Bonsai Care

Bonsai is a Japanese art form which consists of small trees, usually grown in containers, that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Caring for a Bonsai tree is not as hard as is commonly thought. However, there are a few basic bonsai care guidelines that have to be followed when watering, fertilizing and repotting your trees.

You can either buy a bonsai or cultivate your own.

Watering Your Bonsai

Watering is essential for the best growth and development of your Bonsai Tree. Properly watering your bonsai tree is the key to keeping it healthy and alive. How often a tree needs to be watered depends on several factors, like species of tree, size of tree, size of pot, time of year, soil-mixture and climate. Therefore, you need to observe your trees individually to understand how you can get Bonsai watering done right.

The most common mishap when it comes to bonsai trees is under-watering. Most bonsai trees are grown in a shallow container, meaning that it is prone to drying out very quickly. Bonsai trees should be watered right when the top layer of soil appears dry. It’s always best to water each of your bonsai plants individually, instead of sticking to a routine. Your tree may need watering once a week or once a day!

Due to the shallow containers, there can also be an issue with how much water is reaching the root system. To ensure proper saturation, keep watering until water escapes through the draining holes. To allow for proper draining, many bonsai trees come with a tray to collect excess water. This water should be removed after an hour so that the roots are not sitting directly in water for a long time.

Watch out for over-watering as well! Symptoms of an over-watered bonsai include yellow leaves and shriveling of smaller branches. Over-watering can result from poor-draining soil or clogged up draining holes.

Repotting Your Bonsai

Bonsai trees need regular repotting. This should be done when the soil gets too compact and hard to the touch. Compact soil is beneficial to bonsai trees, it helps to slow down growth and promote maturity. However, this is only good for your bonsai until the soil gets too hard to get enough water to the roots.

The new soil will supply the tree with new nutrients that it needs to grow and flourish. As new bonsai roots are produced, the older bonsai roots should be pruned because they become ineffective. Bonsai soil is specifically designed to increase drainage. To learn more about choosing the right potting mix you can read this article.

The best time for repotting bonsai trees is late winter. Most species of bonsai trees are usually repotted every mid-February, and if needed, they can be repotted again later in Spring. Repotting your bonsai does not mean replacing the pot! By replacing the bonsai soil you’re already helping the tree. This doesn’t mean that your bonsai will never need a larger container, but it doesn’t need one frequently.

How to Fertilize

Fertilizing regularly during the growth season is crucial for your Bonsai to survive. As Bonsai trees are planted in rather small pots, they need to be fertilized in order to replenish the soil’s nutritional content.

Fertilizers provide the minerals and vitamins needed to turn carbon dioxide and water into food through photosynthesis. All fertilizers are composed of the three most important elements needed for plant growth; Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K). Each of these nutrients helps plants in their own unique way. Nitrogen will help the bonsai continue to steadily grow its stems and produce more leaves. Potassium will assist the plant in the production of flowers and fruits. Phosphorous strengthens and nourishes the roots to strengthen the plant and make it resilient to training and various styling methods.

For the best Bonsai care, most trees should be fertilized during the entire growth season of the tree; from early spring till mid autumn. It is often recommended to use a fertilizer with a relatively high Nitrogen content in spring (something like NPK 10:6:6), a more balanced fertilizer (like NPK 6:6:6) in summer, and in autumn a low Nitrogen fertilizer (like NPK 3:6:6).