20-09-2004, 01:46 PM
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(Dong Gumong) wrote in message
We recently received a grape bonsai from 1-800-FLOWERS, I know this
probably isn't a 'true' bonsai - it doesn't have any fruit, but it is
visually pleasing. 
A "true" bonsai is anything woody in a pot. Fruit isn't necessary.
However, it sounds mass-produced, so you should check our website for
advice on "mallsai"; you might have to repot in better soil.
It was doing quite well for a while, but we went away for about 4-5
days and came back to discover a little 'fuzz' on some of the leaves.
Is the plant outdoors? [if not, it ought to be]. If it is outdoors,
the grape has probably got powdery mildew, a disease that a grape
plant will get if there are other grapes within a few miles of it.
Onset is usually in late summer. It doesn't harm the plant, but is
ugly. You can either spray the plant every few weeks with a rotating
schedule of several fungicides labeled for powdery mildew (one alone
won't work for long; cooperative extension will help you pick the best
fungicides for your area), or just live with it. Good air circulation
will reduce the problem. The disadvantage with the cultivars of grape
sold as mass-market bonsai is that they are prone to many diseases.
You would have less problem with a wild grape you dug up yourself.
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