Calendar

This calendar is tailored to the specific climate and species of bonsai that I'm growing, and it should be adjusted to fit local conditions.

The precise timing of activities may vary each year based on environmental factors. However, there are some key events in the annual cycle of a tree:

• Bud push in early to mid spring is the time of the year when the tree reaches its maximum energy storage, making it the ideal time for repotting, and a very good time for structural pruning if the species is not prone to bleeding.
• Post-flush harden in late spring to early summer is a good time for pruning (with partial defoliation for some species) or decandling (for black pines) to encourage a second flush of growth and back budding.
• Leaf drop in fall is a good time to prune species that are at risk of bleeding if pruned in spring.

January

• Ordering

  • Fertilizer
  • Substrates (Akadama, Kanuma, Lava, Pumice)
  • Wire (1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 3.0 mm, 4.0 mm)

• Stratification

  • Acer buergerianum: beginning of month
  • Acer palmatum: beginning of month
  • Pseudocydonia sinensis: beginning of month
  • Zelkova serrata : end of month

February

• Repotting
  • Pseudocydonia sinensis: middle of month
  • Acer palmatum katsura: middle of month
  • Acer palmatum deshojo: end of month

March

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Pinus thunbergii
  • Chaenomeles japonica chojubai

• Repotting

  • Acer palmatum: beginning of month (bud swelling)
  • Acer buergerianum: beginning of month (bud swelling)
  • Pinus thunbergii: middle of month (bud swelling)
  • Malus domestica: end of month
  • Rhododendron indicum: end of month
  • Prunus spinosa: after flowering

• Stratification

  • Pinus thunbergii: middle of month

April

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Everything except recently repotted trees

• Repotting

  • Quercus robur: middle of month

• Moving

  • Olea europaea: from the greenhouse to outside

• Propagating

  • Acer buergerianum: beginning of month (from seeds)
  • Acer palmatum: beginning of month (from seeds)
  • Pinus thunbergii: beginning of month (from seeds)
  • Pseudocydonia sinensis: beginning of month (from seeds)
  • Zelkova Serrata: beginning of month (from seeds)

May

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Everything except recently repotted trees and decandled pines

• Treating

  • Everything: nettle tea

• Repotting

  • Juniperus chinensis: beginning of month

• Pruning

  • Acer buergerianum: end of month (post harden)

June

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Everything except decandled pines

• Treating

  • Everything: nettle tea
  • Quercus robur: potassium bicarbonate (to avoid powdery mildew)

• Moving

  • Ficus microcarpa: from inside to the greenhouse

• Decandling (meriki / 芽切り)

  • Pinus thunbergii: beginning of month (cold climate)

• Pruning

  • Rhododendron indicum: after flowering

• Propagating

  • Acer palmatum: end of month (from cuttings)
  • Chaenomeles japonica chojubai: end of month (from cuttings)
  • Rhododendron indicum: after flowering (from cuttings)

July

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Everything

• Treating

  • Everything: nettle tea
  • Quercus robur: potassium bicarbonate (to avoid powdery mildew)

• Pruning

  • Olea europaea: beginning of month
  • Ficus microcarpa: beginning of month
  • Juniperus chinensis: beginning of month

• Repotting

  • Olea europaea: beginning of month
  • Ficus microcarpa: beginning of month

• Propagating

  • Olea europaea: beginning of month (from cuttings)
  • Ficus microcarpa: beginning of month (from cuttings)
  • Juniperus chinensis: beginning of month (from cuttings)

August

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Everything

• Treating

  • Everything: nettle tea
  • Quercus robur: potassium bicarbonate (to avoid powdery mildew)

September

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Everything

• Treating

  • Everything: nettle tea
  • Quercus robur: potassium bicarbonate (to avoid powdery mildew)

• Repotting

  • Chaenomeles japonica chojubai (to avoid nematodes)

• Moving

  • Ficus microcarpa: from the greenhouse to inside (to stay above 5C)

October

• Fertilizing: begining of month

  • Pinus thunbergii

• Pruning

  • Acer palmatum: after leaf drop
  • Acer buergerianum: after leaf drop

• Moving

  • Olea europaea: from outside to the greenhouse (to avoid the rain)

November

• Ordering
  • Seeds
  • Trees

December

• Ordering
  • Pots