Caring for Bonsai Trees

By Laurel Aiello | Fort Collins Nursery

A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Growing, Shaping, and Maintaining Healthy Bonsai Trees at Home

The art of bonsai is believed to have originated around 700 AD by high-ranking members of the Chinese empire, who developed techniques to grow dwarf trees in shallow pots. The Japanese later adopted the practice and refined it with their own methods and tools, many of which are still used today.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that bonsai trees became popular in the U.S., thanks in part to the release of “The Karate Kid.” Now dozens of varieties can be found in garden centers, along with special bonsai pots, bark-based soil, and bonsai pruning tools.

Despite its popularity, many people find the art form intimidating, given that bonsai require bright indirect light, frequent deep watering, regular fertilization, and careful pruning. To help you overcome those obstacles, here are some tips and tricks to get you started.

Plant selection

Choosing the right bonsai plant for your skill level and growing environment is the first step to success. When properly cared for, they can live for decades or even centuries.

The most common types of bonsai are ficus (retusa or ginseng), juniper, and Japanese maple, though many nurseries also sell fukien tea plants, cherry trees, and other bonsai varieties. Ficus and Schefflera are often recommended as the best bonsai trees for beginners due to their drought tolerance and ability to thrive in medium indirect light. Dwarf jade (a succulent-like plant) is another relatively easy bonsai to care for.

Those who are more experienced with bonsai might opt for a thirstier evergreen variety or a tree with a more delicate root system. Cold-hardy deciduous species, like ginkgo plants and Japanese maple trees, also present a challenge because they need to overwinter in a protected outdoor area. Bonsai care differs widely by variety, so it’s important to ask lots of questions and do your research.

Planting, watering, and fertilization

To pot your bonsai tree, remove it from its nursery pot and gently loosen the root ball with a bonsai rake. Place it on a thin layer of bonsai soil in a shallow dish that has good drainage, spreading the roots out and making sure the root ball doesn’t extend above the lip of the bowl. 

Bonsai pots usually have holes in the bottom with wires poking through to help you secure the roots in place. Gently weave the wires through the root ball and pat it down until it feels stable, then fill the pot with specialty bonsai soil and pack it down tightly but gently. Finish it off by topping it with pebbles or other decorative elements.

Submerge your bonsai tree in a tub of water once per week and let it soak for half an hour, as overhead watering will flow right through the soil. Fertilize it every couple of weeks during the growing season with a diluted liquid fertilizer, usually the day after watering.

Branch pruning and wire training 

Bonsai trees maintain their shape through regular pruning. Use sharp shears to trim young shoots back to just a few leaves in order to achieve denser foliage. Branches growing straight up or down, crossing over others or growing inward should also be removed. 

If you want the branches to take on a specific shape or an older look, wrap them with bonsai wire and gently bend them to your liking. Remove the wires after a few months to avoid damaging the bark.

For best results, save major pruning and more aggressive branch training for the spring, when bonsai put out the most growth. Your bonsai tree will dry out quicker this time of year, so regular watering, fertilization and general attention is critical. Depending on the variety, you might even get to enjoy some blooms!