How to Winterize Your Bonsai Ficus
Bonsai is the art of growing small trees in pots and trimming them into various shapes. There are many trees used as bonsais including the ficus tree. Unlike pine tree bonsais, the ficus bonsai has leaves and a trunk that can be braided or twisted. Whether you keep your bonsai tree indoors or outdoors, preparing it for winter weather is a necessity. With the proper precautions your bonsai will start to grow again in the spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Walk around your yard and find an area that is well-drained and in a shady location.
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2
Dig a hole in the chosen location that is the same width as the bonsai container and 2 to 3 inches deeper.
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3
Grasp the base of the bonsai in one hand and tilt it sideways to remove it from the pot. Insert the roots of the bonsai into the hole in the ground making sure that the lowest limbs are just above the ground. Fill in the hole with soil and pack it down firmly with your hands.
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4
Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around the base of the bonsai tree until it covers the bottom two sets of branches.
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Set bucket on top of the bonsai when snow is expected to prevent the weight of the snow from breaking the tree limbs. Remove the bucket when the snow stops falling so that air and sunlight can reach the tree.
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Tips & Warnings
Watch the bonsai for signs of growth in the spring, such as bud development, before digging up and replanting it in the pot.
