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I just got a bonsai that I think is a chinese juniper….it just says starter bonsai on the side of the pot.  Ive been reading online and have found that I should not grow it inside and that it is [...]]]>

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Just as with a full grown tree in nature, a miniature bonsai tree will also have a change in appearance including a change in the color of it’s leaves, the dropping of its leaves in fall, etc. The type of care that you give your bonsai will also [...]]]>

Image by shotfinder via Flickr

Just as with a full grown tree in nature, a miniature bonsai tree will also have a change in appearance including a change in the color of it’s leaves, the dropping of its leaves in fall, etc. The type of care that you give your bonsai will also need to be adjusted as the seasons change and the needs of your bonsai plants and trees change.

Spring Care

Spring is the season of new growth in your bonsai plant and trees. They will begin to awaken after their winter rest. Consequently springtime is one of the busiest times of the year for gardeners, including bonsai gardeners.

This is the time of year that is best for re-potting a bonsai plant, as well as pruning it’s roots, assuming that it hadn’t been re-potted during late winter. Be careful that you get all of the re-potting done before the first buds open on your bonsai plant.

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If you bonsai plant has any dead branches now is the time to prune them off. Its much easier now that to wait until later when the branches may be concealed beneath the plants leaves. New shoots should also be cut back at this time..

If you are training coniferous trees, spring is the time to apply the wires, or remove any wires that may appear to be cutting into the tree’s bark.

Be cautious of fertilizing any recently re-potted and root-pruned trees with full strength fertilizer as it may burn the tree’s roots; use a diluted mixture of fertilizer instead.

Summer Care

It is during the summer months that trees experience their maximum rates of growth. Be sure that you don’t do any more root pruning or re-potting of your plants during this period of rapid growth. You should continue to prune, pinch, and trim all of the shoots that are now growing at a rapid rate. The shoots of deciduous trees should be cut back to one or two pairs of leaves, and the buds on conifers should be gently plucked as they begin to enlargen.

You can apply training wire to most deciduous trees during the summer months. This is also the time to remove any wire that you previously applied if you are confident that the trunk or branches have become set it its desired position.

Monitor the soil of your potted bonsai regularly, making sure to never allow the soil to dry out completely. In extremely hot weather you should water everyday, and in some cases more than once a day.

Your trees should be fertilized give or take every 3 weeks during the summer with a high nitrogen blend. You will want to continue fertilizing all summer and into early fall.

Fall Care

The growth rate will start to slow down as fall approaches, and there are fewer hours of sunlight each day. Even though they are miniature trees, the leaves of most deciduous bonsai trees will change in the fall, exhibiting the same glorious colors as their larger relatives that live in the wild.

It’s OK to prune juniper and pine trees in the fall, but when you prune deciduous trees it will cause the tree to burst with new growth. This should be avoided because the new growth uses precious food supplies that the tree will need during winter.

If you had wired your tree for formative purposes in the spring and summer, and if the branches and/or trunk have set, then you should remove the wires and let your tree rest during the approaching winter.

You won’t need to water your deciduous bonsai plants as much after they have dropped their leaves in the fall and head into their dormant state. They’ll only need a little bit of water when the soil feels dry. Pine and junipers and other conifers continue to have leaves during the winter, from which water can be lost through transpiration, so you will need to continue watering them all winter long.

You can apply a nitrogen-free fertilizer to your bonsai plant at this time to harden off the current year’s new growth.

Winter Care

Deciduous bonsai trees don’t require much care during winter while they are in a hibernating stage, but as mentioned in the prior paragraph you still need to water your conifers. Aside from a very occasional and modest watering, there is very little to do, or that should be done.

This is not the time to prune or wire, but it is an excellent time to quietly contemplate your trees, get to know them better, and to visualize the resulting masterpiece that you will once again be able to work with come springtime.

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About the Author:
Mike Andrews is a gardener and author and has been a devoted enthusiast of the art of bonsai for many years. Read his additional articles relating to the seasonal care requirements of a bonsai plant on his website at www.myjapanesebonsai.com. Please visit and sign up for his FREE 7-part mini-course on how to grow and train miniature bonsai trees.
Peace.
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When you are taking care of bonsai trees, don’t forget that just like you, they like to be fed. Despite what some people think, you do not starve a bonsai in order to stunt its growth. In fact, you can control how your tree grows by correct [...]]]>

Image by shotfinder via Flickr

When you are taking care of bonsai trees, don’t forget that just like you, they like to be fed. Despite what some people think, you do not starve a bonsai in order to stunt its growth. In fact, you can control how your tree grows by correct feeding.

As bonsai have a relatively small amount of soil, their small pots can quickly be drained of nutrients which means that it is easy for a bonsai tree to become deficient if not fertilized adequately. To take care of bonsai trees, we need to add fertilizer to help ‘feed’ them. Feeding will help keep your bonsai healthy so we need to know about how often it should be done, what nutrients it supplies and what form it comes in.

Fertilizing is most important in the growing seasons of mid-spring to early-summer and again from late-summer to early fall. These are times when the tree is active and needs extra nourishment to help it carry out the extra energy converting, growth activity at this time but the temperatures are moderate and not too extreme.

When you purchase fertilizer for the care of bonsai trees, it will be a form of liquid fish or seaweed mixtures or as pellets/granules. Check the label to see what the composition is and watch how your tree responds to that particular brand. You may want to change brands from time to time to expose the tree to different amounts. By watching the progress of your tree, you will be able to assess if you’re adding the correct amount at the appropriate time.

These chemical and mineral elements nutrients are required to keep your tree healthy and help it to grow.

Nitrogen: It helps determine the size and amount of new growth through cell division and protein manufacturing.

Phosphorus: It is necessary for cell division and assists with good root growth and flowering.

Potassium: Also known as potash. This activates cell enzymes and helps to regulate the water balance in and outside of cells.

The manufacturers will have recommendations as to how much and how often to use the fertilizer for the care of bonsai trees. These are often over generous, so until you see how your tree responds, it’s a good idea to use only half their recommended amount and then you can amend as required.

The pellet/granule forms of fertilizers are usually in this form to provide a slow release of the fertilizer into the soil each time the plant is watered. Some bonsai owners like to use granules as they can be worked into the soil and left to gradually release their nutrients over a period of time. Others prefer adding the soluble powder a couple of times a month as the liquid is a quick acting nutrient that you use to water the tree.

An important thing to consider in the care of bonsai trees is that fertilizer provides nutrition to a bonsai tree but it is not medicine. The role of fertilizing is to enhance the soil to help the tree to grow in the active season. If your tree does not look well, you should see if there are other ways to take care of your tree to restore its health. For example, if the leaves are dry and brittle or it is losing its leaves, it may need a change in the watering rather than a dose of fertilizer which may only stress the tree even further, making it work harder and suffer more.

When it comes to the type and frequency of fertilization another item to take into account for the successful care of bonsai trees is the amount of growth that is required. A young tree may need heavy feeding so that it grows vigorously, while a well developed bonsai should be fed sparingly so that it does not become thick and woody.

As with the other elements in the care of bonsai trees, you need to work with the requirements of your individual tree, taking into consideration its variety, stage of development, growth and health.

One tip that I must pass on is:

Always make sure that the soil is wet before you add the fertilizer. It must not be dry.

Your bonsai will like the additional nutrients that you provide through fertilization - just don’t over do it and kill it with kindness. Start feeding your tree slowly and see how it responds and then amend it accordingly. Your tree will thank you for it and thrive, allowing you to experience the joy of being a success with the care of bonsai trees.

Make sure that you don’t kill your tree with kindness.

To learn how to care of bonsai trees <<= = Click this link NOW!” Also, here’s another ‘must see’ article about bonsai trees care“

Article Source: bonsai Trees - They Enjoy A Good Fed" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/care-of-bonsai-trees-they-enjoy-a-good-fed-1297487.html" target="_blank">http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/care-of-bonsai-trees-they-enjoy-a-good-fed-1297487.html

Properly caring for your indoor bonsai tree is essential. But by following just a few simple growing instructions, you can grow really beautiful bonsai trees.

Before beginning, make sure the tree you choose is one that will do well indoors. Some trees just need too much light [...]]]>

Image by miki via Flickr

Properly caring for your indoor bonsai tree is essential. But by following just a few simple growing instructions, you can grow really beautiful bonsai trees.

Before beginning, make sure the tree you choose is one that will do well indoors. Some trees just need too much light to grow well indoors.

Once you are sure that your bonsai plant can be grown indoors, you are all set. By following these few basic tip, you should have no problem growing healthy indoor bonsai trees.

Growing Environment

The first thing to keep in mind when growing the indoor bonsai tree is choosing the right growing environment. Your bonsai tree should be kept in a room that has plenty of light and just the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold.

The room must have a good source of natural light. You will want to keep your indoor bonsai tree large windows to allow your tree to receive as much indirect sunlight as possible.

The farther north you live, the more likely you will need those windows to face south to get enough light in the winter (or the opposite, in the Southern Hemisphere).

Rich Soil

Another important factor to growing the indoor bonsai Tree is using the correct soil. Not only do you want the highest quality soil available, but also you may need to use different types of soil for the various bonsai Trees.

The best way to determine which soil is right for the type of indoor bonsai Tree that you intend to grow is to visit a gardening store and ask them. Make sure that you inform them exactly which type of bonsai Tree you need the soil for.

Fertilizer

Not applying fertilizer correctly can be devastating to your indoor bonsai tree. This is a common mistake for beginners.

An indoor bonsai tree needs to be given a water-soluble fertilizer at various times. It is also important that the fertilizer be applied only when the soil is wet.

In addition, it is recommended that you use the highest quality fertilizer available, but use it sparingly. Too much fertilizer is much worse than not enough.

Watering

Watering your indoor bonsai tree correctly is easily one of the most important elements of growing the tree successfully. If you do not water enough, the tree becomes dehydrated and soon dies. Watering too much drowns the tree, with a similar result.

A good rule to follow when watering your indoor bonsai tree is to wait until the soil begins to dry out but is not completely dry. Then add just enough water to saturate the soil and seep out the bottom.

Do not water again until the soil begins to dry out.

Pruning

Pruning the indoor bonsai tree is also important to successfully growing these trees. There are two different steps to pruning the bonsai Tree.

In the spring the branches of the trees should be trimmed, leaving only those branches you wish to keep. Root pruning should be done when the roots have bound up in the pot.

Once you have learned the basics of caring for them, you will find bonsai trees to be wonderful plants for your home.