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Good Choice For Beginners!
A Chinese Elm Bonsai Tree Makes A Very Special Gift For Someone |
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More Attractive & Cheaper Than Akadama!
Moler Bonsai Soil |
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Chrysal Bonsai Food |
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Akadama Bonsai Soil |
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Rainbow Flower,Bonsai Fertilizer 33ml |
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Ilex Crenata (Japanese Holly) Bonsai Tree Care Sheet Hardy/Easy to keep/evergreen/Good Bonsai tree for beginners
Introduction. This Bonsai care guide describes how to look after an Ilex Crenata Bonsai tree which are native to Japan, Korea, and Parts of Russia and are part of a genus consisting of over 400 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. Unlike many of the Ilex (Holly) species, Ilex Crenatas make a very attractive Bonsai subject, along with it's dark green leaves in summer it also produces small white flowers, these are followed by black berries. When grown indoors Ilex Crenatas are a reliable and easy to keep Bonsai tree and are suitable for beginners. Where To Keep Them/Watering. Although Ilex Crenatas are a hardy species they are regarded as an indoor Bonsai tree as they require protection in temperatures below 5c, your Ilex Crenata Bonsai tree will enjoy the summer months outdoors though when temperatures don't drop below 5c. When placed outdoors in summer Ilex Crenata Bonsai trees can be kept in full sun or partial shade. Indoors you should place your Bonsai tree on a bright window sill away from a heat source, a humidity tray is also strongly recommended for an indoor Bonsai tree, the tray should be a few inches larger in width and length than the Bonsai pot, and the Bonsai pot should not come in to direct contact with the water in the tray, the feet of the Bonsai pot should be placed on some small stones to raise the pot above the waters surface, or you could place fine gravel up to the rim of the tray and place the Bonsai pot on top of the gravel. Make sure the humidity tray has the water topped up at all times and as the water evaporates it will rise up through the leaves of your Bonsai tree and help to keep the local area more humid, Ilex Crenatas also enjoy having there foliage misted every now and then, this will also help keep humidity up. In winter it is best to place your Ilex Crenata Bonsai in a cool preferably unheated room in your home to allow a dormant period for you Bonsai tree. You should check the Bonsai soil on a daily basis and water your Bonsai Tree when necessary, it is advisable to let the surface of the soil dry slightly before watering but never let it dry out completely, you will need to water Your Bonsai tree more often in summer. Repotting/Wiring/Feeding/And Pruning. You should aim to re-pot your Ilex Crenata Bonsai tree every other year, the best time to do this is in late spring as buds begin to open. If your Bonsai tree has a good root system you should be able to gently lift it out of the pot in spring (you may need to snip the Wire underneath the pot if the Bonsai tree is wired in) and take a look at the roots to see if they are pot bound, if so you should repot your Bonsai tree, if the roots seem ok then leave re-potting till the following year. when it does become necessary to repot your Ilex Crenata Bonsai tree, you should use a good quality free draining Bonsai soil. Akadama Bonsai soil is an excellent choice, this will need to be made more moisture retentive by adding some fine potting bark to the mix, Moler Bonsai soil is another good choice, again add some potting bark to the mix for moisture retention, you can also add pumice granules to your soil mix as this aids drainage but also holds moisture for your Bonsai tree. It is important not to fertilize your Bonsai tree for around four weeks after re-potting as doing so can burn the new roots that your Bonsai tree will be developing, after this period carry on fertilizing as usual. You should fertilize your Bonsai tree from spring onwards with a balanced fertilizer such as Chempak, you will usually fertilize your Bonsai tree once a week but feeding guidelines will differ from brand to brand so it is best to refer to the instructions on the particular brand you decide to use, discontinue feeding during winter and begin feeding again in spring. Wiring should ideally be done in spring, leave the wires on for up to 2 years to let the branches set, however check the wires regularly to make sure they aren't cutting in to your Bonsai tree's bark. Trim the the new shoots back when necessary during the growing season to keep your tree in good shape. The best way to ensure you keep your Bonsai tree healthy is to do as much research as possible(Internet and or books) on the particular species you own and also Bonsai in general as this will give you a broader understanding of the subject and will give you a far better chance of success with your Bonsai tree.
I hope this care sheet has been of interest and helpful to you, if so you might want to read the other care sheets on this site. It is up to you to use the information given here responsibly and Bargain Bonsai holds no responsibility as to how you use it. |
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