Care of Bonsai Trees – Why Location Is Important

indoor bonsai trees

When I first got my Bonsai, I just thought that it was a house plant, and so it could be kept inside with all my other pot plants. What I should have done is asked the question: What are the basis differences between the care of ordinary house plants and the care of bonsai trees?

As time went by, and I was keeping my bonsai inside, little did I know that the reason it was starting to look ill, was that the tree did not like its environment. I found out that most bonsai’s are outdoor trees by nature. I didn’t know that only a few varietals of bonsai find being inside is to their liking.

Being a new comer to the care of bonsai trees, I was aware that there were many things that I needed to know, otherwise I would be in danger of killing my bonsai.

I had been told that watering was of course crucial to the care of bonsai, and I was very careful with this but, as I was to find out, what is often overlooked for beginners is the correct location for their tree.

I was to find out that bonsai are very sensitive to their conditions and that different trees have different requirements for light and temperature. To take care of bonsai trees, you need to learn where you should position your tree to keep it as healthy as possible. I was to discover that bonsai can be grown indoors or out – but plants meant for the outdoors do not thrive well inside unless they are positioned so that they get the right amount of sunlight and do not get either too hot or to cold.

I suggest to you that one of the the first lessons that a new comer to the care of bonsai trees should learn is to identify what type of bonsai you have and from that you will have a better idea on the best location for your particular bonsai.

What I found out is that there are basically two types:

Inside and Outside Bonsai

Often you hear the words indoor bonsai and outdoor bonsai. The correct terms are: tropical (indoor) or temperate (outdoor).

Put simply,

Tropical or Indoor bonsai trees grow very well inside the house. Indoor bonsai trees are smaller varieties that do very well under inside conditions. They do not have to go through cold weather or a dormant period.

Temperate or Outdoor bonsai trees are usually larger and are intended to be placed outside. Outdoor bonsai must go through a dormant period, so they do not do very well inside the house. Plants meant for the outdoors do not do well inside unless they get the right amount of sunlight and do not get either too hot or too cold.

It is also relevant with the care of bonsai trees to know that there are Deciduous trees (which shed their leaves) and Evergreen trees (which retain their leaves all year).

This lead me to find out that my tree was a dwarf juniper which is a resilient, non-flowering evergreen conifer which I had kept inside, in a dark part of the house. I have since found out that this tree likes to get a least 2 hours of direct sunlight a day and it does not like extremes of heat or cold. It was hardly surprising that I was not succeeding with my care of bonsai trees. My tree was struggling as it did not like its location.

I still have a way to go to be a success with my care of bonsai trees, as there are many things to consider, but I have learnt whether I had an indoor (tropical) or outdoor( temperate) tree. From that, I know what is the best position for my bonsai tree and what is suited to its individual requirements.

Now I can move on to the other secrets that must be learnt to be a success in the care of bonsai trees.

Tags: Bonsai, care, Important, Location, Trees