Hi all! I got a weeping cherry bonsai from my mom today and am really excited. I’ve always wanted to get into bonsai, but I’ve heard they are extremely difficult to care for so I’ve been a little hesitant. Well, now I’ve got one and I would very much like it to thrive. Any advice? It says it wants 8-12 hours of direct sunshine, but our yard is like a sun dial so I’ll be moving it to follow the sun throughout the day. And moist soil, should I spray the soil with spring water to saturate it? Or pour from a spout? Any advice would be helpful! I’ve only grown herbs and some fruit bushes so this is all new for me.

    • Tyoda
      4·
      1 month ago

      Uhh, is it infested with something? Are those aphids on the leaves or just dirt in this picture?

      • Araithya@lemmy.worldOP
        1·
        1 month ago

        The leafs are a little beat up, but no aphids that I can detect. I am a little worried about it though, I’m watching the new growth carefully to make sure they come in healthy.

        • Tyoda
          3·
          1 month ago

          Alright!

          I can’t help you very much. My first ginkgo bonsai is sitting on the shelf as a dried up reminder of my mistakes…

          That being said, I’m sure you can find specific info for caring about your species. I was going to recommend Herons Bonsai, but I don’t think Peter has made a video about this one specifically. For general bonsai wisdom, though, you might look them up!

      • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
        1·
        21 days ago

        In a hot climate like that you will need to water this plant at least once a day, until the high reaches 100 at which point you’ll want to water twice a day. I would recommend giving it morning sun until about 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. if you can find a part of your yard that gets afternoon shade.

        • Araithya@lemmy.worldOP
          1·
          20 days ago

          Hmm maybe I got my zone wrong? It doesn’t get to be 100 here. I’d say we’re not a cold climate exactly, but (barring this years crazy weather) our summer is only a few months and it gets into the 80s on average. I did bring it inside because it’s been raining nonstop and is in the 50s still this year. Got it a little grow light, but I don’t think it likes the inside much…

          • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
            2·
            20 days ago

            Okay lol zone 9 is like Southern California. You’re correct, this plant absolutely needs to be outside. You should probably Google the frost hardiness zone for your plant species to figure out if it will need to come inside during the winter under some grow lights.