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Fideon
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Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 2:00 pm
Location: Monterrey, MX. Zone 10-B

Please help me ID my bonsai(s)!

Hello, I was recently gifted a couple of bonsai trees and I would like to ask for your assistance in identificating and if possible, teaching me how to take care of these plants.

The first one I was gifted approximately a month ago. Following the gifter's advice, I've kept it indoors but with direct sunlight as much as possible and I've watered it once about every 2 weeks. I watered it about 2 days after I received it and it developed some kind of white powder on top of the soil. I read that I probably overwatered it and I learned about the "deep your finger in the soil about an inch and feel the humidity" trick for watering. Since then it hasn't developed any white stuff. Since the moment I received it, it had a dead trunk and a few dead branches, I have snapped these off.

Sadly, around the same time I received it we had a very strong cold wave with temperatures around 3-6 celsius. The plant has decayed since then. I still water it and all with the hope that it blossoms on Spring or something heh.

So, please help me ID what kind of plant this is. From what I've read online and broswing pictures it might be a Jade Bonsai (Crassula)
Here's a link to a pic:
https://I.imgur.com/qAFDydY.jpg



The second plant I was just gifted yesterday.
It's way more green than the other tree and has wire around its trunk and branches.
https://I.imgur.com/Xiixc7d.jpg
https://I.imgur.com/0bDjL6M.jpg
https://I.imgur.com/r6IkuTd.jpg

It's also growing a couple of purple flowers
https://I.imgur.com/caJ8g5r.jpg

I was told I should water it a little bit every day. I also received a bag of blue-gray pebble-like things that are supposedly vitamins and that I'm supposed to feed the plant about once a week. How am I supposed to feed it? Spread it on the top of the soil? Bury them?

I have no idea what kind of plant this is, please help me identify it, thanks!

My area's general weather conditions (Monterrey, México):
- Moderately humid, ok for plants I guess.
- Very sunny
- During winter, around 10/20 celsius. During cold waves, around 5/10 celsius.
- The rest of the year, around 20/35 celsius. During hot waves, around 30/40+ celsius
- Low to moderate rain.

Plants can be kept indoors if necessary, I'm capable of providing them with heat and a/c.

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

I agree first one is probably jade plant.

Second one is interesting. I don't think it is probably a tree at all. A whole bunch of vines or soft stemmed plants wrapped together to give the roughly the shape of a tree. I should know what the plant is; it is very familiar, but I'm not coming up with it right now.

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Fideon
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Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 2:00 pm
Location: Monterrey, MX. Zone 10-B

rainbowgardener wrote:I agree first one is probably jade plant.

Second one is interesting. I don't think it is probably a tree at all. A whole bunch of vines or soft stemmed plants wrapped together to give the roughly the shape of a tree. I should know what the plant is; it is very familiar, but I'm not coming up with it right now.
Yeah, now that you mention it, the second one is actually a lot branches bundled together to resemble the shape of a tree. What should I do? It very likely requires a different care

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Gnome
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Fideon,

The first one is Portulacaria, sometimes called 'Baby Jade'. I keep mine outside as long as the temps are above 50F (10C). Honestly, as long as they don't freeze they can be left outside permanently. In your climate they would require shelter infrequently.

Don't place it in full sun all at once or you can damage the foliage. Instead transition it gradually over a period of a week or so. Since I don't know your climate intimately, it might be a good idea to locate it in a somewhat sheltered location at first. As you go on you will learn how much light it can tolerate.

The second is a mystery to me.

Norm



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