What Is The Best Way To Care For A Bonsai Tree?

Watering - This is the most important aspect of caring for bonsai, especially for bonsai that are kept indoors for too long. Two things to remember about providing water for bonsai are the type of soil and species. Different soils will absorb and retain water at different rates and different tree species have varying degrees of water need.

A rough rule of thumb is that approximately 75% of water gets taken up via the root system and 25% via the leaves. Because the leaves are an important water absorption surface, you should ensure that you keep them soil and dust free.

Make sure that you don't use excessive pressure when watering your bonsai. A fine mist will generally be adequate. You can get watering bottles that expel water in a vapour form which are excellent for this purpose. Tap water is fine for watering bonsai just ensure that it's of a medium temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.

Soil - Soil choice for your bonsai is critical for its health and long life. It really depends on the tree species of your bonsai, but generally, soil should be made of 30% humus and 70% grit for needled evergreen trees and 70% humus and 30% grit for deciduous trees. If you have a different bonsai species, make sure to look up which soil meets its special needs, since you might have to prepare a special soil mix yourself.

Pruning - Pruning involves leaves, branches and roots. Bonsai lovers know that what you do to the bottom, you do to the top. Remember that less foliage means less for the roots to support. But where to start and what to cut?

The first thing you should do before starting to prune is consider the style that you're trying to train your bonsai tree into. You have to sort of imagine a line around your tree's foliage that represents the shape you're looking for and then prune anything that sticks out from this imaginary line. Another point to remember is that if you're trying to direct growth to one side of the tree you should prune the opposite side.

Prune leaves or buds with care. Pruning buds will encourage back-budding and cutting leaves will 'discipline' the growth of the bonsai. It is also necessary to manage the nutrients that the roots draw up from the soil. Remember that you are trying to grow a tiny tree and letting it grow on its own will result in uncontrolled size.

Caring for bonsai takes lots of patience, knowledge and learned skills. It involves continuous work, but the results are more than worth the effort.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

Alan Allport is a long-time bonsai tree enthusiast who has had a bonsai site at www.aa-bonsai.com for several years. For the best bonsai tree wholesale info you should check it out today.

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