buy | How to Take Care of a Bonsai Tree

Bald Cypress Bonsai

Bald Cypress make for unique bonsai because of the shape and foliage. Needles grow on branches in two rows, and survive well into winter before falling. These trees are outdoor bonsai that need a dormant season to stay alive. This species naturally grows in wet, swampy soils, and the same should be used for bonsai purposes. It is common for bonsai trainers to keep this tree submerged up to the pot at all times.

Watering Bald Cypress Bonsai

Bald Cypress need to be watered daily because of their need for full sun. Full sun will dry the soil quickly, and this tree likes moist environments. Water your bonsai by submerging it in water for a few minutes and then letting excess water drain out. This watering technique will allow the soil to soak up optimum amounts of water.

Placement of your Bald Cypress Bonsai

This species thrives in full sun, so provide as much sun as possible.

Training Bald Cypress Bonsai

Cypress are typically planted in group plantings, formal upright, and informal upright styles. Naturally, these trees grow large, tall, limbless, trunks. This is a problem in bonsai, so the truck needs to be cut to the desired height. This kind of tree grows so fast that wiring is difficult to achieve without scaring. Tying branches off to hold them in desired location is preferable to wiring. Sometimes, you may need to cut a V-shaped notch in the “armpit” of the branch to allow you to bend it downward. Make this cut small enough that the bend will close the gap and it will heal. Maintain the shape by pinching back new growth regularly.

Repotting Bald Cypress Bonsai

Potting and root pruning should be done in early spring. Make sure that the little green nubs have not begun to sprout yet. Repot this tree in a heavy soil with good water retention. You want to keep the roots as moist as possible, and it’s impossible to make them rot.

Fertilizing Bald Cypress Bonsai

A miniature tree requiring this much water will wash nutrients away rapidly. You must replace these nutrients by feeding with a balanced fertilizer every other week throughout the growing season. You can slow fertilizing down to monthly after the growing season has ended.

Japanese White Pine Bonsai

Japanese White Pine trees make perfect bonsai specimen trees. They are primarily grown outdoors because they need a dormant winter period to survive. This species grows extremely slow in bonsai form, but is known to live a long time. They are very susceptible to disease and fungus, so additional care may be needed.

Watering Japanese White Pine Bonsai

This type of pine will need more water than others because it requires full sun. The more sun and heat a tree receives, the more the soil will dry out. Water your bonsai by soaking the soil, up to the brim of the pot, in a tub of water. Remove the tree after a few minutes and let the excess water drain out. You should never set a watering schedule for your bonsai, but this tree will likely need to be watered daily.

Placement of your Japanese White Pine Bonsai

This species of tree is best grown outdoors in a sunny area. . This is a primarily outdoor bonsai tree due to its need for a dormant season.

Training Japanese White Pine Bonsai

The needles of this species grow in clumps of 5, spawning the nickname “five needle pine.” Pinch new shoots back to a third of their length in spring. This will force each shoot to form multiple additional shoots off of the pruned shoot. Using this technique will force short internodes and make the tree look like a better representation of a large tree. In late autumn, leaving the wire on for about 6 months is fine; the slow growth rate allows for wire to stay on longer and helps increase success.

Repotting Japanese White Pine Bonsai

Root pruning is essential to producing a good foundation for this species. Cut back a quarter of the roots when repotting your Japanese White Pine tree. Repot this tree every two to three years in early spring.

Fertilizing Japanese White Pine Bonsai

Bonsai trees require a large amount of fertilizer to replenish the nutrients lost from the increased watering. White Pine are typically fed with a fertilizer designed for acid loving plants. If you know that your soil is already high in acidity, you may want to use a balanced fertilizer. Feed this tree monthly during the growing season to help encourage growth.

Japanese Black Pine Bonsai

Japanese Black Pine trees are known for their overall ability to survive barren conditions. The oldest known bonsai tree in the world is a Japanese Black Pine. These trees are perfect beginner bonsai because they can survive vacations and any other time the user may forget to water the tree. They grow dark green, small, and dense foliage supported by attractive branches and trunks. The bark begins to become fissured with age, adding to its beauty.

Watering Japanese Black Pine Bonsai

Your Japanese Black Pine tree is extremely drought tolerant. This means that they can go without watering for a small amount of time, perfect for travelers. Water often in the summer to help combat the heat. Misting may be necessary during summer months to protect the foliage from overheating.

Placement of your Japanese Black Pine Bonsai

Position your tree outdoors in full sun, where it will get good air circulation. It is best to rotate your tree occasionally to ensure all sides get even sunlight. Ignoring this could leave you with an unbalanced tree.

Training Japanese Black Pine Bonsai

Balancing the foliage of a Japanese Black Pine tree is an art form all its own. You will need to prune the tree in early spring. This will cause new buds to grow throughout spring. At the end of spring, pinch back those buds, forcing the tree to grow multiple buds in that same location. Then pinch back the healthy ones in areas that are already strong. In areas that are week, pinch back the weak buds so they will become stronger. It takes some practice to balance a Japanese Black Pine tree perfectly, but we haven’t ever had one come out ugly.

Repotting Japanese Black Pine Bonsai

Repot this species in spring right before the buds begin to open. This will allow the roots to grow with the new foliage. Japanese Black Pine are typically planted in a larger pot to help retain extra moisture for the roots. The soil used needs to be well-draining but also have water retention.

Fertilizing Japanese Black Pine Bonsai

Fertilize this tree with an acid-based fertilizer monthly during the growing season. This fertilizer will replace the much needed nutrients in the soil that are washed away from watering.

Trident Maple Bonsai

Trident Maple make beautiful bonsai due to their ability to adjust their leaf size. This outdoor bonsai is one of the best beginner bonsai, because they can be forgiving of mistakes. They produce vibrant colors in fall just before the leaves fall. This tree will live long and thrive if you meet its basic requirements of a Trident Maple bonsai.

Watering Trident Maple Bonsai

This species of tree is very drought tolerant, making them perfect for people who travel. That being said, we are better off not taking advantage of that trait if we can avoid it. This tree enjoys full sun, which will dry the soil quicker than most of your other trees. Water your bonsai by submerging the plant, up to the brim of the pot, in water for a few minutes. This will allow the soil to become completely drenched. Ensure that the tree is not over watered in winter, as this tree is susceptible to root rot.

Placement of your Trident Maple Bonsai

Your Trident Maple should be placed in full sun, or as much sun as possible. This tree is an outdoor bonsai because it needs a dormant season to survive.

Training Trident Maple Bonsai

Trident Maple are typically trained with a formal upright or informal upright style. These are the two styles that account for the tree’s natural growing pattern. Wire this tree as needed at the end of summer to beginning of fall. Ensure that you keep an eye on the wire because the branches will expand quickly. Pinch back excess growth to maintain shape. Defoliating this tree in early spring will produce vibrant colors in fall, at the expense of stunted growth.

Repotting Trident Maple Bonsai

Repot this bonsai every two years at the beginning of spring. Cut back up to half of the roots as needed to allow room for new root growth. This tree can survive much more root loss, but pushing the limit is not advised. Trident Maples enjoy a well-draining soil so the roots do not rot during winter.

Fertilizing Trident Maple Bonsai

This species prefers a high nitrogen fertilizer every other week. Continue this from the growing season all the way through the winter.

How to Care for a Juniper Bonsai

Juniper are one of the most commonly used species in bonsai for a variety of reasons. The first is that it is perfect for beginners. Juniper bonsai can survive an extra day or two if you forget to water them. This also makes them perfect for people who do a lot of traveling and may need to go a few extra days between watering. This allows people with the most hectic schedules to own a bonsai that produces impressive bark under a beautiful canopy.

Another reason they are popular is because of their natural tendency to grow close to the ground. This species is often used as ground cover, and naturally stays close to the ground. This makes them an excellent specimen for cascade bonsai because they are always growing downward. They also have the natural tendency to grow compact, making them look very established at a young age

The last reason that I will cover is because they can be used as indoor or outdoor bonsai. This doubles their popularity since they can be trained either way. As long as you can provide enough sunlight and a dormant period, they will be equally happy in either situation. This guide will provide you with everything you need to know about your Juniper bonsai.

Juniper Bonsai Placement

It is important to remember that your Juniper is not an indoor plant, and should not be treated as one. They need to be provided the right amount of light and humidity, or they will not survive. Juniper bonsai can be grown either indoors or out, as long as they are forced into a dormant period. If grown indoors, they will need to be put somewhere cool that receives less light than normal. This gives them time to rest, and it is genetically necessary for this species to survive.

Whether your bonsai is indoors or outdoors, this species requires a lot of sunlight to support growth. It is best to make sure that your tree receives morning sunlight as early as possible. This will “wake the tree up” at the earliest point, and help encourage more growing time every day. Juniper bonsai should also be shaded from direct midday sunlight; too much exposure will burn the needles and cause a loss of foliage.

When to Water a Juniper Bonsai

Juniper are extremely popular because they are more forgiving of a missed watering every now and again. That being said, it is still a bonsai and does not have much soil to absorb water from. Check your bonsai every day by sticking a finger or chopstick into the soil to see how moist it is. Feel how heavy the pot it when wet and again when dry, and eventually you will be able to tell from that. You should expect to water this species at least once every other day due to the large amount of sunlight it receives.

To water a bonsai, you will find that there are many methods available for you to use. The oldest trick in the book is to put some water in a water bottle and dump it on. This will work if that’s all you are willing to do, but make sure that you water the entire surface and not just the middle. If possible, the best method is to submerge the entire pot in a tub of water for about a minute. After that, remove the pot and let the excess water drain out. This is the preferred technique by bonsai trainers, ensuring that all the soil gets sufficiently moist.

Juniper Bonsai Soil and Fertilization

Juniper species prefer a well draining soil that will allow airflow to the roots. Make sure that you use a soil that has a large percentage of arrogates that allow the water to flow quickly. If you water your Juniper bonsai and see water pooling at the surface, the soil drainage is not sufficient. Failure to do this will result in root rot, which will eventually kill the tree if not resolved.

Fertilizing is often the most overlooked aspect of bonsai training, especially for beginners. Bonsai are not grown by stunting growth, and failure to fertilize your tree will result in sacrificing older foliage to grow new. During the growing season, fertilize this species every other week with a balanced fertilizer with nitrogen. From fall to winter, slow down to feeding once a month.

Training a Juniper Bonsai

It’s hard to cover all the techniques of training a bonsai in a care article, so you will need to do a little more research on this. I will cover a few training aspects that are specific to this species, such as pinching back growth instead of cutting. With a Juniper bonsai, you will want to pinch back new growth, because cutting it back will cause the surrounding needles to die off. To do this, simply pluck the needles that you do not want out of the branch, leaving the ones that you want in place.

As far as branch growth, Juniper trees tend to grow as low to the ground as they can. For this reason, you will want to trim all branches that are growing downward to keep it looking like a tree. Juniper are also known for their porous wood that contours great into dead wood and rocks. For this reason, they are commonly trained into root over rock formations.

Outdoor Bonsai

Juniper Bonsai

Juniper Bonsai are a well known tree species suitable for bonsai training. They are a fast growing tree known for producing compact foliage with resinous wood. This makes them perfect for growing into the contours of rocks and dead wood. This outdoor bonsai tree is perfect for beginners, because it is very forgiving of mistakes. Typically, those mistakes add character to the tree which can be a blessing in the long run.

Japanese Maple Bonsai

Japanese Maple Bonsai make for an extravagant outdoor bonsai tree. The fall colors it can produce, along with the aged appearance of the trunk, make this a highly sought after bonsai candidate. The leaves of a maple can be easily reduced, which is a requirement on a bonsai species. Defoliating this tree after spring will force the tree to grow leaves back, but in a much smaller form.

Trident Maple Bonsai

Trident Maple are used often as bonsai specimens due to what they offer: large roots that can be trained to root-over rock-formations rather easily. Another aspect of this species is the three-lobed leaves they produce. These leaves turn shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall and make a stunning fall bonsai. This fast growing tree is quite hardy, but frost can damage them if not protected.

Chinese Elm Bonsai

Chinese Elm Bonsai are perfect as indoor or outdoor bonsai trees. They grow large, aged trunks and small clumped leaves. They can be grown outdoors in areas that do not dip below 20 degrees. If it does drop below that temperature in your area, protect the tree during winter or move it indoors.

Japanese Black Pine

Japanese Black Pine are one of the most classic Pine outdoor bonsai species. They are very vigorous trees that reach impressive heights in the wild. This species is very tolerant of poor soil conditions, growing naturally in barren, stony soils. Black Pine can survive drought and survive dry soil and almost any unwanted conditions. These bonsai are known for their long lifespan and will to survive.

Japanese White Pine

Japanese White Pine make a perfect candidate for an outdoor bonsai tree. These need to be grown outdoors in an area with a winter season to allow dormancy. These trees are hard to grow from seed and are typically grafted onto Black Pine rootstock. These trees are a sort of status symbol in the bonsai community due to the time and effort it takes to grow one successfully.

Bald Cypress

Bald Cypress are a unique bonsai because they require so much moisture to grow. They are typically grown with the soil completely submerged in water. These trees can be grown to look extremely old and beautiful rather quickly. This species is typically grown outdoors because it needs a dormant season in order to survive.

Dogwood Bonsai

Dogwood trees make for some of the most beautiful flowering outdoor bonsai. They produce large white or pink flowers in late fall, followed by large red berries. This fast growing tree can be brought indoors during bloom for display as long as it is returned outdoors after a few days. During the fall, it produces plenty of vibrant colors before the leaves fall.

Serissa Bonsai

A Serissa is a shrub commonly found in Southeast Asia in hot and humid environments. This tree is well known in the bonsai community for the minute white flowers that can grow year round in the right conditions. This tree grows very small leaves and produces a gnarled bark that makes it look aged. All these conditions combine for a great bonsai specimen.

Watering Serissa Bonsai

Serissa Foetida require a large amount of sunlight, which increases the amount of water needed to thrive. For this reason, your miniature tree should be checked for moisture at least once a day, if not more. Water this tree by submerging the whole tree and pot in a tub of water for a few minutes. After letting it soak, remove the tree and let the excess water drain before returning it. Snow Rose bonsai also require a large amount of humidity, so a moisture tray and spray bottle are needed. Do not spray this tree while in bloom or the flowers will rot.

Placement of your Serissa Bonsai

Serissa are indoor bonsai and require warmth year round. These trees do best in warm, humid, well lit locations. More light will produce more flowers, so the more light you can get the better. Any changes in light, temperature, or watering will cause a Snow Rose bonsai to lose its leaves. If this happens, don’t panic and dispose of the tree. The leaves will grow back with adjustments to the new environment.

Training Serissa Bonsai

Snow Rose bonsai are fast growers and will need to be continuously trimmed to maintain shape. This species is known for growing air roots, and works well for use in root-over-rock formations. Prune dying flowers to promote new flower growth during the flowering season. Wiring a Serissa Feotida is best done during the spring and summer goring season. Ensure that the wire is not wrapped tightly and that you check it often. The fast growth of this tree can become scarred by wiring if you are not careful.

Repotting Serissa Bonsai

Serissa Feotida should be repotted every 1 to 2 years to replenish the soil nutrients that have been washed out. Repot in fresh soil that is well-draining with peat moss for soil retention. Do not fertilize your bonsai for one month after repotting.

Fertilizing Serissa Bonsai

Fertilize your Serissa with a balanced fertilizer once a week during the growing season to encourage growth and flowering. This will help replenish the nutrients lost from watering daily.

Find Serissa Bonsai for sale here!

Ficus Benjamina

Ficus Benjamina, or Weeping Fig, are extremely popular for bonsai due to the beautiful umbrella-like canopy that can be produced with the thin branches that typically cascade downward from the weight of the leaves. In the wild, the roots of this tree are known to break concrete surfaces, wreaking havoc on defenseless roads and sidewalks. In the bonsai world, these roots provide great surface roots that attract the viewer’s eyes to the trunk of the specimen.

Watering Ficus Benjamina

This species typically needs to be watered more than others due to the amount of sunlight it receives. These trees can dry out very quickly if not watched carefully. You can use your finger to test how dry the soil is if you do not own a moisture meter. Another way to test for moisture is by feeling how heavy the plant is. A lighter plant than normal indicates that it needs to be watered.

Placement of your Ficus Benjamina

Benjamina Ficus thrive in well-lit locations, sheltered from direct midday sunlight. Place this tree in an area that gets a large amount of moisture, such as a kitchen. They tend to grow less leaves and look less lively if grown in dry areas of the house. Ensure that your miniature tree is not in a location that experiences cool drafts.

Training Ficus Benjamina

Pruning Ficus Benjamina encourages the tree to grow new shoots, so it is essential that you prune them regularly. In order to maintain shape, cut new growth back to the first two leaves after they have grown 5 or 6 leaves. You will have to perform maintenance pruning regularly to maintain shape and size, as this tree grows quickly.

Benjamina Ficus are great for formal upright, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, broom, and slanting styles. They are also well known for rock-over-root and clasped-to-rock plantings. These plants are commonly grown as bonsai and much larger house plants.

Repotting Ficus Benjamina

These trees should be repotted every year for the first few years to ensure they have plenty of support for vigorous growth. When repotting, it is important that you remove up to 30% of the surface roots to promote new growth. Ficus prefer well-draining soils, containing mostly sand and other arrogates.

Fertilizing Ficus Benjamina

Your Benjamina Ficus relies heavily on the nutrients you provide in your fertilizer. The nutrients in the soil will wash away quickly and must be reapplied through a good fertilizer. This species prefers a weekly feeding of balanced fertilizer, slowed down to every other week through the winter.

Ginseng Ficus Bonsai

Ginseng Ficus bonsai (Ficus Microcarpa Ginseng) are best known for the immense roots protruding out of the ground which base the tree trunk. The large exposed root system provides a tropical and well-aged look. These trees typically grow small leaves in clusters to provide a weeping effect over the root system.

Styles

Ficus Microcarpa Ginseng are typically grown in the umbrella style. These trees are typically designed to look like they are clinging to rocks or other objects. The large roots and short nature of this tree are perfect for making it appear to be hanging on to the side of a cliff or trying to walk off a rock.

Position

Ginseng Ficus bonsai need to be placed in a location that receives a large amount of light, while staying very humid. This indoor bonsai tree will thrive in a kitchen or bathroom that receives much sunlight while shading the tree from midday sun. These trees do not do well in drafty locations, or near heaters that dry the air.

Leaf and Branch Pruning

Leaf pruning should be conducted after the tree has grown 6-10 leaves. At this point, trim the branches back to 2-4 leaves, allowing new branches with smaller leaves to grow. Stick these branch cuttings into the ground to grow new trees. This species is extremely easy to grow from cuttings, so simply stick the cut branches in the soil and water them regularly. This will make the cuttings develop their own root systems and become more amazing bonsai trees.

Re-potting / soil

This species should be repotted every 2 to 3 years, cutting back about 10% of the root growth. This will allow the tree to continue to grow and not feel like it is out of room. The exposed surface roots and root-over-rock styles allow us to plant Ginseng Ficus Bonsai in extremely shallow pots for more impressive results.

Your One Stop Guide to Caring For Your Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai Tree

Golden Gate Ficus bonsai, like all other Ficus varieties, require warm and humid environments to thrive. For this reason alone, this species is best grown as an indoor bonsai in most locations. In warm locations, you can place this tree outside during the summer to cut back on maintenance and provide ideal conditions.

The Golden Gate Ficus is grown for the attractive gray trunk that they produce. This species grows a thick, sturdy trunk to compliment the shiny green leaves. The gray trunk in also accented with white stripes, giving it the nickname “Tiger Stripe Ficus”. This bonsai also grows extremely quickly, making it the ideal bonsai for beginners.

How to Water Your New Bonsai

This miniature tree type needs to be watered often due to its location. The fact that it needs a lot of sun creates the need for frequent watering because it will dry out quicker. Check your bonsai daily by sticking your finger into the soil to feel the moisture level. If you notice the top of the soil looks dry, then it is probably safe to say that you need to water. Once you get the hang of when it needs water, feel the weight of the pot before and after watering. You will start to notice how much it weighs when it is time to water your bonsai.

Submerge your pot in a tub of water for a few minutes to ensure that all of the soil is allowed to retain the water. This is the best way to water your bonsai because it ensures that you water fully and throughout. If you cannot use this method, make sure that you spread the water across the entire surface. It is also a good idea to go back again after the water settles and water again.

Placement of Your Bonsai

Golden Gate Ficus are best grown anywhere inside that has high humidity. They are native to areas that produce intense rain and jungle-like conditions. Kitchen windows, bathroom windows, or any other room that says somewhat humid is perfect for this bonsai species. If you cannot provide these conditions, consider using a humidity tree and spraying the tree with a water bottle a few times a day. These will help keep the humidity high and allow the Ficus to develop.

This tree species need bright indirect sunlight during the day. It is important that this tree is shaded from direct midday sun and heat. You can move the tree to a location that doesn’t get the full sun or shade the sun if needed.

While Golden Gate Ficus bonsai are primarily indoor bonsai, they love to be outside when it is warm. We place all of our bonsai outdoors in the summer once it is hot enough. They enjoys the natural environment and it reduces on the amount of care required to keep them healthy. Just ensure that you bring them back in when temperatures are in danger of dropping below tolerated temperatures.

Training Your New Bonsai

Leaf pruning is essential when training this species in order to reduce the leaf size. The first 2-4 leaves on a branch are the perfect size for use in bonsai, after that they grow much larger. For this reason, you want to trim each branch back to those first 2-4 leaves after 6-10 leaves have grown on the given branch. Complete defoliation can also be performed on Golden Gate Ficus bonsai at the end of spring. By removing all leaves from the tree, new smaller leaves will grow to take the place of lost leaves. Defoliation can only be performed on healthy trees, as defoliating an unhealthy tree can cripple it.

Wiring will also be a vital tool in producing a beautiful Golden Gate Ficus. This is how we train the branches to bend where we want and end in the right location. When wiring this species, it is important to check the wiring weekly to make sure the wires are not growing into the branch. Golden Gate Ficus bonsai are great for formal upright, informal upright, and slanting styles.

Repotting This Type of Bonsai

Repot this species every two to three years, at the beginning of spring before the growing season begins. Find a pot that compliments the tree well and it slightly larger than the previous pot. Cover the drainage whole with a piece of screening or loose rocks to hold dirt in.

After you decide on the right pot, you will need to find some good replacement soil. This species prefers a well-draining mixture, comprising of mostly sand or other arrogates. Cactus soil with some added arrogates tends to work really well for potting a Ficus.

Remove the tree from the old pot and trim back excess surface roots to promote new growth. Start with roots that are growing straight down because they will push your bonsai out of this pot. Put the tree in place and tie down with some bonsai wire if needed. This will help keep it in place while the new root system develops.

Add the soil to the pot after your know that the tree is secure. Make sure that you fill the pot with dirt and compact it as you go. Water your newly potted bonsai thoroughly after your repot it and place it in the shade to recover. Do NOT fertilize this tree for at least a month after transplanting!

Fertilizing Your Bonsai on A Regular Basis

The amount of water a bonsai tree gets is much larger than a tree planted outdoors in the soil. This has the side effect of soil nutrients being washed away quickly. Fertilizing this tree once a week in the spring, and then every other week the rest of the year, will help it thrive. Do not attempt to stunt your trees growth by not fertilizing it properly. This will force your tree to sacrifice other existent limbs in order to develop new foliage.

Propagating This Bonsai to Produce More Beautiful Specimen

All Ficus species are extremely easy to propagate from cuttings. Take new growth in the summer with a clean razorblade and place it in a sandy soil mix. Dipping the cutting in rooting powder before inserting it into the soil will increase your chance of success, but is not absolutely necessary. Place your potted putting in a bag or provide a dome to conceal humidity. After a month, you should be able to remove the rooted cutting and plant in your typical bonsai soil.

If you found this helpful, please share our site with anyone who may be able to use it in the future using our social media tools!

« Previous Page