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1. SOAK THOROUGHLY 1 - 3 times a week
2. MIST DAILY
3. BRIGHT INDIRECT SUNLIGHT
If you follow these suggestions, your tree will remain healthy. But the time will come when you'll want to prune the new growth, when you'll want to feed the tree. Perhaps a year or so down the road you'll want to know about root pruning or transplanting.
On the following pages we can expand a bit on your tree care. Caring for your tree means providing the proper water, light, temperature, and food.
With proper care your Bonsai will afford you many years of satisfaction. If you would like to learn more about Bonsai, ask your local nursery if they carry books and magazines on Bonsai, and if there are any Bonsai Clubs in the area. Check at your local library for Bonsai books, clubs and magazines.
ROOT PRUNING AND TRANSPLANTING: Your Bonsai is appropriately potted in a tasteful container and can remain there for many years if you root prune every few years (see instructions below) and return the pruned tree to the container.
To root prune, lift your tree from its pot. To do this you will have to cut the copper wire that holds the tree in the pot. (Don't worry about replacing that wire; its main purpose was to hold the tree firmly in the pot while it was shipped.) You will find that the roots have grown into a tight ball. Use a sharp scissor to cut away about a third of the root ball, a little from each side, disturbing the inner roots as little as possible. Do this around mid-May, the first of June, or earlier if you live in the South. Scrub the pot with soap and water and a brush. Be sure to rinse all the soap out. Return the tree to the container, repositioning it a little to the left or right of the center of the pot. Repot the tree introducing new bonsai soil under and around the remaining roots. This is done by adding soil to the surface, then using a sharpened chop-stick or pencil inserted into the soil. You wiggle the stick back and forth to break up air spaces and fill them with soil. When you've done it enough you'll feel the soil "tighten up".
By root pruning in this manner, you will keep the roots of your tree small, thus limiting how fast it grows. Growth consists of adding new needles or leaves, adding new branches, thickening the branches that already exist, and thickening the trunk. Thick trunk and branches simulate the appearance of age that dignifies a Bonsai. The order of growth is first top growth, then roots, then branches and trunk thickening. This cycle is repeated every year. If you would like a bigger tree, you can transplant your tree to a bigger pot after about a year.
POST TRANSPLANTATION CARE: After repotting, immerse your tree just as if you were watering it, then place the tree in a shaded place for about two weeks. Mist it two times daily, for about a week. Do not move it for about two weeks, as the roots need to heal and grow. After two weeks return it to its usual place. Do not use fertilizer for at least six weeks.
WATER: You will establish the correct watering schedule appropriate to your tree's environment. For a start, every week, immerse your tree, up to the first branch, in a sink or tub of tap water. Watch the bubbles. Very few bubbles indicates that you can wait longer before watering next time. The soil should dry out a little on the top between waterings, but never dry completely.
LIGHT: Your Indoor Bonsai needs about five hours of indirect or filtered sunlight each day. In the warmer months it will benefit from being outside, but not in the direct noonday or afternoon sun. During the Summer, a few hours of direct morning sun, while the world is still cool, will benefit the tree.
TEMPERATURE: During the Winter keep your tree where it receives maximum indirect light. Beware: tender trees may freeze on windowsills: direct sunlight may be too hot.
Mist leaves daily to counteract the influence of artificial heat.
PRUNING: Fresh bright green growth will appear at the tips of the branches, especially during the Spring and Summer. If the new growth results in a pleasing shape, leave it; if you prefer, trim the tree to look the way you think the tree should look. Each time you pinch the new growth away new growth points will appear. This pinching leads to a nice dense tree. Needles, leaves, and branches that grow from the underside of large branches can be removed, as such shaded growth does not survive long in nature.
FOOD: In the Spring, when you see new growth, feed your plant continuously, whether by inserting a fertilizer stick, by adding weak fertilizer to the weekly immersion, or by using a slow release fertilizer on the Bonsai.
WATER: Bonsai outdoors dry out easily. Water daily using a moderate spray from your hose. Spray both the leaves and soil. It is best to water in the morning. At least once a month submerge your tree in water up to its first branch.
LIGHT: Your Bonsai likes sun but must be protected during the heat of the day. Morning sun and afternoon shade is best. Dappled shade all day is also acceptable for all but the big junipers and big pines which require direct sun for half a day.
WINTER CARE: After 2 or 3 frosts, and, for deciduous trees, when the leaves have fallen, your Bonsai is ready for Winter storage. Clean the tree and brush the soil clear of dried needles and leaves and spent blossoms. Remove anything that might grow mold or fungus during storage. Place your Bonsai in a protected, cold location where it will not freeze. Your tree does not need sunlight during dormancy, but should be watered about once a month, just enough to keep it barely moist. Do not feed in Winter. When growth begins in the Spring, remove it from storage, place it in its Summer location and begin Summer care. (Remember: Larch is deciduous and will turn color and lose its needles in the fall.)
FOOD: In the Spring, when you see new growth, feed your plant continuously, whether by inserting a fertilizer stick, by adding weak fertilizer to the weekly immersion, or by using a slow release fertilizer on the Bonsai.
PRUNING: Fresh bright green growth will appear at the tips of the branches, especially during the Spring and Summer. If the new growth results in a pleasing shape, leave it; if you prefer, trim the tree to look the way you think the tree should look. Each time you pinch the new growth away new growth points will appear. This pinching leads to a nice dense tree. Needles, leaves, and branches that grow from the underside of large branches can be removed, as such shaded growth does not survive long in nature.
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