Can you give me any advice how to care for a bonsi
By Kelyn
Powys, Wales
I bought my husband a bonsi as he has always wanted one. On the lable the only advice was "only water when soil is dry" What type of feed does it need? when does it need repotting?. Please Help the poor thing is not looking to healthy. Thank you Lynn
- 17 Apr, 2009
Answers
Without knowing the name of the tree it is difficult to advise, some trees are better growing outdoors through the Summer, but much depends on the species.
17 Apr, 2009
Yes, only water when dry, hun.
Put some water in a bowl and stand the bonsai pot in that and let it soak up from below. Stop when the top of the soil is damp.
Only water from the top if you have salts (white stuff) on the top. These then need to be flushed through.
Feed the bonsai every second month with a normal balanced fertiliser at HALF strength. Be careful not to give it too much. You can get specialised feed though.
You can prune your tree by nipping off any new shoot tips, but only enough to keep it in shape. BUT you need to know what your tree is to find the right time and best way to prune it. Is it deciduous or evergreen? Flowering or not?
Repotting.... Only every 2 to 3 years so try to work out if it needs it now or not. When you repot, you MUST trim the roots. Clean it of all old soil and trim about one third of the roots off. Pot in fresh soil making sure the roots are well covered and water thoroughly.
Keep your tree away from direct heat sources and radiators etc and in winter, stand it on a bowl of pepples or something with water in to give it some humidity.
Check it over for any bugs too.
17 Apr, 2009