This is a fabulous time of year as it is the time when your deciduous trees start to push leaves and all trees start to increase their productivity after winter dormancy.
Prior to the full onset of Spring repotting should have taken place to root prune the trees and check the composition of the soil plus look for soil pests and replace the soil as necessary and add any additional nutrients. The most common repotting months for bonsai are around February to March but depending on your trees and their development this may vary for you.
Therefore subject to when you repotted you can commence feeding in spring as long as this is around 4-6 week after any trees have been repotted. Many trees have started to flush already and some are already in full leaf but be careful in moving trees out from any form or protection as the evenings and nights still cool down and if the leaves are new they are vulnerable to cold conditions which can set them back.
As the trees buds start to swell this is the time to increase your watering regimes to aid with the flower or leaf development whichever comes first. For example early flowering trees that flower before coming into leaf include Prunus Mume, and Forsythia while Malus tend to flower after coming into lead.
The seasonal timing of natural events (Phenology) in spring revolves around flushing and bud burst including flowering for some species, which is then followed by fruiting and autumn leaf fall. So subject to the environmental factors in which you keep your bonsai trees, which affect the timings of these events.
For example if you keep your bonsai trees in a green house over winter they will tend to come into leaf earlier than someone who keeps their trees outside all winter. However, as this winter has been so mild this may not have induced a deep dormancy for the trees so they may come into leaf sooner.
Here are a few images of trees that are just coming into leaf or displaying well as present for your enjoyment.
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Maple (Acer sp.)
- Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
- Apple (Malus x zumi)
- Barberry (Berberis linearifolia ‘Orange King’)
- Birch (Betula pubescens)
- Forsythia flowers
- Cork Bark Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii ‘Corticosa’)
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster microphyllus)
- Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
- Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
- Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
- Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
- Korean Hornbeam (Carpinus turczaninowii)
- Maindenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba)
- Maindenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba)
- Maindenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba)
- Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
- Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
- Korean Hornbeam (Carpinus laxiflora)
- Korean Hornbeam (Carpinus turczaninowii)
- Judas tree (Cercus siliquastrum)
- Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
- Larch (Larix decidua)
- Lilac (Syringa pubescens subsp. patula ‘Miss Kim’)
- Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii ‘Kotobuki)
- Dragon Eye Pine (Pinus densiflora ‘Oculus-draconis’)
- Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii)
- Spindle (Euonymus europea)
- Stewartia pseudocamellia
- Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichium)
- Japanese Snowbell tree Styrax japonica)
- Wellingtonia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
- Wisteria
- Yew (Taxus)
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