Eastfork Nursery - Basic Bonsai Instructions
Thank you for selecting a pre-bonsai package from Eastfork Nursery. We are providing you with a special bonsai potting mix, a hard plastic Korean container, forest moss, bark and rocks and your choice of the following Japanese Maples: Acer palmatum Goshiki kotohime; Mikawa yatsubusa or an Acer palmatum seedling. This kit is intended to let you be the designer of your own personal bonsai creation.
Included in each container are two pieces of fabric that should be laid over the large holes in the bottom of your bonsai pot. Take a few minutes to decide where you are going to place the maple in the pot – center or off-center? The base of the trunk of the maple should be slightly higher than the sides of the pot and slanting down to a degree just below the lip of the pot. If not, when you water your maple the water may wash away some of your soil. Placement of moss, rocks and bark can help to prevent soil erosion and of course add to the overall appearance of your creation.
After you place the fabric over the bottom holes add a small amount of potting soil and then gently remove the maple from its plastic container, loosen some of the roots and set it in the bonsai pot. You want the base of the trunk of your maple to be ½ inch to 1 inch higher that the rim of the pot. Do not add soil onto of the roots, but rather gently lift out the maple and add more soil underneath. Once you have the base of the trunk at the height you want use the some of the bonsai potting mix to fill the pot and cover the remaining roots. It is always easier to add more soil then to take it away, so leave some room for rocks, moss, and bark. At this point before adding your moss and rocks water the maple thoroughly. Some soil may settle.
Lay out your moss, bark and rocks. Now you are in charge of the creative process. Each bonsai is unique. Have fun and don’t worry about not getting it right the first time. You can add or subtract moss, rocks and bark. We have provided you with more than enough soil and moss. It is not meant for you to use everything we have included in the kit. Use what you want and store the rest. You can add other charming features like a tiny Buddha or bridge that are often found at home and garden shows.
Japanese maples do not grow well as house plants, so your bonsai creation is designed for outdoors. Early morning light and afternoon shade is the perfect climate for your bonsai. A daily sprinkling of water is recommended until the roots are established in the potting mix. Once established your bonsai can be watered every other day if the outside temperature is not too hot. Japanese maples do not do well with a lot of fertilizer. Do not fertilize for at least six months after planting your bonsai and then use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. Gently lift a rock or piece of bark and place a teaspoon full of fertilizer once a year. In climates with very cold winters you can bring your maple into the house or garage. Even though the leaves are gone your maple still needs some water for the moss and roots, though not as often as in the summer.
In three or four years it may be necessary to prune the roots of your maple. Root pruning is just one facet of creating and enjoying bonsai using Japanese maples. So, when you think you need to prune the roots, please check with our website for updated instructions. Thank you for selecting Eastfork Nursery. Have fun!