the Carmona Bonsai or Fukin tea It is by far the easiest type of bonsai to keep indoors and is among the most popular and cheapest bonsai on the market. The common names of the plant indicate the species Erytia microphylla (It was his old name Carmona microphylla), a Evergreen tropical tree From the Boraginaceae family in which it is grown China in the southeastern province of Fukien and in Japan which in Italy is cultivated only in the form of bonsai. Sourced from warm regions makes this tree both miniature Suitable for apartment livingunlike many bonsai that have to be kept outdoors and when we put them indoors they die.
the Small glossy dark green leaves, which are alternately arranged along the branches, the gray-brown bark and the densely twisted branching make the carmona one of the most popular plants for making bonsai. This plant can reach Height about 30-45 cm When grown as a bonsai (of course, the size of a bonsai always depends on pruning) although they can be shaped to take on shorter or taller shapes depending on preference. With proper care, it can be a great plant to enjoy in an apartment for years.
When does the Carmona bonsai flower?
One of the most interesting characteristics of Carmona Bonsai is its ability to produce Fragrant little white flowers. These flowers, about half a centimeter in diameter, can appear throughout the year but are more common in the spring and summer. The presence of flowers adds a decorative element to the overall beauty of the bonsai. Sometimes, flowers are followed by smaller flowers Then green berries, then brown.
Meaning of carmona bonsai
An indoor bonsai par excellence, the carmona represents the quintessence of the oriental art of miniature trees. These brilliantly decorated jewelry are living works of art and represent the fusion of nature and human creativity. they stand forharmonyL’Equilibrium and the connection with creation It is a symbol of balance, inner reflection and patience as it requires constant care and maintenance over time to maintain its beauty and vitality.
Carmona bonsai care
Here is a brief guide to the care needed for the carmona bonsai, to be followed precisely if we want to keep our plant healthy for years.
• Exposure: Where do you keep your Carmona bonsai? Carmona needs moderate sun exposure, preferably in a well-lit location, but avoiding direct exposure to strong sunlight during the hottest part of the day. We avoid putting it outside in cold weather, but we can keep it outside from late spring to late summer. The ideal would be to keep them at a temperature of about 20 degrees and to avoid low temperatures (never below 12 degrees). During the winter we can keep them on an indoor window sill, but with heating it is possible that the dry air could damage the leaves and cause them to fall off. To deal with this problem, place a large saucer with pebbles or expanded clay under the bonsai pot and fill it with water to provide the tree with the air moisture it needs. When opening windows to let in fresh air in the winter, it is important to avoid exposing your Carmona bonsai to freezing drafts. Drafts can be fatal.
• Watering: How do you water a Carmona bonsai? Carmona bonsai does not like dry soil, but it does not like soil that is too wet. It is important to water abundantly when the soil is dry. If the pot is very small, the earth dries quickly and in summer it may be necessary to water it twice a day, morning and evening, but conditions can vary according to the climate. The ideal method is to immerse the vase in a bowl with a few centimeters of water for about three minutes, to give the earth time to absorb the liquid well by the capillaries in a uniform manner. It is important to avoid stagnation of water, so the bonsai pot must always be kept elevated relative to the saucer, above a layer of gravel. If there is too much water, the leaves will turn brown and then fall off. We also pay attention to the lack of water since the Carmona bonsai does not immediately show symptoms of drought, but then the leaves curl and fall off.
• Curmona fertilization: We turn the compost every two weeks from spring to fall and once a month during the winter. If we use liquid fertilizer, it is important to take it carefully at half the dilution recommended on the package and apply it to moist soil, that is, half a day after watering. The ideal method is to use a specific organic and mineral liquid fertilizer for bonsai, which nourishes the plant without stimulating its growth too much. These specific fertilizers can be easily purchased online at bonsai stores.
• Pruning: when and how to prune Carmona? We are not talking about shaping bonsai pruning, but about maintenance pruning that serves to maintain the shape and harmony of the bonsai plant we have already purchased well. Maintenance pruning is used to get rid of excess branches and shoots that are sprouting out of shape. It also helps distribute the sap evenly throughout the branches. The best period for this operation is from spring to summer, avoiding cutting the thicker branches, bearing in mind the aim of reshaping the plant. We prune the misplaced shoots when they have 6 or 7 leaves, leaving only 2 leaves on the branch. in practice very long shoots, with 7 or 10 leaves, are reduced to 2 leaves to improve the shape of the bonsai, in order to give the whole plant a harmonious appearance, preferably triangular. In this process, we use sharp bonsai scissors.
• Repotting: when to repot carmona. Repot the plant in early spring every 2 to 3 years. If we want to keep the bonsai the same size as the one we bought, we do not increase the size of the pot. On the contrary, we buy a bonsai pot only 2 cm wider than the previous one. We extract the plant from the pot with its earth, we break up the outer soil with our fingers to make it fall off and then we prune the roots to about a third of the length, no more (Carmona does not like to lose too many roots during repotting) and we do the same with the crown, shortening the new shoots . Then we place the bonsai in the new pot (or in the previous one) filled with the new soil, covering the roots well and pressing with two fingers, then wetting and keeping the plant constantly moist for the first week.
Carmona Bonsai: its needs in a nutshell
• exposure: It requires a lot of light, so even 2 hours of direct sunlight in the morning is fine.
• my land: specific soil for bonsai.
• Temperature: The minimum permissible temperature is 13°C.
• waterfall: It wants constant watering but well-drained soil. We water when the earth dries up.
• fertilization: Every two weeks in the summer, once a month in the winter, with a liquid fertilizer for bonsai.
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