Carmona Bonsai, also known as Fukien Tea Bonsai: Comprehensive Tree Care and Growth Manual
The Fukien tea bonsai, scientifically known as Carmona microphylla, is a delicate and charming miniature tree native to the Fujian Province in China. With its small, delicate leaves and branches, and its ability to produce small, white flowers in early summer, this bonsai is a popular choice for both indoor and outdoor gardening.
To ensure the health and longevity of your Fukien tea bonsai, it is essential to provide the right environment, watering, light, and protection from cold.
**Light**
Place your Fukien tea bonsai in a location with very bright light. It thrives in a sunny or semi-shaded spot outdoors if the weather is warm and frost-free. Indoors, choose a room with plenty of natural light but keep it away from direct drafts or air conditioning.
**Temperature**
This tropical bonsai cannot tolerate cold well. It survives only short exposures to just below freezing (-1ºC). Cold or frost will damage it, so if your climate is colder than this, keep the tree indoors or in a greenhouse during winter.
**Watering**
Water the tree regularly—about three times a week during warm seasons and reduce to once or twice weekly in winter. Use soft water low in lime and chlorine if rainwater is unavailable, as this is ideal for the plant.
**Humidity and Feeding**
The tree prefers a warm, humid environment. Misting the leaves with a foliar feed spray can help maintain leaf health and support growth.
**General Maintenance**
Carmona bonsai requires regular fertilizing and pruning to maintain its shape and encourage flowering. It produces small white flowers on and off throughout the year with proper care. Avoid sudden changes in temperature or environment to prevent stress.
When using training wire, wrap the wire around the new branches and ease the branch into the desired shape. The wire should hold the shape, and once the branch matures a bit more, it will hold that shape forever. However, it's important to remove the training wire after a month or two, cutting it at every turn to remove it. Do not attempt to unbend the wire around the branch that it is on, as this could damage your tree.
Fukien tea bonsai prefers a slightly acidic soil that is well-draining. Be careful not to damage the bark or leaves of your tree while pruning. Prune off any dead or dying branches, thin out dense areas of growth to improve air circulation and light penetration, and trim back new growth to encourage bushier growth.
Avoid pruning too much at once. Prune a little bit at a time, so that your tree can adjust to the changes. Fukien tea bonsai thrives in warm climates and prefers a sunny position.
It's important to use a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen for Fukien tea bonsai. The key to a long and healthy life for your Fukien tea bonsai is regular pruning and shaping, as well as providing the tree with the right amount of water, sunlight, and nutrients.
Finally, top the soil with the mulch or pebbles of your choice, keeping it from directly touching the trunk where the tree begins its root system. With the right care and attention, your Fukien tea bonsai can live for many years, with some even living for hundreds of years.
[1] Bonsai Empire. (n.d.). Fukien Tea Bonsai. Retrieved from https://www.bonsaiempire.com/bonsai-encyclopedia/fukien-tea-bonsai/ [2] Bonsai Tonight. (n.d.). Fukien Tea Bonsai. Retrieved from https://www.bonsaitonight.com/bonsai-encyclopedia/fukien-tea-bonsai/ [3] Bonsai4me. (n.d.). Fukien Tea Bonsai. Retrieved from https://www.bonsai4me.com/fukien-tea-bonsai [4] Bonsai Bark. (n.d.). Fukien Tea Bonsai. Retrieved from https://bonsaibark.com/bonsai/fukien-tea-bonsai/ [5] Bonsai Guy. (n.d.). Fukien Tea Bonsai. Retrieved from https://bonsaiguy.com/fukien-tea-bonsai/
Augment your home-and-garden space with a Fukien tea bonsai, an attractive and petite tropical tree that can thrive indoors or outdoors in the right conditions. To preserve the longevity and health of your Fukien tea bonsai, embrace a lifestyle that caters to its specific needs, such as providing it with the proper light, watering schedule, temperature control, humidity, feeding, and general maintenance.
