How to Care for Bonsai Plants

The art of caring for bonsai can be traced back a thousand years and is still growing in popularity today. It has become a hobby of many who have the time and commitment it takes to grow these little trees. Bonsai plants are not some special dwarfed versions of a larger tree; they are small because they have been been manipulated to a specific shape and size. These plants can live hundreds of years if properly maintained. Learning to care for the tiny wonders can take many years and give you many hours of joy.

Things You'll Need

• Bonsai pruning and tool kit
• Watering can with a fine spray nozzle
• Aluminum wire
• Drain screens
• Potting tray
• Bonsai fertilizer
• Fujiyama potting medium

Instructions

Care for Bonsai Plants

1. Transplant the plant to a new container if it is in a container from a commercial store. Cut off old wire and use a small stick to knock out the old dirt. Place drain screens over drain holes and feed new wire up through the screens to hold the plant in place. Prune 1/4 to 1/3 of the old roots and mist the roots as you work. Never let the roots get completely dry. Bring in wire and keep some of the main roots near the trunk of the plant.

2. Use only bonsai potting medium for your plant. Different plants like different types of medium, but a Fujiyama potting medium can be used until you find the right combination for your particular plant. Cover the root ball and work the coarse soil in around it while misting it. You do not want to allow air pockets around the root ball. Allow the plant to acclimate to the new container before doing any top pruning or wiring.

3. Moss the top of the soil. You can use moss found outside your home or purchase moss at a nursery. You can secure it to the soil by making large staples out of the wire and pressing it down into the soil. The moss will help keep moisture in the soil and keep the roots from drying out.

4. Water the bonsai. Watering early in the morning is best for the trees. If you can't water early, then water as the sun is going down. You want enough water so that the soil is damp, and so that the pot absorbs some. Water and let sit for a few minutes and water again. Water from above with a fine spray from a can or a rain setting on the hose. This will also water the leaves and keep them clean of dust and pollen from other plants. If it is really dry, you may want to install a mister in the area to keep some humidity near the plants.

5. Prune the top of the tree. Choose a design that you want for your tree and start to take off the branches that don't fit into that design. Prune one side of the plant more than the other to direct the growth to the less pruned side. Try to prune the same amount from the top that you did from the roots on the first pruning. Then, little by little, prune and use wire to shape the tree the way you want it. This cannot be done in a day. It can take years to shape the little tree exactly how you picture it. Or, you can decide later to reshape into another design and start to prune it differently.

6. Use liquid fertilizer and mix according to the manufacturer's directions. There are many species of bonsai, and each will require a different fertilizer or time to fertilize. The fertilizer bottles will tell you which trees benefit from its use and how often the fertilizer is needed.

References

• Bonsai Information
• An Introdution to Bonsai