Content
- The sloe - an attractive and easy-to-care bonsai
- Use a sloe bonsai yourself
- Location and substrate
- Care of bonsai
- Tips & Tricks
The sloe - an attractive and easy-to-care bonsai
The blackthorn is an easy-care bonsai plant that gives beginners a lot of fun. The dark, slightly barked bark and the beautifully shaped leaves are in charming contrast to the bright white flowers and the black-blue berries.
Use a sloe bonsai yourself
Unfortunately, sloe can rarely be found in the bonsai trade. Since the slow-growing blackthorn is good cut tolerant and willingly expels you can easily attract this pretty bonsai from a young plant itself. The blackthorn proliferates by means of root sprouts, so that corresponding young plants can be found in the wild and in many home gardens.
Alternatively, the vegetative propagation by Steckhölzer or sowing offer. For sowing, collect the drupes of a blackthorn in autumn and store them in the refrigerator, free from the pulp. In early spring you can sow the stones.
Location and substrate
Like its large relatives in the great outdoors, the sloe bonsai thrives best in full sun. The substrate should be calcareous and not too fine-grained. The hardy bonsai can be wintered outdoors without peel and with little protection.
When rooting, you should exercise caution as sloes can be sensitive to it. First, toss the blackthorn every year. Later, repotting will be enough every two years. When finished, the potting interval can be further extended.
Care of bonsai
The following points should be considered when designing:
Although blackthorn well tolerates dryness in the wild, the bonsai should be watered regularly. Avoid ball dryness and waterlogging. Tap water is the ideal irrigation water, as the blackthorn prefers calcareous water. As a fruit-bearing bonsai plant the blackthorn requires regular fertilizer inputs. Since the plant is not sensitive to salt, you can use mineral or organic fertilizer.
Tips & Tricks
A sloe bonsai cultivated in the field can be protected with a thick layer of loosely sprinkled bark mulch. It keeps the soil moist, protects against frost and can be hacked in the spring as a natural fertilizer.