How To Grow Bonsai

There are two problems associated with watering. The first is under-watering, while the other is overwatering. Both of these conditions can kill your bonsai. So to avoid them, the first thing you should note the moment you've learned about the water requirement of your plant is how often you need to water it. This is a critical step in how to grow bonsai successfully. Note that there are some species of bonsai that need more water in summer months than they require in winter.

How To Check If Your Bonsai Needs Watering

There are also some species that love to be left a bit dry in between the watering. Although that dryness is needed, they should not be left really dehydrated for a long time. You can exactly determine if your plant needs water or not by simply pushing it down on its soil right at the bottom of the main trunk. If you think the soil is soft, spongy, or cool, then it can absolutely stand for hours without watering. If the opposite happens, then take a basin of water and apply just the exact amount of water it needs.

The key to knowing the right amount of water that a bonsai needs is none other than getting familiar with its specific watering requirements. You can determine this as you go along the process of how to grow bonsai.

Some tips: When watering your precious dwarf trees, try to avoid using a garden hose. The reason behind this is that this can wash the soil out from its pot or container. Aside from that, try to situate your bonsai in a water tub while keeping the water deep enough to cover the soil. Nevertheless, this is only applicable to bonsais that are left dry for hours. Just leave the pot soaked into that tub until bubble appears. Soaking it for two or three minutes is enough for this water treatment.

Now that you have mastered the art of watering your bonsai, you now get your next challenge. Yes, you guessed it feeding your Bonsai. You do need to feed your little Bonsai buddy. These trees do not feed themselves which seems to be a popular misconception.

Some bonsai enthusiasts are under the impression that the trees gather their necessary nutrients from being re-potted into fresh soil. Wrong!!!!! This is not only untrue it is also most likely the easiest way to kill your bonsai.

Feeding your Bonsai Properly is essential to its survival. If kept indoors during its growing season, which is spring to late summer, the bonsai should be fed about once every 2 weeks. If your goal is to grow the tree then a feed that is rich in nitrogen would be best.

If your tree is more mature and has reached its desired size than a more balanced type of feed should suit its needs. During the high summer months, the trees stop growing, meaning they no longer absorb the nutrients. You need to keep this in mind because it will be easy to overfeed the trees during this time. This can lead to the untimely and tragic death of your Bonsai.

As you have most likely figured out, Feeding your Bonsai is a delicate balance. In early autumn, the trees should only be fed once a month. By late autumn, the deciduous trees should not be fed at all but the conifers should have a couple of feeds in the winter months.

If you keep your Bonsai inside, you need to know that your tree will continue to grow. This means feeding your Bonsai year round. One question you maybe asking your self is should I use organic or man made fertilizer?

Gardeners have most likely come to blows over this issue however; there is very little evidence to show that one is better than the other When it comes to feeding your Bonsai . The only clear advantage to an organic fertilizer is that it is less likely to burn the roots should you overfeed your tree.

Some recommended natural feeds are chicken manure and liquid fishmeal. It is not advisable to use these if your plants are kept inside. The reason should be fairly obvious but if I have to spell it out for you. They STINK. For indoor plants a sea weed or chemical feed would be best.

Avoid feeding your Bonsai trees if they have just been re-potted. This applies whether your plants