Anyone familiar with growing Bonsai?

[Methtical]

Greetings friends,

So my girlfriend bought me a Bonzai tree for my birthday - well, in actuality she bought me some Bonzai tree seeds but then realised that they take years to grow, so then also bought me a tree.

I understand that they require quite a bit of care and attention, this is fine except that I have no idea how old the one is, whether it needs to be re-potted, whether I should be pruning the leaves and/or the roots etc, so if any one is familiar then some advice would be appreciated. Once I have got a grasp on the plant I shall set about getting the seeds planted too!

I gave it some water last night, not too much just enough to soak the soil and then set it in the window, this morning was a lovely sunny morning and the window faces the east so the tree was getting a good dose of sunlight, I just really want to learn more now so I can take care of it, I think the world of my girlfriend for being so thoughtful in buying me this. I also think it will start the ball rolling and soon I'll get some cacti brightening up the place :d

But if any nexians can give good clear advice I'd be most grateful.

Thanks!

Methtical

 

[SnozzleBerry]

I personally have pretty much no experience with caring for bonsais. My aunt however has several of them. The type of care/watering/pruning is going to depend on the type of bonsai. What type do you have? She live in florida and keeps her various trees by the windows and that's enough light for them. I believe she goves them a little water daily or almost daily...as i said, knowing the type of bonsai will help people to give you better/more accurate advice...

EDIT: I see you now have pics up...looks pretty. Here's a link that may help if you know the species

peace

 

[Methtical]

Alas no I have no idea what species it is, was kinda hoping an eagle eyed nexian would be able to help on that account. I guess I'll have to find a bonsai forum and ask around there - thanks for the link though!

Methtical

 

[LawnBoy]

I might be off, but she reminds me of an azalea, but the leaves are glossy. So I am guessing Japanese flowering quince. I do have a lot of experience with plants and identification, but I'm no expert. The flower is the easiest way to identify most plants; but you could use the bark or the leaf structure to identify.

Care really does depend on the species and the owner. I would be surprised if it doesn't need to be pruned, bonsai love to be pruned. This really depends on the previous owner. Maybe you could ask who you bought it from? Pruning will encourage growth, but if you like the way it looks leave it be. She does look happy and healthy. You said you just got her, so you might want to let her settle in, before doing any pruning.

Water whenever it dries out practically completely. The soil used, most likely doesn't hold a lot of moisture, so you may need to water every day or every other day depending on the growth rate. A lot of sun and dry hot air, will probably need watering everyday. Also, if she is root-bound, she will need to be watered more often than if she was just repotted. This is why it might be nice to ask the previous owner, or simply to take it out of the pot to inspect the roots.

The previous owner might not want to be completely honest, remember that. There are plenty of books out there, but the internet is much cheaper source for information on bonsai growing and ID. I hope I could help.

 

[1664]

I have only ever had 1 bonsai. It lasted about a month. Unless it is compltely different species, you need to keep the soil moist. The instructions in mine said to soak the soil in a water bath every other day. I forgot for about 5 days, it dried out and died. They are pretty hard to look after, so I'd go and buy a book from a garden centre or find a decent growing guide online. Hope you do better than I did!!

 

[--Shadow]

Soil, lighting & Watering

• Use a well draining basic bonsai soil mix

• Your acacia bonsai will perform best in full sunlight, but with wintering indoors. They will perform as well in full morning sunlight, so if your garden has part-shade, don't worry, your acacia will still grow!

• Acacias do not like wet/moist conditions, so allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Water twice a day in summer (morning and night) and once a day in cooler months. Acacias are more drought tolerant than other trees so don't stress if you miss an odd watering!



Feeding

• During the growing season (Spring), feed your acacia bonsai tree every 2-3 weeks with a basic bonsai fertilizer such as Osmocote. ensure a low nitrogen count to promote flowering!



Repotting

• Repot your acacia every 3 years, on average. Ensure you repot using a well-draining soil and remove as much top growth as you do roots. Then you can start thinking of the perfect acacia pot!



Pruning & Wiring

• Your acacia bonsai will have a tendency towards throwing growth at the top of the tree which can destroy lower branches and harm the overall bonsai aesthetic. Ensure you perform constant pruning at the top of the tree to encourage lower growth

• Leaf pruning can be quite useless due to the molecular structure of the leaves - its all about the branch pruning! The leaves are compound so cut at branch joints!

• Wire your acacia every second year at the start of Spring. Be careful though, the branches can be delicate and prone to snapping!

• You can opt to tie branches down if they appear too brittle. If not, use a light gauge wire but wrap the branches first!



Shaping

• Acacias generally suit a range of bonsai styles. We feel your acacia bonsai will look great as Formal/Informal Upright with a large canopy spread, mimicking nature, this can also be referred to as Broom