Northland Gardens - Bonsai Potting Instructions

1) Gently squeeze the sides of the starter plant's container to loosen the soil.
2) Carefully remove the plant from the container and with the chopstick provided, loosen and remove enough soil to allow the plant to fit into it's new pot. Take care to avoid breaking any new / white roots in the process and as a rule, never remove all of the soil.

3) Choose a new bonsai pot for your tree. Be sure that the new pot is clean, unglazed
on the inside and that it has good drainage. The size of the pot is important in keeping
your tree small / dwarfed. A shallow pot is best ; one that will force the roots to grow
to the sides rather than down. The pot should be wide enough to add some new soil and provide balance.

4) Place the screening over the drain holes in the bottom of the pot and cover with a very thin layer of bonsai soil.

5) Look at your tree from all sides to determine which side will be the front and position the tree in the pot holding it with one hand. Pour some soil around the tree and using the chopstick 'poke' at the soil slowly packing it down into the roots. Repeat this process until the roots are covered and the tree stands on it's own. Be sure there is no chance of air pockets in the soil as this can cause root rot. Never raise the soil level higher on the trunk than it was in the starter pot. Instead, save some space below the rim of the pot for top dressings such as moss, sagina, gravel or interesting rocks. These top dressings help to avoid erosion. A bit of mounding is ok, but never more than 1/2 the height of the pot.

6) Once the plant is potted, pruning can and should be done. Pruning stimulates new growth, protects the tree from transplant shock and root damage as well as shaping the tree into 'old wood' should be avoided, unless necessary, especially with evergreens. Some or all of the pruning may also be done prior to potting. While pruning / shaping your tree, consider a few bonsai pruning basics : Avoid branches which point at you, those which grow down or off the bottom of main branches, those which cross, those growing parallel to each other and those which obscure the view of the trunk and main branches.

7) Water the plant immediately by submerging the pot in fertilized water so that the water is above the soil level. Keep the plant in a bright spot out of direct sun and spray mist it 2 to 3 times daily for 2 weeks and at least once daily there-after. Check for water daily by knowing your plant's when wet or dry or by pressing your knuckle into the topdressing. The tree should never dry out, but not be constantly wet either. A routine watering schedule should be avoided as your tree will require water at different intervals throughout the year. Fertilize once per month at 1/2 strength.