Has anyone seen the current crop of faux Bonzai at Walmart? The are
selling for $10 but I was able to pick one up for half price out of a bunch
that looked like it had freeze or sun burn. Most of them were pretty
shriveled up and sorry looking but one had some promise so, unable to
resist a plant in need, I hauled it home, trimmed off the top of the
damages branches (taking out about 1/4 to 1/3 of the plant) and now it
looks pretty respectable. The branches oozed a milky sap briefly after
being cut. I have no idea what plant this is. I suspect some sort of
ficus but I don't know ficus at all. It has a most interesting and
contorted root system.

I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:
http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd

It's the first photo in the PLANTS and GARDENS folder. (That should be the
first folder, too.)

And if anyone can tell me what Walmart pours over the gravel layer on top
of the soil that turns it into a solid, unmoveable mass, could you share
that info, too?


Thx.

It is probably a Ficus because it is simple to get a nice knarled bark
and shape at the base in a short span of time. Don't be freaked when
it loses its leaves, if it does. It's normal and the foliage will
come back if you keep it evenly moist, not wet, not dry.

On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:54:16 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior
wrote:

Has anyone seen the current crop of faux Bonzai at Walmart? The are
selling for $10 but I was able to pick one up for half price out of a bunch
that looked like it had freeze or sun burn. Most of them were pretty
shriveled up and sorry looking but one had some promise so, unable to
resist a plant in need, I hauled it home, trimmed off the top of the
damages branches (taking out about 1/4 to 1/3 of the plant) and now it
looks pretty respectable. The branches oozed a milky sap briefly after
being cut. I have no idea what plant this is. I suspect some sort of
ficus but I don't know ficus at all. It has a most interesting and
contorted root system.

I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:
http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd

It's the first photo in the PLANTS and GARDENS folder. (That should be the
first folder, too.)

And if anyone can tell me what Walmart pours over the gravel layer on top
of the soil that turns it into a solid, unmoveable mass, could you share
that info, too?


Thx.

FragileWarrior wrote:
Has anyone seen the current crop of faux Bonzai at Walmart? The are
selling for $10 but I was able to pick one up for half price out of a bunch
that looked like it had freeze or sun burn. Most of them were pretty
shriveled up and sorry looking but one had some promise so, unable to
resist a plant in need, I hauled it home, trimmed off the top of the
damages branches (taking out about 1/4 to 1/3 of the plant) and now it
looks pretty respectable. The branches oozed a milky sap briefly after
being cut. I have no idea what plant this is. I suspect some sort of
ficus but I don't know ficus at all. It has a most interesting and
contorted root system.

I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:
http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd

It's the first photo in the PLANTS and GARDENS folder. (That should be the
first folder, too.)

And if anyone can tell me what Walmart pours over the gravel layer on top
of the soil that turns it into a solid, unmoveable mass, could you share
that info, too?


Thx.

Did WalMart really label it "bonzai"? A plant dwarfed and shaped
through careful pruning and constraining its roots is a bonsai. See my
http://www.rossde.com/garden/index.html#misnom.

--
David E. Ross

Natural foods can be harmful: Look at all the
people who die of natural causes.

"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
...
I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:
http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd



Didn't realize you were an IW lover.
I'll use a different signature this time...


--
Toni Carroll
South Florida USA
http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com

"David E. Ross" wrote in
news
FragileWarrior wrote:
Has anyone seen the current crop of faux Bonzai at Walmart? The are
selling for $10 but I was able to pick one up for half price out of a
bunch that looked like it had freeze or sun burn. Most of them were
pretty shriveled up and sorry looking but one had some promise so,
unable to resist a plant in need, I hauled it home, trimmed off the
top of the damages branches (taking out about 1/4 to 1/3 of the
plant) and now it looks pretty respectable. The branches oozed a
milky sap briefly after being cut. I have no idea what plant this
is. I suspect some sort of ficus but I don't know ficus at all. It
has a most interesting and contorted root system.

I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:
http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd

It's the first photo in the PLANTS and GARDENS folder. (That should
be the first folder, too.)

And if anyone can tell me what Walmart pours over the gravel layer on
top of the soil that turns it into a solid, unmoveable mass, could
you share that info, too?


Thx.

Did WalMart really label it "bonzai"? A plant dwarfed and shaped
through careful pruning and constraining its roots is a bonsai. See
my http://www.rossde.com/garden/index.html#misnom.


The misspelling was mine. (Sorry 'bout that.) They labeled it a bonsai
though. I knew it wasn't but, dang, for $5, I can live with it.

Janet Baraclough wrote in
:

The message
from FragileWarrior contains these
words:

I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:
http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd

Looks like ficus retusa. Here's another pic to compare

www.bonsai-collectables.com/Ficus%20retusa.jpg


HTH Janet.

BINGO! That's it! Thank you.

(Sorry about the spelling of bonsai. Momentary insanity, I guess.

Jangchub wrote in
:

It is probably a Ficus because it is simple to get a nice knarled bark
and shape at the base in a short span of time. Don't be freaked when
it loses its leaves, if it does. It's normal and the foliage will
come back if you keep it evenly moist, not wet, not dry.


What causes the loss of leaves? I wonder if the other ones that were being
sold for $5 ea. due to their leaves being shriveled and dry are actually
going to recover?

This plant had brown spots on the leaves (not scale, the brown parts were
sort of indented into the leaves) which made me think they got cold
exposure during our recent cold snap but it's just a guess on my part.

"David E. Ross" wrote in
news
http://www.rossde.com/garden/index.html#misnom.


Okay, that must be where I came up with the alternate spelling. I confess
to being rather on the tired side when I posted. It's my only defense.

"Cearbhaill" wrote in news:aytCh.8860$e8.2854
@bignews1.bellsouth.net:


Didn't realize you were an IW lover.
I'll use a different signature this time...


--
Toni Carroll
South Florida USA
http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com


I loved them dearly but the lifespan just did me in -- especially when
the pair of sisters died just months apart. And out of three IWs, the
three causes of death were just horrible: e coli in the lungs, bone
cancer and torsion. In thirty years of owning sighthounds I had never
had ANY of those before. I'm trying out a Scottish Deerhound now to see
if the lifespan will be better. (But I love all sighthounds, actually.)

I used to walk my IW around the falls in Niagara Falls and the tourists
would LOVE to take photos of him standing up with his paws on my
shoulders. He must have photos in hundreds of countries today.

Your IWs are lovely. I miss having one around. If they could just fix
that lifespan/bone cancer problems, I'd own a dozen of them. I can't for
the life of me imagine someone giving up a pair of them because they
changed their mind about owning them. I don't think God made a better
dog in the whole world. I still remember how my male would prowl the
house each night checking on each of his humans... God forbid someone
shut their bedroom door. He'd bang on it until they answered and he
could see they were all right. There are some things that you just can't
train dogs to do... God, I miss him so much.

On 2007-02-20 07:52:10 -0500, FragileWarrior
said:

What causes the loss of leaves? I wonder if the other ones that were being
sold for $5 ea. due to their leaves being shriveled and dry are actually
going to recover?

This plant had brown spots on the leaves (not scale, the brown parts were
sort of indented into the leaves) which made me think they got cold
exposure during our recent cold snap but it's just a guess on my part.

Ficus are stupendously picky about their location. I love them but
don't own them anymore because the littlest thing can cause them to
drop leaves. Sometimes they recover, sometimes not. They don't like
to be moved, IME, and they like a certain amount of sunlight.

--
Tara

On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:52:10 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior
wrote:


What causes the loss of leaves? I wonder if the other ones that were being
sold for $5 ea. due to their leaves being shriveled and dry are actually
going to recover?

Immediate changes in light, over watering, under watering.

This plant had brown spots on the leaves (not scale, the brown parts were
sort of indented into the leaves) which made me think they got cold
exposure during our recent cold snap but it's just a guess on my part.

If the plant you posted is the plant you have, it looks healthy.
Ficus does not like to be moved around a lot. I have two large trees
and I move them indoors in winter, unless we put the greenhouse up,
then I put them in there. I didn't put up the greenhouse this year,
so...kitchen. Both lost many leaves when I moved them into a
different lighting situation. Even if you put a plant in a south
facing window, two inches from the glass, it will only get half the
direct sun it got outside.

So, your plant looks fine. If it loses leaves, it will be fine.
That's what I told you in another post. Don't worry if it happens.
Evenly moist, plenty of light, outside in summer (and it may need
several waterings a day outside in that small pot) and you'll be fine.

On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:53:23 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior
wrote:

"David E. Ross" wrote in
news
http://www.rossde.com/garden/index.html#misnom.


Okay, that must be where I came up with the alternate spelling. I confess
to being rather on the tired side when I posted. It's my only defense.

Don't worry about this, we all get this way at times. BTW, the word
bonsai means tree in pot. Sticklers will say what you have is not
bonsai, but I disagree. If you look at the girth of the trunk,
clearly this is not a young plant. It's not one of the sexier
bonsai's I've seen, but it is considered bonsai.

Jangchub wrote in
:

On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:53:23 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior
wrote:

"David E. Ross" wrote in
news
http://www.rossde.com/garden/index.html#misnom.


Okay, that must be where I came up with the alternate spelling. I
confess to being rather on the tired side when I posted. It's my only
defense.

Don't worry about this, we all get this way at times. BTW, the word
bonsai means tree in pot. Sticklers will say what you have is not
bonsai, but I disagree. If you look at the girth of the trunk,
clearly this is not a young plant. It's not one of the sexier
bonsai's I've seen, but it is considered bonsai.


Gee, if this isn't a young plant, how do they sell them so cheaply? When
you figure the length of care that the plant had to have had, the pot,
the soil, the transportation, the cost to the retailer -- how would
anyone make any money unless this plant was very young??

I never thought of a bonsai as sexy before but I see your point.
Actually the trunk on this one is better than it looks in the photo. I
was just balancing the plant and my camera and didn't catch the right
angle on it.

I only wish it didn't have the rocks epoxied to the surface of the soil!

Janet Baraclough wrote in
:

The message
from FragileWarrior contains these
words:

Jangchub wrote in
:

It is probably a Ficus because it is simple to get a nice knarled
bark and shape at the base in a short span of time. Don't be
freaked when it loses its leaves, if it does. It's normal and the
foliage will come back if you keep it evenly moist, not wet, not
dry.


What causes the loss of leaves? I wonder if the other ones that were
being sold for $5 ea. due to their leaves being shriveled and dry are
actually going to recover?

All trees shed leaves, even the most evergreen and hardy, (which
ficus is not).

Ficus is a warmclimate plant. Kept in ideal conditions it will
stay
in leaf for years, just gently shedding the oldest ones occasionally.
However, it will shed more leaves (or, all leaves) if it gets
stressed, such as chilled, dried out, or a cold draft of air. Even
indoors, houseplant ficus may suddenly drop the leaves if you move
them from one room to another where it's a bit brighter or darker. So,
if you move it, pick your moment and make it gradual, no sudden
extreme changes.

Janet


It's a wonder they use those plants for their bonsai trees then. You'd
think the shock of traveling from the distributor to Walmart and then
being hustled all around the store -- in the dead of winter, no less --
would put them ALL on the discount table in short order.

On Feb 19, 12:54 pm, FragileWarrior
wrote:
Has anyone seen the current crop of faux Bonzai at Walmart? The are
selling for $10 but I was able to pick one up for half price out of a bunch
that looked like it had freeze or sun burn. Most of them were pretty
shriveled up and sorry looking but one had some promise so, unable to
resist a plant in need, I hauled it home, trimmed off the top of the
damages branches (taking out about 1/4 to 1/3 of the plant) and now it
looks pretty respectable. The branches oozed a milky sap briefly after
being cut. I have no idea what plant this is. I suspect some sort of
ficus but I don't know ficus at all. It has a most interesting and
contorted root system.

I'd appreciate it if you would take a look at it and see if you can
identify it. Go to:http://community.webshots.com/user/deerhnd

It's the first photo in the PLANTS and GARDENS folder. (That should be the
first folder, too.)

And if anyone can tell me what Walmart pours over the gravel layer on top
of the soil that turns it into a solid, unmoveable mass, could you share
that info, too?

Thx.

I thinks it's some hybrid of a Rhododendron and something else?!?!?!?!