Bonsai identifying help!!!

[JFernando]

Please help me identify my bonsai!!! I believe it is what is called Malsai. Any care tips are accepted

[img][IMG]https://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l276/JFernando850/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-04/1DAA877A-806D-48C6-AA38-D81DB8875ABC_zpsyaymhrwk.jpg[/img][/img]

[img][IMG]https://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l276/JFernando850/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-04/7925C665-F119-44F3-84D8-7C8B735DF63C_zpsueoss1y7.jpg[/img][/img]

[rainbowgardener]

Here's your pics:






Mallsai is a sarcastic term for mass produced bonsai sold cheap at malls without care instructions etc. They're often just rooted cuttings sold off quickly and they usually die.

Your mallsai is a juniper bonsai. Juniper are sometimes labeled as "indoor bonsai" but they are not. They need to stay outdoors year around.

It would help if you tell us where you are. Since your juniper tree is obviously indoors now, if it is still cold where you are, don't just plop it out in the cold when it isn't adjusted, but once it warms up, bring it out and leave it out. They are hardy to well below zero. For long term survival, they need that period of cold dormancy in winter. Water it only when the top inch or so of soil has dried out, but when you do water, water thoroughly until water is running out the drain holes.

[rainbowgardener]

If you have any serious interest in bonsai, do some reading about care of your juniper bonsai and about the art of bonsai generally. If you learn more about what you are doing and invest a lot of care and patience in it, your little mallsai can some day aspire to something like these:


https://www.lousbonsai.biz/images/produc ... 20rock.jpg


https://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/ ... uniper.jpg


https://oriental-decor.com/img/products/s/3307.jpg


Yours will never look like this in this century, but here's one example of what the bonsai masters do with them:


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 5-2007.jpg

[JFernando]

Thanks a lot for the help. I live in Texas and it is quite warm here now around the 60-90s. Also I had another question: When it comes time to trimming and pruning it are the concave cutters really necessary?

[rainbowgardener]

Now you are beyond what I can answer. I have mainly book learning on bonsai and only very beginner level hands on experience. Hopefully one of the very knowledgeable bonsai regulars will come by soon. If not you can Private Message Gnome or tomc with your question.

[Gnome]

JFernando,

No you do not need concave cutters right away. You can do a lot with a simple pair of garden shears.

Norm