Bonsai tree can really be a wonderful thing and definitely something unique to have in your house if you can take proper care of it. These miniature trees resemble a piece of landscaping which has been trimmed down in size. While some prefer to keep it outside, others choose to nurture indoor bonsai trees. Having an indoor bonsai in not something new, it has been in practice for many years. However, since many bonsai trees are outdoor plants, growing them inside the house definitely will require some real hard work, especially for beginners.
Types of indoor bonsai trees
There are many types of indoor bonsai trees; like Hawaiian Umbrella Trees, which are preferred by amateurs as they are simple to care for and can live in low-to-high lighting conditions. The beautiful Golf Ball Umbrella Bonsai is also a trouble-free bonsai. Baby Jade Bonsai also known as the Elephant Bush comes with thick trunk and thick water-filled leaves. Flowering White Jasmine Bonsai favoring light, a good fertilizer as well as humidity is an excellent indoor plant. Having resemblance to the Weeping Willow Tree, the Willow Leaf Ficus Bonsai requires minimal care. If you are a beginner in this field, it is recommended that you go for fukien tea, bougainvillea, serissa, bush cherry, aralias and sago palms.
How to take proper care of indoor bonsai trees
Indoor bonsai trees require proper care for keeping the plant healthy, beautiful and miniature in the coming years. The proper growth of bonsai trees depend upon a lot a factors and the first in the queue is its placement in the winter and summer months. During the summer months, the night temperature generally does not dip below 40 degrees, making it ideal for placing the plant outside the house. When kept outside, make sure that you have positioned it in a place where it will be able to receive sufficient sun. Afternoon shade is good for the bonsai.
In the winter months, the night temperature dips below 40 degree and it is advisable that you do not keep the plant outside; this must be done slowly over a period of weeks. For the first time when you keep the plant inside, keep it for few hours, and then gradually increase the time till it becomes acquainted with the new environment. Both east and west exposure and 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day is good for the growth of a bonsai.
During the winter months, it is recommended that indoor bonsais are kept in a shallow tray filled with gravel and water, which will help in providing extra moisture around the tree. Since most of the original indoor bonsai trees undergo their training period, you will only need to trim and pinch its miniature.
Trimming and pinching is required to maintain the miniature growth of the plant. You need to pinch and trim back the new growth to the farthest safe point. However, make sure that a little should be left for sustaining the health of the plant. Indoor bonsai trees grow at different rates making it necessary for evaluating the rate of growth of each tree as well as adjust the trimming and pinching for accommodating it.
Repotting is essential for the proper growth and maintenance of bonsais; it should be done occasionally when the root system of the plant has filled the pot. Repotting is required for supplying fresh soil, encourage a more compact root system for the plant. However, remember trees grow at different rates; you should first examine the root system of the tree each year for knowing if it has become pot-bound.
Fertilizing plays an important role in the growth of the plant; it keeps the bonsai healthy as well as beautiful. You will need to replenish the supply of nutrients of the soil occasionally with the help of the fertilizers which are available at the garden centers. Fertilizers should be applied once in a month, except during winters.
How to buy the right indoor bonsai tree?
You can buy an indoor bonsai from any garden store. However, selecting an indoor bonsai is not an easy task, as you need to know if the variety will suit the setting of the place. If your budget is tight and you are going for the cheaper ones, do remember that you will have to spend more time and effort for its proper growing. Indoor bonsai trees are not the tropical types like the outdoor bonsai trees.
