Friday, September 26, 2008

Caring For Your Indoor Bonsai

Bonsai plants are very attractive specimens of an age old practice. Bonsai trees are very striking in appearance, so there are many who feature them in the home. Special care is required for your indoor bonsai since they're not exposed to full, natural sunlight and outdoor weather. Although they might look quite hardy, a bonsai can be very delicate, requiring precision watering and lighting.

Watering Your Indoor Bonsai

When you bring a bonsai tree indoors it will require sufficient lighting to replace the natural sunlight that it would have been receiving outdoors. It's important to place your tree in a location with good ventilation. How frequently you water your bonsai will depend on what kind it is and the condition of its soil. Many trees and plants must have wet soil, even though several others have no problem surviving drought conditions.

Misting your plant may be necessary to produce a sort of rainforest humidity in which it will thrive. Humidity trays can be useful, but don't let the pot sit right in the water; it should be sitting on a stand or some stones.

Pruning and Cutting

The indoor bonsai tree will still need to be regularly pruned and cut to maintain its appearance. A bonsai tree might appear to be frozen in time, but that doesn't mean it's not growing. Both indoor bonsai and outdoor bonsai need to be repotted anywhere from once a year up to three years depending on the kind of tree. As well, you'll need to give proper maintenance to the branches in order to preserve its distinctive style.

In the wintertime, you'll likely have to reduce fertilization, depending on the type of bonsai you have. This is because some tree species hibernate during the season and do not need as much nutrients as in warmer months. It's harder for an indoor bonsai to truly experience the seasonal cycles due to its simulated surroundings.

You need to be on the lookout for pests and other irregularities that might appear on your indoor bonsai tree. Since they're indoors, they will likely attract mites and spiders from the outside. It is best to gently clean the leaves and branches of your indoor bonsai plant with a damp cloth or a brush.

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