Hi there, I got a bonsai tree a while back, but I have no idea what it is, maybe someone here can help me ...
a picture of the roots and the stem:
[img]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/images/bonsai-roots-stem.jpg[/img]
a picture of the leaves (busy drying out):
[img]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/images/dry-bonsai-leaves.jpg[/img]
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- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
AtReyU,
Hello and welcome to The Helpful Gardener. I'm not sure I can ID your tree. It kind of reminds me of some young Pyracantha (Firethorn) I am growing but since you are in South Africa I could be completely wrong. Is there any chance you can inquire where it was purchased?
You're going into your winter season, correct? If you are keeping it outside the shortening days may be causing it to go dormant. Sorry not sure how cold you get there or if this plant should even be going dormant. Without an ID I'm afraid to offer much in the way of advice.
I will say this; the soil looks to be very dense and wet. Is this just because you watered recently or do you keep it this way all the time? Trees without active foliage will transpire much less water than ones with functioning foliage. Try not to keep it so damp. Regardless of whether it is in distress or approaching dormancy its water usage will be diminished.
Sorry I can't offer more, perhaps someone else will recognize it.
Norm
Hello and welcome to The Helpful Gardener. I'm not sure I can ID your tree. It kind of reminds me of some young Pyracantha (Firethorn) I am growing but since you are in South Africa I could be completely wrong. Is there any chance you can inquire where it was purchased?
You're going into your winter season, correct? If you are keeping it outside the shortening days may be causing it to go dormant. Sorry not sure how cold you get there or if this plant should even be going dormant. Without an ID I'm afraid to offer much in the way of advice.
I will say this; the soil looks to be very dense and wet. Is this just because you watered recently or do you keep it this way all the time? Trees without active foliage will transpire much less water than ones with functioning foliage. Try not to keep it so damp. Regardless of whether it is in distress or approaching dormancy its water usage will be diminished.
Sorry I can't offer more, perhaps someone else will recognize it.
Norm
I will try and find out from where I bought it ... I was hoping someone here could help because I bought it quite far away from my house ...
In that picture, it was a little while after I watered it, so it should look wet ...
It is getting close to winter, I can actually feel the days and nights getting colder ... Where I stay it gets to around -1 to -5 degrees celcius in the evenings and reaches about a maximum of 20 degrees celcius in the day (in winter) ... Where I bought this plant it was kept inside ...
If the soil is dense, how do I get it less dense? Do I just loosen it with a "pitchfork" or will that damage the roots or anything else?
I looked at some pictures of Firethorn trees (bonsai and not) and it doesn't look quite like that, the leaves aren't as smooth as that, they actually have a roughish texture to them, and the same with the new stems, it looks like they grow out in little 3mm pieces, and then smooths out over time. the new twigs look like someone took lots of 3mm pieces of stem and stuck them together using superglue or something.
Thanks for the reply ...
In that picture, it was a little while after I watered it, so it should look wet ...
It is getting close to winter, I can actually feel the days and nights getting colder ... Where I stay it gets to around -1 to -5 degrees celcius in the evenings and reaches about a maximum of 20 degrees celcius in the day (in winter) ... Where I bought this plant it was kept inside ...
If the soil is dense, how do I get it less dense? Do I just loosen it with a "pitchfork" or will that damage the roots or anything else?
I looked at some pictures of Firethorn trees (bonsai and not) and it doesn't look quite like that, the leaves aren't as smooth as that, they actually have a roughish texture to them, and the same with the new stems, it looks like they grow out in little 3mm pieces, and then smooths out over time. the new twigs look like someone took lots of 3mm pieces of stem and stuck them together using superglue or something.
Thanks for the reply ...