Learn about growing bonsai trees from seed, in this free video. Expert: Mike Hansen Bio: Mike Hansen, owner of Midwest Bonsai, has been growing, caring, selling, and instructing others in bonsai care for years. Mike is an expert bonsai master.
Your house will look more beautiful with the addition of indoor bonsai trees. These plants are mostly cultivated by experts because there are certain techniques that should be used to limit the growth of the plants. They also need certain cares to make sure that they grow for years to come. When you buy one from a nursery, you need to continue taking care of the plant after it goes out from the shop. The price of indoor bonsai trees is not cheap so it is best to be careful with them.
A bonsai generally prefers outdoor condition, but with attentive care, it will flourish indoors. Every plant, including bonsai, needs enough light to grow properly. Therefore, the first thing you should consider in growing indoor bonsai is finding the right spot. It is a good idea to put your bonsai near the sunniest window in your house. However, you should be careful not to put the plant to close to the glass because it may produce excessive heat that is dangerous to the plant.
Alternatively, you can use artificial light for your indoor bonsai, especially if there is no enough sunlight during winter months. Twelve hours exposure everyday to fluorescent lamps is suitable for this purpose. You should not put the bonsai too close with the lamps though because the heat may harm the plant. One foot is the advisable distance in this case. An important note is that you should not put your bonsai near a window even if it is closed during winter. The cold temperature can seep in and it is very dangerous for the indoor bonsai. You should not put the plant near a radiator as well because it can dry up the soil quickly and eventually kill the bonsai.
An important factor for indoor bonsai to flourish is a humid environment. In order to achieve this condition, you can mist the leaves regularly. If you cannot mist the plant regularly, then you can use another strategy. You take a tray and fill it with water and pebbles. Then you put the bonsai pot on the tray. The pebbles prevent the water to soak the bonsai pot, while the water will evaporate and create a humid environment around the plant.
Besides these special treatments, you still need to do typical treatments that are normally done to a bonsai to make sure the survival of your indoor bonsai. It may seem a tedious work to take care of indoor bonsai trees, but if you implement these practices, you are increasing the chance of survival of the plants.