Bonsai Basics

Bonsai, (pronounced bone-sigh) is the ancient art of landscape in miniature. One of the earliest Chinese legends states that an emperor in 206 B.C. created a tiny landscape complete with rivers, trees and valleys that represented his entire empire. He had the landscape built in miniature so he could enjoy looking at his entire empire from his palace window.

 

The art of Bonsai then traveled to Japan, when Buddhist monks brought bonsai to the island. In the beginning, Bonsai was practiced only by the wealthy. After China invaded Japan, all classes began to practice and appreciate the art of Bonsai. The Japanese highly refined the art of bonsai, and developed the art into much of what it is today.

 

Bonsai reached the west after World War II when soldiers returning from Japan brought home pieces of the tiny landscape art. Because westerners did not know how to care for bonsai, many of the early pieces died. A better understanding of how to care and feed bonsai has led to the growing hobby of bonsai. A well cared for bonsai may outlive its owner.

 

To water your bonsai, pay attention to the season. In the summertime, it may be necessary to water your bonsai every day, or every other day. In the winter, make sure this is some moisture available every few days to make sure the roots don’t dry out completely.

 

Feeding or fertilizing your bonsai must is also dependant on the season. It is not necessary to fertilize your bonsai in the winter, or in the hottest part of summer. You must feed your bonsai in the spring, when it is producing new growth, and in the fall when it is storing food for the winter. In the spring, from the first week of March through the end of May, feed the bonsai about once every 7 to 10 days at half the recommended rate on the fertilizer label. For example if your fertilizer instructions call for one tablespoonful of dry fertilizer mixed in one gallon of water, mix the same amount of fertilizer into 2 gallons of water. In the fall, from the first week of September until the last week in November, feed the very same way, once every week for ten days at half-strength.

 

Finally, you may find it necessary to re-pot your bonsai every three years. You may simply move it to a larger pot and do very little root trimming, or you may trim the roots rather significantly and re-pot in the same sized pot. The best time to re-pot a bonsai in the spring, when all the trees in your neighborhood are beginning to bud. The second best time is in the fall from mid-September to mid-October.   

 

If you need to prune the roots of you bonsai, start by trimming back the long twining roots. Next, wash off as much soil as possible without injuring the roots. Plant the bonsai in fresh soil and water it thoroughly. Set the plant in the shade for a week, lightly spraying the foliage every day. Water the bonsai for a second time three days after the first soaking, then resume a normal watering schedule depending upon the season.