A Bonsai tree makes a very interesting and attractive conversation piece. Growing and caring for your bonsai will quickly become a passion! They offer a wonderful hobby and a great stress reliever and can even help purify the air in your home.
Light:
Good daylight is necessary to keep your tree healthy. In the summer, when the sun is hot, and the soil dries out quicker, keep your tree in a partly shaded area. This will help the tree retain moisture. In the winter, do the opposite. Place the tree in a bright and sunny window that can help prevent it from staying too wet. Never place your plant in the direct flow of a heater or air conditioner, this will cause it to dry out very quickly.
Water:
The bonsai tree should be watered by placing the pot in a bowl of water (or a humidity tray). When all of the soil has absorbed water, bubbles will stop forming in the water, and the tree should be removed. This should be done about once a week, or as needed. Bonsai soil should never be soaking wet as this can rot the roots, but it should not be dry and crumbly either.
Feeding:
We always recommend feeding your bonsai. Please feed with a bonsai fertiliser – other general plant foods can be too strong for the bonsai and may scorch the roots. If using a liquid bonsai feed we would recommend feeding once a week to once a fortnight during the spring, summer, and autumn. Reduce the feeding to approximately once a month in mid-winter mwhen it is barely growing. It is particularly important to feed flowering bonsai.
Compost:
Bonsai trees require a special bonsai compost which is available at Perrywood.
Trimming:
The trimming of a bonsai plant is very important so that it grows correctly into the desired shape. Leaves and branches can be trimmed to help the plant grow the way you’d like it to. Spring is the best time to hard prune – remove all the straggly shoots.
If the wrong leaf or branch is trimmed, the shape of the tree can be altered severely. Sharp scissors should be used to avoid causing damage to the tree. Sharp tools will make a clean cut and leave the tree healthy.
Potting:
A bonsai tree will not be healthy or grow well if the pot is not the proper size. As a general rule, the width of the pot should be 1/3
of the height of the tree and the depth of the pot should be about the same height as the trunk of the tree. Your tree will need to be re-potted to a larger pot annually if it is growing properly.
Top Tip:
Never let them dry out! This will ensure a healthy and vibrant bonsai.
