The right care for the Japanese camellia as a bonsai
There are now quite a few types of plants that serve as “starting material” for the creativity of bonsai gardeners in this country. While for example a mussel cypress bonsai is evergreen all year round, bonsais lose out Red maple and Japanese cherry blossom their leaves even in the sheltered winter quarters. If you want to combine the evergreen look of a bonsai with fresh green needles with attractive flowers and the appearance of a typical deciduous tree, then the Japanese could camellia be exactly the right choice for you: after all, this tree also makes splendid miniature versions Flowers, but at the same time never loses its flowers (except in the case of serious care errors) Leaves.
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- How should my camellia overwinter in the pot?
- Why is my camellia losing its flower buds?
- Which location is suitable for the camellia?
This is how a seedling becomes a bonsai
First of all, the seedling should be kept for a few years under location conditions that are as well adapted as possible cultivated so that there is healthy root growth analogous to the growth of the trunk and branches adjusts. When transplanting into a classic, flat bonsai pot, the roots of the Japanese camellia may have to be carefully shortened. Slightly woody shoots can be wired between October and February. This causes the emerging branches and twigs of the little trees to move down towards the Planter pulled, which in turn the typical tree-like habitus in a smaller model form results. So that this optical transformation can really succeed aesthetically, cutting measures should be carried out extremely carefully and well thought-out.
These pests and care mistakes threaten the health of a Japanese camellia raised to bonsai
Pests such as the vine weevil or scale insects can occasionally become a problem when you cultivate the Japanese camellia as a bonsai on your own windowsill. As a rule, however, the shrinking of the plants or at least a badly battered appearance can be traced back to certain care mistakes:
- slightly acidic soil preferred (do not water with strongly calcareous water)
- Regular dipping of the root ball protects against dehydration
- Too cool overwintering: In winter quarters, temperatures should be permanently above 15 degrees Celsius
Tips
The wiring of a Japanese camellia for the education of the growth form to the bonsai should be done during the winter months on the already slightly woody shoots. Make sure to remove the wires again during the summer months so that no unsightly spots appear along the bark of the Japanese camellia during this phase of the growth in thickness.