Contents:

  1. What is the Tree Care FAQ?

  2. How can I get involved?

  3. Why are copies of posts included in the FAQ?

  4. Species care guidelines

  5. Index of common names

  6. Search all the FAQs by keyword

1. What is the Tree Care FAQ?

The Tree Care FAQ is a response to the need of the members of the bonsai listserver and newsgroup for a central source of tree care information. It is compiled by Sabrina L. Caine, who can be reached at rcaine@acsu.buffalo.edu, with thanks to Doug Thomas for setting up and maintaining this web page. It consists of guidelines for the care of tree species as compiled from postings on the list/newsgroup and some standard bonsai reference works. The FAQ is a work in progress; as new guidlines are compiled, they will be added to this web page. The posts are included by kind permission, and the posters retain the copyrights to their included material.

These summaries may be freely distributed (that's what they're for!) but if you wish to republish them noncommercially (ie. in a club newsletter etc.) please contact me for permission. Commercial republication is a no-no as the copyright complications would be a horrible mess.

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2. How can I get involved?

By posting information on the "Tree of the Week" to the bonsai listserver or newsgroup. A new "Tree of the Week" (or six!) is posted weekly to these sources. In addition, drafts of information to be included in the FAQ are posted for final commentary. Alternately, information may be e-mailed directly to the FAQ keeper. I also accept information on trees already in the FAQ, and will update current species guidelines as the need arises. Please include a statement to the effect of "This post may be incorporated into the Tree Care FAQ to be republished for general distribution." Finally, you can post comments directly to the individual species care pages.

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3. Why are copies of posts included in the FAQ?

Including the relevant portions of the responses to "Tree of the Week" has the disadvantage of making the FAQ a good bit longer. However, members of the newsgroup/list initially expressed concern about the quality of information in the FAQ - how could one be sure that the information given is reliable? In addition, because local growing conditions vary so greatly, what works for a grower of a given tree in a hot, dry climate might not work for me in cold, rainy Buffalo. And when trees are moved from their native habitats, they tend to be more susceptible to pests, blights etc. because they have no natural resistances, and may be weakened by growth in a non-ideal habitat. Finally, trees are not all identical, and occasionally exhibit behavior out of the norm for the species. Thus, I felt that including the entire range of answers as an addendum to the general species care summary would allow for a fuller range of information to be available, and would allow the reader to judge the quality of information for him/herself.

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