genius asked:

I just recently bought a bonsai tree from a street vender in Chinatown in NYC. How can I succesfully raise it in my house? I have it near a window, and spritz it with water. will this be enough? Also, if you could include details on other aspects of care too.

Vertigo asked:

He's leafes are sagging... I spray him with boiled and cooled water... I think I waterd it too much... 2/3 times a day... And I changed his place, cause i went in vacation, and I had to take him with me... He looks so awful, I really don't want him to die!!!

Thomas Henricks asked:

Azalea bonsai are some of the more common bonsai adaptations that were introduced when bonsai was first imported over from China to Japan. It is one of the more beautiful plants to adapted to bonsai style gardening. The Azalea bonsai is a member of the genus Rhododendron. This simply indicates that the Azalea bonsai is an evergreen that adapts itself to a shrub type formation. Small shrubs typically grow to less than 6 feet in height.

The Azalea Rhododendron actually can be divided into between 500-900 species. Since they display very large beautiful flowers they present a very stunning and elegant style of bonsai plant. This is the primary reason that the Azalea bonsai has become very popular with Bonsai gardeners.

Care of the Azalea Bonsai

It is critical to peak condition that you avoid exposing this plant to direct sun during the spring and summer months. This plant will reward for your efforts on being placed in an area of filtered or indirect sun light. The plant does not need to be brought indoors during the winter and in fact can perform well outdoors even in winter climates although it will require some protection from severe conditions. An outdoor greenhouse can provide beautiful results.

For those who want to keep their bonsai indoors year-round, the azalea is quite suitable to that application. A cool window and plenty of light is considered optimum for keeping an azalea indoors during the winter months as is the necessity for frequent misting and maintain a higher level of humidity.

When considering watering options you will find that the plants respond very well to rainwater. Collection of rainwater to a storage container will reward you with healthier plants. The azalea bonsai plant will deteriorate quickly if the roots are allowed to dry out so moisture should be maintained in the soil at all times.

You will benefit from repotting as required to maintain appropriate space for full root development and you should monitor the soil to ensure the slightly higher acidity level preferred by the azalea. PH balance needs to be 4.5 to 5.5. It is best to use a soil specifically designed for Azaleas. Repotting should be undertaken in spring after the flowers have died. Repotting is required annually for the first couple of years, and every two or three years for more mature azalea bonsai.

Fertilize your azalea at about every other week in the spring time until flowering diminishes. Thereafter, monthly feedings will satisfy nutrition requirements. You should use an acid based fertilizer such as you would find available by Miracle Gro. In the late summer or early fall, reduce nitrogen from the fertilizer mixture and begin increasing the amounts of phosphorus and potassium. This will assist your azalea bonsai to set buds and blossoms for next season.

Also, if you repot with an amended, peat based soil in spring you may not be required to fertilize until autumn. It is recommended that you discontinue fertilizing your azalea bonsai during the hottest months of the summer in order guard against burning your plants.

Pruning should be practiced in late summer taking care to seal significant wounds. This plant will produce shoots from old wood. These often occur in clumps of 5 or 6. Proper pruning will reduce the number of new shoots to one or two. The number of leaves on these new shoots should also be reduced. This will ensure that these newly formed branches will receive more that adequate nutrition and light to develop in to strong, healthy new branches.

The weakest trait of the azalea bonsai may be that the branches are relatively brittle and the bark thin and tender. For this reason, great care must be taken when wiring and shaping branches. Softer aluminum wire is recommended, accompanied by the liberal use of such as raffia to protect the delicate surfaces.

C'est Comme Un Rve asked:

do you think elegant girls are pretty?

http://graphics.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2004/08/26/1093530512_6701.jpg

Ben asked:

well a few months ago i bought a bonsai from ikea, ikea is a swedish store that sells lots of nice stuff, i dont know what breed it is, i bort it around january february 2008, not sure (just incase that helps) and it now has gone very wierd, as its going to die soon. the leaves fall off easily, and are very fragile, half of the leaves are kind of yellow

what i would like to know is what can i do for my bonsai to make it healthy again? as i said i dont know what breed it is, but i have some photos of it to help.

Picture of whole plant - http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn128/zengy/IMG_0001-1.jpg
picture of the leaves - http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn128/zengy/IMG_0003-1.jpg

things i would like to know is, how much water i should put on, is this even an outdoor plant? if i should.. what soil should i use to replace the soil thats being used now? what fertilisers should i use and when?

any help will be nice, anything to help my bonsai survive
thanks in advance.

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trinisugar asked:

I bought it a couple weeks ago, but I was outdoors with it for about an hour in really low temperatures. It seemed fine when I got it home and the leaves lasted about a week then they all started drying up and falling off. I'm not bad with plants normally I actually have quite a green thumb with tropical plants ( which are all doing really well). I'm just not sure if something's happened to the plant or if it's just responding to the cold. I'm new to bonsai so could someone help me?
It's a dogwood
Sorry this one is a lilac.

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sarah0404 asked:

I am looking to buy a small indoor bonsai tree as a gift. It is too late for me order one online, and yes I realize I should have done my shopping sooner. Does anyone know if there is a store in Lawrence, Kansas where I can pick one up? Any help I can get would be GREAT! Thanks!

marijach asked:

Walter Pall - Bonsai workshop in Croatia. 8-9. March 2008. - Days of bonsai in Vitturi castle" - Kastel, CROATIA Second international bonsai convention in the region of the south-east Europe, organized by Dalmatian bonsai club gathered bonsai enthusiasts from Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Monte Negro, Macedonia ...

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lalalandbanana asked:

I have one of those Mini Bonsai kits and in the instructions it says to put the soaked seeds in the fridge for 7 days. I was wondering if instead I could put it in the freezer for a shorter amount of time. (I made the mistake of not reading all the instructions before hand, so they are already soaked and I;m leaving for Italy in three days, so I'm hoping I can plant them before I leave)

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DarkJedi8x asked:

The word Bonsai is Japanese and literally translated it means planted in a container. Basically Bonsai is a collection of techniques to grow, train and care for a tree in order to shape it into a miniature but naturally and old looking tree. Throughout the ages Bonsai has evolved from plants being grown in containers into a well respected form of art.

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