Bonsai Tree Care for All Seasons

Bonsai tree care is different for all seasons. It is important that you perform the right tasks at the right times if you want a healthy bonsai tree.
Spring is the time for pruning. When pruning your bonsai, there are a few points to always keep in mind. Remember to keep your cuts above a bud, main fork, or side branch. The only buds you should be keeping are the ones on the outside of the trunk. This forces the growth outwards and upwards. Be sure to leave stubs flush with the stem and avoid cutting too far back. You don’t want to weaken the main branches.
After you do your main pruning to shape the plant the way you want it, focus on nipping. With nipping, you control the new growth before it becomes so dense that you would have to prune. Nipping, also known as pinching back, shapes and controls the size of your bonsai tree.
In the summer, your bonsai tree will require watering every day. You want to water both the plant and the soil, but make sure you do not over-water your plant. Your bonsai tree also needs three to five hours of direct sunlight a day. If wind is a problem, put up a screen around your bonsai tree to protect it.
During the fall season you will be preparing your bonsai tree for the upcoming cold. Slow the plant growth by watering your bonsai tree less frequently. Also reduce fertilizer. It is important that you do not prune your bonsai tree in the fall.
When winter comes, you must protect it from the cold temperatures. Bonsai trees can only be left outside if the temperature does not drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to shelter your plant in a greenhouse, a pit, or a coldframe. If you do not have a greenhouse, you can construct a coldframe. You can purchase a coldframe kit from a nursery. Simply dig a hole at least 1 1/2 feet in the soil. Make the other dimensions so that your plants will fit inside the hole. Line the sides with plywood and the bottom with gravel. Set your plants in the hole and then spread straw around them. Cover this with the frame.
Ventilate your coldframe on warmer days during the winter (40 degrees Fahrenheit or greater). Check for dryness and water your plants every other day, or less if required.

There are many aspects of bonsai tree care. If you pay attention to your plants’ seasonal needs, you will help them flourish.