Bonsai design is an elaborate art with meditative character traits. Those who devote themselves to this cultivation variant need a lot of patience and time. Conifers look bizarre in miniature, but very few species are suitable for indoor culture.
The large-leaved stone yew is a beautiful bonsai
indoors
Few conifers grow year-round in room conditions. The maintenance effort is considerably higher, especially in the winter months, because harmful insects multiply more easily under mild and damp conditions.
Monterey Cypress
Cupressus macrocarpa is a species native to California that is suitable for indoor care. The 'Goldcrest' variety is a popular object for bonsai design. It is known as the lemon cypress because of its freshly scented leaves. Indoor cypresses grow strictly upright.
How to shape a bonsai:
- select the largest possible specimen for the spruce shape
- Prune tree to desired size that fits trunk thickness
- Wire the top branch and bend it upwards
- brace lower branches with wires
It thrives on calcareous soils in coastal regions, values nutrient-rich conditions and requires continuous irrigation. Since it is often found in fog in its original habitat, you may spray the foliage regularly with water. Winter temperatures are cool but frost-free. The warmer the room conditions, the higher the humidity level should be.
Large-leaved stone yew
Podocarpus macrophyllus is an evergreen conifer native to China and Japan that does not tolerate cold. In summer, the species, which is widely used as a bonsai, feels at home outdoors. Year-round indoor breeding is possible. It attaches importance to a good water and nutrient supply and, with its flexible branches, offers ideal starting material for expressive forms.
indoor fir
Araucaria cunninghamii is native to New Guinea. This species proves to be easy to care for and robust, which makes the room fir extremely popular as a bonsai. It is characterized by a high water storage capacity, which is why you should water it moderately. The substrate should not dry out to avoid growth stress. Nevertheless, the coniferous tree tolerates heat and drought as well as cold and shade for a short time. This property expresses the undemanding compared to the location. Indoor firs grow in different light conditions as long as there is no direct sunlight.
outdoors
Conifers, even in the miniature variety, prefer open ground conditions. They can be planted directly in the garden or thrive in a planter on the balcony or terrace. Since the supply of nutrients in the bonsai pot is limited and the substrate dries out quickly, you must fertilize and water the bonsai well.
species for beginners
The common juniper is available in every tree nursery as a cheap raw material. The branches are easy to shape even after years. The common yew has particularly hard wood, which is why it is well suited for working out deadwood areas. The European larch is popular because of its golden yellow autumn colour.