Keeping my plants alive

[Maico]

Hello everyone. I’m totally new to bonsai. I have several nursery plants that I purchased. An olive tree, a Japanese boxwood,an Alberta dwarf spruce,a bougainvillea a cotoneaster and I rooted a bunch of portulacaria Afra cuttings. The bougainvillea I stuck in the ground. The other plants are still in their nursery pots with nursery soil. I don’t want to do anything to them until next spring. I just want to learn how to keep them alive before I do anything.Do I need to replace the nursery pot soil with bonsai soil or can they survive a winter in nursery soil.I would stick them all in the ground except my planter space is limited.

 

[leatherback]

Welcome to the nuthouse!

As you can see, all these plants have been grown in nursery soil for a long time. There is no reason why they would not survive untill spring in it. Just be carefull with watering. It is normally not the substrate that kills the tree, but the care given.

 

[Gr8tfuldad]

Hello everyone. I’m totally new to bonsai. I have several nursery plants that I purchased. An olive tree, a Japanese boxwood,an Alberta dwarf spruce,a bougainvillea a cotoneaster and I rooted a bunch of portulacaria Afra cuttings. The bougainvillea I stuck in the ground. The other plants are still in their nursery pots with nursery soil. I don’t want to do anything to them until next spring. I just want to learn how to keep them alive before I do anything.Do I need to replace the nursery pot soil with bonsai soil or can they survive a winter in nursery soil.I would stick them all in the ground except my planter space is limited.

Welcome

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Ruddigger]

Join a local club. There are many clubs in the Anaheim area, they are a great source of knowledge and support.

And don’t worry about winter, you don’t have one. It’s summer that will get you out here.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

All of your plants are great for the OC with the possible exception of that spruce, which may die because it doesn't get cold enough. You're in 10A or 10B and the warm end of the range for Alberta spruce is normally zone 8. Make sure you protect it from Santa Anas and consider placing it in the coolest part of your garden.

The other trees will all do well in your area. It is the wrong time of the year to transplant, but many would benefit for pruning the lankiest growth in prep for repotting in the fall or early spring. Because you don't get freezing temps, and none of those plants are deciduous, the exact timing isn't that critical. I used to transplant my pines in December (when I lived in SoCal) and they didn't miss a beat.

 

[Maico]

As you can see, all these plants have been grown in nursery soil for a long time. There is no reason why they would not survive untill spring in it. Just be carefull with watering. It is normally not the substrate that kills the tree, but the care given.

That really simplifies things
Thank you

 

[Maico]

Thank you all.
It sure helps talking to experts. I could have researched this forever and still come up with the wrong answer. You guys answered it in two seconds. This bonsai site is a research gold mine.