It has been a pleasant end to summer, with cooler nights and some good rain in recent weeks. The days are still warm though, so keep up with the watering and feeding, taking particular care in windy weather. Use a low nitrogen organic fertiliser during autumn to harden late growth and improve flower and fruit […]
The last few months have been very hot and there’s more of the same ahead, so it’s still important not to let your trees dry out. Some shallow or smaller pots rmay require watering more than once a day at this time of year and should be kept in a more sheltered position for protection
November is a slightly quieter time for bonsai tasks than other months. However, spring growth will continue and one must be mindful of keeping vigorous trees trimmed to encourage short internodes. Fast growing trees can be trimmed back to two leaves whilst less vigorous to four leaves. Australian natives can be pruned relatively hard after
October sees the continuation of repotting and pruning in our bonsai collections. Watering should now be done daily, unless rain occurs. Be sure to check afterwards that the soil is moist and the rain has penetrated the soil. As usual check trees which are in full sun more carefully. It is also important to fertilize
Finally, this month should see the end of our long and very cold winter! Your deciduous trees will be coming in to leaf (if they haven’t already) and you should have enjoyed some blossoms from such plants as prunus, crabapples and flowering quince. As the new season growth commences on trees that have been dormant
The days have finally started to get a bit warmer, although there are surely some cold nights still to come. For this reason any newly trimmed or repotted trees need protection from the weather, particularly if fresh, soft new growth has started to appear. If any of your plants are showing signs of frost damage
Now winter has well and truly arrived, it’s time to get going with the repotting of deciduous trees, if you haven’t already started. Some of the species you should be working on include crab-apples, maples, elms, wisteria, flowering prunus of all types and ashes. Bear in mind with flowering bonsai, that any trimming you do
By now deciduous bonsai should be placed in full sun, not only will beautiful autumn colour result but the new buds will also be exposed to the warmth of the sun. Conifers should be given the benefit of as much sunlight as possible at this time of year, you may like to swap their position
The weather is still very warm, so you may continue fertilising until the end of April with a high potassium fertiliser for all bonsai except natives, as this will assist in preventing winter die back in flowering trees, maples and elms. If the weather suddenly turns cool you can reduce or even cease fertilising as
Beware the hot summer month of February. A few tips for these hot summer days. Keep your Maples under shade to avoid burning of leaves by heat and wind. Immersing pots in water on a regular basis helps keep plants in good condition. When watering on hot windy days, mist all foliage and surrounding area
