How to take care of the bonsai tree.

Here is basic common knowledge of nurturing bonsai plant in local Orange County and neighboring cities.

Bonsai trees are planted in the shallow pots. Although they are small, they must have all figures, styles, and makeup that contain these elements of roots, body, top, branches, and canopy of leaves. They should look as beautiful as ancient trees in the wild.

Location: leave the plant outdoors with plenty of sunshine, breeze, and dew. Be careful when it has Santa Ana wind or hot wind. Sometimes on the weekend, you can bring the tree into the house for one or several days to enjoy or decorate.

Watering: watering every day in hot weather, but reducing the water in damp or cold season. Try to look for the color of the soil or using the stick to dig the soil to foresee if it is wet or dry.

Fertilizers: 14-14-14 granules fertilizer. Using it in early spring and discontinuing in the fall. Read the instruction's label carefully - about 1 coffee-spoon for 1-gallon pot. Remember not to fertilize the tree that has been changed to the new soil in 3 months.

Pesticides: buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Read throughout and following the instruction. Spraying it in the afternoon using about haft of the dose that states in the direction label (using the Malathion Plus or Vock Oil Spray).

Time for replacing pots and soil: early spring is the best time for all kinds of tree.

Evergreen tree family could be taken off to transplant from January to May.

Evergreen tree family including Black pine, California juniper, Prostrate, Shimpaku, San Jose, Holywood, Foemina juniper, Nana Juniper.

How to mix the soil:

    A) 50% of gravel and 50% of Acadama soil for Black Pine and California Juniper.

    B) 30% of gravel, 30% of sand, 20% of bark mill, 20% of Acadama soil for the rest of the trees (Apple, Azalea, Bald cypress, Bamboo, Bougainvillea, White Pear, Peach, Boxwood, Camelia, Cotoniaster, Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Elm, Fig, Ginkgo, Holly, Hornbeam, Maple, Oak, Olive, Sago Palm, Plum, Pomegranate, Pyracantha, Quince, Silverberry, Tamarix, Wisteria, Lemon, Guava, Si, Sanh, Snowbell, etc...)

Notes:

    • Gravel: small size lava rock or Pumice (sell at Home Depot.)

    • Sand: sand from freshwater or All Purpose Sand (sell at Home Depot.)

    • Ground Bark: Sequoia Forest Humus, Soil Conditioner, potting soil, etc.….

    • Acadama: calcined clay in tablets, make in Japan or Korea.

    • Avoid replacing pots or soil when plants are flowering.

Bonsai care is the art. The time and attention one put into would be rewarded greatly.