BonsaiStore.co

Larch

$39.90
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Larch: The Larch (Larix) is an ideal conifer species for Bonsai, with its soft needles and great strength in back budding. Unlike most conifers, the Larch is deciduous and will lose its foliage in late fall. When maturing, Larch have a flakey rough bark, and the needles turn a beautiful golden yellow in the fall. Larch's are very frost-hardy, making them an excellent choice as outdoor Bonsai for Canada. 


BONSAI CARE


Larch grows well in full sun and can benefit from afternoon shade in the middle of summer when the sun is brightest. Although very frost-hardy, they should be winterized once potted into a Bonsai pot. 


Watering:

  1. Larch like, well-draining soil. When watering, make sure to water throughout and let the soil dry to 25% before watering again.


  • Training: Larch takes very well to wiring, which should be done in the winter or early spring before buds come out. New branches/shoots should be reduced to 2-3 buds to develop fine ramification. 


  • Repotting: During development, Larch's need to be repotted every 2-3 years. During refinement, depending on the size of the pot, this should most likely be done every other year. 


PRODUCT DETAILS 

YOUNG: 12"-24" tall, comes in a 6" grower's pot. (Young Larches have already been wired for trunk movement).

MATURE: 12"-16" tall, comes in a 10" handmade Bonsai pot. 


 

These are not seeds - But an Actual Living Bonsai Tree.

Please see our Choosing a Bonsai page for the age and dimensions regarding the different stages of our Bonsai (Baby, Young, & Mature).

Soil (Substrate)

Bonsai soils are usually a mixture of organic potting compost (Pine Bark or Forest Floor), Akadamapumice, lava rock in varying amounts. 

It is important for the soil have good water retention while also draining well, along with very good aeration. The quality of the soil directly affects the health, size and growth of your tree. One of the worst things you can do to your tree is plant it in regular garden soil. Garden soil hardens when it drys and can often lead to a disadvantage when growing a Bonsai. 

Soil mixtures can be purchased here, but given their weight and cost of shipping, you can also easily make your own. 

 

Depending on the type of Bonsai you're growing, here are the general formulas for successful mixtures. 

Deciduous Tree (Leafy and looses leafs in the fall)

50% Akadama

20% Pumice

20% Lava Rock

10% Potting Compost

 

Coniferous Tree (Evergreen like Juniper, Cedar)

1/3 Akadama

1/3 Pumice

1/3 Lava Rock

 

If you are not able to check on your Bonsai's moisture levels daily, add more Akadama to the mix. 

Given how these soils erode over time, repotting every 2-3 years is required. 

 

Here are some suitable replacements if you cannot find the recommended types of soil.

  • Akadama - fine fired or baked clays, some even recommend cat litter as a substitute. 
  • Pumice - fine crushed aggregates, expanded shale and vermiculite.
  • Lava Rock - This can be replaced with fine gravel or you can also look into purchasing a larger lava rock at a hardware or gardening centre and crushing it. 

 

Fertilizer

One of the best and easiest ways to fertilize your Bonsai, is to add a liquid fertilizer mix when water your Bonsai's once a month during the spring/summer. If your Bonsai looses leaves in the winter there is no need to fertilize it then. If you have a coniferous tree, fertilizing the tree once in the beginning of winter and once in the middle of winter should be sufficient.

  

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