Bonsai basics My first bonsai, what should I consider?

Most people are tempted to buy a bonsai when they see one in the garden center or DIY store, without giving much thought to whether they have a suitable place for it! You should consider the following: Is there only one apartment available. Do you have space on a balcony or is there a garden?

The plant should always be selected according to the site conditions. In an apartment, only subtropical or tropical plants are suitable, so-called indoor plants. Under no circumstances, however, should outdoor plants, i.e. plants that grow in a continental climate, such as our native trees.

In Europe, subtropical or tropical plants are mistakenly referred to as indoor or room bonsai, because these plants would not survive our winter temperatures outdoors and are therefore usually overwintered indoors.

However, nature did not grow a plant for a living space, the basic problem is the lack of sunlight. Location: The location should be a bright east-west or south-facing window. Subtropical plants need a cool room to overwinter. The optimum room temperature is around +5°C to a maximum of +10°C, the subtropical plant should not be kept any warmer.

A temperature difference between day and night is important for indoor bonsai (night setback). Tropical plants are kept in a heated room in winter, but not below +15°C. Humidity is also important for both types of plant.

The optimum would be 65% relative humidity. Indoor subtropicals frequently offered for sale are: Chinese elm/Ulmus parvifolia, Sageretia/Sageretia theezans, Serissa/Serissa foetida, Japanese boxwood/Buxus harlandii, Chinese boxwood.

Tropical indoors: Ficus/Ficus microcarpa, Carmona/Carmona retusa, orange jasmine/Murraya paniculata, stone pine/Podocarpus macrophylla. Plants that are kept exclusively outdoors are called outdoor plants.

Outdoor plants are plants that may only be placed in a room for a very short time, e.g. for exhibitions. Outdoor plants are only overwintered outdoors. The location is partial shade for deciduous trees and sunny for conifers. Often offered for sale: Japanese maple/Acer palmatum, hornbeam/Carpinus betulus, Zelkova/Zelkova serrata, Satsuki azalea/Rhododendron indicum, Maiden pine/Pinus parviflora, Gingko/Gingko biloba, Juniper/Juniperus chinensis, Japanese larch/Larix kaempferi.