The cherry is popular for their beautiful white or pink flowers in spring.
Cherries belong to the Prunus genus, along with plums, apricots, almonds and peaches.
The most common species is the Japanese cherry, or Prunus serrulata.
So how do you care for a Cherry Bonsai? The cherry needs a sunny place which is protected
from strong winds. During the hottest summer time it can be wise to provide some partial shade.
A cool winter dormancy period of at least three months is required.
Cherries are frost-hardy, but should be protected from extremely low temperatures.
Cherry trees need a lot of water during the growing season and the rootball must not dry out,
especially while flowers and fruit develop.
On the other hand waterlogged rootballs will rot, so always ensure proper drainage.
During the growth period, use a solid organic fertilizer once a month
or a liquid fertilizer every week. Use a balanced product
and avoid high nitrogen fertilizers for mature trees you want to flower
While the Cherry flowers quit feeding or use only half the normal dosage.
The cherry bonsai is not easy to keep in shape. After flowering the older branches can be selected
and shortened, if necessary, but take care to leave leaf buds on branches you want to keep.
Let the new shoots grow freely for some time. If they are trimmed too early,
they often die back. The flower buds for the next season develop in late summer.
In autumn the long shoots can be shortened leaving two to five nodes. In winter or early spring,
before the new growth appears, you can prune larger branches and, if necessary, wire the tree.
Repot the Bonsai cherry every two or three years,
older trees less often, in early spring before the flowers open.
The cherry can be propagated from seed, cuttings, by air-layering and grafting.
Hardwood cuttings can be taken in spring before the buds open, semi-hardwood cuttings in summer.
If your Cherry is losing a lot of leaves, this is often the result of
improper watering or not enough light. Again, make sure you place your Bonsai
outdoors with plenty of light. And water it generously as soon as the soil gets slightly dry.
Learn how to create your own bonsai trees by enrolling in one of our online Bonsai courses.
We explain techniques like pruning, wiring, and repotting, and you can ask questions to
the teachers. For the curriculums, and free lessons go to: www.bonsaiempire.com/courses