These days, it seems like you can find bonsai trees everywhere. Even local supermarket has bonsai trees for sale. We call this trees "mallsai."
What is a Mallsai Tree?
A maillsai tree is a bonsai tree that is left in a department store and are available at a cheaper price than you would normally find from a reputable bonsai tree nursery. In most cases, these poor trees were almost dead before going to their final resting place, the department store shelf.
Often, the stones have been glued to the moss so they won't fall off during the shipping process, making water penetration into the soil impossible. Frequently, the special care instructions have been lost, giving the plant the anonymity of an orphan. Without a name, it is difficult to figure out where they are from, or what sort of climate, feeding, or watering schedule they need to survive.
Or if you put it another way, a mallsai tree is the a bonsai tree whose next destination is the mulcher. There likely wasn't anything you could have done to bring the tree back to its former living self.
Don't Let a Mallsai Tree Determine Your Attitude Toward a Real Bonsai Tree
If you and your first tree have been the victims of the mallsai industry, don't be discouraged. Try again, but this time with a real bonsai tree from a retailer that understands that a bonsai tree is a living plant and not a decoration.
If your tree does not have a name or care instructions and the retailer can't supply this for you, don't buy it; it will likely die or is already dying. We have an entire community dedicated to helping you. See for yourself at www.Learning2Bonsai.com
Bonsai Outlet Trees Ship Direct from the Grower!
Don't let mallsai get you down. Make sure you order a bonsai tree from a specialty bonsai retailer who knows how to raise and care for a bonsai tree. With the right support, you can rekindle your enthusiasm and let yourself become the expert bonsai gardener you dreamed of being.