Building a bonsai greenhouse is a crucial project that can be done in just five simple steps. The size and location of the greenhouse are essential factors, as they can be converted from old sheds or purchased specifically for this purpose. Growing bonsai in a greenhouse offers numerous benefits such as controlled climate and protection from pests.
Greenhouses provide a microclimate, characterized by controlled temperature, humidity, and light, which can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your bonsai trees. Bonsai trees have specific humidity requirements, and a small greenhouse provides the ideal conditions to promote healthy growth. By maintaining optimal humidity, you can prevent diseases and pests.
When preparing your bonsai trees for winter, it is recommended to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame. This is especially important for those living in cold areas where temperatures often drop below 15°F (-10°C). However, greenhouses heat up quickly, making them an extremely bad overwintering choice for most temperate zone trees. A small greenhouse is the worst variation of that.
To ensure proper lighting, choose trees that can survive temperatures down to -7 Celsius when kept in a cold greenhouse with dry soil. If you want to push growth through winter or live in a subzero frost-prone location, consider placing them in a greenhouse.
In summary, building a bonsai greenhouse is an easy and rewarding project that can provide numerous benefits for your bonsai trees. It is essential to consider the specific needs of your climate and choose a greenhouse that suits your climate.
📹 What is the Easiest Bonsai for a Beginner?
The most common question we get asked on the nursery is what is the easiest tree for a beginner? In this video I explain what’s …
Is it OK to keep a bonsai tree indoors?
Tropical Bonsai trees require a specific amount of light and humidity to thrive indoors. The intensity of light is lower than outdoors, and the plant will not die immediately if it lacks sufficient light. To ensure optimal growth, place the Bonsai in a bright location, preferably in front of a south-facing window. Artificial lighting, such as fluorescent or light-emitting diode lighting, can supplement the low light intensity.
Humidity is another issue, as Bonsai trees require high humidity, which is higher than the conditions of your house, especially with heating or air conditioning. To increase humidity, place the tree on a water-filled tray, mist it daily, and open a window during the day.
Watering and fertilizing should be done on a regular basis, and the best practice is to monitor the tree and its soil, only watering when needed. For more information, refer to the Watering and Fertilizing pages.
Should I put bonsai in the greenhouse?
Tropical bonsai can thrive in temperatures as low as 35-40 degrees, but they may drop leaves and stop growing until warmer weather arrives. Providing additional heat and shelter can keep them healthy year-round. To determine bonsai cold hardiness, identify your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone and look up the zone for your trees. However, there are some caveats to consider, such as taking a more conservative approach to winter care, as the cold hardiness of temperate species can vary greatly.
How hard is it to keep a Bonsai tree alive?
Bonsai tree care involves regular watering and fertilization to ensure the tree’s survival. They are planted in small pots with limited water and nutrient reserves, so it’s crucial to provide ample light, water, and fertilization. Different propagation methods, such as growing from seed or purchasing from a nursery, can offer different results. Growing from seed allows for full control over the tree’s styling, but it takes at least five years to produce a tree-like appearance.
Styling is a common misconception, but bonsai trees are normal plants propagated like any other, but trained using sophisticated techniques to keep them miniature. Techniques like regular pruning and wiring are essential for styling these miniature trees.
Where is the best place to put an indoor bonsai tree?
Bonsai indoors require ample sunlight to power their processes and produce delicate leaves. Most indoor bonsai require direct sunlight, such as a well-lit, south-facing window. Artificial light can supplement limited sunlight in colder months, but research and position it correctly to avoid scorching. If keeping multiple trees indoors, consider installing powerful grow lights. Humidity is crucial for bonsai trees, and the best place to grow is in a conservatory or grow room with more moisture in the air, supplemented by a humidity tray or a well-lit bathroom. Ensure to set aside space for growing and install powerful grow lights.
Should bonsai be in direct sunlight?
Bonsai trees, like all plants, require sunlight for growth and thrive. Most popular species require five to six hours of direct sunlight daily, either indoors or outdoors. Most bonsai trees prefer to be kept outdoors during the warmer months between May and September, although some can be kept indoors throughout the year. The amount of sun a bonsai tree needs depends on its species, with most preferring five to six hours of sunlight. Some shade-loving species can also thrive indoors.
Do bonsai like direct sunlight?
Bonsai trees require varying amounts of sunlight depending on their species, with most popular species benefiting from full sun. While some shade-loving trees do well, most bonsai trees thrive with more sun exposure. The general recommendation is to keep bonsai outdoors, but when temperatures fall outside their natural range, extra protection may be necessary and they should be brought indoors. The amount of sunlight needed indoors depends on the species of tree, but it is generally recommended to provide as much light as possible for bonsai to continue growing during winter.
Can a bonsai survive in a terrarium?
A bonsai terrarium can be maintained with a loose substrate and a temperature of 20°C in the summer months, provided that the plant is comfortable. However, during the winter months, closed terrariums with subtropical bonsai require cooling. Light is of paramount importance for bonsai, necessitating 10 hours of sunlight per day. However, exposure to full sunlight is inadvisable to prevent the plant from drying out. Those with a preference for flowers may wish to consider an article about orchids in a closed terrarium.
What environment does a bonsai tree need?
Bonsai trees require direct sunlight for their food production, and they prefer 5-6 hours of sunlight daily, either indoors or outdoors. They prefer being outside during the warmer months (May-September), but some species can be kept indoors year-round. The more sunlight and warmth, the more often Bonsai needs water.
Watering is crucial for Bonsai’s health, and they prefer to get a little dry between waterings. Check the topsoil daily to see if it needs water, and if it feels dry, set the pot in a basin of water to saturate the soil. Allow extra water to drain off. Bonsai prefer not to be wet all the time or sit in water for long periods, as it is detrimental to their health. Watering may vary during winter and summer, depending on location and climate.
Misting and air are essential for Bonsai’s health, and they need humidity to keep them healthy and green. Mist as often as you like during the day, but avoid having them near vents or drafts, as this can dry out the foliage. Using a pebble tray can increase local humidity by keeping water in the bottom of the tray, allowing it to evaporate and create a more moist environment.
How hot is too hot for bonsai?
Bonsai trees are hard-to-kill, but they can suffer from heat. Most suffer when temperatures reach around 90 Fahrenheit, and frequent sustained highs over 100 degrees can be fatal. Climate scientists predict 2016 to be one of the hottest years on record, making protecting them from heat a major issue. To keep them safe, it’s important to keep outdoor trees away from direct sunlight during the hot summer months, and indoor trees away from excessive direct sunlight.
Do bonsai need open or closed terrarium?
This guide explains the process of setting up a bonsai terrarium, a miniature ecosystem enclosed in glass. It discusses the advantages of exposing or partially covering the terrarium, allowing more airflow and evaporation, and the disadvantages of closed terrariums, which create a sealed environment with high humidity levels. The guide also discusses the importance of choosing the right bonsai, setting up an efficient terrarium, and ensuring the health of your bonsai companions.
Can bonsai be in full sun?
Bonsai trees require bright, indirect sunlight for proper growth, but can be sensitive to direct sunlight, especially during the hottest part of the day. They need about 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. The direction of sunlight also affects Bonsai growth, with north-facing or east-facing locations preferring morning or evening sun. Seasonal changes also affect the amount and intensity of sunlight. In winter, when days are shorter and the sun is lower, Bonsai trees may need additional artificial light, while in summer, when days are longer and the sun is stronger, they may need some shade to prevent leaf scorching.
📹 A Greenhouse Full of Bonsai
How do you fill a greenhouse with bonsai? One at a time, of course. My yearly bonsai shuffle includes moving the most precious …
I have kept a ficus alive since 1977, about 45 years, but I never styled it as a bonsai until recently. It’s essentially an indoor tree, but I keep it outside in summer. I have potted up volunteer maples, mountain ash, and summersweet, all of which live outside in pots. I live in Atlantic Canada, with long periods of sub-freezing temperatures.
I started into bonsai with cuttings off a Ficus benjamina houseplant my mother had, because that was available. F. benjamina may not be ideal, but it worked for me. Generally ficus is the easiest recommendation for indoor care, as it can do pretty well with the reduced light levels there (being an understory plant in the jungle). Portulacaria afra, the elephant bush, would be another plant that can be kept warm continuously, but is much more light-hungry. (Edit: avoid the grafted ficus styles though, like the “ginseng” and what’s sometimes called “IKEA style” with the braided trunk, if you want to grow actual bonsai. You can take the foliage off a cheap “ginseng” for cuttings if you can’t find better starter plants.) Outdoors I’d recommend to look at whatever is used for hedging in your area, as those plants have the same requirements as beginner bonsai (hard to kill, cheap and easy to get, react to pruning with dense, twiggy growth, small leaves etc). Here in Germany top of the list would be privet, other nice options being hornbeam, field maple, yew, firethorn and a few more. Privet also roots from thick cuttings (as does ficus).
I’m new to bonsai, still getting all my stuff ready. I’m from South Africa and I not close to any nurseries and love perusal these articles to educate me and I Think Bonsai is a great hobby to start with, I’m probably going make lots of mistakes in the beginning, but that’s how I’m going to learn, just wished I have started earlier with it.
Thanks to your lessons, I hoped I have made the right choices, I was tempted to go for Carmona. But as seeing that the indoor bonsai have such degrees of difficulties, I decided on keeping this advice in mind. Ficus, Chinese Elm, and Chinese pepper are the bonsai that I’m trying to see how they adapt and fare in my house. Thank you again. For all the wisdom.
Wow Peter, each time I watch one of your articles i see more of how professional you are including in running your nursery. Amazed to see the layout, the variety of plants and bonsai equipment. I think we all learn from you when you let us into your world. I’m in North East Queensland, Australia, on the Tropic of Capricorn. It’s summer with 30 C days, 25 C nights and humidity above 75% most of the time. As to Ficus, where I live we have about 10 species growing naturally. Those found growing on trees or rocks can produce contorted roots and stems, most grow all year. With the “sandpaper” figs they often drop leaves and are dormant for our winter. They are easy to grow but you have to prune them many times through summer and grow them in deep pots. Over time you can gradually expose more roots at re-potting. A lot of figs I’ve collected are in forest that has been partially cleared and many are on the ground. The whole forest will go to housing soon, so i feel I’m preserving a few by potting them. The most challenging are those growing in dead trees or trees that have recently split and hit the ground. They are impossible to pot without removing 90% of the roots. These plants I wrap the main roots, bunches of small roots and the base of the stem with coconut palm fibre(directly from my own trees) and I tie them at regular intervals with twine. Each plant is hung in a tree where they get good light, air movement and a daily drink. The roots grow through the palm fibre and twine giving me a hanging fig with established leaves and roots.
Bonus Tuesday 😊 The only tropical/indoor bonsai I have is a Carmona/Fukien tea which lives outside from spring until late autumn then comes into my cool conservatory over winter to avoid frost which will kill it. All my other trees live outside all year round, including several Chinese elms and a couple of Podocarpus/Buddhist pines.
I moved into a house and I’m 99% sure that there is a garden tree in the back I have aquired with the house that is a slightly neglected bonsai. The plant is healthy but everything about the way its grown (in a very shallow pot and with evidence of a lot of pruning) says bonsai to me. I know of bonsai but never tried it myself. So I thought I’d give it a go. Currently just leaving the tree for spring, I don’t know what species it is yet. It has this pretty yellow twigs though with bright green leaves and lits of new growth.
Your right about our cold Temperatures in the U.S.A. But it’s a State in the East that holds the nations record, New Hampshire. -108 F, which is -77.77 C. And we hold the world record for heat at Furnace Creek Death Valley California, at 134 F, which is 56.66 C. The first Bonsai I ever made/grew was a Juniper. I’ve made many since. But I’m looking towards a flowering Bonsai now. Maybe an Azalea. Your articles are top notch. And your expertise and the information is awesome!
Hello, You mentioned you don’t have to water maples during winter. They don’t need any water at all? We are in Boston and temperature here does go down to -15 C. Sometime during winter I open up my cold frames and I spray fresh powder snow on top of the bonsai, so when the sun melts it they do get some moisture. Do you think it’s not needed at all? Thank you so much for your context, Peter – you are great! and I have been perusal every single article you make. You are inspiration to many generations of bonsai growers. If possible, can you touch upon mice control in your cold frame, poly – greenhouses? We have had a horrible devastating attack of mice in the last week and they killed at least 30 young Japanese maples and damaged some bigger ones. Best of Holidays to you!
Lots of very useful articles Peter, thank you for sharing. I am in the UK and have just started my bonsai path, growing oak, sycamore and sweet chestnut from seeds, so the plants are very young, a year old. I’ve read that these need to be wintered in a greenhouse/cold frame to protect the roots from frost, since frozen roots will kill the plants and pots freeze easily. Should the pots be protected from frost, or will the trees survive if left outside? Thanks
i like the article! I would consider Pines more a tree for an advanced bonsai artist as it takes an higher level of horticulture experience to deal with the various requirements of the care for Pines during the growing season (needle plucking, proper fertilization, candles pinching, de-candling, branch cutting, candle selection) not a thing for a beginner. Possibly putting 1 flush pines in the easier category, but 2 flush pines are for sure to be avoided by absolute beginners…but then again just my opinion and everyone is free to experiment.
Colorado’s relatively extreme climate is the reason I’m going to attempt to start some bonsai from local “volunteer” saplings that have popped up in my yard, come February/March. My assumption is that since they’re already growing here, they might be able to actually deal with the hot, dry summers, and below-freezing winters. It might work, it might not, but hopefully I’ll learn a thing or two. 😀 I’ve also got a ficus just hanging out in my room, much happier for the humidity tray and the regular watering. Now I just have to figure out what to do about it producing Really Big Leaves now that my concern isn’t as much with making sure it’s still alive. (It was neglected for a few years. I’m not sure how it’s still kicking.)
Im in the uk and i have 3 elm trees iv had them for 4 years now they really didnt like bein in the house after 4 months i put them in garden and they been there ever since there about 18 years old trees is this why they love the outside cause of the age or is it just luck never had problem since apart from needin a trim alot more
I have a wisteria plant an Arcadia and a black pine they were planted from seeds are they indoor or outdoor plants and how do I begin to transition them from a little tray into a actual planter for them to grow I’m not sure where to start my black pine is already sprouting buds and I had a wisteria bud but it seems to be dying I would appreciate any advice on the I would appreciate any advice and help on their care thank you
What if I live in an area that gets very hot? Just started with my inside bonsai but it requires to be in a sunny area. Can’t put it outside because the heat might kill it. I keep it in my room where it can get sun and use a heat lamp when sunshine no longer is on it. My room stays fairly warm but not too bad.
I suppose the natural question is what the better ficus trees are and which ones are poor choices for bonsai. I had a ficus benjamina and about the only thing I really got it to do was root 100% of the cuttings. No magic, just stick the twigs in soil and treat them like plants. I ended up with too many of them and they never developed into anything interesting.
I live in one of the zones that can get as low as -30C before wind chill, I only have species (2 spruces, and a cedar) that are native to my area, do I need to worry about bringing them inside at all? I do not have a basement (i’ve heard of some people putting them in a refrigerator on reddit). My thought process is that they should be fine, but i imagine them being potted might make their roots freeze on some of the colder days, I have leaves/mulch covering the pots inside a small box for a wind break. This is my first year doing bonsai. I’d appreciate any/all advice.
I think even more easier than the Ficus is the Crassula / jade plant / money tree. and Portalucaria. THey are succulent trees which grows very fast. can stand long periods of droughts and neglect. and they make gorgeous bonsai. Mr Chan I’m wondering why you have never adressed/demonstrated crassula bonsai
Although not a “real” tree, Crassulas are very easy to grow, they require low maintenance and grow very nice trunks. The harshest the environment, the nicest they get. I live in a south Europe, a hundred yards from the Atlantic. My garden in south oriented and temperatures in summer can reach 40 degree C of dry air. It is the only species I can maintain there. As well Pittosporos, a hedge arbust, grow well there up to 4 meter high and every year hey produce many seeds that will grow fast and take well severe pruning so they could take interresting shapes too for bonsai. I use them to get shadow in my yard and I managed to give them a vault shape enough to cover 30m2 in 5 years. Branches are easy to zigzag and they produce very nice patterns.
I disagree. I would say that deciduous trees are more beginner friendly than conifers in most cases (with beech and hawthorn being an exceptions). Especially elms, hornbeams and maples are way easier than pines and spruce. You can’t really messed up with repotting an elm, maple or a hornbeam, while you can kill a pine if you cut off too many roots or if you do it too early or too late. So i would say for beginners, stay away from pines, with exception of Scot’s pine. Also prunning decisious trees is way easier than prunning conifers. You can prune your elms and maples whenever you like (i don’t recommend that though) and you won’t kill them in most cases, you can do a very heavy prunning and a trunk chop on most deciduous trees, while pruning a pine or spruce at the wrong time of the year might cause a serious consequences + you can’t do a trunk chop on most conifers. If you are a beginner you want to get trees that are resistant to most of your beginner’s mistakes and that species are: elms, zelkovas, maples, hornbeams. If you insist on conifers, some junipers and yews are not that hard, if you can “skip” jin and shari 🙂
Correct me if I’m wrong but there isn’t really such a thing as an ‘indoor’ plant or tree..? they all need sunlight to live right..? Telling people there are indoor trees and plants will cause confusion and lots of dead plants no..? I see so many people buy a bonsai and put it on the desk in the study or something and it’s dead within 2 months because they think it’s an indoor plant. Not everyone understands horticulture, most people in fact don’t I’d hesitate to say. People should be told all plants are outdoor but some can live indoors if they have access to sunlight from a window or greenhouse.
Any direction I’m pointed in now is coming directly off the back of what was done to me in vein with intent and maliciousness. Do not try to pretend yourself separate whilst using the burdens that have been placed on me to your advantage. If me being ushered into diminishment and pain is also an adaptive part of your way forward, its best you find another bloody way entirely or not at all.