What bonsai can I get for my office that will ONLY see Florescent lights?

tomee638

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Total newbie to Bonsai:

If possible, I'd like to get a bonsai that will sit on my desk. I have no sunlight but I have a 2' long florescent light that is about 3' off my desktop that I'd like to put the tree under. Anyone know if that will be enough for a tree to live? If so, which variety?

I was reading somewhere that a Fukien Tea I think can do fine only one hour of sunlight a day. I was thinking, if I had it under this light for 7 hours a day, maybe that would be enough?

If that won't work with any variety, does anyone know how a T5 or T12 bulb would affect MY skin after sitting under it for a work day? I've also considered that, but I don't want a sunburn or something on my mouse hand...lol

Thanks guys! First post, loving this forum!
 

october

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Welcome tomee638.. If you want an honest answer, none. No tree will flourish or like sitting on a desk in an office. You might be able to get away with a ficus. However, the tree will never really be that healthy. Bonsai are just like the trees in nature. They need air ciculation, sunlight and a period of rest. If you are looking for soemthing for your desk, maybe more of a house plant..a bamboo or a Z plant.

Rob
 

JudyB

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It's not only about the amount of light you can provide, it's also about the low humidity that indoor buildings have, and the heating/ cooling that it'll be subjected to. I would imagine that if you were really determined to do this, and you could also do a (good) setup at home, you could buy several bonsai and rotate them into the office for short visits. They may still decline if you move them around too much, but this seems like they'd have a chance to recover if your home setup was really great. I know it works for plant rental companies,- not that bonsai are as easy as houseplants, - but like I said if you are determined, and can care for them very well during the recovery phase, you could get away with it...

But it would still have to be a very forgiving variety, like ficus or scheff. Fukien's are extremely picky, I don't see this working for them.
 
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Try schefflera.
Joe Des

Agree, Ficus Retusa or Benjamina are also really good troopers. Dwarf Jade is also one that can be kept alive indoors for a while.

As everyone has mentioned growing bonsai indoors without a nice micro environment is an uphill battle. What's your budget and what do you want to get out of this bonsai?
 

subnet_rx

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I would also throw a vote in for a houseplant. I've tried this several different ways and without a real lighting setup that would probably strain my eyes sitting right beside all day, it's very tough to do this. You simply watch as your bonsai gets weaker and weaker.

I was told the same thing as you when I started, but I still tried. Now, I look for interesting houseplants that can survive in low light for the office, and keep my bonsai at home outdoors.
 

Anthony

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Perhaps you could read this first -

Indoor Bonsai by Paul Lesniewicz

Available on Amazon for as little as 0.46 cents.
Good Morning.
Anthony
 

tomee638

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Wow! Two pages of answers in <24 hours!

After all the responses, I may try to take one from home (of which currently I have none) and try it at the office for awhile and monitor the results. I won't buy one especially for the office though. And I'll probably try the Schefflera or Ficus..if anything at all.

Thanks for the book recommendation too!

This one is currently in the mail:
Growing Bonsai Indoors (BBG Guides for a Greener Planet) [Paperback]
Pat Lucke Morris
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Bonsa...&qid=1363776415&sr=1-5&keywords=indoor+bonsai


I'll check your suggestion out too!

-Gabriel
 

GarlR

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Wow! Two pages of answers in <24 hours!

After all the responses, I may try to take one from home (of which currently I have none) and try it at the office for awhile and monitor the results. I won't buy one especially for the office though. And I'll probably try the Schefflera or Ficus..if anything at all.

Thanks for the book recommendation too!

This one is currently in the mail:
Growing Bonsai Indoors (BBG Guides for a Greener Planet) [Paperback]
Pat Lucke Morris
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Bonsa...&qid=1363776415&sr=1-5&keywords=indoor+bonsai

I'll check your suggestion out too!

-Gabriel

I have that book. It is good.
 

berobinson82

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I had a ficus in my office for about a year that never seemed to do much. When it got cold this year, it started to drop leaves and enter a downward spiral. Turns out, the building turns off the heat over the weekend so it was dipping WAY past it's tropical comfort zone. Now I have a couple healthy and happy houseplants and a few scattered magazines.

Good luck. Have fun. Welcome to the forum.
 
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I'd say ficus, but don't leave it at your desk. bringing it home occasionally, putting it outside, making sure it gets at least some sunlight makes a huge difference.

Or try a philodendron, it's not a tree but it will survive at your desk, provided it gets watered.

This is going to sound stupid but another alternative is to get a fake bonsai for your desk and a real one for home. It will be much more tolerant.
 
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get twenty of them, grow them all home outside during the summer or under grow lights. and rotate out one tree you have at your office once a week with one of the other 19 you are growing in optimal conditions.
 

Poink88

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How about suiseki? :D

On house plants, I would go with ZZ plant but even that will benefit rotation every few weeks.
 

JudyB

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get twenty of them, grow them all home outside during the summer or under grow lights. and rotate out one tree you have at your office once a week with one of the other 19 you are growing in optimal conditions.

Yeah, this is sorta what I had in mind with my earlier post. I think it could work.
 

tomee638

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get twenty of them, grow them all home outside during the summer or under grow lights. and rotate out one tree you have at your office once a week with one of the other 19 you are growing in optimal conditions.

I like this idea. Maybe not 20, my wife just might divorce me. Thanks!
 
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