Olive Tree Bonsai In Winter
In winter an olive tree should have a bright and cool location with temperatures between 0 and 5 c.
Olive tree bonsai in winter. It is best to place the olive tree in a cold greenhouse which is kept frost free. Bonsai trees live in small pots and their world dries out much quicker than plants in the ground or in bigger pots so close attention should be paid to watering. The window area drops a few degrees below room temperature we usually keep the thermostat around 70 during the winter which would be around 65 68 deg f once temps outside get to around freezing. A cool winter garden foil tent or greenhouse is very suitable here.
Water the bonsai only when the soil is completely dry. Do not expose to temperatures below 40º f. If kept in a warm room in the house in winter the olive will suffer from lack of light and dry air what makes it very susceptible to scale. When night time temperatures drop below 50 degrees we suggest that you bring your bonsai indoors and place the tree on a windowsill or on a table in front of one.
The black olive is native to the caribbean and grows as far north as florida i think. Water the olive bonsai thoroughly whenever the soil gets dry but avoid constant wetness. It is necessary that the soil has adequate drainage but must also retain water to prevent the bonsai olive tree from drying up. Olive bonsai are very much the same and require being placed in an area that gets a lot of sun.
That means it is not completely frost resistant. Though watering this drought resistant plant can vary depending on the soil used and your area s climate water your bonsai about twice per. There is a myth in bonsai circles that olive trees are not frost hardy. In winter a good location for an olive tree bonsai is cool as airy as possible and not too humid.
As well as going steady on the watering front during the winter months it s time to ease off the feeding too. When there is a light frost warning plant blankets may be all you need. Winter nights are usually a few degrees warmer than further inland thanks to the warming effect of the sea. Normal tap water of good quality is just fine for the olive tree.
The european olive is one tree that will thank you for putting it in the brightest sunniest part of your yard as they love the sun and hot weather. If your bonsai has experienced a winter without much sunlight it is important to wean them onto sunlight. Bonsai care in winter in the tropics when the cold heads into tropical and subtropical regions even a light frost for some tropical plants can be devastating. Olive trees generally do very well in warm climates with lots of sunlight.
The ideal indoor location is on a window sill facing south. We are in what s termed a rain shadow area so the climate is perhaps a little drier than much of the u k on average. An olive bonsai is a mediterranean bonsai. Placement winter once nightly lows begin approaching the 50 degree mark it is time to bring your indoor bonsai inside.