Bonsai plants are very attractive specimens of an age old practice. Bonsai trees are very striking in appearance, so there are many who feature them in the home. Special care is required for your indoor bonsai since they’re not exposed to full, natural sunlight and outdoor weather. In spite of their hardy appearance, some bonsai plants may be fragile when it comes to light and water.

Watering Your Indoor Bonsai

When you bring a bonsai tree indoors it will require sufficient lighting to replace the natural sunlight that it would have been receiving outdoors. Your plant will appreciate being located in an area with lots of air movement. The type of bonsai you have will dictate how often you need to water it, as will the state of the soil it is planted in. Some plants or trees need to have damp soil while others thrive well in spite of a drought.

Misting your plant may be necessary to produce a sort of rainforest humidity in which it will thrive. You can use a humidity tray, but be certain that your pot is placed on some small rocks or a stand, and not sitting directly in the water.

Pruning and Cutting

The indoor bonsai tree will still need to be regularly pruned and cut to maintain its appearance. A bonsai tree might appear to be frozen in time, but that doesn’t mean it’s not growing. Both indoor bonsai and outdoor bonsai need to be repotted anywhere from once a year up to three years depending on the kind of tree. The branches will also need to be maintained to keep its style intact.

You might need to reduce the amount of fertilizer you use during the winter, depending on the variety of your bonsai. This is due to the fact that some bonsai species become dormant in this season, and will not need the level of nutrients that they do in the warmer seasons. Your indoor bonsai might not fully experience the whole cycle of seasons because it is in an artificial environment.

You need to be on the lookout for pests and other irregularities that might appear on your indoor bonsai tree. The fact that they are indoors may make them a favorite of spiders and other mites who are used to the great outdoors. It is best to gently clean the leaves and branches of your indoor bonsai plant with a damp cloth or a brush.