Tree Care
All our trees are
hardy outdoor trees and should not be kept inside. Because a bonsai tree is in a
pot, its roots cannot grow deep into the ground for water and nourishment, and
it needs to be looked after carefully, fed and watered. Trees do not like to
stand in water, their soil should be free draining, but they should be kept
moist, and if it does not rain, they must be watered, every day in the summer.
They should be fed during the growing season, with any proprietary fertilizer
sprinkled on the surface of the soil, watered in, or used as a foliar feed.
The tree will
respond differently according to how you treat it. You can keep it small, or
make it larger, by putting it in different amounts of soil. Some people grow
them in large containers at first for fast growth, and then reduce the size when
the tree has obtained vigour and growth.
In either case, the
same principles apply. The tree should never become pot-bound. The roots should
be inspected, re-potted and trimmed in early spring to give plenty of room for
root development, and to encourage a good fibrous root system. The more fibrous
the root system, the more nourishment the tree can absorb from the soil, and the
healthier the tree will be. Do not be afraid, you can be quite rough with the
roots, combing them out to the shape of your pot.
Soils should be
loose and free draining. Everyone has their own favourite soil mix, but we like
50% non-soil based compost, and 50% grit.
Bonsai pots have
large drainage holes, which need to be covered by a square of mesh, to contain
the soil.
