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First time Bonsai Owner's The question asked most frequently by new Bonsai owners is... The number one reason for a bonsai not surviving is... WATER. It is recommended that your submerge your tree in a bucket, tub or
sink that is filled with 2" to 4" of water (depending of the depth
When bonsai has enough water, the soil is a rich dark brown color... and is cool and moist to the touch. When it needs to be watered the soil will lighten in color and will feel warmer to the touch. When you first take your new bonsai home you will need to check it every day for water. After the first two weeks you should become familiar with the watering schedule. Many things can effect the watering schedule...
Dry air, warm conditions, small container sizes, good lighting... all equal frequent watering. If you keep your bonsai indoors, you will benefit a great deal from a pebble tray. A pebble tray will provide additional moisture around the tree and also make it easier to simply place the pot right back on the tray after submerging... rather than needing to let it drain somewhere else. Your bonsai dislikes the following conditions...
Light is important to your tree. Please be sure to give your bonsai 6 to 8 hours of direct or bright indirect light a day. If you cannot provide this, add supplemental artificial lighting. It is very important to check your bonsai frequently for spider mites, aphids and other small pests. If you find a pest, treat immediately with a pesticide or insecticidal soap. We also find PineSol at two tablespoons per gallon of water to be a good pest deterrent. When ever you spray your bonsai, remember to remove it from its sunny location. After it has dried you may return it to its home. More is not better when it comes to pesticides... apply even coverage and be sure to spray underneath the leaves and branches. If your tree has been recently repotted, it is recommended that you keep it out of direct sun for 7 to 10 days... to reduce the chance of "transplant shock". This is also a great time to use SUPERTHRIVE... and submerge the newly transplanted tree for about an hour. Then water as usual after that first watering. By taking proper care of your bonsai... you will be able to enjoy it for years to come.
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of the pot your bonsai
is potted in). This will allow you to submerge the tree to about one or two
inches up the trunk. The root ball will get completely saturated and you
will get some feedback as to whether or not the tree indeed needed to be
watered. When you submerge your tree... you will see bubbling in the water
coming from the base of the tree. The vigorousness of the bubbling will
indicate to you how dry the root ball was. This bubbling is the water
replacing the air in the root ball. Your goal is to have bubbles for 5 to 10
seconds... then leave the tree in the tub for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the
root ball to completely saturate. Remove the tree from the water and allow
it to drain before replacing it to it's home.
Feeding your bonsai should be done April through November with a
liquid fertilizer such as Mir-Acid. You can also use a liquid B vitamin
during times of stress. SUPERTHRIVE is the recommended brand of B vitamin.
Fertilize your bonsai once a week during the growing season and use
SUPERTHRIVE or a timed released fertilizer like Osmocote through the winter
months.
