How to Look After a Bonsai

How to look after a bonsai tree; tips and tricks to looking after a bonsai tree in the home.

Japanese miniature bonsai trees are world famous but actually derive from a much older Chinese tradition called penjing or tray scenery. The Chinese have been cultivating dwarfed trees in containers since the eighth Century and probably much earlier. Today, bonsai trees are most often bought in stores or nurseries as fully developed miniatures several years old. Very few of them are true bonsais grown from seed as most are air-layered sections of branches cut from fully grown trees. That is not to say that a shop bought bonsai does not look the part and will not over time develop into an attractive and long lived feature plant. The oldest living bonsai are 400 years old although there are natural bonsais much older than this.

Bonsais can be started from seed or from a cutting. In many cases, mature branches of a full sized plant are chosen for their aesthetic value and air layered until they produce roots before being planted into the chosen bonsai container. Natural bonsais can be collected from the wild and planted although this is not advisable in the case of old specimens of wild bonsai or rare species. Bonsais should be grown as a normal pot plant until they have reached the desired height and then pruned. Many people opt for a bonsai tree from a nursery but care should be taken to select a species that suits the conditions in which it will be kept.

Because bonsais are kept in small containers to limit their growth they are very vulnerable to drying out and must be watered regularly. The exact amount of water will depend on the species of plant your bonsai is formed from. Water bonsai azaleas and other lime intolerant species with rainwater or distilled water rather than tap water. Allow bonsais to drain freely after watering as waterlogged soil causes root rot and can damage and kill a bonsai.

The key to fertilizing a bonsai tree is to apply weak fertilizer frequently so that it does not burn the plant's stunted roots. Use a multi purpose fertilizer containing micro nutrients at one quarter strength every two weeks during the plants growing season and once a month during the rest of the year.

Bonsai trees are traditionally pruned and formed into an attractive shape. Once a bonsai tree has reached its desired height the growing tip should be pinched out and lateral branches on the stem removed to encourage the development of a bushy crown and a defined trunk. Bonsai trees should not be repotted until it is absolutely essential. When a plant has outgrown its first container it should be repotted into a new one only slightly larger than the original. Coniferous bonsais should be grown in a substrate that is 70 percent inorganic grit and 30% peat while deciduous trees and non conifers require 30 percent grit and 70 percent organic compost. Small pieces of charcoal added to the substrate help drainage and keep the soil fresh. The substrate should be free draining and bonsais should not be kept on a tray as excess water will cause water logging and damage their pot bound roots, potentially killing the tree.

Most bonsais thrive on a bright windowsill that gets a few hours of direct sunlight a day but is not exposed to midday sun. They should be misted regularly to maintain humidity. Once placed in a spot where they thrive they should not be moved unless absolutely necessary. A well maintained bonsai tree can be expected to live for many years and become a family heirloom.