Bonsai care (placement)

A bonsai needs attention in all four seasons. Caring for it takes time and attention – more than an ordinary garden plant or houseplant. You need to choose a suitable spot where the tree will stand for most of the year, water and feed it at the right time, protect it from diseases and pests, shield it from scorching sun and frost, repot it periodically, prune its roots and replace the soil.

As we said earlier, a bonsai is not a houseplant. True, it is smaller than trees growing in nature, but it is still an ordinary tree, and it needs the changing seasons of the year. That is why a bonsai should grow outdoors for most of the year.

The first thing is to choose the right spot for your bonsai. Some species like sun, some shade, others partial shade. When you decide to make a bonsai from a particular species, think carefully about whether you have a suitable spot for that species where it can stay permanently. In every case, the spot where you decide to place your bonsai must have the right light for that particular species, and it should be clean and well ventilated. Ideally, place the tree where direct midday sun won’t reach it in summer.

Insufficient light shows first of all in the growth of the shoots. New shoots grow unnaturally long and weak. Suppose a light-loving bonsai is kept on a balcony: the tree is then well lit from one side only. The leaves are constantly trying to “catch” as much sunlight as possible, so the branches and leaves lean toward where the light is strongest. The result is a tree that grows in one direction only. To avoid this, turn your bonsai once every 3–4 days. This lets every part of the canopy get even light.

It is also important to protect the tree from strong wind. A strong gust can knock a bonsai, pot and all, off its stand. If you can’t shelter the bonsai from the wind, fasten it securely to the stand. Tie it down with rope, wire, whatever you have to hand. Strong wind can damage the leaves of some deciduous trees. It won’t kill the tree, but damaged leaves noticeably spoil the look of a miniature tree. A bonsai’s permanent spot should not be directly on the ground. If it is, the roots will inevitably grow out of the drainage hole and down into the ground. Roots that have grown into the ground can rot, and they give all kinds of insects an easy way into the pot.