Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - April

APRIL 

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
April	55,5	76	7,8	22,8	11,8

POSITION	Early autumn and a delightful time of year; some showers may be expected. The sun is no longer so fierce and days are getting shorter.
WATERING	Bonsai tend to dry out and watering is still a priority.
FERTILISING	Fertilising has to be done diligently if bonsai are to do well and to promote autumn colours.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are active and control is necessary.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning may be done this month.
POTTING	Nearly all evergreens and figs can be safely potted at this time of the year. Post potting recovery is usually good.
REMARKS	As the days get shorter and the weather is milder it is an agreeable time to be in the garden.

Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - March

MARCH 

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
March	22,1	73	9,5	25,3	14,2

POSITION	Days are clearly getting shorter but it is still hot and mostly dry although we may have a shower now and again if we are fortunate.
WATERING	The bonsai grower’s most important task is correct watering.
FERTILISING	Late summer is a vital time to feed so that bonsai remain healthy and strong and so that they build energy to enable them to flower and store carbohydrates for winter.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are very active and there are more and more types appearing as countries borders become easier to cross see remarks made in February.
PRUNING	Watch the apex of trees, they tend to become too heavy and are the easiest part of a bonsai to neglect as far as pruning and shaping is concerned. Design and maintenance should be a priority.
POTTING	A number of plants may be potted in late summer or early autumn and recovery, aided by Superthrive is usually efficient. This is also a good time for propagation. Dip cuttings in Dip-n-grow before rooting in a mixture of vermiculite and perlite.
REMARKS	A good time for bonsai and those responsible for their maintenance. Prepare soils mixes as once the wet weather sets in it is difficult and unpleasant to work with soggy soil and compost.

Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - February

FEBRUARY 

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
Feb	18,0	71	10,6	26,3	15,5

POSITION	This is the hottest month in our area and rain is very unlikely. Winds are infrequent but when they come they are very drying and blow what little humidity there may be away. Days are long. Long cool drinks and chats are the best way to spend evenings.
WATERING	Watering is the most vital job right now and forgetting, even for one day may be fatal!
FERTILISING	It is now very important to fertilise with nitrogenous fertiliser in order for trees to build up a good store of carbohydrates (energy producing sugars). This stored energy enables plants to put on good vigorous growth in spring and prevents die-back of small branchlets.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are particularly active so be observant. If a tree looks unhappy and if you do not know what is wrong seek help. Mites are active, they love still air.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning should be kept up to date as in the next few months it may not be advisable to prune vigorously for fear of stimulating growth in winter. It is now still mid-summer.
POTTING	Figs and a few other evergreens may be potted if the day is not too hot. If it is absolutely necessary to pot a deciduous tree de-foliate it first.
REMARKS	This month and the next are the best time to take holidays in the Western Cape the weather is mostly rather settled and warm, good weather for outdoors. Look for stones and collect soil and compost for your mixes ready for autumn potting which comes round from March to May.  Go on a suiseki hunt, rivers are often running low and stones may be exposed.

Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - January

     JANUARY 

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celcius	Temp. Min Celcius
Jan	11,6	70	11,1	26	15,7

POSITION	Long, hot, windy days, trees need protection & must not be allowed to dry out.
WATERING	Humidity is low, mist and place containers of water between trees to increase humidity. Trees that dry out may suffer leaf burn and die if left dry for too long. Watch watering carefully.
FERTILISING	Some trees, such as maples suffer from a combination of drying wind and build up of sodium in the soil which makes it difficult for them to take up moisture. Try sprinkling a small amount of gypsum on the soil and water well. All the watering causes’ nutrients to leach out of the soil so fertilise regularly. Fertilise flowering plants with 3:1:5.
DISEASE CONTROL	If trees are stressed use Superthrive in small doses to help them cope. Pests and diseases may be slightly less prevalent during these low humidity days but watch for them anyway and spray as necessary.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning and nipping needs to be kept up and wiring may be done but watch lest branches thicken and cause wire scars. Strong growing and healthy deciduous bonsai may be de-foliated early this month to encourage a second growth season and to reduce leaf size.
POTTING	Figs may be potted now but it is too hot for most species to be potted.
REMARKS	A nice time of the year to get out and about, collect stones and rocks and even compost and gravel for mixing soils. Mosses mostly look unhappy during this time of year due to low humidity. Try to mist spray bonsai often.

Bonsai things to do in Cape Town - December

DECEMBER                                     

         

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celsius	Temp. Min Celsius
Dec	13,9	70	10,8	25,1	14,9

POSITION	The sun is high and the days are long, humidity is very low so trees may have to be moved to partial shade. It is kind to most bonsai if the ambient humidity could be increased by placing dishes or water around or by keeping ground under the benches damp. Misting is an ideal way of increasing moisture in the air.
WATERING	Frequent south-east winds blow during December drying bonsai out. A few hours of totally dry roots is enough to kill a tree, so this watering is a vital daily task.
FERTILISING	Constant watering leaches nutrients out of the soil and they need to be replaced. Do not feed totally dry trees, water them before applying fertilisers.
DISEASE CONTROL	Watch for insect pests and diseases, they do not take holidays, use appropriate measures. Remember it is normally inadvisable to mix pesticides together due to possible chemical reactions. Mix only as much pesticide or fetiliser as you can use at once, many chemicals, once mixed oxidise and may become harmful.
PRUNING	Maintenance pruning and nipping should be carried out this month. Some design pruning and wiring may also be done.
POTTING	The only trees that may be potted are wild figs. If very little root disturbance is required trees may be transferred to other pots.
REMARKS	This is show time and holidays. Enjoy both and visit bonsai friends. And give the gift of a Bonsai, it will be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Bonsai Things to do in Cape Town - November

NOVEMBER   

Month	Mean Rainfall mm	Rel.  Humidity %	Daily Sun­shine Hrs	Temp. Max Celsius	Temp. Min Celsius
November	13,7	70	10,3	23,6	13,0

POSITION	The start of hot dry summer weather may be experienced, some trees may need to be moved to less sunny spots or, if necessary, put up shade cloth. Remember, trees need very bright light for photosynthesis to operate so if shade cloth is used do not use types that cut out excess light.
WATERING	If the trees are outdoors daily watering is required unless it rains.
FERTILISING	Continue fertilising and feed flowering and fruiting bonsai with a fertiliser which is high in potassium such as 3: 1: 5.
DISEASE CONTROL	Pests are always around and a wary eye has to be kept out for them.
PRUNING	The frantic growth of spring may have slowed down a bit but it is still necessary to nip and perhaps a critical eye may be used to revise and update designs of trees. Look very carefully to ensure that top branches are not becoming too heavy and so on. Sort out secondary branches and the fine networks of branchlets so that they do not become an entangled mess.
POTTING	There is still time to pot many evergreens, watch the buds.
REMARKS	Visit other bonsai growers' collections and nurseries for inspiration. There is time for seed sowing and propagating by cuttings and air-layering. Clean-up, erect new benches... Do not be impatient but relax and enjoy everything you do as you do it.

Bishopsford Bonsai Nursery

Online shop and website