Help, I do not know what kind of bonsai I have.

[kayrowe]

Hello, I received a bonsai as a gift and have every intention of taking care of it. The piece of paper it came with stated if in a cold location (I live in Chicago) to store in the garage. Not sure about that advice as I think it is dying . Can someone please help me identify what kind of Bonsai it is? Also how to care for it.

 

[sorce]

My guy was just talking about the kayroweprachtor!

Welcome to Crazy!

Looks Dead.

I have a few prebonsai I can afford to rid myself of iffin' you feel like taking care of a different one!

Berwyn!

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

Sorrowful greetings traveller, I’m sorry that your bonsai isn’t looking too good now (I’m Tralfamadorian, so my view on time is different)

The Woody Dwarves would like me to fill you in that that plant appears to be/have been a Rhododendron... but the particular state makes specifics a tad more difficult...

It appears to be dead, currently... however I have a couple that lived in an ill-conceived frost prison for the winter.. they LOOKED like that.. but about 3 weeks ago, started to push flower buds... look close.. is your tree pushing new buds....

Tug those dead leaves off (If they TRY hard to stay on, leave ‘em..)then you’ll be able to see more clearly if you are pushing new growth...

How warm’s your garage?... any light in there? Decent airflow?

You’ve crossed the bend to a WONDERFUL specialized-horticultural “eden” built upon free exchange of knowledge and experience. I love it here, I’m glad you found us.

If there are no new buds pushing, bend some branches lightly.. you’ll be able to feel the live tissues... it MAY feel light and brittle.. if the buds aren’t there, and the branches feel brittle, my condolences, friend.

Don’t let it discourage you...

Keep on, if you want it... make it happen.

Pleasure to make your acquaintance.



Send me a PM if you have problems attaining/affording material... don’t want your interest to drop.

 

[Balbs]

Tralfamadorian

Sirens of Titan? One of my all time favorites.

 

[Paradox]

It looks like and azalea and it looks like it has a very bad case of a fungus or lack of watering.
The leaves all being brown isnt a good sign.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Sirens of Titan? One of my all time favorites.

I CAN’T get over “Cat’s Cradle”... I’ve tried to intentionally knock it from “Favorite Vonnegut” in my internal standings for some time now.

...so it goes.

Maybe a re-read of Slapstick’ll do.

Hi Ho

 

[Balbs]

I CAN’T get over “Cat’s Cradle”.

yeah, huge fan of that one too. And Galapagos. Haven’t read slapstick yet but it’s on my list.

 

[HorseloverFat]

yeah, huge fan of that one too. And Galapagos. Haven’t read slapstick yet but it’s on my list.

My email Betterwithflippers is a “loose reference” to Galapagos.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I also think azalea, and I also think its a gonner.

My recommendation... put something new in the pot!!

 

[kayrowe]

Thanks everyone. Pretty sad I killed it. Going to try again.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Most of us lose trees yearly. I lost two last year, and one so far this year. It happens. Learn and keep trying!

 

[vp999]

A dead one.

 

[Ruve]

Definitely an Azalea. A dead Azalea.

On your next Bonsai, prep and research before hand. Doing things posthumously isn't efficient!

If it's an Azalea, consider Kanuma soil, or a mix of Pumice, Akadama and a good helping of Peat Moss. The Kanuma and Peat Moss are acidic, which is what that azalea used to love.

Rain water when soil is almost dry, tap water is usually too hard which will give it a hard time growing due to build ups in the stem and on the leaves. They don't like lime & Chlorine. Thinking about it.... Who does!

Chin up!

 

[shinmai]

My two cents: rhododendron azaleas from your local garden center are pretty bulletproof unless you let them dry out. They’re also pretty inexpensive especially if you buy them after they’ve bloomed—at that point the garden stores want to just get rid of them. You can reduce the root mass tremendously, cutting three fourths or more off the bottom of the pot-shaped mass, and then trimming the edges enough to put them in a grow pot. I ardently advocate for pure kanuma, as long as you sift it to get rid of the dust. If you do so, it is almost impossible to over-water them. As to water, if you only have one or two, the simplest solution is a filter pitcher. If you have thirty or so, like I do, there are inexpensive carbon filters you can put on your outdoor faucet for quality water.

Once you have some experience with them, you can move on to the Japanese satsuki azaleas. They are simple to maintain, and train easily. The biggest issue is winter care—they simply cannot tolerate a hard freeze. Any place out of the wind where they won’t go below about 37 degrees will do. They do still need some light during winter, though not much. They need to be watered in winter just enough to keep the roots from drying out.

I would encourage you to try again. Once you have even a little bit of success with keeping a tree alive and healthy, your confidence will improve immensely. Things will only get better from there. Best of luck to you.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Another Azalea agreement. However maybe not dead yet. Are leaves dry/crispy or still soft/alive? Was watering done to keep from drying? Seems only to be Winter colored leaves so possibly OK. If surviving be aware these need special fertilizer to keep alive.