We are taking their love of trees one step further by partnering up with National Forest Foundation. Beginning this month, we will start donating 5% of their proceeds from certain products to benefit the efforts of this national non-profit organization.

We have been looking for ways to contribute to our community and the environment. We came across National Forest Foundation when we decided that we wanted to partner with an organization who shared our passion for trees. This is something we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time; especially since we’ve been looking for ways to give back to our community in our own special way and partnering with this amazing organization allows us to do so.

When you have a chance, take a look at our special page highlighting the products that will benefit National Forest Foundation. Helping the forests is our way of helping Mother Earth.

First, we joined Twitter to let you know what’s going on. Now, we’ve joined Facebook! We have created our own Fan Page and invite you to check us out. So you could get to know us better, we have posted pictures of a typical day at our location in Chino, CA. You can see what we do and get a sneak peek of the inside!

In addition to inviting you to be our fans, we also would like to see pictures of your plants that you have purchased from us. We want to see how they’re doing in their new home and give you a chance to showcase your inner gardener! What we hope to create is an online community where we can share pictures, discussions and reviews of bonsais, money trees and anything else Eastern Leaf related. We look forward to seeing you online and in the world of Facebook!

To view our page and become a fan: click here

In our effort to bring you the latest news and updates from our nursery including new blooming bonsai trees, seasonal plant shipments, bonsai tips, and coupons and promotions, we’ve joined Twitter.

We’ll be posting tweets regularly on other activities here at Eastern Leaf as well. We like to think we’re more than just a retail store selling plants and other gifts. We’re hoping you’ll get to know us and what we do a little better. To follow us, click on http://www.twitter.com/easternleaf.

Best,
Jason C.

It’s Spring and Satsuki Azaleas are in bloom or about to bloom. This year, we’ve made sure to carry a variety of colors including white, coral pink, and lavender. Constant pruning of your Azalea bonsai trees is important to maintaining the shape of your bonsai tree form. Azaleas that are left to grow without pruning will eventually grow long stems upon which the flowers will sprout.  By keeping your tree pruned, you will maintain the bushlike shape that is desired in smaller bonsai trees.

To avoid killing your Satsuki Azalea bonsai tree, make sure you do not overwater it. Watering too much is enough to cause your tree to wilt. Satsuki Azalea bonsai trees prefer once a week watering even when left in full sun. Twice a week watering is okay if not done overly doused.

Similar to its larger sized counterpart, the Chinese Elm bonsai tree is known to lose its leaves in the winter if kept outdoors in cold temperatures. Unfortunately, some people may think that the tree at this point is dead and may find its way into the garbage. Fortunately, Chinese Elms are extremely hardy and can sprout leaves quite easily if they are tricked into thinking it’s spring.

In order to “force” your Chinese Elm bonsai tree, you will need to create a greenhouse atmosphere during the day to keep the tree extremely warm, above 85 degrees. This can be done with a glass dome or tabletop greenhouses. Using a humidity tray will also allow the water to evaporate and create a humid environment as well. At night, ensure that the tree does not get below 50 degrees.

Keeping your tree in these conditions will eventually “force” the tree to sprout new buds. The buds will then full sprout after a few weeks and produce light green, soft leaves.

It is important to fertilize your bonsai tree properly for greener growth. However, when specific bonsai fertilizer is unavailable or you have run out, there is still a way to fertilize your bonsai.

Rice water, or the water you use to rinse your rice before cooking, contains beneficial nutrients that are washed away from the rice grains.  These nutrients when added to the topsoil of a bonsai tree can act as a temporary alternative to bonsai fertilizer. It is still recommended that proper fertilizer be used to give the tree all its necessary nutrients.

So next time you’re cooking a pot of rice, save the water rather than flush it down the drain. Not only do you conserve water but you end up with a nice fertilizer for your bonsai trees.

During the winter, it’s easy for your bonsai to get too cold and hibernate. You’ll notice this when the leaves start turning yellow and falling off. However, not all bonsai will do this and there are sometimes ways to prevent this from happening at all.

Generally, the easiest way to keep your bonsai from “catching cold” is to water them during the daytime when the sun is out. This will ensure that the bonsai soil will not get too cold, and therefore bring the temperature of the entire tree down. However, please remember it is still very important to water your bonsai daily if the tree requires it. Otherwise, the tree may actually be dying and not hibernating. If your tree must hibernate because of the climate conditions, watering requirements will decrease sometimes to only once a week. Pay close attention to the soil conditions for best results.

For detailed information on how your bonsai is doing with respect to the temperature, we recommend a soil thermometer. It will indicate when your bonsai may be reaching the lower threshold. Assuming that it is, it may be time to either bring the bonsai into a greenhouse to keep them at their optimal temperature.

Individual bonsai species will vary as to how they react to the cold climate. For example, junipers enjoy living through the snow. Bonsai trees are very hardy. Even if the tree does decide to hibernate and the leaves do fall off, keeping them well watered and maintained will ensure that the leaves return fully in spring.

Qi, sometimes spelled Chi, is thought to represent the body’s natural energy flow. Some Asian cultures believe that maintaining a formal balance of Chi within your body will strengthen your body and mind.

Since water is essential to life, feng shui practitioners believe it is closely tied with a person’s chi.  The natural sound of running water can help ease your mind and subconsciously remind the body that it is close to its natural elements. Therefore, it is beneficial to have water flow or running water in your home or office.

To include water in your home or office, many people create ponds, design water landscapes, place fountains, or even use a fish tank. The running water is thought to help promote a calming balanced atmosphere as well help bring good fortune.

Have fun and experiment. You may find that the sound of running water may help ease your mind as well.

Traditional Feng Shui practitioners believe that the number of lucky bamboo stalks has meaning when put together in an arrangement, especially when given as gift. Luckily for us, almost any number of stalks in a lucky bamboo arrangement imparts luck or fortune in some way. Below are some common interpretations.

2 lucky bamboo - represents love
3 lucky bamboo - represents happiness
5 lucky bamboo - conveys good health
6 lucky bamboo - more happiness
7 lucky bamboo - seven is always thought of a lucky number
8 lucky bamboo - In Asian culture, the number 8 is viewed similarly to the number 7, in that it conveys luck of wealth.
9 lucky bamboo - conveys good fortune
21 lucky bamboo - encompasses all (health, happiness, wealth, and fortune)

But it never hurts to have a little more luck or lucky bamboo. Good luck.

Bugs, for most of us they are to be squished upon contact, for some a scream and “get away from me!” reaction, and for the few as pets. But no matter how you look at it, we all have to live with them on this planet which we, and them, consider as home. Did you know that more than a million species have been classified while an estimated 20+ millions are unclassified? That potentially makes up over 80% of all various life forms on this planet!

For some of you out there, it is hard to believe that there are actually good bugs but following are some good samples. Lady bugs are welcomed by gardeners and are even sold at local gardening stores to help keep plants from being attacked by aphids since these are their favorite food. For the bad such as a bald-faced hornet which can leave you a painful sting, they help to rid of flies, yellow jackets, and can pollinate some plants. Even for the ugly such as the Assassin bug, they help to feed on mosquitoes, flies, and caterpillars.

So the next time you are picking up a newspaper or spray can to take out that bug, perhaps it would be better to reconsider what other types of pests it can possibly rid of for you and save yourself the trouble.