In the Mediterranean garden there are often old thyme bushes, which provide good starting material for bonsai design through regular harvesting. Because of its needle-shaped leaves and gnarled bark, Thymus officinalis is an ideal subject for Asian art.
Thyme is an easy-care, fragrant bonsai
bonsai design
Due to its good branching ability and bushy growth, thyme is suitable for many styles and bonsai sizes. The Mediterranean plant proves to be cut-tolerant and can be trained to inclined or natural growth forms. Half cascades, cascades and broom forms are just as possible as the literati form. Double and multiple trunks or forests also have an aesthetic effect.
pruning
Cutting measures take place from spring to summer. Fresh young shoots can be shortened at any time. This is necessary to keep the bonsai in shape. A vigorous pruning takes place after the flowering period. If you have an older thyme shrub with thick main shoots in the garden, this provides perfect starting material for a miniature tree. Even after intensive pruning, it grows well out of the old wood and forms dense cushions if you regularly remove the shoots on the main trunks.
wire
Thyme drives become lignified very quickly in the first year, which is why they break easily when wired and bent. In June, the branches are comparatively flexible and easier to shape with the wire method. Leave the wires on the branches for a maximum of six months so that they do not grow into the bark. Older specimens should be fixed with tension wires in the spring, when the wood is softer due to the flow of sap, and in this way bring them into the desired shape.
conditions
As a plant from the Mediterranean region, thyme values a sunny and warm location during the summer months. In particularly hot and dry periods, temporary shading makes sense. Exposure to wind and rain hardens the foliage, making it more resistant to disease and pest infestation. The woody shrub spends the winter in a frost-free and cool area as soon as the temperatures drop below zero.
water and nutrients
Keep the substrate constantly moist in summer and avoid waterlogging. In the winter months, water the plant more sparingly so that the root ball does not dry out completely. Fertilization occurs every two weeks during the growing season. Begin with the first administration in mid-April and give the bonsai liquid fertilizer over the irrigation water until the beginning of September.
repot
Depending on the growth, the thyme bonsai requires a change of substrate every two to three years. As part of the repotting, you can shorten the roots so that there is a balance between the tree crown and the root ball. Early spring turns out to be the ideal season.
How to fill the bonsai pot:
- Gravel or grit drainage
- a part each of potting soil and Akadama
- three parts mineral substrate such as lava granules (13.99€) or pumice.