Grapevine Bonsai Care Guide

Preferring the most Mediterranean of environments, Grapevine requires a lot of full sunlight. Across the growing season, they demand 8 hours or more of sunlight. Do not let the leaves scorch if the sun gets considerably hot, shade is advised. While moderately hardy, wet conditions and solid frost will kill a grapevine bonsai. For the UK, this plant can be grown indoors but replicating the light and warmth of a Mediterranean-esque climate is required. 

Thanks to its considerable growth rate, Grapevine bonsai demands a lot of water to keep its leaves soli and the fruit swelling. Stay watchful of the soil moisture allowing it to dry out between waterings but ensure it never dries out completely.

During the growing season, once the fruit has set, feed your Grapevine Bonsai once with a low-nitrogen fertiliser. Any feeding beforehand will spoil the fruit growth. 

Two or three buds should be pruned back in the late summer to encourage fruiting next year. Any young tendrils should be pinched back in the summer. Do not do any robust pruning in the winter. 

Any shaping can be done through pruning, but using wires should be done in the mid-summer. We recommend using wires with a thickness that matches the thickness of the branch: if the wire you choose is too thick you will damage the bark. If it is too thin, it won’t be effective.

Repot your Grapevine bonsai every 2-3 years in the spring. 

Trees that are ready for repotting will require root pruning, a suitable new pot and appropriate soil mix.

When repotting, do not cut back the root mass by a large amount, and choose a well-draining soil mix that has a neutral or slightly higher PH value of 5-6 but not over 7. We tend to use a mixture of different speciality bonsai soils on our trees. Every species is different so please contact us for free soil-mix advice or to take advantage of our repotting service.