Image - Gypsy
Have you ever seen a Cuphea bonsai? They are not usually very present in nurseries, since it is a tropical shrub that requires protection against the cold, and is a bit demanding. But it is very worth buying one, since by following the guidelines that I am going to tell you below, you will get a very healthy plant with which you will surely learn a lot.
In addition, in spring they sprout small purple flowers very pretty, making the bonsai look more beautiful. Do you dare to buy one?
Image - Bonsai La Mancha
To Cuphea's bonsai, once you get home, the first thing to do is place it in a very bright area, but protected from direct sun. If it is to be kept indoors, it should be placed in a room that is very well lit, in a corner where drafts cannot reach it. We choose that the location we choose, it must be kept there without moving it to another place for at least a year. Pruning or transplanting is not recommended at this time, as the bonsai is getting used to its new home, and you will gradually adapt to it.
What we will do is, of course, water it, using for it quality water, such as rain or soft water. If we do not have how to get it, we will dilute the liquid of half a lemon in 1l of water, and we will water with it. How? Well, a watering can would be the right thing to do, but you can always poke holes in a bottle stopper or the other end and use it for that purpose.
Image – Sparrow
From the second year, we have to proceed to take care of it as follows:
- Transplant: once every 2 years, it is recommended to transplant it, renewing the entire substrate during the spring. Highly recommended to use akadama alone, or mixed 30% with kiryuzuna or kanuma.
- Pruning: to keep you in style. Pinch the branches that are necessary whenever necessary (except in winter).
- Subscriber: fertilize throughout the growing season with a mineral fertilizer for bonsai. You can also use a mineral for acid plants, or guano.
- Treatments: It is highly advisable to do preventive treatments against pests with Neem oil from spring to late summer, and against fungi with fungicides such as copper or sulfur in spring.
Did you like Cuphea's bonsai?
Hello, I have one of these bonsai and it has dried. I really didn't know it required special attention. And I want to know if it is possible to revive it, since it is a beautiful plant and I am sorry to lose it
Hi Giovanna.
You can scratch the trunk to see if it is green, but if it is not, unfortunately nothing can be done 🙁.
If it's green, water it so that the soil dries out completely between waterings.
A greeting.
HELLO, it is drying up I have moved it to 4 places ... now that I see the light bulb, I put it in a place in the room where light enters but it does not hit it directly, I leave it there ??? 🙁
Hi Andreina.
Yes, leave it there. Water it three times a week if it's summer. Once a week dilute liquid rooting hormones that you can find for sale in nurseries, in the water.
A greeting.
Hello, they have given me a bonsai and I don't know which is the ideal place for it; I love plants and I wouldn't want him to die from lack of care or something like that; Do you think it would be good to put it next to a window? Or maybe in my living room, but this does not get light other than that of my lamp. Help.
Hello Maria Guadalupe.
You have to put it in a bright room, away from drafts. You have more information here.
Congratulations on that gift 🙂