The Japanese camellia (Camelia japonica) has been a plant species that has been widely used for growing bonsai for several centuries due to its growth habit and attractive flowers. Under optimal conditions, this type of bonsai can reach a very old age even with a very compact growth habit.

The camellia makes a beautiful bonsai

The right care for the Japanese camellia as a bonsai

There are now quite a few plant species that serve as "starting material" for the creativity of bonsai gardeners in this country. For example, while a mussel cypress bonsai is evergreen all year round, bonsai made from red maple and Japanese cherry trees also lose their leaves in sheltered winter quarters. If you want to combine the evergreen look of a bonsai with fresh green needles with attractive flowers and the appearance of a typical deciduous tree, then the Japanese camellia could be exactly the right choice for you: After all, this tree also produces magnificent flowers in the miniature version, but also loses at the same time at no time (except in the case of serious care errors) his leaves.

This is how a seedling becomes a bonsai

First of all, the seedling should be cultivated for a few years under site conditions that are as well adapted as possible, so that healthy root growth occurs analogous to the growth of the trunk and branches. When transplanting into a classic flat bonsai pot, the roots of the Japanese camellia may have to be carefully shortened. Slightly woody shoots can be wired between October and February. As a result, the emerging branches and twigs of the small trees are pulled down towards the planter, which in turn results in the typical tree-like habit in a smaller model shape. So that this optical transformation can really succeed aesthetically, cutting measures should be carried out extremely carefully and well thought out.

These pests and care mistakes threaten the health of a Japanese camellia raised as a bonsai

Pests such as the vine weevil or scale insects can occasionally become a problem if you cultivate the Japanese camellia as a bonsai on your own windowsill. As a rule, however, the dying of the plants or at least a badly battered appearance can be traced back to certain care mistakes:

  • Slightly acidic soil preferred (do not water with heavily calcareous water)
  • regular dipping of the root ball protects against drying out
  • too cool hibernation: In the winter quarters, temperatures should be permanently above 15 degrees Celsius

tips

The wiring of a Japanese camellia to train the bonsai growth habit should be done during the winter months on the already slightly woody shoots. Be sure to remove the wires during the summer months to avoid creating unsightly spots along the bark of the Japanese camellia during this period of thickening.

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Vegetable garden