Rose Bonsai Care Guide

Choose an outdoor spot that will suitably aerate the plant and provide full sun. Partial shade is also applicable for the summer. Rose Bonsai are hardy but will need some winter protection in a cool and frost-free location. 

If placed in the sun, Rose bonsai requires lots of water throughout the growing season. It is vital to not let it dry out entirely and to keep it moist. Water with a 6.5 to 7 pH value wouldn’t go amiss. Tap water is applicable if yours is particularly calcium-rich. 

Across the growing season use a solid organic feed once a month. Alternatively, liquid feed can be used weekly. Should the leaves turn pale an extra iron fertiliser is advised. 

Pruning your bonsai is important not only to create or maintain an aesthetic style but to also ensure optimal health. Prune in early spring before the new buds swell. Allow any shoots to grow so the flowers can develop. Rose hips can be removed by timing back new shoots after flowering to keep a compact tree shape. 

Rose Bonsai does not necessarily require wiring as most shaping can be achieved through pruning. Beware of the sharp pines when wiring, young branches will respond well, but old branches require much more care. 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.

Repotting your tree is an important way to provide a fresh and suitable soil mix and ensure appropriate root health. Rose Bonsai trees require repotting every two to three years when young. Older Rose Bonsai can be repotted less frequently. The roots of this specimen are responsive to root pruning. 

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.