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Prunus Serrulata (Cherry Blossom) Bonsai – Care Tips

The cherry blossom tree has a strong cultural tradition of romantic love and loyalty. Love needs tending to grow. Your cherry blossom bonsai tree will also need tending; perhaps more than other bonsai trees. The work will be worth it!

Provide Full Sun

Protect your cherry blossom bonsai tree from wind at all times. Place it in direct sunlight during flowering and leafing. Morning and early afternoon sun is best as extreme heat can stress your tree.

Water with the Seasons

Be prepared to water your cherry blossom bonsai tree frequently and thoroughly when flowering begins. Good drainage is also critical. During flowering and leafing out, take care to keep the soil moist but not soggy. A root ball left to stand in water may rot.

Support your cherry blossom bonsai tree with an organic potting soil for balanced nutrition. A pH neutral drainage medium in the bottom of the pot may be necessary to protect the root ball.

Cherry blossom bonsai trees are frost-tolerant; a small pot may increase the risk of frost damage. Make sure you add a balanced fertilizer during this heavy watering season.

Fertilizer Choices

While your cherry blossom bonsai tree is taking in a lot of water during the growing season, add a balanced liquid fertilizer weekly. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen aids in the growth of greenery but may reduce the ability of your cherry blossom bonsai tree to fully flower each year.

Shield the trunk of your cherry blossom bonsai from direct fertilizer application by applying fertilizer in a ring near the outer edge of the organic potting soil. Even a low or balanced nitrogen fertilizer can burn the trunk. Burnt bark on the trunk will create an opening for pests to feed and may leave the plant vulnerable to bacteria.

Plan for Dormancy

After flowering, your cherry blossom bonsai tree will drop flowers and leaf out. In the fall, it will drop leaves. The cherry blossom bonsai tree needs to go dormant to flower in the spring.

Plan for three months of dormancy over the winter. Only put it outside for winter if you are sure you can protect it from freezing. Mulch it heavily if you choose to keep it outside. Put your cherry blossom bonsai tree in a garage or shed for the dormancy period if a winter freeze is a risk.

Prune During the Leafing Season

Let your cherry blossom bonsai tree bloom and drop flowers each spring. Don’t do any pruning until all the flowers drop away. Consider taking a seasonal photo of your cherry blossom bonsai after the leaves drop away so you can note any new growth.

When you prune, focus on the shape. Refer to the photo from the previous year to note which branches are new and take away any that don’t contribute to your desired shape. In the wild, a full-sized cherry blossom tree will often have a lollipop shape. As a bonsai gardener, you can create a more angular shape with careful pruning.

These angles offer many benefits. The entire body of the tree will get more sun. You can also promote the bloom in a pattern that allows you to see each flower. Take care not to take off all the new growth; the tree needs these new shoots to gather up all available sunlight.

Pests to Watch For

Your cherry blossom bonsai tree can be threatened by aphids. If you put your cherry blossom bonsai tree outdoors to gather up all the sunlight available, it may come in carrying pests.

Take care to monitor the trunk and shoots of your cherry blossom bonsai tree for a sticky film or tiny, clear bubbles. Once you bring aphids inside, they will happily migrate to your houseplants. Both aphids and some caterpillars will feed on your cherry blossom bonsai tree and may be hard to spot before you bring them in. As soon as you see signs of any pest, be prepared to treat all of your houseplants with an insecticide that’s suitable for indoors.

Using the Blossoms

There are cherry blossoms that can be toxic. Some people use the cherry blossoms from the cherry blossom bonsai tree to make a tea. Imbibe carefully. Do your best to keep your pets away from the blossoms of your cherry blossom tree; a tea that may suit you at your adult weight may be dangerous to a 7 pound cat or a 20 pound dog.

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Re-Potting

Re-pot your cherry blossom tree every two to three years. Make sure you finish the re-potting before the flowers bud. Re-potting can be a stressful time for any plant. Because the cherry blossom bonsai tree feeds heavily during flowering and leafing out, it needs time to get established in the new pot.

Before you re-pot your cherry tree, trim the root ball. You can prune back some roots if you are putting it only into a slightly larger pot, but take care not to remove the heavy, woody sections from an old root ball. You can harm an old tree by taking away too much woody root.

Pay attention to the color of your pot as you re-pot your cherry blossom bonsai tree. The darker the pot, the more heat it will soak up. Your tree needs plenty of direct sunlight, as noted above. However, it also needs plenty of water. A hot plant container may be tough on new roots, even if you’re keeping the cherry blossom bonsai tree watered regularly.

The first flowers of spring can be a great boost to your spirit! Having a cherry blossom bonsai tree in your collection can help you celebrate the freshness of spring. Prepare for your new cherry blossom bonsai tree by making sure it has a bright, sunny spot where it can re-charge during the spring and summer. Make sure it has a secure spot where it can safely go dormant.