How To Repot Your Bonsai Tree
The indoor Bonsai Tree is a beautiful addition to any home or office, and once you learn how to care for these unique trees, they are a great hobby.
The basics of Bonsai care
Well developed and healthy fibrous roots are essential for the continued good health of your Bonsai tree and it is essential to repot to manage this process. Looking after your Bonsai tree isnt that difficult, it really just involves the same kind of activities involved with caring for a pot plant or indoor plant. Normally a young or fast growing Bonsai will need to be repotted roughly once a year; for less prolific growers or older trees it can be done as infrequently as once every five years. You should try and repot during late winter or early spring when the buds start to swell.
How to repot a Bonsai tree
The process of repotting a Bonsai tree is one that you should take seriously and this is how you should repot your Bonsai tree:
Carefully tidy the tree by pruning off any unwanted, long branches. Also, make sure the tree has been under cover for a few weeks if it is an outdoor Bonsai, this way the soil will be relatively dry. By removing the tree from it’s pot you will be able to see whether it really needs repotting. If it is root bound then you should repot it, but, if there is a few inches of room so the roots can grow a little longer then you can carefully replace the tree in it’s original pot and continue as normal.
Remove the surface soil from the roots either by hand or you can use a nylon scrubbing brush. Brush away from the trunk and be careful not to damage any of the roots. Removing the loose soil will give the Bonsai tree a healthier look and feel. Once you’ve removed most of the soil in this way, you can use a small, fine bristled paintbrush to remove the soil stuck in the roots or that has collected in the roots.
Use a Bonsai fork to comb out the roots. Do this by combing out the roots from underneath and then use scissors to prune up to a third of the roots and then cut out small wedges around the root base to allow fresh soil to collect and keep your Bonsai healthy. Add a layer of grit to the bottom of the pot and then add the Bonsai compst of your choice.
Take the time to position your Bonsai tree in the pot and then push a little more soil into awkward places. Complete this as often as you need to as mentioned above.