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Indoor Bonsai - Is There Really Such a Thing?

Published Monday, August 25, 2008 by bloggerblognet83460 | E-mail this post

Well, to be quite honest, no, there is no such thing as an indoor bonsai tree. This is a hotly debated topic in the bonsai community. A bonsai tree is simply a miniature version of a tree. Trees live outdoors, hence, indoor bonsai trees are not naturally occurring.

However, it is possible to keep a bonsai tree indoors under strict conditions. The best type of tree suited to this pursuit is the tropical or subtropical tree. Tropicals can cope better with the decreased light and humidity of the indoors and they require little or no dormancy period.

The thing with indoor bonsais is that they still require the things that occur naturally in the outdoor environment. That is to say they need adequate light, air circulation, water and humidity to breathe and grow. When you keep a bonsai indoors, you need to go to great lengths to ensure that these needs are met.

Placing your bonsai tree on a window sill will not supply it with the amount of light it needs for the amount of time it needs it. You would be surprised to know just how much the glass of a window blocks the light. And, usually, the window is only subjected to a decent amount of sunlight for short periods of the day, depending on the direction that it faces.

That being said, you will need to keep moving your bonsai tree around to follow the light or you will need to set up an artificial source of light using fluorescent lighting.

You will need to find an area in your home that has good quality air circulation. Many homes are air conditioned, cold in summer, warm in winter. Too cold and the tree will not survive as it needs warmth. Too hot and the tree will dry out and even be scorched near air vents.

Humidity is often a big factor that is not taken into consideration when keeping an indoor bonsai. Trees, particularly tropical trees need humidity to survive. If there is not enough humidity the tree will dry out and perish.

Therefore humidity needs to be created artificially too. This can be done by placing your bonsai tree on a humidity tray to allow the evaporation from the tray of water to create a more humid environment for the indoor bonsai tree.

Of course, watering the tree is still of utmost importance as for the outdoors. But, again, a strict regime will be needed. Not enough water and humidity and the tree becomes prone to dehydration. Not enough air circulation and the tree is not able to breathe properly.

These are just some of the important considerations that need to be addressed if you wish to keep your tree as an indoor bonsai. This is just with tropical trees! The issue of dormancy if you attempt to keep a temperate tree indoors is a whole other article on its own.

So, is there such a thing as indoor bonsai? No. Can you administer indoor bonsai care? Yes. But I recommend that you become adept at caring for a bonsai tree outdoors, where they flourish best, before attempting the more intense experience of indoor bonsai care.

Christine Taylor is a bonsai enthusiast and author of Help!! Someone Just Gave Me A Bonsai Tree!! She is dedicated to helping the beginner bonsai tree owner. For a more in depth resource on how to care for bonsai trees visit: http://www.bonsaitreebasics.com/

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Indoor Bonsai - Is There Really Such a Thing?

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