Bonsai care frequently asked questions

Many times we receive a number of questions from our customers about bonsai care and cultivation or handling. We try to answer those questions here, but if you have any other specific questions, you can contact our team, and we will try to solve them. And if you want to expand your knowledge about bonsai care and maintenance, visit our blog here.

Can bonsai be shipped?

Yes, at Laos Garden we have been shipping trees all over Europe for more than 20 years, perfectly packed so that they arrive home in perfect conditions. However, due to different phytosanitary measures, we do not ship bonsai to the Canary Islands or outside the European Union.

Is the bonsai I see on the web the same one I am going to receive at home?

When you choose a bonsai from our web it is just the same that we are going to send you, although the tree may not be exactly the same as in the photo depending on the season of the year in which we have made it.

Can bonsais be indoors?

In principle, all trees and plants are for outdoors. You can only have them indoors if they are tropical or subtropical species that do not tolerate the cold. If you have any doubt, you can contact us at laosgarden@laosgarden.com or by phone at +34 916 300 415.

Which pot is the most suitable for a bonsai?

The container for each tree is chosen according to the species, the style and the state of formation. In general, glazed pots are needed for deciduous trees and unglazed pots for conifers.

Do I need to fertilize a bonsai?

Yes, the bonsai must be strong and healthy to be able to apply the techniques of pruning and wiring. For this, it must be fertilized from the beginning of the vegetative season in spring until the end of autumn.

What type of fertilizer do bonsai trees use?

The efficiency of all the fertilizers that you will find in Laos Garden is of the highest quality and is tested by ourselves. You can choose a liquid fertilizer, a solid fertilizer, or a combination of both.

Is it normal for larvae to appear in solid compost?

Yes, this is normal. In some of the fertilizers we use, especially in Japanese ball fertilizers such as hanagokoro, the typical fermentation worms can appear, but they do not affect the health of the plant.

Can I water a bonsai with tap water?

If you are from a central area like Madrid, where there is not much lime and the water is soft, you can use tap water to water your bonsai. You can consult the water quality map for your area online. But if the water in your city is very hard, you can opt for bonsai species that support an alkaline soil. In general, the central third, southwest and northwest of Spain have softer waters, being those of the Mediterranean coast the hardest. If you have doubts about which bonsai to buy, you can contact us.

How should I water a bonsai?

If you use granular substrates like akadama, you need specific watering cans or lances for bonsais, their orifices are very fine and do not move or lift the substrate. If you don't have many trees you can opt for an economical version such as bottle adapters, they are versatile and cheap, and you can always have them on hand.

What tools are needed to start caring for a bonsai?

The essentials are sharp scissors, pliers, wire cutters and above all a straight-cut concave pruner, which allows you to adjust the cut so that the wounds heal better. You can find all these bonsai care tools in our online store.

What wire gauge do I need for a bonsai?

Each branch you are going to shape needs a different thickness. But in general, the basics are 2 mm and 2.5 mm, as they are also used to anchor the tree to the pot and to put the grid.

Do I have to anchor a bonsai to the pot?

Yes, it is definitely the right thing to do. We tend to use very flat pots and granular substrates, in which the tree would move without a good anchoring. For this you can use aluminium wire which is non-toxic to the plant and the environment.

 

Does Japanese maple bonsai keep its red colour all year round?

Many Japanese maples sprout with red leaves, but almost all of them turn green when summer arrives and the leaves mature. In autumn, they regain their characteristic reddish colour and other beautiful shades before losing their leaves.

 

How often should a bonsai be repotted?

The need to repot a bonsai will depend on the species and how degraded the substrate is, as well as possible aesthetic criteria.  But in general, the key is in the drainage. As soon as you see that the soil of your bonsai is very caked, that will be the best indication that it is the right season. Typically, this is between 2 and 4 years.

When is the best time to repot a bonsai?

The best time to transplant a bonsai is towards the end of winter or early spring (March-April, depending on the species), when the bonsai buds are swelling and about to bud. If you live in temperate zones, you can also do this during the fall.

Does a bonsai pot have to get bigger and bigger?

If the bonsai is already branched and the pot is proportionate to its size, there is no need to change it. The soil is changed, the roots are trimmed a little, and you can put the same pot or another one that you like more, but of the same size.

Is it essential to sieve the substrate of a bonsai?

No, it is not obligatory to sieve it, but it is advisable. This way you can obtain different grain sizes and remove the dust from the soils so that they do not clump together. In order to do this, you can use a sieve of different meshes.

Can bonsais bear fruit?

Yes, bonsai care and maintenance techniques allow us to reduce the size of the leaf, but this is not the case with the flower and fruit. You can achieve smaller fruits by using wild species that in nature are reduced in size.

What pests and diseases affect bonsai?

They suffer from the same pests and diseases that those tree and plant species may have in nature. To treat them, if this happens, you will need safe and easy to use phytosanitary products that exist in the market. In our store you can find a selection of them, and if you want to know more we have several articles in our blog about bonsai diseases, visit our blog here.

Is it important to use sealing paste in a bonsai?

Definitely yes. Used on medium and thick branch cuts, it will help to maintain the humidity in the area and will facilitate the healing of the wounds. In our online store, you can find the most used for its discretion for bonsai.

You can find more information in our blog, by mail or directly by calling our phone numbers.