Grow an Indoor Bonsai Tree – Part I

People that are not yet completely familiar with the art and horticulture of bonsai suppose that bonsai trees and plants must be grown indoors. This belief may be because all bonsai trees and plants are planted in small pots rather than planted in the garden, or perhaps they saw their first bonsai at an indoor garden show.

Sometimes this misunderstanding can result in the early on and untimely death of the beginning bonsai artist’s first tree, which may deter him/her from making another attempt at growing a bonsai. So be sure that you understand that some plants and trees are emphatically classified as an indoor bonsai tree, while others are more suited to be grown outdoors.

The trees and plants that are generally considered to be indoor bonsai are those that are native to tropical and subtropical climates, and they are being grown as bonsai in a more temperate climate. If you want your indoor bonsai trees and plants to thrive then you must be sure to keep them in a warm and humid environment, similar to that environment where they come from. Providing the appropriate levels of humidity is usually the largest challenge for the indoor bonsai gardener. One easy way to keep the humidity levels up for your indoor bonsai is to spray it frequently with a mister.

Indoor bonsai trees do not have the same growth patterns as bonsai trees that are grown outdoors because they are not subjected to the same seasonal light and temperature changes. As an illustration, a hardy deciduous outdoor bonsai will go through the cycle of new growth in spring, fullness of growth during summer, loss of leaves in the fall, and then a dormant spell of rest during the winter. Because they are generally native to topical and subtropical regions which don’t experience dramatic seasonal changes, indoor bonsai trees are usually “evergreen”, meaning that they are green all year. Under certain conditions an outdoor bonsai plant can stay green year-round rather than lose it’s leaves in the fall and go dormant during the winter.

The methods of pruning and training indoor bonsai is much the same as with outdoor bonsai, with the exception being the timing of the training and pruning. Pruning, cutting, grafting and other training methods are usually only done during preiods of growth and dormancy on outdoor bonsai plants. Indoor bonsai often have a continuous growing period, although they tend to be more active in the spring and summer.

You are better off shopping for a suitable plant to make into an indoor bonsai tree at a nursery or garden center than to purchase one at a supermarket. There is a wide variety of plant and tree types to choose from to create an indoor bonsai. You can even take some ordinary house plants and train them to become bonsai. In Part II of my article on Indoor Bonsai, I will report how to choose the best plant material for your bonsai, and also offer a list of 4-5 plants and trees that are greatly suitable as indoor bonsai, as well as highly suitable for the beginner bonsai enthusiast.