Lucky bamboo naturally grow straight. However, spiral, curled, and braided lucky bamboo varieties must be trained to reach their final shape. In order to do so, ideal conditions must be met during the growing process.  The humid wetlands of China and Indonesia make training lucky bamboo the perfect environment.

When bamboo growers harvest the lucky bamboo, the stalks are cut according to their desired length. Once the stalk is cut, the bamboo stalks will not continue to grow any longer, rather only the leaves will continue to flourish. The grower then applies a wax over the fresh cut, which protects the plant from diseases and seals in the moisture. After applying the wax, the farmer applies a rooting hormone to the base of the stalk, which helps the bamboo to properly absorb water and nutrients.
Once a strong root system is developed, the farmer can train the bamboo into various shapes and curls. The key element is natural sunlight. The growth pattern of the stalks is that it will bend itself to reach a single light source. As the lucky bamboo grows, the farmer will observe the growth and rotate the bamboo several times toward the sunlight creating the desired shape.

The process of training lucky bamboo takes years to form. With time, care, patience, and effort, Lucky Bamboo farmers create the beautiful twist of art we all have learned to appreciate.

Bonsai trees require full time care. The most important aspects in growing and caring for your bonsai includes watering, humidity, lighting, temperature, fertilization, and air and soil circulation. If the leaves of your bonsai turn yellow, here are some common causes:

1) Natural Aging of the leaves: To make way for new growth from the leaf axils, the bonsai tree will naturally discard older leaves and develop a healthier set of new leaves. To promote new growth, make sure you moderate the watering, temperature and lighting of your tree.

2) Change of environment: The leaves of the bonsai will defoliate if their environment is changed. This typically occurs during transportation. The dropping of the leaves is the natural result of being in a low-light environment. It will take sometime for the bonsai to re-adapt to their new environment.

3) Watering: If the plant is not receiving enough moisture in the soil, the leaves of the bonsai will wither. To prevent root-dehydration make sure the watering of the bonsai is evenly distributed throughout the soil and the leaves. Do not allow the roots of your bonsai tree to become dried out.

4) Lighting: The bonsai should receive an adequate amount of lighting. A mixture of too much or too little light moisture can cause the leaves of the bonsai to turn yellow or brown. The leaves require a sufficient amount of natural sunlight to allow for the process of photosynthesis. The best location is in a south or west-facing window that is un-shaded by buildings or trees. Refer to your particular tree for exact lighting requirements.

Watering plays a crucial role in providing successful care for your bonsai tree. Newcomers to the art of bonsais usually lose their first plant to improper watering. Some bonsai experts say watering is a skill that is mastered over a lifetime. To begin in the right direction for proper watering, the bonsai should be checked daily for soil moisture. To check the moisture you can use a Moisture/Light meter. If you do not own a moisture/light meter, a simple test to check whether or not your bonsai needs watering is to stick your finger or a wooden stick an inch or so down into the soil. If the soil feels or looks moist, you do not need to water the bonsai. If you are located in an unstable temperature area, soil moisture should be checked about twice a day. The goal of watering your bonsai tree is to provide moderate moister to the soil and the roots of the bonsai tree. The soil should not be dry or soaked. The amount of watering will vary depending on the size of the bonsai tree and the specific species of bonsai tree. Make sure you adjust your watering accordingly.

Overhead watering is the most natural way for a plant to receive water. By watering from the top of the plant you will be able mimic natural rain. When overhead watering, you will want to use a fine rose spray. The rose spray can be achieved by using a watering can or using the spray dial on your water hose. The ideal time for watering would be once a day in the morning. If your soil does need to be watered twice a day, then morning and evening would be the best times. Remember, with a little patience and focus you will be able to master the art of watering your bonsai tree in no time!

Autumn:

For the duration of autumn, red, brown and yellow leaves will begin to appear. These leaves will eventually fall off as the winter season comes closer.

Winter:

During winter, some people may think that the tree at this point is dead and may find its way into the garbage. Throughout winter, the leaves of the bonsai tree will fall off and result in an implication of bare branches, as it begins to make way for a new growth cycle of leaves in the summer. During this cold season, it is important to keep the tree in a warm area where the tree can receive an adequate amount of filtered sunlight for the longest period of the day. Fortunately, deciduous bonsai trees are extremely hardy and can sprout leaves quite easily if they are tricked into thinking it is spring. In order to “force” your deciduous bonsai trees, 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.

Spring:

During spring you will begin to see the formation of new buds on the bonsai tree. Beginning of early spring, you need to check if the winter season has caused any damaged on the tree. Check if the roots, twigs and branches are all in tact and have not rotted. After you have checked the condition of the tree and everything is in tact you want to see which bonsai trees need repotting. Deciduous trees should be repotted in the early spring, and evergreens can be repotted three or four weeks later. By late spring, you can begin pruning the deciduous trees. To prune the leaves of these trees we advise you to allow the branch to grow a few sets of leaves before pruning the leaves. To ensure proper growth of the branch you should cut diagonally. Spring is also a great time of year for spring cleaning and restocking of any care supplies you might need for your bonsai tree. If you are planning on attending any bonsai workshops, spring would be the best time.

Summer:

As summer approaches, bright green foliage will begin to arise. By this time, you will need to begin watering regularly as the intensity of the weather is increased. During the early summer watering once a day will be sufficient enough. As the temperatures during summer increases you can increase to two or three times a day depending on the type of tree. Summer also is a great time to prune and pinch the leaves of your trees.

What is a better way to bring in the new year, than feng shui-ing your bedroom! Here are the top five common feng shui tips to creating a harmonious energy bursting bedroom:

1) Create a well balanced ying and yang bed layout –Having a well balanced bed is key to creating a harmonious space. You want your bed to be your bed approachable from both sides with one bed side table on each side and avoid placing the bed in a direct line with the door

2) Pictures are worth a million words – Choose photos you would want

to see happening in your life for your bed room, as these images provide and create a powerful feng shui force for your mental state in mind

3) Relax with a splash of soothing color – Correspond your bedroom décor with the use of relaxing “skin colors”, such as creamy brown to provide for a soothing flow of energy for sleep

4) Arrange different dimensions and levels of lighting – Lighting for any room provide for a strong effect on the final display and energy level of the room. To create these levels of lighting, you could use dimmers or candles.

5) Remove distracting electronics (i.e. exercise equipment, television, or computer) from your bedroom– The presented electronic items will interfere with the feng shui energy in your sanctuary place of rest and relaxation.

In the midst of the pre-holiday season slowly creeping up on us, there are a majority of us out there who are stressing to find the perfect gift for the special individual.  Then, there are those who give similar gifts every year and want to give something different this year but have nothing in mind. Give a truly unique gift of a Bonsai!  Not only is it an art of beauty but it will always leave them thinking of you every time they look at it.

Worried whether or not they will be able to take care of the Bonsai?  Don’t worry we have a vast selection of Bonsai for every individual at any level.

For people interested in a minimal maintenance bonsai, we recommend Boxwoods and Ficus bonsai trees. Both of these Bonsais require minimal watering.  Boxwoods and Ficus bonsai trees are a great decorative bonsai for the preoccupied recipient.

However, for those who are beginners or those interested in starting bonsai as a hobby, Elms, Junipers, and Flowering Azaleas would be most suitable.  These trees require basic care, including daily watering and maintaining basic light levels. Chinese Elms trees are most prized for their foliage and trunk shape and textures. Junipers are the most popular bonsai variety and the traditional species associated with Bonsai. Flowering Bonsai can add a touch of extraordinary beauty with its blooming flowers twice a year.

Our unique trees are great for the experienced Bonsai cultivator.  We ship the exact tree pictured when purchasing a unique tree. This way, the recipient can start with a general shape and carefully train and prune them further.

Hopefully this will help guide you to purchase the perfect bonsai depending on the recipient’s lifestyle and preference.  If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to call us.  Happy Shopping!

As we come upon October 24, 2009, we would like to thank all the past and current customers and clients of Eastern Leaf over the last 5 years. We would not have been able to grow and continue to offer our unique selection of products if not for your support. Our warehouse has grown to get your gifts to your recipients quicker and our staff has grown to help you answer your questions.

We hope that the products and gift plants that we offer in our store continue to help brighten your living spaces. We look forward to bringing more earthy friendly products in the coming years! If you ever have questions regarding caring for your tree or need help picking a gift, please do not hesitate to call us.

Our mascots Mitter and Piyo thank you as well. (Piyo pictured in our nursery)

Sincerely,
Jason & Renee

With the hustle and bustle of every day activities, bonsai can provide you with a closer connection to nature. Similar to meditation, some have found that cultivating, pruning, and training bonsai help relax the mind and easy the stress from a typical workday. By focusing on the bonsai, you focus your attention away from your daily work anxieties and only toward the bonsai itself.

The Zen experience you feel is when you develop your inner peace through working with the plant. This can take the form of relaxing the tensions in your mind and by practicing controlled breathing. Although this may work for some, sometimes just appreciating the bonsai is enough to ease your stress.

So next time you are working with your bonsai, slow down and take the time to fully enjoy your tree.

August is that time of the year where it’s time to send the new high school grads to college. With the coming months of studying, it’s nice to have something lively on their desk to brighten their work area and hopefully generate some serenity to their hectic schedule.

With all the hustle and bustle of starting school, we know it’s tough to maintain a plant, let alone a bonsai tree. That’s why we recommend the Ficus bonsai tree, a true bonsai but with more forgiving bonsai care requirements. Ficus bonsai trees require moderate watering, and thrive in indoor desk settings. Pairing it with a bonsai tree humidity tray will ensure that they don’t water their homework as well.

We’d thought it would be helpful to share some information about how we package our plants especially since we’re on the cusp of a hot summer. Getting your plant safely to you is our top priority. At Eastern Leaf, we take great care and precaution in how we package our trees and plants. Our packaging department has designed custom boxes and packaging for shipping bonsai trees and plants. For hotter states, venting holes are also punched into to the box to allow air circulation for your plant.

On to presentation…our presentation is one of the best in the industry. We package items in a way that the recipient feels like they are opening a gift when they receive their package from us. Pop the top, and your plant is in plain view without the need to remove hoards of packaging peanuts. However, we admit on occasion we do have to use packaging peanuts. In that event, we make sure to use only recycled material.

So if you’re considering buying a tree from us or as a gift, you’ll know that it will get there safely and gift presentable.