Indoor Bonsai Care Guide

Learn how to care for indoor bonsai trees with our complete guide. Discover expert tips on watering, light, temperature, pruning, and repotting to keep your bonsai healthy, balanced, and beautifully shaped all year round.

Care

Care of an indoor bonsai tree is different from that of normal potted house plants. The main reason is that bonsai trees are planted in small pots and therefore have limited storage for nutrients and water. A steady temperature rather than one which fluctuates a lot is highly recommended, so avoid draughts, or placing your bonsai on top of a shelf with a radiator underneath. Bonsais need as much natural daylight as possible, but avoid direct sunlight which can scorch the leaves and speed up the water evaporation from the compost.

Your bonsai needs regular watering; it needs to be moist but not overly wet. The best method is to completely immerse the pot in water so the water level is above the soil. Wait until all the air bubbles have stopped rising, then place the pot on a drip tray. Do not let your bonsai dry out completely or stand in water for long periods.

Problems & Solutions

If your bonsai starts to show a change of colour, with leaves turning yellow, do not be alarmed. This could be due to a number of reasons such as a shock to the tree caused by being very dry or very cold. If any of these have occurred, adjust the environment. Depending on the species, fallen leaves could be a natural occurrence. The tree is not dead, but just going into temporary dormancy, so be extra careful with watering.

Fallen leaves will be replaced by a new set of leaves four to eight weeks later. The most common pests are spider mite, white fly, mealybug and aphid. If your bonsai is affected, treat with a chemical or organic insecticide, following the instructions carefully.

Pruning, Wiring & Repotting

It is important to regularly trim your bonsai to keep its shape or style. This is called the ‘clip and grow’ method. When a new shoot has elongated, and has between six and eight new leaves, it should be trimmed back to two to four leaves. This may be every two months or so depending on the vigour of the tree. With regular pinching back the tree will fill out better. Indoor bonsai are best repotted in the spring every two years. Top pruning can be carried out consistently after repotting.