When you are just starting out, caring for bonsai can be an intimidating notion. You want your tree to survive and yet everything looks so confusing. Here are five helpful tips to help you get started:
1. Keep your bonsai outdoors. A majority of bonsai trees require outdoor conditions for good health. While your bonsai may appear to be coping well indoors, keep in mind that it will not exhibit obvious signs of ill health such as the yellowing of leaves until it is close to death.
2. Check your bonsai’s water requirements on a daily basis. One of the easiest mistakes to make as a beginner is to under or over-water your bonsai. The surface of the compost must be starting to dry out before watering but make sure you do not allow the compost to completely dry out or your tree will die.
3. Prune your bonsai. Pruning is an important part of caring for bonsai. It allows you to shape your bonsai and essentially keep it small. However, do not constantly prune. Allow your tree some freedom to grow naturally. Pruning is a skill that will be learnt over time. When you are just starting out, keep it simple.
4. Re-pot your bonsai in spring when new growth is starting to occur. Re-potting is essential for your bonsai’s health and must be done every year, or at least bi-annually. When you first purchase a bonsai you may find that it is growing in very poor soil. It is essential that it is re-potted into better quality soil, but it must be done at the correct time of year if you do not wish to harm your tree.
5. Use inorganic soils. Inorganic soils provide your bonsai with good water retention, good drainage and good aeration. All are important for the good health of your bonsai.
If caring for bonsai is important to you, one guide I think is a must have is Bonsai Gardening Secrets: The Insider Secrets to Creating Beautiful Bonsai! by Erik Olsen. Erik gives you a very easy to follow, step-by-step guide to properly care for your bonsai, even if you are a complete beginner.
He covers everything from how to choose your tree to the insider secrets on pruning, plucking and more. He even helps you choose the right accents for your bonsai like dwarf grass, lichen and moss.
I think this guide is an absolute must have for someone who is interested in caring for bonsai (with the least amount of effort) and who wants to create beautiful trees of their own.