Bonsai Plant Care
Bonsai Plants are Still Very Popular!
If you’re planning on trying out this ever-popular trend, read the following tips on basic care for bonsai plants.
You will need to determine whether your bonsai is a tropical or an outdoor hardy plant such as a maple, pine, juniper or boxwood. These outdoor plants require outdoor growing methods for best growth and should only be brought inside for a short period of display before taking it back outside.
Sunlight is very important to the bonsai plant and most will need a southern or eastern facing window for ample light. Proper watering is also an important component for good growth. Because a bonsai is typically grown in a small pot, it will dry out quicker and will require more frequent watering. Once a day is usually sufficient but if it is hot, it may need more. During watering, allow the water to drain out the bottom of the pot. If the water drains out immediately after you water, the soil is probably dried out. You can soak the pot to rehydrate the plant.
Fertilizing is essential for the health of a bonsai. Even though the bonsai plants are meant to be small, applying the right fertilizer will allow the plant to continue to produce new leaves and roots. Apply a water soluble fertilizer during the growing season such as 20-20-20, or use a time-released fertilizer. The latter method will generally last the entire growing season.
Pruning and trimming the plant is crucial to keeping the plant small. You’ll need to remove as much of the new growth in the spring and periodically throughout the season, leaving enough leaves to maintain the strength of the plant. If you are planning on re-potting your bonsai, the best time to do this is also in the spring before it begins actively growing. Remove the heavy, old roots while keeping the younger feeder roots.
Training and trimming a bonsai takes a lot of practice but with a little research to help guide you through the process you can be very successful!
Good luck with your bonsai adventure!
Bonsai Soil Mix is available at Herbein’s in a 2 qt. bag JUST $10.99!
