FAQs
- I just received my tree, now what?
- Take pictures! Photographs are a great way to track progress and problems along your bonsai journey. Carefully remove your tree from the box and remove all the packaging from the plant, keep the packaging materials for a couple of weeks in case there is a need to send the tree back to us. Water your new tree thoroughly and place it in a sunny location.
- Can I leave the tree in the box when it arrives?
- It is best to remove the tree from the box as soon as possible. Often the plants have spent 1-3 days in the box and will be ready for sunlight and water. If you intend to give the plant as a gift, it is best practice to at least open the box and check on its health. Do not leave it enclosed more than a day after receipt.
- This is my first tree; how do I take care of it?
- The two most important things to keep in mind are light and water. Your tree needs to be in a bright sunny location and needs to be watered regularly. Fertilization is also important, we sell fertilizer on our website, simply follow the label instructions. If you have a fertilizer you are already using for other plants in your collection, you can use that. It is best practice to fertilize in the spring and fall.
- How much water should I give it and how often?
- You should plan to water every day, but you’ll probably only have to water every second or third day. Plants tend to use more water in the spring and summer than they do in the fall and winter. The goal is to maintain even soil moisture without being sopping wet for days on end or going bone dry. Do not rely on the humidity tray to do anything other than protect your furniture and provide some ambient humidity. It is best to water outdoors or in a sink or tub, thoroughly soaking the soil until water is pouring out of the bottom of the pot.
- Can my outdoor tree live inside? Can my indoor tree live outside?
- Generally, our outdoor trees should remain outdoors year-round as they need to go through a winter dormancy period. Most of the outdoor trees we sell can withstand freezing temperatures to about 20*F. At that point they should be brought to a protected but still cold environment. Deciduous plants, plants that lose their leaves in the fall, can be placed in a garage or shed once all the leaves have dropped. Evergreen plants must also be protected but they will need plenty of sunlight even during the winter months. Do not permit your plants to freeze with dry soil.
- Indoor trees can stay indoors year-round but would prefer to be moved outdoors during the warm months as most of them come from tropical areas of the world. They should be brought indoors when nighttime temperatures are below 55*F.
- My tree arrived dead. All the leaves are falling off my plant.
- It is more than likely your tree is not dead, but it is stressed from shipping. Plants don’t love spending time in a box, bouncing across the country through trucks and shipping facilities subject to hot and cold. Typically, the initial stress response is to drop leaves to not waste energy on compromised leaves then they regrow when they are in a more ideal situation. If the branches are supple rather than dry and cracking, your plant should recover within a couple of weeks.
- Sometimes our trees arrive green and healthy then leaves drop over the course of two to three weeks. This is a natural reaction to the change in the environment that the plants have gotten used to. Our greenhouses are “essentially” full sun meaning there is a shade cloth reducing the intensity of the sun, but they are exposed to sun all day long. In a house, trees are rarely exposed to direct sunlight and with modern windows the intensity of the sunlight is reduced even further. Typically, what we see happen is that the tree loses its leaves and then regrows new ones from its backup leaf buds. The new leaves will be more adapted to their situation.
- Deciduous plants lose their leaves in the fall/winter and regrow in the spring.
- Why are my leaves turning yellow?
- There are many reasons why this might happen. If it is a deciduous plant, you are likely seeing fall color. If it is an outdoor evergreen plant or a tropical plant you are likely seeing the plant senescing its old leaves, we see more of this in the fall when the days are getting shorter. Yellowing leaves can be a stress response to dry soil or insects.
- There are bugs.
- Dealing with insect pressure comes with the hobby of keeping plants. The nursery has a professional chemical spray technician on staff. We regularly treat with pest control chemicals in order to mitigate insect and fungal infections. Our shipping department is trained to look for pests and to not send infected plants. If you encounter pests when you receive a plant from us, quarantine it from any other plants you may have and get in contact with us as soon as possible so that we may recommend a course of treatment. Please take pictures if possible.
- What do I do when the pot is broken?
- If you receive a tree in a broken pot please contact us as soon as possible so that we can send you a replacement pot. We can walk you through how to repot your plant.
- Are these trees harmful to animals?
- Generally speaking, animals will be more harmful to the trees than the trees are to the animals.
- Some of our trees such as the Brazilian Rain Tree have thorns or latex such as the Golden Gate Ficus. Some have fruits which may be attractive to your pets, we strongly discourage you or your pets from eating fruits from these trees.
- If your pet does ingest a portion of one of our plants you should contact your veterinarian.
- What is the best tree for a beginner?
- For an indoor tree the best tree for a beginner is Golden Gate Ficus
- For an outdoor tree the best tree for a beginner is Green Mound Juniper
- I have questions this FAQ does not cover.