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Articles

• Bonsai Care
• What You Need to Know When Buying Bonsai Trees As a Gift
• Bonsai Tree Information and Bonsai Tree Care
• Getting Started With your Bonsai Hobby
• An Introduction To Indoor And Outdoor Bonsai Trees
• A Bonsai Pot is as Indispensable as the Bonsai Itself
• Bonsai - Introduction to the Living Art
• Bonsai, an Exquisite Japanese Art Form
• What You Need for Your Bonsai Kit
• Growing Your Own Indoor Bonsai Tree
• Beautiful Artificial Bonsai Tree - Small Trees
• The Art of Japanese Bonsai

How To Bonsai - The Secrets To Feeding Your Bonsai

    Now that you have mastered the art of watering your bonsai, you now get your next challenge. Yes, you guessed it Feeding your Bonsai.You do need to feed your little Bonsai buddy. These trees do not feed themselves which seems to be a popular misconception. Some bonsai enthusiasts are under the impression that the trees gather their necessary nutrients from being repotted into fresh soil.Wrong!!!!! This is not only untrue it is also most likely the easiest way to kill your bonsai. Feeding your Bonsai Properly is essential to its survival.If kept indoors during its growing season, which is spring to late summer, the bonsai should be fed about once every 2 weeks. If your goal is to grow the tree then a feed that is rich in nitrogen would be best.

    If your tree is more mature and has reached its desired size than a more balanced type of feed should suit its needs. During the high summer months, the trees stop growing, meaning they no longer absorb the nutrients. You need to keep this in mind because it will be easy to overfeed the trees during this time. This can lead to the untimely and tragic death of your Bonsai.As you have most likely figured out, Feeding your Bonsai is a delicate balance. In early autumn, the trees should only be fed once a month. By late autumn, the deciduous trees should not be fed at all but the conifers should have a couple of feeds in the winter months. If you keep your Bonsai inside, you need to know that your tree will continue to grow. This means feeding your Bonsai year round. One question you maybe asking your self is should I use organic or man made fertilizer.

    Gardeners have most likely come to blows over this issue however; there is very little evidence to show that one is better than the other When it comes to feeding your Bonsai. The only clear advantage to an organic fertilizer is that it is less likely to burn the roots should you overfeed your tree. Some recommended natural feeds are chicken manure and liquid fishmeal. It is not advisable to use these if your plants are kept inside. The reason should be fairly obvious but if I have to spell it out for you. They STINK. For indoor plants a sea weed or chemical feed would be best. Avoid feeding your Bonsai trees if they have just been repotted. This applies whether your plants are kept indoors or outside. Once replanted, the roots need time to recover. Feeding your bonsai may stop the recovery doing extensive damage to its growth and killing your tree. The tree should be given at least a month after re-potting before feeding resumes. As with watering the Bonsai, feeding is also a delicate balance. One of the leading misconceptions is that you are Feeding your bonsai to make it grow. What you are actually doing is replacing the nutrients that the tree has already used after it has grown. It may sound like you are splitting hairs but it is best to look at feeding your Bonsai from a replacement standpoint. This will again help you to avoid overfeeding. So, what about overfeeding. Well, if this article were called how to kill your Bonsai then overfeeding would be one of the quickest ways to do it. As stated before, Organic fertilizers. Although stinky do less damage to the root system. Overfeeding is still possible with them so don??t go wild. If you fear that you may have already overfed your tree you can try gently running water through the roots for 2-3 days. This should flush the excess fertiliser away hopefully before damage sets in. Feeding your Bonsai is challenging. You need patience and Balance to successfully cultivate your trees. You may find a few bonsais bite the dust before you fully realize the fruits of your labor. However, keep at it. These plants are beautiful when fully cultivated and can give any garden a feel of the orient.