Production of French Bonsai
You've always dreamed of having a bonsai tree but you don't necessarily have a garden, terrace or balcony to put it outside. The solution lies in buying an indoor bonsai. There are several, some more suitable than others, so let's take stock to help you make the right choice.
What is an indoor bonsai ?
This question may seem strange, but it is important to understand that a bonsai is first and foremost a tree, and a tree normally lives outside. Not least because a tree needs light and sunlight to live. Some species also need to feel the seasons and more specifically winter. It is a period of dormancy during which some lose their leaves, and go dormant to regain strength before the start of the following spring.
In short, a tree is a bit like you and me, it needs to see the light to be healthy, and to sleep to rest and ensure good growth.
But what happens in our homes? There isn't as much light as outside. And in winter we heat our house or apartment, and it is especially at this season that a tree does not like to be indoors. Because the temperature is mild, he believes that this is the growing period, but there is not enough light. So it's a little bit lost, and it's going to run out.
This is why most trees, and therefore bonsai, cannot live indoors continuously. But there are still some exceptions.
The ficus, the only true indoor bonsai...
You are probably familiar with the ficus, it is the most well-known variety of green houseplant. In bonsai we mainly use the ficus, which has the particularity of making more massive trunks. It is a tropical species, which likes hot and humid atmospheres and climates without any particular season.
The ficus is the most suitable variety of bonsai to stay indoors throughout the year. Just make sure to give it good light conditions. So ideally, it should be placed close to a window or opening.
- Buying a ficus tree
Can Chinese elm live indoors?
It's not an ideal environment, but the Chinese elm is a subtropical species that doesn't need to have very strong seasons. It can therefore live indoors BUT as long as it offers good light conditions.
In nursery, we grow elms outside all year round, they are perfectly accustomed to our climate in France, which is why we strongly advise you not to put your Chinese elm bonsai inside!
If you take the risk of installing it indoors, put it next to a bay window or veranda but not on the other side of your living room (unless it is really very bright). Because the Chinese elm needs light but also sunlight, the sun's rays need to reach the leaves. If this is not the case, they cause them to get bigger or even start to fall. What for? Because your bonsai can't fully activate photosynthesis and so it will start by increasing the surface area of the leaves to capture more sunlight, and if that is not enough then it will weaken and lose leaves.
Also, don't hesitate to turn it regularly so that each side receives full sun successively, otherwise you could have one side growing and the other tending to wither away.
Be careful with the temperature, the elm tree will not like hot and dry air, find a place for it in a cool and humid place if possible!
See: How to Grow a Chinese Bonsai Elm
Bonsai that definitely can't live indoors
While some trees are more or less suitable to live on your coffee table or next to your TV, for others it is impossible and will kill them after a few months. This is the case, for example, with pine or maple bonsai trees, which must feel the seasons, the cold in winter to go dormant, accumulate reserves to prepare new buds that will give new shoots the following spring.
It is also for this reason that bonsai should not be overprotected in winter, most of them can tolerate slightly negative temperatures without any problem. And for pine trees, it is even absolutely necessary to have sub-zero temperatures and frost for them to be healthy. If there are no pine trees in the tropics, it is because this climate is not at all suitable for their growth.
You now have all the keys in hand to choose your indoor bonsai. Feel free to browse our shop and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us and ask us for advice!