Product Overview
Podocarpus Bonsai – The Buddhist Pine.
An evergreen tree native to the mountain regions of Asia.
In Asia it is very common to see a large specimen, in large ornate stone pots, kept at the entrance to parks, hotels, and company buildings, and is considered a sign of good luck.
Although not fully hardy in our climate, the tree is best kept both in and outside throughout the year.
A highly decorative tree with narrow, upright green leaves that resemble the needles of a Yew Tree.
Podocarpus is self pollinating, with male cones and female cylindrical scales, and green or purple fruits.
Secrets of success:
As above the Buddhist Pine benefits from being outdoors once night time temperatures are above 10c, and any threat of frost has passed.
Keep in a bright place, with just some protection from intense Summer sun.
Podocarpus like slightly moist soil, not constantly soggy. The small leathery leaves do not lose much water through transpiration, so be careful not to over water, make sure you allow the top of the compost to become touch dry between watering. If possible use collected rainwater.
Alternatively can be kept indoors all year round in either a bright cool position, or warmer average room temperatures where it will grow more quickly.
Podocarpus like extra humidity so will benefit from being placed on a humidity tray of moist gravel, or clay pebbles. Just don`t allow the bottom of the pot to come in to direct contact with water.
Fertilise with a liquid bonsai feed twice a month in growth, Spring and Summer, and only once every 6-8 weeks in Winter.
Minimum Temp: 10c
Aftercare:
In Winter it`s best to let the tree rest in a cooler spot in the home, this will prepare it for next years growth. Reduce the amount and frequency of water, although don`t dry out completely. How often will depend on the conditions.
Repot in Spring when necessary, once the roots have filled the current container. Roots should only be pruned by about 10%. Only use good quality Bonsai compost and a slightly larger pot.
Podocarpus react well to pruning and trimming. Let new shoots grow to approx. 10cm before shortening them. Just cut the stems, be careful not to cut the leaves. Young shoots can then be wired to shape, check on the wires after several months to make sure that they have not started to cut in to the tree as it grows, and remove the wires once this starts to happen.
Warnings:
Classified as toxic to Cats, Dogs and Horses. Ingestion will cause vomiting and diarrhea.
