Bonsai Tree Care Instructions

‘Bonsai’ is a Japanese term for a miniature potted tree, which is also known as ‘Penzai’ in Chinese. Bonsai creation is an age old art, with maple, oak and juniper being few of the regular trees grown today. These are nothing but simple regular trees that are kept small through special training. Growing a bonsai or rather creating a bonsai has now become quite simple. Little bit of knowledge, proper care and timely attention is all that you need for growing a beautiful bonsai for your house. Bonsai trees are miniature trees that grow in pots and can be fashioned to different shapes and sizes, by pruning and trimming them on a regular basis. This article provides you with tips on how to care for a bonsai tree, which you can use to grow a beautiful bonsai, thereby adding to the decor of your house.

 

A bonsai tree should be kept away from direct sunlight when placed outside. It should also receive appropriate air circulation, with proper humidity level. Keep the tree in a place where it is easily accessible for you to water, feed and trim it, whenever required. The best part of bonsai is that it lets you know whether or not it is happy with its positioning. If the plant is unhappy, you can see clear signs of stress, like the bending of branches, dryness and discoloration. If you notice any of these signs, shift the position of the plant immediately.

 

Pruning is the most important aspect of the caring regimen of a bonsai tree. The tree should be pruned in the season, during which it is dormant. The process of pruning involves cutting the excess foliage, reshaping branches and trunks and cutting the excess root growth. Some people even wire the branches of the tree to control the direction and the way in which the tree grows.

 

Fertilization is also essential aspect which you need to take care of, while planting a bonsai tree. The fertilizer for a bonsai includes a water-soluble product. Fertilization for bonsai should be done once or twice in a month when the tree is under the growing process. The fertilizer should be specific to the type of tree grown and should be used when the soil is wet.

 

The amount of water and the frequency or the number of times you need to water a bonsai plant depends upon the specie of tree you have. Most of the bonsais like to have moist soil, which is neither too dry nor too wet. The best way to help the trees grow wholly is to provide them with the right amount of water.

 

It is advised to use liquid food for all species of bonsai tree. There is plenty of information available on different brands of liquid food for you to choose from and get an excellent result later. It is a bit painful and time taking to care for a bonsai, but once provided, it grows out to be a beautiful tree.

 

Potting mix is the common type of soil used for planting a bonsai plant. This type of soil is cheap, convenient and easy to use. You can even make your own potting mix by using loam, sphagnum peat moss and granite.

 

The right level of humidity is very essential for the proper growth of the bonsai. During the cold season, it is better to place your tree in a shallow tray filled with a layer of gravel along with water. This helps in providing extra moisture to the tree, compensating for the loss of moisture.

 

The bonsai tree requires periodic repotting, once the roots have filled the pot. Repotting is done to provide the tree with fresh soil and to encourage a more compact root system. You need to examine your tree’s root system every year to determine if it has become pot-bound and whether or not repotting is required.