Muscle cypresses are very suitable for cultivation as bonsai. This type of cypress is not so fast-growing and remains smaller overall at two meters. What you need to consider when growing a mussel cypress as a bonsai.
How do you care for a mussel cypress as a bonsai?
A mussel cypress as a bonsai requires regular watering, fertilization, repotting every two years, careful cutting and wiring as well as a bright, protected location. With proper care, the cypress species remains small and develops delicate, delicate leaves.
Properly care for the bonsai mussel cypress
In addition to regular cutting, a bonsai mussel cypress needs good care:
- water regularly
- fertilize
- repot every two years
The earth should never dry out completely. As soon as the surface of the substrate has dried out to a depth of two centimeters, the mussel cypress must be watered. However, waterlogging must be avoided at all costs. If possible, only water with rainwater, as tap water usually contains too much lime.
Fertilization is carried out from spring to autumn with an appropriate bonsai fertilizer (€4.00 on Amazon) or an organic fertilizer. When cared for as a bonsai, mussel cypresses need to be repotted every two years. Before transplanting into the new planter, the roots are shortened.
Cutting and wiring mussel cypress as a bonsai
So that the mussel cypress gets the desired shape, it is cut every six to eight weeks. The branches are shortened accordingly. Never cut into old wood, only remove the tips of the shoots.
You can also wire mussel cypresses if you want to grow a special bonsai form. The best way to do this is to use aluminum wire, which you wrap from bottom to top. The wire must not be pulled too hard.
The wire must be removed from May onwards as the trunk then begins to grow thicker. Otherwise, unsightly grooves will appear in the trunk later.
The right location
You can keep mussel cypresses as bonsai both indoors and outdoors in summer. When cared for indoors, the leaves remain very tender.
To harden off the plant, you should take it outside over the summer. If it is exposed to wind and rain, the leaves harden and the mussel cypress is overall more resistant to diseases and pest infestation.
If placed outdoors, a bright but not too sunny location should be chosen. Make sure the water can drain away easily during heavy rain.
Tip
The mussel cypress species that come from subtropical regions are not hardy. They must be kept indoors at least five degrees Celsius over the winter. During this time they also need less water.