How to care for a bonsai: simple tips for beginners

Growing miniature bonsai trees is an ancient Japanese art that can be mastered by a truly experienced indoor plant lover. In addition to advanced skills, you will also need great care and patience.

However, experts in growing bonsai assure that properly collected information makes this art accessible to everyone. OBOZ.UA has collected their tips. They are suitable for those who have purchased a grown tree and want to take care of it without mistakes.

Fertilizing

Bonsai are quite sensitive to excessive nutrients in the soil. In particular, because they live in a limited pot space. An abundance of trace elements can also cause mold to grow on the surface of the soil in the pot.

You need to fertilize your bonsai pot throughout the growing season, from early spring to mid-autumn. In addition to the usual nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the miniature tree should also be supplied with other trace elements such as iron, copper, manganese, boron, zinc, and molybdenum. For indoor bonsai, it is optimal to use special liquid mixtures that are applied together with watering.

Location

A miniature tree is always very demanding on the place where it grows. Too long a stay in direct sunlight can destroy such a plant. Therefore, in summer, it is better to move the bonsai pot away from the window - it should receive a lot of light, but diffused. In winter, the tree will feel good on the windowsill. But make sure that it is not blown by hot air from radiators and other heating devices.

When choosing a place for a bonsai, you should take into account not only the influence of the sun, the plant also needs a certain humidity and the right temperature. The temperature in the room where the tree grows should not drop below 15 degrees. Dry air should be combated with a humidifier and gentle spraying.

Watering

The bonsai tree has quite specific watering requirements. It should be watered frequently but sparingly. The soil should remain moist, but not swampy. You will have to check the soil condition every day. Don't let it dry out more than 1 cm deep, but don't let the water stagnate in the pot either. Therefore, take care of drainage as well.

Repotting

The procedure for transplanting a bonsai is slightly different from the usual one. It should be moved to a new pot only when the plant becomes cramped in the current one. This usually happens every 3-5 years. If you notice roots coming out of the ground, it means it's time to look for a bigger pot. However, it doesn't have to be a really big pot - just 10-15% larger than the previous one. Carefully remove your miniature tree and inspect the condition of its roots. If everything is fine, move the plant.

Pruning

Pruning is only a small element of bonsai tree care and should be done no more than once a year. Controlling the development of the buds will help to restrain the growth of the plant. Bonsai should be pruned in early spring, when the shoots are shortened to the first pair of leaves. Only branches that are 3 cm or more long should be shortened. It is best to use special bonsai scissors and secateurs for the procedure. Conventional tools may be too large for a miniature plant.

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