Scots Pine:(Pinus sylvestris) is a coniferous tree native to Europe and Siberia, making it a very hardy variety. The needles are short and soft, similar to Japanese Black Pine, but unlike the JBP, the Scots Pine buds back very easily, taking very well to shaping and root pruning. One of the easiest and best pines for Bonsai.
Scots Pine does very well as both Literati and traditional Pine style Bonsai.
Spring 2022 Update: Our current Young inventory, has just been potted up this spring from last year's babies which have outgrown their 4" pots. But we are still keeping the price down, to what it is for baby Scots Pines. These are 2.5 Year seedlings, from a Scottish highland cultivar.
BONSAI CARE
Scots Pine needs full sun, and the more sun they get, the shorter the needles will be. Being in a pot, the Scots Pine will still require winterizing.
Watering:
BABY: 8"-12" tall, comes in a 4" grower's pot.
YOUNG: 10"-14" tall, comes in a 6" grower's pot.
Soil (Substrate)
Bonsai soils are usually a mixture of organic potting compost (Pine Bark or Forest Floor), Akadama, pumice, 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)
10% Potting Compost
Coniferous Tree (Evergreen like Juniper, Cedar)
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.
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.
