Bonsai tree care, learn how to take care of a bonsai tree. Bonsai tree care is watering, pruning, and repotting, the best location for temperature and light, good soil, and fertilizer.
Starting today, with our bonsai tree care and thriving your miniature trees will be child’s play. You can now handle a bonsai tree without losing them.
Bonsai is a real art that consists of growing trees in pots to make them small for long periods, so it needs proper care and maintenance to preserve their shape and size.
Also, read the basic techniques needed to survive a bonsai tree. Click here.
How To Care For A Bonsai Tree
We can take care of bonsai trees to make them healthy with the following bonsai tree care.
- Watering
- Pruning
- Fertilizing
- Good location for light and temperature
- Good potting soil
- Repotting
How to care for a Bonsai Tree in a few steps, don’t miss this practical mini-guide which will reveal many helpful tips and tricks. Let’s dive into it.
How To Take Care Of A Bonsai Tree By Watering
Watering for bonsai is of vital importance. The survival of bonsai plants will largely depend on the right amount of water and humidity. Water when the potting soil is almost dry to the touch.
Avoid overwatering, as overwater can cause damage to the health of a bonsai tree. Read the effect of over-watering a bonsai tree read now.
How to water a bonsai: When we water a bonsai, we must prevent the soil from being waterlogged.
Remember to have a pot with a drainage hole to eliminate excess water from the bonsai tree and avoid dangerous stagnations that could cause the roots to rot.
On the other hand, the moment you notice that the earth begins to dry out, you should water the bonsai tree. It is a mistake to wait for the soil to be completely dry. Read how to water a Bonsai tree the right way.
To check the state of the soil, insert a toothpick into it; if it comes out dry or almost dry, it is time to water. Learn how to check bonsai soil moisture level.
Nevertheless, watering the bonsai trees depends on various factors such as climate, species location, fertilizer, etc. It would be best if you always considered what climate we are in.
If you are in an area where there is always sun and the bonsai is exposed to its rays daily, it will be necessary to water frequently.
If, on the other hand, you are in a cold and humid climate, then a couple of days can go by without needing to be watered. Read How Often Should Bonsai Be Watered? Read now
💡 NOTE:
to stay safe from over-watering issues, read how often to water a Bonsai tree and factors that affect how frequently you should water your bonsai. Read more.
How To Take Care Of A Bonsai Tree By Placing It On The Right Location.
How you care for a bonsai tree also depends on the location and position of your bonsai tree.
Many people have been asking me how to care for my bonsai tree, how do I take care of a bonsai tree.
How Do You Care For A Bonsai Tree? It also depends on the positioning of the tree. Next is the location once you have chosen the bonsai, soil, pot, and fertilizer.
Place your Bonsai in the best location in the house to get the proper lighting, temperature, and humidity.
The bonsai must live outdoors in spring, summer, and early autumn, especially during flowering and fruit development.
In the winter months, the more resistant plants will be able to remain in the cold, well protected during the night frosts.
- Light Exposure: The bonsai plant needs more light for photosynthesis, incredibly window light, not direct sunlight. The bonsai needs sunlight to be able to develop.
It is best to place it near the windows but ensure it does not have intense exposure. Set in the sunniest place, but not in direct sunlight.
Ensure your bonsai tree receives daily sunlight of 5 to 7 hours daily for better performance. It is how to take care of a bonsai tree.
- Temperature; bonsai trees prefer an average room temperature between 60-75°F (15-24°C).
It should never drop below 10º C; outdoors, you must protect the plant from frost.
If the temperature exceeds 15º C, it is best to take it out for about 4 hours, avoiding midday this is how to take care of a bonsai tree.
Bonsai tree A is a hard tree as it can survive in fluctuating temperatures but avoid putting air conditions on them. However, this varies depending on the species.
If you are interested to learn more also read What Is The Best Location For A Bonsai Tree?
Bonsai Tree Care By Giving It The Right Soil
I soil is necessary for all plants, and so is soil necessary for bonsai trees. The best soil for bonsai trees is a well-draining mix of Akadama, pumice, and lava rock.
“How do you take care of a bonsai tree for beginners?” It is essential you know the best soil needed for bonsai trees.
If you’re interested to know the best soil for a Bonsai tree, read the best soil for a Bonsai tree [link]
A fundamental aspect for those who, like you, want to learn how to grow bonsai is the choice of the most suitable soil.
How To Care For Bonsai Tree By Pruning
One of the vital things in bonsai tree care is trimming and Pruning. Pruning a bonsai tree controls the size of the plant.
Pruning the bonsai tree also helps to stimulate bonsai development, strengthen it and achieve bushy foliage even on the lower branches.
To carry out a successful pruning, you must ensure your bonsai is dry and have special scissors to achieve it. Also, read How To Prepare A Planters For Planting.
Trim branches that are growing in new directions, and above all, limit upward growth of the main branches to favor smaller ones and encourage more foliage.
At the time of transfer, however, you can also take care of the pruning of the roots.
💡 NOTE:
Avoid pruning the more tender branches, which could lead to the birth of new flowers and fruits; instead, remove the dry leaves and older sections of branches this is how to take care of a bonsai tree.
Also, read How To Make A Vertical Planter
How Do You Care For A Bonsai Tree? By Repotting
“How do you take care of a bonsai tree for beginners and experts?” repotting is essential to bonsai care and maintenance.
Repotting transfers a plant from the old pot to a bigger one when the plant occupies the space in the Old pot and the root is bound together.
It would be best if you changed the bonsai pot periodically based on the growth of the plant and the species.
A younger bonsai tree grows more frequently and will need repotting approximately every 1-2 years; the older bonsai tree needs to be repotted every 3 to 5 years.
The bonsai roots grow pretty slowly, so constant repotting of the plant is unnecessary. When repotting the bonsai, prune the roots also.
Bonsai trees that lose their leaves in autumn must be repotted more often, especially to renew the soil and encourage leaf development.
If you are interested to learn more also read How To Prune A Bonsai Tree
How Do I Take Care Of A Bonsai Tree By Fertilizer
Fertilizing a Bonsai tree is another factor when caring for a bonsai tree. You can apply fertilizer to your bonsai tree to ensure they grow healthy and stay strong.
Young bonsai trees require frequent fertilizer during their growing season, early spring to mid-fall, to thrive well.
Adult bonsai trees may require let’s fertilization because they are mature. However, this depends on various factors such as health, species, climate, and age.
The best months to fertilize a bonsai tree are during the first and summer until before autumn when the earth’s temperatures begin to drop, and the bonsai stops its growth momentarily.
When choosing a fertilizer, Choose standard compost, home compost, or purchase a specially processed bonsai product containing Nitrogen, phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK.)
You can check our best fertilizer for bonsai and how to use them. use special organic fertilizer for bonsai; find out about it with a specialist.
If you are interested to learn more also read How To Fertilize A Bonsai Tree
Also, read How To Make A Garden In A Wooden Planter.
How To Take Care Of A Bonsai Tree Frequently Asked Questions.
Do Bonsai Need To Be Transplanted (Repotted)?
Yes, you need to repot your bonsai tree. It is convenient to transplant bonsai trees every 2 or 3 years.
It would be best if you transplanted your bonsai tree in spring, except those that are flowering.
In any case, an urgent transplant is necessary if the bonsai stops growing, the leaves turn yellow, or the roots come out of the ground.
When Do You Have To Prune The Bonsai?
We Prun bonsai tree before spring, in January/February. Pruning is not only to trim the branches and reduce the tree’s crown. Also, to strengthen the bonsai and enjoy excellent health.
If you are interested to learn more also read How To Prune A Bonsai Tree
Also, read How To Build A Planter Outdoor with Bricks
How Long Can A Bonsai Last?
If you take good care of the bonsai tree by pruning and watering it properly, it can live the same as a tree.
Bonsai trees can live for many years. Depending on proper care, some can live up to 10, 15, or 20 years.
The oldest bonsai tree in the world has lived over 1,000 years, the Ficus retusa linn and the trees have survived in the Crespi Bonsai Museum in Milan, Italy.
What Kind Of Pot Does A Bonsai Need?
Bonsai tree size will depend on the size of the tree. The base has to be flat, and the pot has to be porous and with a drainage hole so that we will prevent water from stagnating and root rot.
If you are interested to learn more also read How To Choose The Best Pot For A Bonsai Tree:
Most Common Bonsai Problems
The Leaves Turn Yellow, And The Crown Becomes Brittle.
When this happens, the bonsai has earthworms, and the roots have rotted. Do you do over-watering
Check out how to revive over-watering bonsai trees; soil can cause over-watering issues.
They are all the ways to solve this. To solve it, you must transplant the tree, clean the roots and use a special fungicide for bonsai.
To stay safe from bonsai tree issues, they are beginners friendly bonsai trees to start with; read the best bonsai for beginners.
The Leaves Are Cotton-Like On The Underside.
It is because they have parasites called white or cotton mealybugs. Spray diseased leaves with an insecticide.
The Leaves Of My Bonsai Tree Have Greyish Spots.
If the bonsai has leaves with spots of this tone, they are sick and pruned and sprayed bonsai trees with specific fungicides.
I See A Fine Spider Web On The Underside Of My Bonsai Leaves.
That’s because it has red spider mites, and the cause is high temperatures and a dry environment. We will eliminate it by spraying the leaves with insecticides for about a month.
Conclusion
Now you know how to take care of a bonsai tree, remember taking care of bonsai is a technique needed in bonsai cultivation.
Read more on the 6 Basic bonsai techniques.
Remember that it is necessary to use excellent quality soil and natural organic-based fertilizers or fertilizers suitable for bonsai, and click on our useful link to get more ideas.
If you’re new to bonsai, read our introduction to bonsai tree read now.
