Not sure what to do

MrsCameron2019

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Good evening everyone! I'm new to bonsai growing. In fact it fell into my lap just today. A resident I care for at my job handed this to me today, asking me to save it. I have no experience with bonsai. She handed it to me just like this, with the rest of the soil in a bag. I don't even know whet species I'm dealing with. Any thoughts or help would be greatly, greatly appreciated. TIA
 

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Johnathan

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First I'd scratch the bark off lightly just a bit to make sure it is worth any efforts. You're going to be looking for a layer of green beneath the surface.

If you see green then I'd lightly unravel the outside of the root ball, until you can get some roots exposed.

Then ditch the bonsai pot and plant it into an appropriate sized nursery container and fill with your extra soil - which I'm assuming is a potting soil of sorts.

Then try and figure out what kind of tree it is
 

sorce

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Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 

MrsCameron2019

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First I'd scratch the bark off lightly just a bit to make sure it is worth any efforts. You're going to be looking for a layer of green beneath the surface.

If you see green then I'd lightly unravel the outside of the root ball, until you can get some roots exposed.

Then ditch the bonsai pot and plant it into an appropriate sized nursery container and fill with your extra soil - which I'm assuming is a potting soil of sorts.

Then try and figure out what kind of tree it is
Would a larger terracotta pot work? That's all I have on hand. I ordered more bonsai soil which will be here Sunday hopefully.
 

MrsCameron2019

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First I'd scratch the bark off lightly just a bit to make sure it is worth any efforts. You're going to be looking for a layer of green beneath the surface.

If you see green then I'd lightly unravel the outside of the root ball, until you can get some roots exposed.

Then ditch the bonsai pot and plant it into an appropriate sized nursery container and fill with your extra soil - which I'm assuming is a potting soil of sorts.

Then try and figure out what kind of tree it is
There's a very small amount of green in the larger branches, closest to to the trunk. Also, I believe it might be a gardenia.
 

kale

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I might try Peter Chan's technique of planting it in sphagnum moss. Just a wild hair.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Good evening everyone! I'm new to bonsai growing. In fact it fell into my lap just today. A resident I care for at my job handed this to me today, asking me to save it. I have no experience with bonsai. She handed it to me just like this, with the rest of the soil in a bag. I don't even know whet species I'm dealing with. Any thoughts or help would be greatly, greatly appreciated. TIA

It appears to me to be a narrow leaf ficus (Ficus nerifolia), and it appears to me to be very much dead. I don't know how to help except to say - if you are in the least interested in bonsai do not despair with your first dead tree (even in this case it isn't YOUR dead tree, but someone else's). If you love the art, if you love the science, you will eventually get to the point that not only will your trees not die, but you will decide if you want to propagate / expand your tree collection. It is why I always recommend to people - never give people a bonsai as a gift. If you think people would enjoy it, give them a bonsai CLASS.

It is the classic - give someone a fish, feed them for a day. TEACH them to fish - feed them for a lifetime.
 

Forsoothe!

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If you can show some better shots of the leaves, I can be shown to be head and shoulders smarter than everyone else in the world. Or not.
 

j evans

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I vote for azalea, and critical condition. It won't hurt to try to save though, give it a go and hope for the best. Welcome
 

penumbra

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Its a dead azalea. Don't waste your time with it. An azalea like this will not come back.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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+1 for dead azalea. Keep the pot, find something else to put in it to remember the resident by. Welcome...
 
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