TUCSON BONSAI SOCIETY
SUMMER CARE PROGRAM
May 2020
We, "BONSAI ARTISTS", who reside in this great Sonora Desert, are fortunate to have two growing seasons; one in the Spring from March through Summer, and Autumn. Let's make the best of it. All of our trees fall into one of the following classifications, which determines their best growing season for our trees.
CONIFERS: These trees have needle-like foliage and like cool weather. To name a few, Pines, Junipers, Cypress and Cedars.
BROADLEAF EVERGREENS: These trees do not lose their leaves in winter, are very active in the spring, slow growing in the heat of the summer, and continue to grow with a burst of speed into the fall. A few examples are Boxwood, Yaupon Holly, Sage, and Sumac.
DECIDUOUS: These trees lose their leaves in winter and remain dormant until the spring. Maples, Oaks, Elms, and Willows are in this group.
TROPICAL and SEMI-TROPICAL: These are HEAT LOVING TREES which are very active from June through September, are very frost sensitive, and are grown best in a hot house environment during the winter months. Bougainvillea, Fukien Tea, Ficus and many more are in this group.
All classifications require the same amount of CARE year round, in varying degrees, depending upon the season. Let's review the care needed to survive our hot summer months.
Why join a local bonsai society?
Learning the Art and Science of Bonsai, and trying to overcome the daunting problems imposed by our desert climate can be a challenging and even painful experience without proper guidance.
The books and websites available do not take into account the desert extremes encountered by our plants.
Nearly all bonsai anywhere in the world are outdoor trees, and cannot be kept indoors for more than a few days.
Only certain tropical and succulents (never conifers or hardwood trees) can be grown indoors under high light conditions and placed outdoors in warm weather.
Nearly all of our bonsai are grown outdoors with part shade all summer.