Help with mini tree

[ninnymary]

Does it have thorns? First thing I thought of with that many branches was citrus.

Can't tell if it's all dead wood or just missing leaves. Anyway, I would trim dead wood, fertilize lightly, make sure it's watered ,and put indoors in a bright sunny place. Just make sure you don't put it against a window where the sun can burn it. Keep it away from drafts.

Not much else you can do.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

Bonsai can leave for years so I think the pot is fine.

Mary

 

[AMKuska]

The branches themselves are green on one side, brown on the other. No, there are no thorns. I think it may be a ficus bonsai based on this page:

https://www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/revive-dying-bonsai

But I'm not certain. Husband remembers a tag on the tree saying it could not tolerate frost at all. I put it on my heat-pad/grow mat under some very bright grow lights to try and help.

 

[ninnymary]

Ficus are used in bonsai quite a bit. You're probably right.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Ficus are very temperamental on a good day and will shed their leaves at the slightest excuse. They don't like to be moved around much once they find their happy spot.

 

[Nyboy]

Ficus are very temperamental on a good day and will shed their leaves at the slightest excuse. They don't like to be moved around much once they find their happy spot.

Same true for meyer Lemon hows yours doing ?

 

[lcertuche]

My MIL got a bonsai tree from one of her sons. It promptly died because she has a brown thumb. She painted the leaves green and it still sits on her table and her son is none the wiser. I admired it and she confessed to me.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's creative of your MIL!

There's a lot of maintenance involved in keeping bonsai, they aren't your wash and wear type gift plants.
Way too fiddly for me although I appreciate the artistry they require.

 

[thistlebloom]

Same true for meyer Lemon hows yours doing ?

Doing well! I moved it outside and it's leafed out and glossy.

 

[ducks4you]

EVERY TIME I have trouble with a tree I discover that somebody else has, too. I tried to keep a gardenia going. It was SOOOO picky, and finally died, even though I kept it over the winter and moved it to the porch, then outside and kept it well watered. Then, somebody on Mid American gardener brought it up that keeping gardenias is a time waster. I would much rather waste my time on my Bartlett pear that I almost lost to blight last year. This year it looked like it was going to fruit out, but I think it is focusing on living bc there are no small pears on it, but lots of new growth. Every time I see ANY damaged leaves I have been pruning those shoots back and burning them. Sometimes you have to make gut decisions.
Good thing I paid for that gardenia with $16.00 (clearance plant) of somebody else's pennies. You can do that at the WM selfserve...on a Tuesday morning...with nobody else shopping.