This is a handy guide for caring for your bonsai. It is a growing thing that is very much affected by the seasons and in order to successfully care for it you have to understand and adjust to these seasonal and aging rhythms of the tree.

The thing about timelines when it comes to bonsai is that they vary from place to place. How you care for your tree varies between florida and michigan. These are some rough guidelines to give you a sense for how a bonsai is cared for over the course of a year. You should care for yours according to two important things: What kind of tree it is and in what climate you live.

Winter - Keep your tree outdoors or in the coolest place you can find (Garage or basement). Don't water too often, it is dormant and only water when the soil gets dry. Protect it from direct sunlight or excessive wind.

Late Winter: (end of february) Conifers can be wired and repotted at this time. The wiring can stay until early summer.

March: You can repot deciduous trees if this the year for them (typically every second year for young trees). Check the wiring on any trees that overwintered with wiring and replace any wires that are too tight. They will cut into the tree. During this month you can wire any trees that you want to wire. You can bring hardy trees in this month.

April - You can repot deciduous trees this month too. Repot Pines and Junipers after their buds begin to swell. start fertilization this month. Spray to control pests.

May - Continue fertilizing but not pines, this will keep their needles short. Start watering more frequently.

June - Prune deciduous and tropical trees

July - Water every day and in the hottest times twice a day but be on the lookout for fungus

Auguest - You can continue to prune your tree. This is the best month to repot tropical trees.

September - You can repot this month. Spray for pests.

October - Watering is reduced. Only water if eneeded. Don't prune deciduous trees.

November - Water only if the soil gets dry.

December - You can wire trees this month.

Bonsai (101 Essential Tips)

This is a highly recommended book for starters.

Breaks down key information on cultivating bonsai into 101 easy-to-grasp tips and gives quick answers to all your questions.

Harry Tomlinson is one of Europe's leading bonsai artists and instructors. He has exhibited and judged bonsai all over the world. He is also the author of several books including DK's The Complete Book of Bonsai.

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