DanielMegan
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Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2016 10:51 am
Location: South Gloucestershire

Help to identify my bonsai please

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I purchased an 8 year old bonsai tree earlier this year. The label on the pot says 'Bonsai Shangai' [sic].
It has pine like leaves, in clusters along it's branches, which curl in on themselves.
It hasn't flowered in the 6 months or so since I have owned it.
It has a smooth trunk and is about 12" tall. The leaves have just started to go yellow and drop off although I don't know if this is due to in not being an evergreen or poor care.
Please can you help me.

This is my first time on this site so constructive criticism welcome
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tomc
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Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Welcome!

I'm stumped, but I am the worst at ID-ing trees from photos.

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Not sure, and the pix aren't great, but it does look like some kind of evergreen. Possibly a podocarpus (Buddhist pine), but that's kind of a guess. Most needled evergreens do not flower.

I would bet that it is yellowing because it is over watered. The soil it is in looks dense and moisture holding and looks very wet.

Here's some general bonsai tips, including watering: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... =36&t=1479

Real bonsai soil is mostly inorganic, rocky/gritty, and very free draining, doesn't stay wet long.

Also your pot is sitting in a tray. That is a humidity tray. The way it is supposed to be used is to put pebbles in the tray and then sit the pot on top of the pebbles. Then fill the tray with water, so that the pot sits OVER the water, not in it. The idea is just to keep the air around your tree humidified a bit. If you let the pot sit in water in the tray, you are killing your tree.

AND it probably isn't getting enough light. Evergreen conifers aren't good indoor trees anyway. Really it should be living outdoors. If it is indoors it needs supplemental lighting.


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imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Podocarpus is a possibility. It is not normally deciduous. I do think Rainbow is correct that it may be over watered and not in the best soil. Most trees though will lose leaves when they do not get enough light and podocarpus needs to be in high light. It also needs good humidity and does not like dry air. So put a tray with pebbles and water under the pot to provide humidity and mist the leaves but not to the point where they cannot dry off. It needs to be in bright light preferably right over it like the pictures above. Be careful about watering and repot later in a bonsai mix.



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