Taking Care of a Bonsai Tree

Bonsai trees are often styled to resemble larger, older trees.

Bonsai is the art of caring for and styling miniature trees in small pots. The trees resemble larger, older trees surviving in extreme conditions. Through proper watering and maintenance, bonsai trees can live in miniature for hundreds of years.

Water

Different bonsai trees require different watering schedules. However, bonsai trees need more frequent watering than other potted trees. Some trees require water daily. Others may need water every two or three days. Regardless, never allow a tree to remain dry for more than a couple of days.

Pruning

Pruning plays an important role in styling a bonsai tree. Pruning encourages new growth in unpruned portions of the tree and can increase trunk thickness by directing growth energy further down the tree.

Training

Shape trees by wiring branches in desired positions. Use only aluminum or copper bonsai wire, and remove the wire before bark grows around it.

Root Pruning

Remove the tree from the pot every 18 to 24 months and prune one-half to two-thirds of the roots. Do not do this with pine trees; they can be killed by bare rooting. With pines, carefully remove the root ball and soil from the pot and trim back the roots as much as possible.

Fertilization

Because frequent watering can leach nutrients from the soil, fertilizing your bonsai maintains health and encourages new growth. If using organic fertilizers, apply at half strength once a week. Use synthetic fertilizers at one-quarter strength.

References

• Bonsai Gardener: Bonsai Care
• Bonsai Care: Home