The beautiful weeping willow is the epitome of nostalgia with its drooping branches. With bonsai cultivation, you have the opportunity to enjoy this sight in miniature. Find out in this guide what you need to consider when caring for your potted plant, so that you can enjoy it for a long time.
The weeping willow offers a very pretty sight as a bonsai
General
The weeping willow, which originates from Asia, is closely related to the white willow (Salix alba). However, it has slightly larger leaves, which makes keeping it as a bonsai a little more awkward. Constant pruning is the most important thing in cultivation. Otherwise the shape grows together very quickly and can only be restored with great effort.
design types
- double stem
- multi stem
- cascade
- semi-cascade
- Saikei
maintenance
location
Willows need a sunny location. In winter you can leave your bonsai in the blazing sun. If the heat is too high in summer, you should protect the tree from burning in a partially shaded place. Frost protection is also required in winter.
pour
Keep the substrate constantly moist. in summer, watering may even be necessary several times a day.
Fertilize
Fertilize your bonsai pasture every two weeks from the time the foliage opens until September. You can never go wrong with a liquid fertilizer.
To cut
- In winter, remove all branches down to the trunk.
- Shorten the branches to two buds.
- Cut back new shoots promptly.
If you would like to help with a special growth with wire, you should do this in June. Be sure to remove the tool after six months at the latest so that it does not grow into the trunk.
repot
If you keep the above-ground growth of the willow very small with bonsai cultivation, strong roots will spread underground. Therefore you have to repot the willow annually, initially even twice a year. The best time is spring, when the first buds appear.