How to Keep Your Bonsai Looking Healthy

Miniature plants looking like century-old trees planted in special bowls need no introduction - they are bonsai. The word bonsai can be translated as "tree in a pot", where the first part of the word "bon" means pot and "sai" means tree. The art of shaping and growing bonsai comes from Asia. Local masters can create beautiful bonsai resembling trees hundreds of years old using special shaping techniques. However, such a masterpiece cannot be grown in a year, it requires many years of hard work. But you don't have to wait that long - you can grow beautiful bonsai from some plants in just a few years. Try growing bonsai from, for example, Ficus benjamina...

Indoor Bonsai

Indoor bonsai are grown indoors and can be shaped from many types of plants. Very popular is, for example, the weeping fig (lat. Ficus benjamina). Ficus is not too demanding to grow and in a relatively short time it develops a thick trunk, which is the foundation of every proper bonsai. Plants that would not survive winter outdoors are grown as indoor bonsai. However, even indoor bonsai enjoy spending summer in fresh air. Once the last frosts are over, indoor bonsai can be moved to the terrace or garden. At first, the plants need to be shaded to prevent the leaves from being burned by harsh sunlight. Plants placed in the sun will dry out faster, so don't forget regular watering. In autumn, before the first frosts arrive, move indoor bonsai back to their winter location inside the apartment.

Growing Indoor Bonsai

Indoor bonsai are grown in the same way as plants from which you don't create bonsai. Bonsai need sufficient light, warmth and moisture for healthy growth. Ideally, place the bonsai near a window so the plant doesn't have to stretch towards the light. In the dry environment of apartments, the substrate dries out very quickly, and there is very little of it in bonsai pots, so pay attention to watering. The substrate should never dry out completely. Substrate that is too dry absorbs water poorly, so moisten it with a spray before watering. In a dry environment, it's advisable to increase air humidity using a humidifier or evaporation container. During the summer period, plants will benefit from being outdoors in fresh air. During the growing season, it's advisable to fertilize bonsai with special fertilizer designed specifically for them. There is very little substrate in the pot and plants quickly deplete all nutrients from it. Spring is the ideal time for repotting bonsai, which provides plants with nutrients for growth in the next season. You can forget about the hassle of mixing substrate when you get ready-mixed substrate for bonsai - it contains everything bonsai need for healthy growth. And don't worry that your bonsai will outgrow due to fertilization. Any overgrown shoots can be easily pinched back to the desired shape, but it's difficult to beautify a struggling bonsai. Indoor bonsai can be shaped, pinched, wired and repotted almost constantly, with spring months being the most suitable time.

Ficus benjamina as an Indoor Bonsai

Ficus benjamina or also weeping fig is a plant that is perhaps most commonly used to create indoor bonsai. Its variegated forms are most attractive. Ficus thrives in a bright and warm location. In winter, the temperature should not drop below 10 °C. Ficus must be watered with settled water at least at room temperature. Ficus reacts to poor watering by dropping its leaves. Leaf drop can also occur due to lack of light and sudden change of environment. When repotting ficus, exercise extra caution to avoid damaging the roots.

Outdoor Bonsai

Outdoor bonsai are cultivated from plants that can survive winter without problems. These are trees that naturally grow in the wild. Outdoor bonsai are shaped from both deciduous and coniferous trees. Pines and maples are frequently used. These trees would suffer considerably in indoor environments and would likely die soon. Year-round outdoor living is more natural for them. However, before winter, it's necessary to winterize outdoor bonsai, as the roots would freeze in a shallow pot and the plant would die. It's advisable to remove the plants from their pots along with the root ball before winter and bury them in the soil. Additional protection against frost and damage from heavy snow can be created with a cover of conifer branches. Bonsai can also be buried in the ground with the pot, but in that case, the bonsai must be buried at an angle so excess water can drain away. During dry periods, don't forget to water bonsai occasionally even in winter, especially deciduous trees are susceptible to water shortage during the winter period!!!

Cultivating Outdoor Bonsai

Outdoor bonsai are grown in bright locations; ideal placement is in light partial shade or in a spot protected from direct midday heat. Bonsai dry out very quickly, so regular watering is essential. In hot summer weather, sometimes even twice daily (morning and evening). Watering always depends on the specific needs of individual plants. During the growing season, from spring until approximately the end of August, add fertilizer to the water at regular intervals. From autumn to spring, outdoor bonsai are not fertilized. In spring, bonsai can be repotted as needed; it's advantageous to use a mixed substrate for bonsai. Maintenance of outdoor bonsai is carried out throughout the entire growing season.

Caution: if you bring outdoor bonsai indoors, for example for an exhibition, don't leave them there too long, as lack of light and fresh air could irreparably damage the plants!

Japanese Black Pine

Japanese Black Pine, also called Black Pine (Latin: Pinus thunbergii), originates from Japan, where it's very frequently used for creating bonsai. This pine has long and strong dark green needles that are grouped in bundles of two. For cultivation as bonsai, dwarf forms of this pine are suitable, as they have shorter needles. The Black Pine can be shaped into bonsai in almost all basic styles; it's only unsuitable for the "broom" style.

Maple

Maples (lat. Acer) are among the most sought-after "bonsai" plants thanks to the shape of their leaves and their striking autumn coloring. Maple leaves fall off annually and regrow in spring. Through regular pinching and pruning, the leaves can be gradually reduced in size over time. Bonsai trees created from maples are the dominant feature of any garden.

Bonsai Trimming and Pinching

Trimming, pinching and wiring are the most basic operations in creating bonsai. It is precisely the correct intervention by the grower that is the "art" which transforms an ordinary tree into a beautiful bonsai. All adjustments should be carried out during the growing period, which is most favorable for the plants. Certain functional styles have been established in Japan for shaping bonsai, which can be found in specialist literature. Studying specialist literature is never a bad idea, but it always depends on the imagination of the individual grower. If you're not planning to cultivate a specimen to take to exhibitions, shape your bonsai according to your own taste. For coniferous bonsai, pinch out approximately 2/3 of the total new growth. Use special bonsai scissors to maintain the crown in the desired shape. The leaves of deciduous trees can be deliberately reduced by cutting off some large leaves (the petioles must be left), and the new leaves will grow back smaller. You can shape branches into the correct position using training wire, which is carefully wrapped around the branch and shaped into the desired position. Leave the wire on the bonsai for a maximum of 3 months to prevent it from cutting into the bark. If the desired shaping is not achieved within this time, wiring can be repeated.

Principle for shaping - First shape the trunk and only then the branches!

Tips for Fertilizing Bonsai

• Don't fertilize plants immediately after repotting - they have sufficient nutrients from the new substrate.
• Fertilize less rather than over-fertilizing your bonsai.
• Sick and damaged bonsai don't need fertilizing - they must recover first.
• Indoor bonsai usually only need half the recommended fertilizer dose.