Company Policy:
Company Policy
Our Guarantee. We guarantee our bonsai trees
to be well established and healthy. Due to the requirements to properly maintain a bonsai, no guarantee is expressed or implied after they leave our care.
Claims for damaged shipments. We are not responsible for damage or delays after the carrier takes possession of the shipment. Claims for delays or any damage caused by the carrier must be made within 24 hours of delivery of the shipment. Please remember to keep all of the packagings as the carrier may want to inspect these.
Returns. No returns accepted on bonsai trees, bonsai tree
starters, collected trees, soils, and aggregate. All other merchandise returns must be unused in original condition and packaging & within 30 days of purchase. A restocking fee of 25% (minimum of $15.00) will be assessed. No return accepted without a Return Authorization Number; please call us to obtain one and be sure to note the number on all sides of your return package. Purchaser is responsible for return shipping charges.
Days of shipment. We normally ship trees on Monday and Tuesday. This allows enough time for the shipment to arrive safely and not sit in a hot or cold facility over a weekend. We ship all other items by the next business day after the credit card charge clears. Special arrangements can be made for overnight or next-day air shipping. Please contact us via email. Due to the hazards of shipping, all large pots will be shipped "Adult Signature Required" so that your boxes will not be "thrown over your fence". If you need a guaranteed delivery date around a holiday, UPS and FedEx guaranteed the next day can add approximately $150.00 to regular shipping costs; please contact us directly concerning this.
WE CANNOT SHIP TREES TO P.O. BOXES. We ship trees to the 48 contiguous United States. We do not ship trees, soils, or aggregates to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, or APO/FPO addresses. Due to agricultural restrictions, we do not ship bonsai, nursery stock, soils, and aggregates outside the USA.
ALL ORDERS OUTSIDE THE USA. Because of the large variation in shipping options and charges for orders outside the USA, please email your address, items you wish to order, and desired method of shipping. We will calculate the charges and email you. If the cost of shipping is acceptable to you, we will ship your order as soon as we receive your WESTERN UNION WIRE TRANSFER payment. All duty fees and extra charges from your country are your responsibility.
Confidentiality: We do not under any circumstances share, trade, or sell your name, email address, or any other information about you to anyone!
How do I take proper care of my bonsai tree?
Watering: The main reasons for a bonsai's destruction are over-frequency watering or scheduled watering instead of watering when necessary. So we strongly recommend the proper type of watering can (or watering wand for large collections); one with a long neck and a very fine rosette. This will generate enough force to drive the water down through the soil, dissolving fertilizer and pushing out the old air, and sucking in fresh. We do not recommend regular nursery-style watering cans. The spray from these is just too heavy for bonsai. We have a sign posted in our store for beginners: "The first thing you will need for your bonsai tree is the proper watering can. The second is a book for the rest of the story." An inexpensive book for beginners is "Bonsai 101". It will put a lot of information in your hands at a minimal cost. We see a very high success rate when beginners have these two things.
Sanderson Creek Bonsai Courtyard
GENERAL CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
What we narrate below are the basic horticultural requirements for your bonsai tree. Bonsai is an intricate and studied art form. It is advisable to read as many books on the subject as possible, join a local bonsai society, and subscribe to ‘American Bonsai Society’ magazine and/or ‘Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Magazine’ in order to learn how to shape, style, prune, wire, etc. In doing so, we learn how to transform our tree-in-a-pot bonsai into the realm of art. Just letting the bonsai tree grow bigger and untrained is not the object of bonsai.
BONSAI -- You must pay attention to your bonsai tree's individual needs!
1. IF YOU HAVE A TROPICAL/SUBTROPICAL (INDOOR) TREE:
a. INDOORS YEAR ROUND B sunny/bright location for 8-10 hours (do not set directly on a window sill, set it back 1-2 feet), avoid drafts, water with BonsaiPro mix in one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette. Strongly recommend fluorescent lamp 2-3 feet away 10-12 hours daily. Okay to mist moss and bonsai tree daily with water and/or K-L-N mix. Generally requires repotting every 2-3 years.
-- OR --
b. INDOORS WHEN COLD (50° and below) and OUTDOORS WHEN WARM
(1) When indoors: sunny/bright location for 8-10 hours (do not sit directly on the window sill, set it back 1-2 feet), avoid drafts, water with BonsaiPro mix in one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette. Strongly recommend fluorescent lamp 2-3 feet away 10-12 hours daily. Okay to mist moss and bonsai tree daily with water and/or K-L-N mix.
(2) When outdoors: water with BonsaiPro mix in one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette every 1 to 3 days depending upon the season (extreme heat, may require watering at least once a day); mist with Neem Oil mix weekly; mist with Grow Juice weekly. Generally requires repotting every 2-3 years.
2. IF YOU HAVE AN EVERGREEN OR DECIDUOUS (OUTDOOR) TREE:
a. EVERGREEN (softwood) - AM sun & PM shade; avoid windy locations; protect from summer and winter extremes; water with BonsaiPro mix in one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette every 1 to 3 days depending upon the season (extreme heat, may require watering at least once a day), but, during hot weather, water with Pro-Tekt mix in a proper watering container; mist with Grow Juice weekly. Place solid fertilizers on top of the soil. During extreme heat, pines shut down so they may need only misting with water. Generally require repotting every 5-7 years. Green mound junipers are recommended outdoors, however, we have had people tell us that they have successfully grown them indoors (but we don't recommend it).
b. DECIDUOUS (hardwood) - AM sun & PM shade; avoid windy locations; protect from summer extremes; in winter, place in a cold frame or unheated garage, water enough to keep moist then when bonsai tree awakes for spring with BonsaiPro mix in one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette every 1 to 3 days depending upon the season (extreme heat, may require watering at least once a day), but, during hot weather, water with Pro-Tekt mix in one of our watering cans; mist with Grow Juice weekly. Generally require repotting every 3-5 years.
3. HOW TO WATER:
a. When your bonsai tree is indoors, place it on a tray filled with tray rock (see example below). To water: lift bonsai tree off the tray, hold over the sink, water the entire soil surface using one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette until water comes out the bottom drainage holes (twice), after the initial flush of water from holes, place it back on the tray rock in the tray so that remaining sporadic droplets can be absorbed and released later as humidity.
b. When your bonsai tree is outdoors, can be watered in place, no tray is necessary. Water the entire soil surface using one of our water cans with a microfine rosette until water comes out the bottom drainage holes (twice)
4. MIXTURES
a. BONSAI PRO mix: Fill a clean gallon container with water (rainwater/distilled water is best and mix in a 1/4 teaspoon of Bonsai Pro. Pour this mix into your watering container, thoroughly water your bonsai, then pour any remaining mix back into the gallon container, cap it, and set it aside till next watering. This mix will stay stable until you use it up, i.e. it will not weaken or go bad.
b. K-L-N mix - for use with stressed bonsai trees
and at repotting and can also be used in misting. Mix a capful in a quart spray bottle of water.
c. PRO-TEKT mix - used to greatly increase bonsai trees' resistance to temperature/humidity changes. Mix a capful in 1-gallon water.
d. NEEM OIL mix-mix in a quart spray bottle of water, 1 1/2 capfuls of Neem Oil, and a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, then agitate or shake till mixed. Is a natural means of insect control.
e. GROW JUICE - in 1-gallon water, mix 1 tablespoon each: Liquid Fish, Liquid Seaweed, Horticultural Molasses, and apple cider vinegar. Is a natural means of foliar/systemic feeding and
EXAMPLE OF TRAY ROCK IN TRAY:
SAIKEI –
The soil mix is different from our standard bonsai tree soil in order to make it easier for a novice to care for Saikei. Drying soil, leaf droop, and bud or flower wilt are sure indicators that you need to water. Do not keep the soil too wet or too dry, just evenly moist.
Touch the soil, if dry it needs water; watch for leaf droop and/or flower wilt, it needs water – we highly recommend you keep it moist using our water container with a fine rosette and Bonsai-Pro mix.
To water: lift the pot off the tray, hold it over the sink, water the entire soil surface using one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette until water comes out of the bottom drainage holes, after the initial flush of water from holes, place it back on the tray.
TINY TRAY SCAPES - Mist with Bonsai Pro mix in a spray water bottle.
AZALEA BONSAI –
The soil mix is different from our standard bonsai tree soil in order to make it easier for a novice to care for Azaleas. Drying soil, leaf droop, and/or bud or flower wilt are sure indicators that you need to water.
Touch the soil and if it is dry, it needs water; watch for leaf droop and/or flower wilt, it needs water – we highly recommend you keep it moist using our water container with a fine rosette and Bonsai-Pro mix.
Especially when they are flowering: If you are leaving for a few days, all you have to do is set the tree in a tub of water that will come halfway up the side of the pot and it will be just fine till you return. This is different than with regular bonsai!
Remember when in heavy air conditioning, the ambient air moisture is greatly reduced – so keep these trees moist to maintain their flower.
Your Azalea will be much happier in a 70-80 degree environment and not in full sun.
To water: lift bonsai tree off the tray, hold over the sink, water the entire soil surface using one of our watering cans with a microfine rosette until water comes out the bottom drainage holes, after the initial flush of water from holes, place it back on the tray. If it does dry out too much and the flowers have wilted, place in a tub of water overnight (or sometimes a little longer, if necessary) and the tree will rehydrate.
IF AZALEA IS KEPT INDOORS, you may want to put ice around the root ball when water is required. Just let the ice melt and it will gently water your bonsai.
