The tiny but wonderfully designed bonsais fascinate many people. However, a bonsai is not just a small tree - in order for it to look that way, it requires very special care. Lemons can also be trained into bonsai, but they require a lot of sensitivity and intensive care.
How do I grow a lemon tree as a bonsai?
To grow a lemon tree as a bonsai, you need a tree that is at least 2-3 years old and is regularly pruned, wired and cared for. Pay particular attention to the correct fertilization, watering amount and a bright location so that the bonsai grows and thrives he althily.
Teaching Bonsai
To train a lemon tree for bonsai, it should be two or three years old if possible. Beginners are best off buying a tree from a specialist retailer or garden center, because growing a lemon tree bonsai from a seedling is a tricky business that requires a lot of patience. In order for the bonsai to become a bonsai, it must be pruned - both above and below. As a rule, the root ball only needs to be cut back to a third of its volume, with the taproot in particular being removed. This causes the roots to branch out and grow wider - after all, the bonsai should fit into the typical bowls. But before you start cutting, you need to think about the future shape of your new bonsai.
Basic cut
The basic cut is also known as a maintenance cut. All shoots that do not fit into the desired shape are removed or shortened. Just like the topiary cut on the traditional lemon tree, basic pruning is best done in autumn.
Leaf cutting
When leaf cutting, however, all of the leaves on the tree are cut off. This is intended to encourage the lemon tree to branch more finely, and smaller leaves usually develop on the new shoots. Lemons tolerate such a radical cut quite well and sprout again quickly.
Wiring
The lemon tree bonsai only gets its actual shape through the wiring. Special wires (usually made of aluminum) are wound spirally around the trunk or shoots and then bent in the desired direction of growth. In this way, the bonsai artist ensures that the tree actually grows as planned.
Caring for Bonsai
Even a normal lemon tree in a pot places quite demanding demands on the owner in terms of care - but a bonsai is even more difficult. Bonsais usually stand in shallow bowls with little substrate so that the roots (and therefore the entire tree) do not grow as much. A lemon bonsai needs to be fertilized much more often than a normal-growing lemon tree, although the right amount is important. An excess of nutrients results in soil salinization. Errors when watering also quickly become noticeable due to the small volume of soil. In particular, too much water quickly leads to waterlogging and thus root rot - which is why the watering interval and quantity must be adjusted precisely.
Tips & Tricks
A lemon tree bonsai has to be much brighter than a normal lemon already requires. Otherwise, long and thin shoots will form that will not woody properly and make a beautiful design impossible.
