We love bonsai trees!

Eastern Leaf is a catalog and online retailer of alternative gifts including bonsai trees, lucky bamboo, money trees, orchids and other home decor products.

Check out our website: www.easternleaf.com

Here, we will give you tips on how to care for your bonsai tree.

Enjoy!

What type and how should I use it?

We recommend using bonsai fertilizers with the NPK equivalent of 20-9-9 or similar for small potted plants.

As for the usage of our particular fertilizer:

Step 1 - Remove about half-inch top soil around the trunk

Step 2 - Apply about one tablespoon of the fertilizer around.

Step 3 - Recover the top soil and water as normal. The frequency of usage varies among different bonsai plants, so please refer to your plant's particular care information.

You can purchase our bonsai fertilizer through our website.

It is important to fertilize your bonsai tree properly for greener growth. However, when a specific bonsai fertilizer is unavailable or you run out, there is another way to fertilize your bonsai.

Rice water, or the water you use to rinse your rice before cooking, contains beneficial nutrients that are washed away from the rice grains. These nutrients, when added to the topsoil of a bonsai tree, can act as a temporary alternative.

It is still recommended that proper fertilizer be used to give the tree all its necessary nutrients.

So next time you're cooking a pot of rice, save the water rather then flushing it down the drain. Not only do you conserve water, but you end up with a nice fertilizer for your bonsai trees!

How should I keep good care of my plant when I'm away?

When you're gone on a short trip for less than a week or just over a long weekend, keeping your plant well watered and placing it in a good location is very important.

For bonsais, you can sink soak your plant and then saran wrap the pot to hold in the moisture which can last about 3-4 days.

For a slight longer period, you can keep the pot in a tray of water filled to a little under the top edge of the bonsai pot.

It's best to place the bonsai in a location where it will only receive a few hours of filtered morning sunlight and away from A/C vents. Also keep in mind to not have your plant in an area that has high fluctuations of temperature from daytime to nighttime and low humidity.

What should I do when my bonsai tree's leaves turn yellow?

When the leaves turn yellow, it is usually a sign of lack of water absorption to the roots.

The first thing to do is to increase the amount of water to at least a mug size amount everyday and it is best to do so in the early mornings like our nursery personnel does. If the water runs through the bottom too quickly or run-off the top soil, then it is time to aerate or till the soil. Aerate the soil by softening it with a fork or soil rake.

For conditions with low humidity, watering may be required twice a day; once in the morning and once at night. You can also try sink soaking for about 15-20 minutes.

If you notice that its condition still worsens after a few weeks, re-potting it with new soil will be necessary.

As for lighting, it needs filtered sunlight to keep the leaves green and also for new growth to occur. Please be careful with the use of A/C indoors since it will dry out the air and also cause the leaves to die.

We also recommend consulting the care instructions specific to your bonsai tree. We have included specific information on particular bonsai trees in our Knowledge Base, which can be found on our website.

What are the white bugs on my plant?

These bugs are called "aphids". They are commonly found on both indoor and outdoor plants.

To rid of these bugs, use a mild solution of dish soap and water and spray the plant.

How do I get rid of ants from my bonsai?

For minor cases, you can submerge the entire plant in a large bucket of water for about 20 minutes.

Remember to fill the bucket first with water and then slowly set down the pot to the bottom. Afterward allow to drain and place in strong filtered sunlight. If you do not see any group of ants within 2-3 days then it did its job. Otherwise, please follow the next step.

For serious cases, we recommend to use insecticidal soap or malathion and spray, as directed per bottle. If the problem still persists after this method then you should re-pot the plant with a new set of soil.

Overall, all it takes is one scout ant to find a soil source in your home, such as a bonsai pot, to get the rest to come to make it into their new home.

It would be best to place the plant in a location far from any source that might attract ants. For long term prevention, keep the bonsai soil moist at all times since arid conditions would attract bugs to use it as shelter.