Identification and SOS.. Help!

[BonsaiBakker]

I got this lovely little Bonsai for my birthday from my Fiance. Neither him nor I know anything about them but he got me a book, and I thought I had been doing well taking care of it.. until it started looking like it wants to die.

Can anyone ID it for me? When I got it, it was not nearly this wilty - the stems were straight out and nice and brilliant green.

From what I've been reading, the only thing I can think of that killed it was the trip from my office to my house.. my house is slightly cooler than the office. I have paid attention to not over water or under water it...

Any help would be great. Really appreciate it.
[url=https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/IMG_2705.jpg][img]https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/th_IMG_2705.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/IMG_2704.jpg][img]https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/th_IMG_2704.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/IMG_2703.jpg][img]https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/th_IMG_2703.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/IMG_2702.jpg][img]https://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/denntol/th_IMG_2702.jpg[/img][/url]

[Gnome]

BonsaiBakker,

Hello and welcome. First if I can make a request of you to please re-size your photos and re-upload them as it is rather awkward to keep scrolling back and forth. No need to do all four, the second and the last will probably suffice.

Did your tree look like this during better times?
[img]https://aquiya.skr.jp/zukan/Zanthoxylum_beecheyanum_var_alatum%20.jpg[/img]

If so it is Zanthoxylum commonly known as Chinese Pepper.

Please remove all of the foo-foo from your tree as it does no good. You can worry about all that later if and when it recovers. Once you remove all that stuff examine the soil and describe it to us. If it is rather dry as I suspect water it thoroughly. By thoroughly I mean so that the entire root mass is soaked.

If on the other hand the soil is already wet then we will have to discuss it further. Get back to us soon.

Norm

[JoeLewko]

looks to me like a boxwood. It's a little hard to tell since I don't have the tree in front of me, and I don't want to gvie really any info without proper id. anyoen else have any thoughts? also, is there any way of contacting maybe the retailer your fiance got it from?

[ynot]

BonsaiBakker,

I have paid attention to not over water or under water it...

Considering the soil is not even visible due to all the paraphernalia on it. This begs the question: How do you determine when to water?

IE: Are the rocks around the edge glued on? If so, They need to go.

While the moss may please you aesthetically, It is not doing your tree any favors either. Both of these limit the aeration of your soil and this is equally as vital to your soil as moisture is.

Exactly when did you get this tree? [Date if possible please] Have you posted it here before? [Under a different name That you may have understandably forgotten perhaps?]
I ask because it looks very familiar to me is all.

Gnome,

Memory check here,

I recall a very similar shaped tree being posted here previously... Do you recall that?

..Off on a search...

ynot

[constantstaticx3]

Yes Gnome I do remember a similar tree posted before. I believe it was called "My poor Melachi" or something like that. I'll take a look.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4021&highlight=poor+melachi
Here it is. I didn't have the name right but it got me to the link.

The tree was tentatively found to be a boxwood. If it isn't there is still a lot of good info on that thread.

Tom

[BonsaiBakker]

Hi All,
I will try and resize the photos but am not so technologically inclined so it may take me a while... I'll do what I can (but Fiance can help when he gets home)

I got the tree March 26th. It never had any flowers on it whatsoever, but did look very similar to the picture of the chinese pepper. I did some looking into the Boxwood to compare and it also look similar, however there isn't as much greenery on mine, so I find it hard to tell. I am not sure what else I can do to help with the ID.

I will get rid of all the extras.

The way I tested for water was the "chopstick method" that was described in my book. I put a chopstick in and tested for moisture... (left it in for 20 minutes, determined if it was damp, added water accordingly..)

No, I've never posted on here before. I'm brand new.

Really appreciate it so far..

Edit:

Ok I hacked off all the icky rocks and stuff. yes, soil is drier than I suspected. I am going to give it a THOROUGH watering..... I'll keep you all posted..

[Gnome]

Ynot and Tom,

Excellent memories, both of you. Malachi was indeed a boxwood. The other, and I remember it as well, may be elsewhere as I cannot locat it here.

BonsaiBakker,

This free software can crop, and re-size your pictures.

[url]https://www.irfanview.com/[/url]

Norm

[BonsaiBakker]

looks to me like a boxwood. It's a little hard to tell since I don't have the tree in front of me, and I don't want to gvie really any info without proper id. anyoen else have any thoughts? also, is there any way of contacting maybe the retailer your fiance got it from?

I'll ask my fiance to check from them this week.. he's got a few days off, maybe he can go back and ID it...

[ynot]

Yes Gnome I do remember a similar tree posted before. I believe it was called "My poor Melachi" or something like that. I'll take a look.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4021&highlight=poor+melachi
Here it is. I didn't have the name right but it got me to the link.

The tree was tentatively found to be a boxwood. If it isn't there is still a lot of good info on that thread.

Tom

Tom,

::shock: HEY! Who are you calling 'Gnome" . :P

Nice search Tom Thanks . That is exactly what I referred to, I spent quite a bit of time on my zen garden reply and when I checked back in here BAM!.. you had it... Nice job.

BB,

You can use this free program to resize your pics [url=https://www.google.com/search?q=irfanview.com&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a]Irfanview.[/url]

Just let that chopstick live right in the soil full time it will be a good indicator of the level of moisture in the pot. [um.. Feel free to chop that stick to just above soil level if it annoys you.]

I vote it's a pepper tree because of the gray speckled bark in the example posted by Gnome which matches the younger bark in the upper RH corner of the uppermost picture posted by BB, Also the compound leaves [It is not a Boxwood they have alternately paired leaves].

Joe, We are trying to ID it. At least commit to your guess...

ynot

[constantstaticx3]

Shocked HEY! Who are you calling 'Gnome" Confused Exclamation. RazzRazz Wink Laughing

My bad, just noticed that , well your posts are so alike its hard to remember whose is whose .

Tom

[ynot]

My bad, just noticed that , well your posts are so alike its hard to remember whose is whose Tom

Well, Thats A heck of a compliment . Thanks! [img]https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1939/u4jchinaec9.gif[/img] [img]https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1939/u4jchinaec9.gif[/img]

ynot

[Gnome]

Here's the one I was thinking of.
[img]https://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o84/heygene3/bonsai2.jpg[/img]

It's hard to tell but it is the same species and has a similar structure in that I think I would cut a good bit off the right of both plants.

For this tree (BonsaiBakker's) who else thinks the large branch needs to go? Not necessarily now but later once the tree has regained its vigor. It might even make a good candidate for a layer.

Norm

[ynot]

Gnome,

For this tree (BonsaiBakker's) who else thinks the large branch needs to go? Not necessarily now but later once the tree has regained its vigor. It might even make a good candidate for a layer.

Absolutely, I was going to mention this also. Hmm, a layer......

A pair of virts, I Fixed the trunk chop and gave you a new leader [Since I usually I spray paint foliage..It's not too bad. ] Also I would continue the trunk movement it has into the apex Though I had to make it straight. { I used the wrong program to do this-Sorry}

[url=https://imageshack.us][img]https://img170.imageshack.us/img170/9986/bbtreevirt2xp0.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://imageshack.us][img]https://img172.imageshack.us/img172/729/bbtreevirt3bq5.jpg[/img][/url]

This would be pretty hard to accomplish IMO considering the compound foliage without a very dedicated pruning regimen and good lighting. Perhaps google some images of this species to see whats possible.

ynot

[BonsaiBakker]

I definately do think that it might be a chinese pepper, now looking at the bark and the shape compared to the others, But again I am still new at this, but I will try to get a positive confirmation of what it is, if I can, from the store that I bought it from.

I followed the instructions in my book "repotted in the same pot" minus all that junk (glued rocks moss etc...) and have given it a good dose of water as suggested.

I like your idea of pruning but I must wait for it to recover.... Fingers crossed.....

Thanks for the help, I am sure you will hear more from me..... I hope I don't kill this one =(


(This is the Fiance speaking... I changed the photos so they are now "clickable links")

[Gnome]

Thank you both for making the effort to change the pictures, it makes the thread a lot easier to read.

Thanks for the help, I am sure you will hear more from me.....

Your'e welcome, and do keep us posted.

I definately do think that it might be a chinese pepper, now looking at the bark and the shape

I think I can also make out the sort of flattened, or perhaps winged is a better term, branches.

Here is a better picture: [url]https://cliffy.org/Perso/harvest_2004/green1/IMG_0021_1.jpg[/url]

I followed the instructions in my book "repotted in the same pot" minus all that junk (glued rocks moss etc...) and have given it a good dose of water as suggested.

The suggestion to water was just that, a suggestion, out of suspicion that your tree was dry. Regardless, you always water thoroughly after a re-pot. Which brings me to the next point.

I don't think you mentioned the possibility of a re-pot so soon. What was the old soil like? And more importantly, what is the new soil like? If you have re-potted into conventional potting soil I'm not sure you have made any improvement. We have not yet discussed the fundamental differences between potting soil and bonsai soil. I hope I am wrong and you have done your homework, let us know. A picture of the new soil will be helpful.

Norm

EDIT:

The suggestion to water was just that, a suggestion, out of suspicion that your tree was dry.

Oh, I have just noticed your edit and that you found the plant very dry. Still I'm surprised by the suddenness of the re-pot.

[JoeLewko]

Joe, We are trying to ID it. At least commit to your guess...

I only posted once...