Soil Scoop: how to properly maintain your bonsai trees

Az Cavanaugh - Senior | Column

Hi. Hello, and welcome back to the Soil Scoop. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Az. I will be your guide through the wonderful yet often frustrating world of gardening-- and speaking of frustrating, today I will be teaching you the ins and outs of bonsai tree care. Prepare, friends, for bonsai trees require an unholy amount of time, patience, and persistence to maintain.

First and foremost, I have to recommend against trying to grow a bonsai tree from seed. If you are familiar with the proper care of bonsais and still wish to grow one from seed, you are built differently, and I am scared of you. Bonsais are hard enough to care for when they’re grown. I have a fukien tea tree bonsai named Patricia, and I love him dearly. However, he is bitter for a tree of his size and continues to spite me despite the fact that I’ve had him for about two years now. Patricia is, by far, the most difficult plant I’ve ever cared for and requires constant monitoring. He has nearly died on multiple occasions for far too many reasons. Growing bonsai trees from seed is simply not a good idea. Now that we’ve gotten that over with, we can return to your regularly scheduled Soil Scoop.

As I recommend you purchase your bonsai tree at two to three years of age, it will very likely already be potted. However, there is a chance that either the pot or soil will be bad in quality, so I will go over repotting anyway. To repot a bonsai, half-fill your new pot with soil-- I strongly recommend a loose and gravelly soil for drainage reasons-- and very gently dig out the root system. Once it’s been completely removed, brush off the excess dirt and lightly trim the roots. Hold the bonsai upright in the new pot and gently fan out the roots. Once the roots are sufficiently spread out, go ahead and fill the pot the rest of the way with soil. Because the soil is loose, I would recommend that you keep some medium sized rocks over top of the soil to prevent the bonsai from falling over. Once done, mix a liquid fertilizer with water and go ahead and water the bonsai.

Watering and sunlight needs are both minimal. Bonsai trees only need to be watered when the top inch or so of soil is dry. Most bonsais require minimal sunlight, preferring mostly shady places with only a couple hours of sunlight a day. As a general rule, dark and saturated greens with a bit of a sheen mean that your bonsai is getting enough sun and water. Since it’s a common enough problem, I will say that if your bonsai’s shedding leaves out of season, you’re overwatering it and should wait a while to water it again and then cut back on the watering schedule.

Well, that’s about all for today. I would write more, but I’m working under a very limited word count and this article is actually quite overdue. I’d rather that the editor-in-chief not show up at my house at two in the morning to vibe check me into completing this column. As always, stay safe and happy gardening.