Bonsai identification and leaf problem help needed please

[danielpataki]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post, so please excuse me if I do something wrong here
I just got my very own first bonsai plant and I would like some help identifying it so I can search how to care for it properly.

Here is a pic of the plant itself, let me know if you need a bigger one. I have also taken a pic of the leaf for easier identification and for a problem I might have.

[img]https://danielpataki.com/mrbonsai.jpg[/img]

[img]https://danielpataki.com/mrbonsaileaf.jpg[/img]

Are those stains on the leaf normal? I've had the plant for a week and since it was watered a day before I received it, I only watered it yesterday, spraying some water carefully onto the leaves and the tree bark itself. When everything dried up the stain was still there. The stains rub off, but require considerable force (in proportion to the frailty of the leaf). Is this normal, is it ok to leave on, or should I carefully remnove these stains?

Thank you guys for all the help, if you can give me some general type-specific tips that would be great, but I'm thinking a lot of info is already here on the forums, so once I know the type I can look myself

Thanks again!

[alexinoklahoma]

Not certain of species (or name), but the water 'stains' are normal 'deposits' left from water evaporating off of leaves. Similar to a cold/wet drink leaving a 'ring' on a table, water that is not 100% 'pure' will leave a 'stain' when it dries. No real harm from having those spots on leaves - though its best to avoid wetting leaves with known-nasty water Some folks' water supply has lots of carbonates/solids dissolved in it, and water-spots are just a fact of life, unfortunately...

HTH,
Alex

[danielpataki]

Hi Alex!

Thanks for your quick response! I thought the leave stains were something like that, but I have no real gardening experience and I didn't know if this was a problem or not, thanks for clarifying this Since watering is only needed once or max twice a week do you recommend boiling and cooling the water I water with? I guess this gets rid of some bacteria, but will it get rid of the carbonates?

Thanks again!

Daniel

[Kenshin14435]

Just t add to what Alex said,
Yeah, those do look like water spots. They shouldn't do any harm to your tree but if they start to brown the leaves where the spots were due to some unknown chemical, then I suggest you get a water filter. Or you could just get a water filter if you wanted.

Take Care

[Gnome]

danielpataki,

My water is very hard and the plants that I spray and/or water through the canopy develop these stains as well, I never worry about them much. Some species don't like hard water but my Ficus don't seem to mind it.

[url=https://img260.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ficusspots4ut.jpg][img]https://img260.imageshack.us/img260/5197/ficusspots4ut.th.jpg[/img][/url]

Which, by the way, is what I believe you have, Ginseng Ficus, (F. microcarpa/F. retusa) Look [url=https://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/GinsengFicus.html]here[/url] for a picture to help confirm. Also snip off a leaf and look for a milky sap that would tend to confirm as well. If you agree explore the rest of that site for cultural information.

Norm

[danielpataki]

Hi Norm!

Thanks for your helpful response, yes I have confirmed it is a Ginseng Ficus, apparently this as also in a little sign in the pot which got lost somewhere, my girlfriend (who got me the plant) remembers that now, so I'm pretty sure we're on the right track

Thanks also for the leaf info, I might get a water purifyer or do the best I can to remove impurities

Thank you to everyone who replied, I have a load of questions to come, but I hope I'll find most of what I need without having to post a topic!

Daniel