I'm not sure I'd bother. Enjoy them now while in bloom, then toss. Tulips flowering now have been forced and while that doesn't mean they can't survive long term, it will take time to regain sufficient bulb energy to produce new flowers. And most hybrid tulips - the ones most commonly found potted up and in bloom at this time of year - are not very perennial in the garden anyway. They don't come back reliably or if they do, produce only sporadic bloom and many gardeners treat them as annuals and replant fresh each year. Even in my area, which is home to the largest commercial tulip bulb fields outside of Holland, it's nearly impossible to get potted tulips to thrive and rebloom in the garden.

Oops - you would have been way better off (sorry!) to have left it in the ground where it would a) grow much faster, b) have the benefit of all outdoor things trees need, like natural light and humidity, gradually changing temperatures, nutrients, rain, etc.etc. and c) experience the cold dormancy it needs to survive winters. Plus, unfortunately, it really doesn't make a good bonsai - growth habits are counterproductive. For the future, potting soil makes a lousy mix for potted anything (including house plants!) as it's full of water hogging peat that interferes with good drainage and 02 use by plants when it (eventually) compacts. Bonsai can't be treated like house plants in any case on many levels, and there is a lot to learn about a lot before you either dig up trees randomly at the wrong times of year (such as now), or spend money on potted things in stores without really knowing how to keep them alive at home (and it doesn't take long before they succumb to bad management). Of course you're new, we all were and have killed many things along the way - you can't know what you don't know, including even what to ask about, so start reading basics like bonsai4me.com, more expert stuff on tropicals from bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html and more of the same on conifers and other trees that need to live outside 24/7/365 (evergreengardenworks.com).

Hi! I’m sure someone can help me! This tree was full and beautiful. Then I gave it new soil and I think it was over fertilized! From the bottom to about half way up, the leaves turned brown and fell off including the stems. Top I saved somehow. Does anyone know how to get the mid-section to grow back or should I just cut it back down and start over? I cut the second stem a few days ago and waiting for it to bud! What’s the guarantee it will grow back? Help! We’ve had this tree some 2007!

Congrats on your new banana! Bananas grow best outside during the summer months, esp when the heat and humidity are the highest. Since you stated that you live in an apartment, planting outside or putting the pot outside is probably not an option. For the pot size and rooting, I would tend to favor a wider pot, but less depth. The reason is during the winter months, bananas are very susceptible to root rot. The deeper the pot, the more water remains in the bottom. Bananas use much less water in the winter months. I would replant your banana in a bigger pot, but consider more width and less depth. Cavendish bananas are more prone to rotting than most other varieties. Any kind of potting soil is good. I myself use Miracle Grow. Generally, you want a well draining soil. Misting is good, but humidity is better. Misting is preferred in the winter months, during times of low humidity. Air conditioning will obviously lowers the room temperature and with that, you get drier air. I myself do not like air conditioning, except for the computer room that I have all my computer stuff in. Since you have the pot in the apt all the time, try to leave some windows open for humidity in the summer and mist as much as you can in the winter months. Yes, bananas are prone to spider mites. I've only owned a few varieties of bananas. Super Dwarf Cavendish, Ice Cream, Dwarf Orinoco and Basjoo bananas. Out of all of these, to me my Super Dwarf Cavendish ( SDC ) have had problems with spider mites. Why, I don't know. For spider mites, a solution of warm water with some dish detergent mixed in helps if you SPRAY this solution on the plant. In the winter, do not fertilize. Water very lightly. Wait till the top inch and a half is dry. Like I said above, the Cavendish varieties of bananas are very prone to excess watering and can cause rot. Since your banana is in a pot, cut off the leaves and discard when they are fully brown. It will help your plant look neater and dead leaves in the pot will contribute to pests. The leaf, when dead cannot process any sunlight needed for photosynthesis. As far as which window, pick one which receives the MOST sunlight. Any kind of banana will fruit, provided the main stem ( psuedostem )does not die. There are a certain amount of leaves that are needed to grow before the plant flowers. In your case, you may need anywhere from 32-40 leaves during the growth process before flowering occurs. You may notice that your banana will produce small offsprings which we call here, pups. Try to keep the pups to a minimum of 3. I would wait till summer when the banana is actively growing to separate the pups from the mother plant. This involves cutting the pup down to the root level and cutting off a piece of the corm with it. The newly cut pup may be repotted in another potor discarded. You could always give away the new bananas to whomever wants a banana. I only say this because keeping the number of pups to a minimum will help the banana to flower. There is no harm in letting all the pups grow. The corm is the main part of the banana which is located in the soil. It looks like a tulip bulb, but it isn't a bulb. From the corm grow the roots downward and the stem upward. Did you know that the banana is actually a herb. The stem is not a real trunk, unlike a tree since it has no bark. The stem is actually all of the leaves that compose of the stem and will eventually grow out to produce leaves.