This page contains answers to the following questions:
Q. How much sunlight does my bonsai need to be healthy?
Q. I am going on vacation for one to two weeks, will my bonsai be alive when I get back ?
Q. How will I know when or how often to water my bonsai?
Q. What type (liquid, dry, pellets, slow-release, etc) of fertilizer should I feed my bonsai ?
Q. What kind of fertilizer (strength) do I feed my bonsai and how often should I feed it?
Q. My cat peed in my bonsai, will it live?, what should I do?
Q. How much sunlight does my bonsai need to be healthy?
A. Depending on whether your bonsai is a sun lover or shade worshiper (most trees are outdoor lovers), they can be grown indoors under appropriate conditions. Most indoor (shade loving) plants can be grown in cooler, shady areas outdoors.
Bright sunlight through a window will do just fine as long as your plant is in a location where it will receive full sun for at least 5 - 6 hours a day or more. Do not place your bonsai too close to the window glass where the sun can be magnified and burn your bonsai.
You must also remember not to place your bonsai under an a/c or heating vent or on top of your T.V. or stereo / speakers. Bonsai must be acclimated slowly to any changes in residence. Quick changes in temperature and humidity can shock your bonsai. If you are going to move your bonsai from indoors to outdoors, or vice-versa you must do this slowly, beginning with a couple of hours a day working your way up to a full day. Your bonsai could shed some foliage while going through this transition phase.
Remember also that the more sull sun your plant receives, especially outdoors, the more you need to check the soil for dryness.
Q. I am going on vacation for one to two weeks, will my bonsai be alive when I get back?
A. You need to plan ahead, there are a few available products or tricks you can utilize if you cannot find a babysitter!
Is there anyone whom you trust to water your plants while you are away? If you have no alternative but to leave your bonsai alone you might want to invest in a water dripper. This holds water and releases it slowly into the soil. There are also watering gels which retain water in small capsules that your plant can pull out through its roots. Neither of these items is a long term substitute. Watering gels must be mixed into the soil when repotting.
Dont leave your plant in bright sunlight or under/near a vent where it will dry out quicker. If it is safe, you may think about placing your plant outside under shelter where it may receive rain.
You have to decide what is necessary for your plant based on your normal watering frequency, it will need water and some sunlight to survive.
I would leave it with a family member and threaten them with bodily harm if anything, anything at all... happens to it!!
Q. How will I know when or how often to water my bonsai?
A. You water a bonsai... when a bonsai needs watered !
There are no set rules in watering your bonsai, you have to adjust your watering schedule to the plants water needs. Only you can tell when to water it. Watering requirements are different for every bonsai. When you first start out with your bonsai, you have to get to know it.
Keep an eye on the leaves, if they ever look wilty, check to see if your plant needs watered. However, one sign of too much water is new leaves turning yellow and falling off without achieving maturity. Yellow leaves could be a sign of other problems too so don't just rely on less water to solve all of your problems.
If your soil is moist or wet after 2 - 3 days, don't water it again until the soil has dried to the touch. Most bonsai need the soil to dry between waterings. You can mist the plant between waterings but this does count towards your watering. Plants can intake water which is sprayed on the leaves.
The best idea if you are unsure of when to water is to invest in a water meter. Use the meter as directed and make sure you are checking the soil around and under the rootball.
Some plants do not do well if their roots are dry for too long of a period of time and others cannot tolerate being too wet for too long. Most plants prefer to dry between waterings. Do your research on your variety / species of plant.
To keep your bonsai tree healthy and growing well, try to avoid the use of tap water on your bonsai. ALWAYS use rain, drinking, distilled, or Reverse Osmosis purified water. A "simple" carbon filter water filter will not get the water purified enough for your bonsais. Tap water contains chlorine, metals and minerals that will harm your bonsai and leave deposits on your pot over time.
You can fill jugs with tap water and leave them set out for 24 hours with no lid to allow impurities to evaperate out of the water before using it on your bonsai.
Q. What type of fertilizer (liquid, pellets, etc) does my bonsai need?
A. The correct questions is what type of fertilizer is right for YOU and
YOUR bonsai !
Your bonsai may have specific needs when it comes to fertilization. You need to research your specific plant and also work with what you can find available in your area. There are many different means to apply fertilizer and you need to decide which method is the most convenient for you.
Some fertilizers may also attract bugs or wildlife and may not be the best choice for outside use. Some fertilizers smell like dead fish... not appropriate for indoor use!
There are many different varieties of fertilizer and with a little research you can find one that is exactly what you are looking for. Fertilization needs change during the seasons also, so you will most likely need more than one fertilizer to use during the year. Read the next section to find out more about fertilizers.
Q. What kind of fertilizer (strength) do I give my bonsai and how often should I feed it?
A. Fertilizers are categorized by their ingredients.
There will be a breakdown of the percentages of ingredients on the label. Choose the proper fertilizer for your specific plant/tree variety. Please do your research and find out what is recommended for the appropriate time of the year.
Fertilizers come in a variety of formulas and you should take advantage of that. Early in the growing season you will want a fertilizer which is higher in nitrogen, when you want your flower buds to appear you will want to use a higher amount of potash for flowering. Take into consideration, higher nitrogen can cause stronger leaf and shoot growth but too much can make your plant leggy or even burn the root system.
Apply the appropriate fertilizer in the appropriate amounts. It is better to err on the side of less, than more.
Lime hating plants such as azaleas and gardenias use acidic fertilizer with chelated iron. One example of an acidic fertilizer is miracid.
You also need to make sure your plant is getting the appropriate micro-nutrients, some fertilizers include them and others do not and you will need to add these separately.
SuperThrive is a fertilizer additive, it is not a fertilizer itself. Superthrive helps your plant to intake the essential nutrients and vitamins and hormones essential to the plant for good healthy growth.
Q. My cat peed in my bonsai, will it live?, what should I do?
A. This is a bonsai owners worse nightmare! Your only help is to realize this early enough. IMMEDIATELY flush clean water through the soil.
Place your garden hose on Low or a light spray and let it run, flushing the soil for about 15 minutes or so, allowing the water to spray from above the soil and drain out through the drain holes in the bottom of the pot. DO NOT set your pot in a basin of water and soak it, this will not remove the urine but only dilute it (not good enough).
You may even need to remove the soil from the roots if flushing does not have a good enough effect. If you don't know how long it has been tainted with urine, I would suggest repotting and throw the soiled soil away, do not reuse the soil. You may even want to trim the ends of the roots a tiny bit. Repot in fresh soil and water thoroughly.
After this all you can do is wait and pray. I have had this issue happen to me by both my own furry friends and the neighborhood strays, flushing will work if you catch it soon enough. If left for too long, the acid in the urine will burn your plants roots system.
Most of the time the cats will use the pot to perch on and most of the urine dribbles down the side, one way to prevent this is to use uneven large rocks to make the pot unperchable! Sometimes the cats will dig the soil out of the pot and then do their business on the pile of soil, they will tear out the soil and disrupt the roots causing the need to repot the bonsai.
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