32 - EspritBonsaiInternational #101GettingOOff
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It’s summer, it’s hot – or even very
hot – and we’re on a go-slow. The same can be said of
our bonsai which, from mid-June to mid-August, enjoy
a period of rest. However, there are a few things we
need to pay attention to during this period, to look after
our trees and get them safely through the summer.1 Stop feeding
With the heat and after a first growing season, trees
enter a period of rest and their system slows down.
During this period, they need less fertiliser. What is
more, in very hot weather, not only are trees unable
to absorb fertiliser, but salt levels can rise sharply and
more easily provoke root burn. It is therefore important
to stop feeding your trees, or at least greatly reduce
amounts of fertiliser placed around their bases.2 Increase watering
Obviously soil dries more quickly in the summer
sun. But in addition to the sun’s effect, the wind and
ambient heat often make it dry even faster. Foliage can
dry out in just a few hours. You therefore need to take
extra precautions: water more frequently, and check
regularly – several times each day if possible, or at least
in the morning and evening.Trees rest in the
summer, as do many
of us. Here are a
few precautionary
measures so that you
can get the best out of
the heat and sun.
Author: Xavier Dreux
During the hottest periods of summer, there is not
much work to be done on your bonsai, but you do need
to pay them some attention. You can protect them
with a shading structure over the area where they are
displayed, like at Crespi Bonsai in Parabiago, near Milan.Smaller pots can be grouped together in
a dish filled with gravel or pozzolana to
create a more humid environment. That
way the pots will dry more slowly.A summer
break