April 2010 – Page 2 – Chinese Bonsai Garden

Bonsai Tree Repotting Step-by-Step

Bonsai should be repotted every few years. The best time of the year for repotting is during spring or early summer when buds are starting to swell. The frequency of repotting depends on the plant specifications, but repotting technique is the same.

Flowering apples and cherries should be repotted in early fall. Azaleas and quince should be repotted immediately after they have finished flowering. Bonsai repotting has many advantages. It improves soil quality because soil breaks down over time. Fresh soil helps to bring more air to the roots of the plant.

Repotting process involves removing old roots making room for new ones, which helps to keep your bonsai small. Bonsai repotting also helps water retention since fresh soil holds water much longer. You can prevent potential pests and diseases by checking roots after removing your bonsai from the pot.

Bonsai Tree Tools

Bonsai professionals use a lot of different tools to style their trees. While it can be overwhelming for the beginner, there is no need to panic. You don’t have to get every tool out there. I would suggest starting with the basic tools and expending your collection later.

Three Must Have Bonsai Tools

There are three basic tools that you will need: Traditional Shears, Concave Cutter, Wire Cutters. Each of these tools does a specific task that you will need to perform. With proper care, these tools will last you for years, so it is a great investment. All of them are high quality and are sold at reasonable prices.

Top 7 Bonsai Repotting Mistakes

Bonsai repotting is not as difficult as many bonsai beginners think. A while ago, I posted step-by-step instructions that make bonsai repotting the easiest thing you’ve ever done. Today, I will tell you what bonsai repotting mistakes you should avoid:

1. Using the same pot

Young bonsai grow faster than well established ones, so make sure to use a larger pot when repotting your bonsai tree. New pot should be clean and dry.

2. Cutting too much

When root trimming make sure to leave the root mass near the trunk undamaged. By keeping the inner root mass closest to the trunk unharmed, you bonsai will remain strong and healthy.

The Trident Maple Bonsai, botanical name Acer buergerianum, is native to eastern China and Japan. The Trident Maple got its name because it has leaves with three-pointed lobes.

One of the main features of Trident Maple is that it can take heavy root pruning, which makes it perfect for bonsai.

You can use different styles with Trident Maple bonsai tree, including curved-trunk, broom, group plantings, and clump styles. Root-over-rock style is also very popular because of the rapid root growth.

Botanical name for Japanese Maple bonsai is Acer palmatum. Native to Japan, Japanese Maple is one of the most popular deciduous bonsai trees. It has flexible branches that response very well to training and wiring.

Leaves go through wide range of colors, from green to orange, to deep red, as they mature. Many styles can be applied to Japanese Maple, including semi-cascade, triple-trunk, raft, curved-trunk,broom, group planting, and clump styles.

Japanese Maple Bonsai Watering

Japanese Maple bonsai tree needs more water during growing season. From middle of spring to the end summer water once a day in the evening when the temperature is cooled down. In the winter water when necessary to prevent soil from drying up.

Japanese Maple Bonsai Hardiness

Japanese Maple bonsai tree can tolerate freezing temperature for a short period of time when mature enough. I would recommend protecting it from sever freezing to avoid frost damage.

Japanese Maple bonsai tree does the best in the temperatures from 30F – 90F. The ideal landscape is USDA Zone 5 or 6 depending on the variety.

Japanese Maple Bonsai Pruning

During growing season cut back leaves of healthy trees to reduce leaf size and intensify fall leaf color. To maintain the style you can pinch new shoots regularly. This will promote a beautiful network of branches. Winter is a good time to prune main branches.

Japanese Maple Bonsai Fertilizing

Fertilize every other week from spring to the end of summer. Use nitrogen-free fertilizer during fall. There is no need to fertilize during winter.

Japanese Maple Bonsai Repotting

Young Japanese Maple bonsai trees need to be repotted annually. Well established maples, that is older than 10 years, should be repotted once every three years in the spring before buds open. Best soil to use is Japanese Akadalama clay.

Japanese Maple Bonsai Pets and Diseases

Japanese Maple bonsai tree generally is problem-free. Make sure to provide good air circulation to avoid powdery mildew development. If the tree is stressed, aphids and scale might also be a problem. During growing season check leaf surface regularly to catch any problem before it becomes severe. Have a great day.

Buying Japanese Maple Bonsai

There are a lot of different places you can get a Japanese Maple bonsai from. My friends and I buy all of our bonsai trees online from “Bonsai Boy” Nursery located in New York. I tried buying bonsai trees from other sites, but they had much higher prices and the trees were not always properly trained.

“Bonsai Boy” has the lowest prices and highest quality bonsai trees you can find. This family operated company has been in business since 1993. It has been really great experience and I feel lucky finding them. To buy Japanese Maple click on the links below:

Buy Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree Small – $59.95
Buy Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree Large – $99.95
Buy Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree (Curved Trunk) – $125.00

Buy Japanese Green Maple Bonsai Tree Large – $89.95
Buy Japanese Dwarf Green Maple Bonsai Tree – $125.00

How to Repot Japanese Maple Bonsai

Chinese Elm Bonsai Tree

The Chinese Elm is the best elm for creating a bonsai tree. Chinese Elm bonsai tree is native to China, Korea and Japan. The botanical name for Chinese Elm is Ulmus Parvifolia. Chinese Elm bonsai from China and Korea sometimes mistakenly named Zelkova sinica.

Chinese Elm bonsai tree has small glossy green leaves and corky bark. It responses very well to pruning by producing mass of new shoots.

This is really a great tree for bonsai because you can use any style you like including slanting, straight-trunk, group planting, and broom styles.

The Juniper Bonsai has multiple varieties like Juniperus chinensis and Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ that can be used to make a great bonsai. Native to Japan, Juniperus chinesis, also called shimpaku, is the easiest of all the species to work with.

Because Juniper bonsai tree is hardy plant tolerant to severe pruning and wide varieties of soils, it is one of the most popular bonsai plants among bonsai growers. It is an evergreen with shredding reddish brown trunk and bluish green leaves that look like miniature branches.

The Juniper Bonsai tree is very tough plant with flexible branches that response very well to training and wiring. You can create any style with it except for broom. “Driftwood” is the most popular style used for Juniper tree.

Juniper Bonsai Watering

Water daily during growing season from spring to fall. Keep the soil moist during winter. Although Juniper bonsai is drought tolerant it does better in moist well drained soil during winter.

Juniper Bonsai Pruning

Branches should be pruned during spring and summer. Removing new shoots regularly will prevent the inner foliage from dying off. Sometimes one of the branches would die without any apparent reasons.

This is a natural process that happens once in a while, so there is nothing to worry about. To keep the branches clean, you need to cut all the shoots that are growing down from the undersides of the branches.

Juniper Bonsai Hardiness

The Juniper Bonsai tree likes cold temperatures but need to be protected in the winter from sever freezing. It does well in the temperatures from 20F – 90F. The ideal location is USDA Zone 4.

Juniper Bonsai Fertilizing

The Juniper Bonsai tree needs to be fertilized every two weeks during growing season with general bonsai fertilizer. No need for fertilizing during winter.

Juniper Bonsai Pets and Diseases

The Juniper Bonsai tree might experience problems with scale and spider mites. Fungal infections can develop on congested foliage. It can be controlled by pruning out affected branches and applying anti fungal treatment.

Juniper Bonsai Repotting

The Juniper Bonsai tree should be repotted every two years during spring when younger. Older specimens don’t need to be repotted that often. For Juniper bonsai older than 10 years, repot every four or five years.

Buying Juniper Bonsai

There are a lot of different places you can get a Juniper bonsai from. My friends and I buy all of our bonsai trees online from “Bonsai Boy” Nursery located in New York.

I tried buying bonsai trees from other sites, but they had much higher prices and the trees were not always properly trained.

“Bonsai Boy” has the lowest prices and highest quality bonsai trees you can find. This family operated company has been in business since 1993. It has been really great experience for me.

Buy Juniper Bonsai:

Buy Juniper Bonsai Tree (Small) – $22.95
Buy Juniper Bonsai Tree (Medium) – $32.95
Buy Juniper Bonsai Tree (Large) – $79.95

More Juniper Bonsai Trees >>

Bonsai Tree Repotting Step-by-Step

Bonsai Tree Tools

Three Must Have Bonsai Tools

Top 7 Bonsai Repotting Mistakes

Trident Maple Bonsai Tree

Japanese Maple Bonsai Tree

Chinese Elm Bonsai Tree

Juniper Bonsai Tree