How do you care for bonsai trees?
My boyfriend gave me a bonsai tree for my birthday. I'm not the most responsible person on the block and I really don't want the little thing to die. I believe it's a little Juniper plant. How often am I supposed to water it? How much sun should it get? What kind of fertilizer does it need? Can anyone help?
If it is a juniper, it will like full sun. If it is in a fairly shallow bonsai pot, (not deep like a flower pot) it will need to be watered every day. Also, to keep the foliage from growing too long, you will need to pinch it back periodically during the growing season. The idea is to keep it compact to the branch and not allow it to grow long and lanky. But don't use shears on it because that will cause the ends to turn brown — pinch it off with your fingers. Any good general purpose fertilizer will be good for it. And they like to sit over a tray of water; not IN water, so put a layer of gravel or rocks in the tray to keep the roots from sitting in the water all the time. I don't know what zone you are in or what part of the country, but junipers are not indoor bonsai trees. If it has been inside, move it out into a shaded area for a few weeks, then put it into partial sun for a week or so before moving it to full sun. The main thing to keep in mind is that if you don't water it daily and the roots get dry, the tiny hair roots will shrivel up and dry out and the tree will have no way to get the water and nutrients it needs. If the tree doesn't seem to be thriving with this care, it may have red spider mites. Get a good pesticide that lists spider mites on the label and spray it according to the directions. We spray ours once a month to prevent the problem. Our juniper bonsai trees stay out year round, as they need to go dormant in the winter to stay healthy. We just sit them down in the flower bed and mulch them in. Water them just enough in the winter to keep them from drying out. If there is rain or snow once or twice a month, that will provide enough moisture, and the mulch will keep the roots from drying out.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:59 am
If it is a juniper, it will like full sun. If it is in a fairly shallow bonsai pot, (not deep like a flower pot) it will need to be watered every day. Also, to keep the foliage from growing too long, you will need to pinch it back periodically during the growing season. The idea is to keep it compact to the branch and not allow it to grow long and lanky. But don't use shears on it because that will cause the ends to turn brown — pinch it off with your fingers. Any good general purpose fertilizer will be good for it. And they like to sit over a tray of water; not IN water, so put a layer of gravel or rocks in the tray to keep the roots from sitting in the water all the time. I don't know what zone you are in or what part of the country, but junipers are not INDOOR bonsai trees. If it has been inside, move it out into a shaded area for a few weeks, then put it into partial sun for a week or so before moving it to full sun. The main thing to keep in mind is that if you don't water it daily and the roots get dry, the tiny hair roots will shrivel up and dry out and the tree will have no way to get the water and nutrients it needs. If the tree doesn't seem to be thriving with this care, it may have red spider mites. Get a good pesticide that lists spider mites on the label and spray it according to the directions. We spray ours once a month to prevent the problem. Our juniper bonsai trees stay out year round, as they need to go dormant in the winter to stay healthy. We just sit them down in the flower bed and mulch them in. Water them just enough in the winter to keep them from drying out. If there is rain or snow once or twice a month, that will provide enough moisture, and the mulch will keep the roots from drying out.
References :
Laughing Cranes Bonsai. We have been growing and selling bonsai for many years, and are more than happy to share the things we have learned.
http://www.laughingcranes.com