Japanese Maple Bonsai Winter Care

Preparing for Winter

• Fall is the best time to prune your trees. Take great care and attention because you are shaping the tree for life. Small twigs, dead wood, crossed and rubbing branches can be removed. Cut just above a live bud or above the intersection of branches. Be sure the plant is well watered as winter approaches.
  
  

Extreme Conditions

• Use a mulch of shredded bark in the fall.pine bark mulch image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
  
  Japanese maple bonsai plants should stay outside to become dormant, thus giving the plant needed rest. If weather conditions are extreme, you may want to consider moving the plant indoors, but keep the temperature lower than 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Household temperatures are not conducive to a good dormant environment.
  
  

General Care

• Throughout the winter remove dead leaves that cling to the ends of branches before snow or ice come. Water frequently until the ground freezes. Do not use fertilizer once the plant begins to go dormant, around November. Bonsai plants need to be repotted about once every two or three years to give the roots fresh new soil.
  
  

Branches

• After severe winters, entire branches may break off trees. To help prevent this from occurring, do not allow the branch tips to freeze to the ground. When they can no longer move freely the burden of heavy snow can cause the branches to crack or break. Also, watch for ice patches. Do not try to remove ice from the branches At this point do not tamper with the branches as this can result in the entire branch breaking, the bark being badly damaged or the tips snapping off.
  
  

Spring Frost

• Exercise extreme caution during the spring, when Japanese maples are very vulnerable. At the first sign of warm weather they will begin to shoot out their first leaves. If a spring frost comes at this point you risk stunted growth or the death of some branches. Cover the tree if you fear a frost is coming. Use caution if there is a damp spring because of fungal problems such as botrytis, pseudomonas and fusarium. Ensure there is good air circulation and soil drainage to help prevent these problems.