Sun 20th May
“Bonsai South West 2012″.   The Pavillion, Exmouth, Devon.

10am to 5pm

Exeter Bonsai society is hosting Bonsai South West 2012, at the Pavilion, on Exmouth seafront, with a number of traders, demonstrations, and the  ’Chairman’s Challenge’ styling competition, as well as displays by local societies from all round the south-west.

Further info.  contact Brian on 01392.437525, or email brian.mackichan@mypostoffice.co.uk

This is a truly stunning mature indoor bonsai; it has a powerful trunk and nicely positioned branches.

Great bonsai for beginners. Ideal bonsai gift.

For more information visit:

http://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/item/4401/beautiful-mature-premium-range-indoor-bonsai—25-years

We have just received this question from Robyn about caring for her bonsai which has dried out:

I was given a Chinese Elm for Christmas and it has been perefctly healthy, I left it with friends for 2 weeks at the end of April and it dried out a lot, Ive been tying to make up for it but I think if anything, now I have overwatered the poor thing! The leaves that remain (nothing compared to before) are all crispy, but the soil is damp, there are not signs of new buds at the moment, do you think it’s too late for my bosai? 

• Bonsai Direct says:

  May 15, 2012 at 7:06 am (Edit)

  Dear Robyn,
  Thank you for your enquiry.
  If the leaves went crispy your Chinese Elm bonsai has definitely dried out.
  Your are correct; the temptation is to over water it.
  Please give it a position with good daylight but out of hot direct sunlight.
  Please keep the soil just damp (not too wet). If you over-water the bonsai you could rot the roots – although this is a slow process.
  When a bonsai only has a few or no leaves it requires far less water.
  Basically you need to give the bonsai time – it will take at least 2 months before I would expect to see any new shoots but this is a great time of year for the bonsai to recover – I just hope it did not dry out totally.
  If you have a hand mister I would mist the branches daily in addition to watering.
  i hope this helps
  kind regards
  Sarah

Bonsai Direct Reply:

Dear Lauren,
Thank you for your e-mail. Junipers are outdoor bonsai and like to be kept on the dryish side. They do not like to be overly wet. It is possible that after a wet winter the roots are beginning to rot. If you have an unheated glasshouse you could put it in there for a few weeks and only water when almost dry and give the roots chance to re-grow. Alternatively you could put a polythene bag over the roots but you would need to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out. Hopefully we shall have some sun soon and it will be happier but I think that it is worth taking some measures.

If you have any questions regarding your bonsai please submit a comment in the box below. Many thanks

• Chinese Elm [Ulmus parvifolia]

• Chinese Sweet Plum [Sageretia theezans]

• Tree of a Thousand Stars [Serissa foetida]

• Oriental Tea Tree [Carmona microphylla]

• Fig [Ficus species]
  
• Sweet Aromatic Pepper Tree  [Zanthoxylum piperitum]

Generally the care for each of these bonsai is very similar.

• Place your bonsai on a humidity tray. This will catch the water draining through the holes in the bottom of the bonsai pot. This water will create some humidity around your bonsai, especially when the central heating is on. Please take care that the tray does not overflow onto your furniture and make sure that your bonsai does not sit in the water. If bonsai sit in water this can rot the roots and the bonsai can become weak.

• Good daylight is essential to the health of a bonsai. During winter place your bonsai in the brightest place possible, trying to avoid hot objects like radiators and televisions. In summer time beware of hot south facing windows, a little sunlight morning or evening is beneficial, but too much and your bonsai could over heat.  Basically, your bonsai needs a position with good daylight but out of direct sunlight.

• Watering is the most important part of growing bonsai. Check your bonsai morning and evening to see if it needs watering. If the soil looks dark and feels wet then it will not require watering. Only when the soil looks light brown and feels damp will your bonsai require more water. Water thoroughly all over the soil until the water drains through into a tray or saucer. Never let your bonsai dry out and avoid keeping it constantly wet. The soil should go from wet to damp between watering. Remember the hotter the position the more water your bonsai will use. If the soil surface becomes hard during hot weather simply submerge your bonsai in water, to cover the soil surface, for about ten minutes.

• To maintain the artistic grace and beauty of your bonsai it will need to be pruned regularly. Once new shoots have grown to about 2-3cm, using a sharp pair bonsai scissors carefully cut back to the first pair of new leaves.  If your bonsai gets out of shape, Spring is the best time to hard prune – remove all those straggly shoots and initially the bonsai may look a little bare but with just a few weeks it should be covered in new young shoots.

• We always recommend feeding your bonsai. Please feed with a bonsai fertiliser – other general plant foods can be too strong for the bonsai and may scorch the roots. If using a liquid bonsai feed I would recommend feeding once a week to once a fortnight during the spring, summer and autumn. Reduce the feeding to approximately once a month in mid-winter when it is barely growing. It is particularly important to feed flowering bonsai. Bonsai, like the Serissa for example, are very hungry trees are rely on you for their nutrients. You will notice yellowing of the leaves if the bonsai is deficient in nutrients.

If you have any questions relating to your bonsai please enter your comments below and we shall reply shortly.

* Golden maple
* Purple Maple
* Bonsai Feed
* Bonsai Scissors

Height (cm): 35
Pot Size (cm): 14 x 9.5
Trunk Diameter (cm): 1
Bonsai Pot: Blue Rectangular bonsai pot.

These complete bonsai set was £67.50 but has been reduced to only £55 for today only.

Deciduous Outdoor Bonsai

Japanese Purple Maple (Acer palmatum)
A truly pretty bonsai with lovely purple foliage. A classic Japanese bonsai with great character. Requires a sheltered position, protected from strong winds to prevent leaf scorch. When pruning please allow 1-2cm for die back and do not use wire to style your maple as the bark is very delicate and scars easily. A bonsai classic.

For more information please use the link below:

http://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/item/4352/outdoor-bonsai-maple–acer-palmatum–starter-kit-2

This really is a beautiful composition – this bonsai is really enhanced by the soft flowing trunk which balances beautifully with the Chinese rock.
Potted into a very tasteful Charcoal grey/black glazed bonsai pot this bonsai would particularly suit a modern interior. It is tasteful and stylish.

For today only the price of this bonsai has been reduced from £99 to £85 and this includes a matching ceramic humidity tray and courier delivery within England, Wales and Southern Scotland.  Should you wish to choose this bonsai as a birthday gift then you may choose your delivery date at the checkout.

For more information please see the link below:

http://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/item/4372/very-attractive-chinese-elm-bonsai-with-flowing-trunk—rock

Should you require further information please visit:

http://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/item/4381/choice-small-japanese-maple-bonsai–acer-palmatum-katsura-

We have new cherry tree bonsai which will be ready to photograph later this week and the hawthorn are in bud too. We tend to upload the images as the bonsai come into leaf during spring. The oak bonsai are usually the last to leaf so they will not be uploaded onto our website until about May.
OUTDOOR BONSAI MAPLE KIT
This lovely Maple bonsai starter pack includes:
* Two very pretty outdoor Maple bonsai.
* one with purple foliage & one with golden.
* Bonsai Feed
* Small bonsai pruning scissors

Priced at only £67.50 this outdoor bonsai kit could be perfect for beginners to the art of bonsai. :http://www.bonsaidirect.co.uk/item/4351/outdoor-bonsai-maple–acer-palmatum–starter-kit

* Free Bonsai Fertiliser

* Bonsai Age: 8 years

* Height: approx 30cm

* Trunk Diameter: 1.5cm

* Pot Size: 19 x 13 cm

* Pot Colour: Wooden engraved ‘Bonsai’.

* Full care instructions

CHOOSE YOUR DELIVERY DATE AT THE CHECKOUT!

Oriental Lacebark Elm Bonsai (Chinese Elm)
Ulmus parvifolia

The Oriental Lacebark Elm makes a truly beautiful bonsai. The leaves are small, bright to deep green and are slightly serrated. The tree has excellent twig structure and has great character throughout, making it the perfect representation of a woodland tree. After time the silvery bark gently peels and reveals shades of red and tan; giving rise to the name Lacebark Elm. In our opinion the Chinese Elm is the most perfectly proportioned, easy to care for and adaptable tree and makes a superb bonsai. The Lacebark Elm can be grown as an indoor or outdoor bonsai.