all the advise everyone. I got it from Tropica Plants in Tamarac. Ive since put it outside and ordered a stand for it from amazon or else it would be on the floor of my balcony which doesnt get that much light because of the balcony walls. Ive watered it once so far since the soil did feel pretty dry, and now I am keeping an eye on it to see when to water again.

Should I be misting the tree every day, or is that not neccessary?

 

[stacy allen muse]

???????????

 

[Jmontee]

Jim, this is a little off topic but since I saw that you are in Delray I wanted to recommend Gardino Nursery for your next bonsai. I got a calliandra from them a few months ago and it is a really nice tree. They also have a bunch of other pre-bonsai stock at excellent prices. You have to call to make sure they are at the nursuery but it is worth the visit since you are in the area. They also have a good amount of experience with bonsai.

 

[Vance Wood]

I usually water mine every other day in the full sun...
and no, misting is only good if your cheech and you are tending to your "home grown"
in the movie Nice Dreams...

I do spray all the foilage when I water the plant, but I do this with every plant, helps reduce
pest...

You're saying that misting is not good for your bonsai except only when you water it?

 

[stacy allen muse]

???????????

 

[Vance Wood]

Nope... I'm saying him spending time misting when he lives in a Semi-Tropical enviorment, isn't going to matter alot, seeing that their is plenty of moisture in the air. And that he would be better off watching TV and saving his money to buy all those twinkies and ho-ho's that are currently flying off the shelf right now. But when he waters his plant "Do" spray the foilage, for it helps reduce pest. We good ???

You're missing the point of misting the foliage that has nothing to do with humidity but in reducing transpiration through the leaves, especially when the tree is stressed; in which case you may not want to water at all.

 

[C.A. Young]

As you know by now that's a Fukien Tea. They make wonderful specimens, and can be kept outside until your night time temp falls consistently below 45. They can handle colder, but what's the point. As said, Fuke's are nice trees, but there's a few things to keep in mind. First, they're a bit on the finicky side with repots. So, repot annually, but be gentle. Second, they are prone to aphids (usually on the flower stems), scale and mealy bugs. That's not to scare you, but just something to watch out for. Also, if you ever do have a problem with insects, be sure to be careful what chemicals you use on it: Malathion, for instance, will kill a fuke.

As for care and cultivation, a well drained soil mix is ideal, however, as you've just had it repotted, you can worry about that later. You're best to figure out its watering requirements given the soil it's in now. Though you'll probably keep yours outdoors for most of the year, fukes can be kept indoors quite easily. I have several that spend only three months a year outside (I live in Canada).

I might as well ring in on this misting issue while I'm here too. Misting has several benefits. First, as Mr. Wood says, misting can indeed reduce transpiration on stressed plants. It can also be used to compensate for the dry air in centrally heated homes--although, so long as your indoor humidity stays above 35%, your fuke won't care. Misting also serves to highlight pests--especially the webs of spider mites. Finally, as trees are often very efficient at taking up nutrients through their leaves (in some cases even more so than through their roots), misting can be a great way of supplying a tree with additional nutrients. Called foliar feeding, this is a great way of treating your tree to the benefits of, for instance, liquid kelp extract, and vitamin B12. While kelp fertilizers are some of the best fertilizers around, they tend to stink; and repeated regular use in your normal watering regime, especially if you have a water retentive soil, can lead to a smelly tree. So, once a month I like to use a bit in my mister, and foliar feed it to my trees.

There are, however, downsides to misting too. If your water has a high mineral content the calcium deposits that remain on your leaves after the mist has dried can be unsightly, and over time build up and reduce the leaves' photosynthetic efficiency.

 

[rockm]

"It can also be used to compensate for the dry air in centrally heated homes."

A bonsai myth. Misting a plant inside in winter will provide literally only seconds of "relief" from dry central heating, which can have humidity levels lower than the air in Death Valley.

Unless you spritz the plant every 10 minutes you're not doing any real good. The best alternative is to find a humid location indoors that has bright lighting. For instance, a bathroom (with a shower that's used) with a skylight...

 

[Attila Soos]

You're missing the point of misting the foliage that has nothing to do with humidity but in reducing transpiration through the leaves, especially when the tree is stressed; in which case you may not want to water at all.

.

Vance,
High humidity does reduce transpiration through the leaves. Not only reduces transpiration, but actually it can supplement water to the plant through the leaves. This is what happens to the redwood forests in Northern California, where the redwood trees get a large part of their water supply through their foliage, from the dense coastal fog. If air humidity is over 90%, the plant practically stops any transpiration. At 100% humidity the water stops evaporating, since the air is completely saturated. So, misting becomes superfluous.

 

[C.A. Young]

"It can also be used to compensate for the dry air in centrally heated homes."

A bonsai myth. Misting a plant inside in winter will provide literally only seconds of "relief" from dry central heating, which can have humidity levels lower than the air in Death Valley.

Unless you spritz the plant every 10 minutes you're not doing any real good. The best alternative is to find a humid location indoors that has bright lighting. For instance, a bathroom (with a shower that's used) with a skylight...

I disagree, misting a plant four times a day will indeed compensate for humidity levels between 15 - 25%. With an indoor humidity of 35%, mist will take approximately 45min - 1 hour to dry. Hence the leaves are moist for 3 - 4 hours a day. However, the death valley analogy is a little extreme. Indoor humidity levels in my centrally heated home in the dead of winter rarely drop below 35%.