‘Bonsai’ is the ancient art of growing and shaping miniature trees in small containers. Their size is determined by careful pruning and maintenance, which is why we’ve paired this little Japanese elm with our very own secateurs for the ultimate bonsai gift set.
Native to Japan, Korea and Taiwan, Bono has delicate, serrated-edged leaves that are bright green in spring and summer, warm orange in autumn and eventually fall off in winter. Don’t panic – this is normal tree behaviour, and they’ll return in spring. In keeping with the Japanese philosophy of Zen, caring for your tree is an opportunity to slow down and pay attention. Which is good news, as bonsai do tend to need a little more focus than other plants.
The first step to bonsai care is watering. As there’s not a lot of soil in the tray, you’ll need to make sure it doesn’t dry out completely. Dip your finger into the soil to about one centimetre and, if it’s still moist, leave it for a few days. If it’s dry, give it a drink. There are two ways to do this: you can water from the top, which involves watering the whole rootball evenly until it runs through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot into the tray. Tip out any excess and repeat until you’re sure all the soil is moist but that you’re not leaving a pool of water in the tray. The other option is bottom watering: sit the pot in a shallow sink of water until the soil surface becomes moist. Let it drain and pop it back in its tray. We recommend using room temperature rain or filtered water.
The second step to bonsai care is pruning, which is where your secateurs come in. To keep the shape of your tree, you’ll need to snip back the new growth by two-to-three nodes regularly throughout spring and summer. You can also snip off any larger leaves, to help encourage smaller leaf growth. Cut back some of the main thicker stems after it loses its leaves in autumn and winter.
After two-to-three years, Bono will need repotting to refresh the soil in his tray and top up his nutrients. Carefully prune back the root ball by at least a third, making sure to leave an even enough spread and depth of root while removing enough to add fresh compost.
