Caring for your Bonsai Plant
Care Tips for your Bonsai Plant
Watering
How often should I water my Bonsai?
As mentioned previously, how often a Bonsai tree needs to be watered depends on many factors, and providing an exact guide is not possible. Instead, you need to observe your trees individually. The following guidelines will teach you what to look out for and how to identify when to water your Bonsai:
Water your trees when the soil gets slightly dry
Be sure not to water your tree if the soil is still wet, but don't let the tree dry out either. As a beginner, use your fingers at about one centimeter deep, (0.4") to check the soil moisture. If it's slightly dry, go ahead and water your tree. This will become more obvious as you gain experience. You'll be able to see, rather than feel when your tree needs watering.
Never water on a routine
Keep a close eye on your trees individually to determine when each one needs watering. Avoid watering all of your trees on a daily routine, until you know exactly what you are doing.
Repot
How often should I repot?
How often you should repot depends on the size of the pot and tree species of your Bonsai. Fast-growing trees need to be repotted every two years, sometimes sooner. Older, more mature trees need to be repotted every three to five years. Repotting is not something that should be routine. Check your Bonsai early in the spring by carefully removing the tree from its pot. If you see the roots circling around the root system, your Bonsai needs to be repotted. If the roots are still contained within soil, leave it and check again the following spring.
When to repot?
The best time to repot a Bonsai is early in the spring, while trees are still dormant. At this stage trees are not sustaining full-grown foliage, so the damaging effect of repotting will be minimized. Repotting in early spring will also ensure that damage done to the root system will be quickly repaired, as soon as the tree starts growing.
Have fun planting!
(source: bonsaiempire.com)