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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 Fertilize a Bonsai Tree Or Plant For Maximum Health and Growth

    Bonsai plants require more specialized care than the average house plant, but that does not mean that you need to be intimidated by the care needed for a healthy bonsai tree. For the healthiest bonsai plants it is best to know how to fertilize it properly. Some people think that bonsai plant is deliberately starved to keep it small, but that's not how bonsai works! The small size of the bonsai tree is due to proper trimming of the roots and training of the plant. Bonsai are small, but to have a beautiful bonsai, it must be a healthy plant.

    How much and what sort of fertilizer a bonsai plant requires has a lot to do with what sort of tree you have, how old it is, and what time of the year you are fertilizing your bonsai plant. A good fertilizer has the proper balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulphur, and magnesium. However, just because it is important to fertilize a bonsai plant for maximum health, it is also important to understand that over-fertilizing a bonsai tree can "burn" the leaves and roots. If a bonsai plant is fertilized too often, the burned roots will not be able to draw water from the soil up into the trunk, branches and leaves. So be careful. It is always better to feed the bonsai tree several times with a weak solution than it is to overfeed it a single time with a too-strong solution.

    Just like children, the younger a plant, the more important and frequent feedings must be. As the bonsai tree ages, it becomes established and needs fertilizer less and less often. For a younger bonsai plant, it should be fed a couple of times a month, then taper it off to once a month and then to once as season as the bonsai tree ages. It is also important to match the type of fertilizer to the needs of the bonsai plant during the growing season. During the spring when the bonsai tree is reaching its peak growth, use a fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen. Over the summer taper off the nitrogen and feed your bonsai plant with a fertilizer that is lower in nitrogen during the dormant period of the year. Like people, the more active a bonsai tree is, the more energy it needs, but overfeeding it is not good for it.

    Always water your bonsai plant before applying the fertilizer. This will help prevent root burn, and prepare the bonsai tree to be able to draw the nutrients from the soil.

    There are two basic types of fertilizer: inorganic and organic. Inorganic fertilizers are the sorts you will find in your nursery supply store that either come in sticks or have to be mixed with water. Do not use the stick in the soil variety on a bonsai plant. The soil and root system in a good bonsai plant is far too shallow to be able to dissolve the stick fertilizer without burning the leaves and roots. Instead, get the sort that is mixed with water that you feed you plant as you water it. Manure and compost are two examples of organic fertilizers. While it is often considered best for plants to be fed organically, one should limit using organic fertilizers in bonsai trees to repotting. It is important not to disturb the soil of a bonsai tree too often, and for organic fertilizers to be effective, it is important to work them into the soil.

    Enjoying your bonsai tree includes fertilizing your bonsai plant for maximum health. Make sure that you feed it carefully so that you can enjoy your bonsai plants beauty always.