Tips for Taking Care of a Bonsai (One of the Most Difficult Plants)
Specialists have very useful advice. Take note!
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Lifestyle Plantas
Plant lovers know that a bonsai tree requires special care and lots of patience. That's why some plant experts, cited in Woman & Home, created a sort of guide with relatively simple steps to take care of the plant and keep it healthy. Take note!
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Fertilizing
So, "unlike their full-size counterparts that are able to spread their roots far and wide in search of nutrients, a bonsai relies on you to provide the goodness it needs to grow and thrive," explains Fiona Jenkins, plant expert and gardening guru at MyJobQuote.
This means "bonsai trees should be fertilized throughout the growing season," which runs from spring to mid-autumn, she adds. Indoor bonsai should be 'fed' with a liquid fertilizer.
Location
You should place your bonsai tree in a humid location such as a bathroom or kitchen. John Clifford, gardening expert, also explains that "the room temperature should not drop below 15ºC, although it is best to check your specific type of bonsai tree to find out its ideal temperature."
It can be near a window in the winter and further away in the summer. It is important to remember that "bonsai trees are susceptible to leaf scorch from the sun and can be badly damaged if they are near heat sources (such as radiators) in the winter," he adds.
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Watering
You should "water your bonsai tree frequently, so that the soil is consistently moist but not waterlogged," she explains. "As a general rule, water your bonsai tree whenever the top of the soil begins to dry out and feels slightly damp." It is important to check this every day so that the tree does not dry out.
Repotting
"Repotting will need to be done on an as-needs basis," warns Peter Ivanov, another gardening expert, quoted on the same website. But, in general, "how often you need to do this will depend on its size."
For example, "fast-growing species may need repotting every couple of years, while older, slower-growing varieties might only need repotting every three to five years."
Pruning
John Clifford recommends that you prune the plant "in early spring, when new shoots can be pinched back to the first pair of leaves".
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