Can you have a bonsai indoors? This is a question that we will have to ask if we are interested in giving someone one for Christmas. And well, the truth is that you shouldn't have it, since although they are small, they are trees and, therefore, you need to be outside to feel the passing of the seasons, the rain, the wind, etc. But yes, there are some exceptions: for example, if you have a carmona and the winters in the area are very cold, then you will have no choice but to keep it indoors; but if you have an elm or a maple then keeping it indoors will only shorten its life.
For this reason, I am going to tell you not only what are the bonsai that you can have at home, but also how to take care of it, but based on the fact that this bonsai is of a tropical species and therefore sensitive to cold and especially to temperatures below zero.
What are the bonsai that can be kept at home?
The bonsai that can be indoors are basically those with perennial leaves and are very sensitive to cold. For example, these:
Carmona
The carmona bonsai It is characterized by having small, glossy dark green leaves.. It produces white flowers throughout the spring, and its growth is quite slow.
Ficus ginseng
Ficus ginseng is not really sold as a bonsai, but you can make one out of it if it is planted in a suitable pot. This plant is evergreen, and does well indoors.
ficus retusa
The ficus retusa They are ideal to have indoors. Resistant and durable, they are the most recommended for beginners. Of course, they need a lot of light, but otherwise their care is minimal.
sageretia
The Sageretia has smaller leaves than the Carmona, and a much lighter green. Due to its poor resistance to cold, it is cultivated as an indoor bonsai., being one of the easiest to maintain.
syzygium
The Syzygium They are tropical shrubs characterized by developing long, thin leaves and round pink flowers.. When worked as bonsai, they also flower well, which is not always the case with other plants. But yes, you can never lack light.
How to care for indoor bonsai?
Now that we know which ones can be kept indoors, it's time to find out what care to take:
Where should it be placed?
Image – Flickr/Ron Frazier
The bonsai is, as I said, a tree. It is a plant that needs a lot of light, of course natural, so the most important thing to do is place it in a room where there is a lot of light.. You must be able to see well without turning on any lamp for a good part of the day. For this reason, there must be a window facing east, which is where the sun rises.
In addition to that, you must be very careful about the place you choose to put it, and that is if you choose to place it on a table that is very close to the air conditioning unit, for example, or the fan. Thus, you will prevent it from running out of leaves.
When and how do you have to water the bonsai indoors?
Watering is important to keep it alive, but it's also something that can cause you a lot of trouble if done wrong. To avoid them, what you have to do is water it with a specific watering can for bonsai as this, since this is specially designed to irrigate without the substrate ending up outside the pot, since the water falls evenly and without too much force. Likewise, potable water must be used, that is, suitable for consumption; although if you can get rainwater, better.
Once you have the watering can full of water, you will have to direct it to the ground. Pour water into it until it is well soaked, and until it runs out of the drainage holes. Do it when you notice that the earth begins to be dry, never before. To check this, you can insert your fingers a little, and if you see that when you remove them they come out with a lot of adhered soil, it is best to wait longer.
Can you irrigate by the tray method?
In some cases yes. For example, if it is a recently transplanted bonsai, it will be more advisable to water it "from below" than "from above", because since it has not yet rooted, substrate could be lost if it is not watered carefully. It could also be done if they have akadama, pumice or similar as soil.
How many times a week do you have to water it?
Rather than water it a certain number of times, what should be done is water when the substrate dries up. If we focus on watering the bonsai X times a week, we can make the mistake of watering it too much or watering it too little to the point that the tree begins to suffer as a result of that lack of water.
When should you fertilize the bonsai that is indoors?
Image - Flickr / cskk
It will be done in spring and also during the summer, because it is when the temperatures are high enough for the tree to grow without any problem. For this, specific fertilizers for bonsai will be used, following the manufacturer's recommendations.
These products can be liquid or granulated: either of the two will work if applied correctly, since they have the nutrients they need to be healthy, produce leaves, and if necessary, flowers and fruits.
How to prune it?
Normally, when you buy a bonsai, it already has a defined style, it can be broom, literati, windswept, or forest, among others. So what you have to do is just keep it that stylewith that design. Therefore, the longest branches will be trimmed, as well as those that are sprouting in the lower half of the trunk.
These prunings will be done at the end of winter, when spring is already approaching, because it will be then when the plant gradually resumes its growth, and only if necessary; that is to say, you should never "prune for pruning's sake", but you will have to wait until there is a branch that falls out of the design to remove or trim it.
When has it been transplanted?
The same thing happens with the bonsai transplant as with the pruning: it only has to be done if you really need it. As usual, it has to be done every 3 years, but everything will depend on how fast it is growing. Thus, the Ficus could need a change every three years for example, while a flamboyan would have to be transplanted every 2 years.
If we talk about the substrate, I can put a specific one for bonsais like this already sold prepared, either a mixture of 70% akadama (for sale here) with 30% kiryuzuna as this.
With these tips, the bonsai that you give can last a long time.