Immediate Care Instructions
Please water immediately upon arrival. If you receive this bonsai during winter, dark and cold can trigger dormancy (the plant will lose its leaves in the winter). It has been forced to think that it's June, so keep it in a bright, warm location. Carefully review this instruction sheet for specific information on how to ensure you enjoy a healthy wine grape bonsai tree. We highly recommend referencing a bonsai book to supplement this overview.
About Your Wine Grape Bonsai
Congratulations on owning a piece of California's Wine Country heritage, an authentic Red Wine Grape Bonsai. Wine grape miniatures are a modern idea with time honored roots. This miniature wine grape plant originates from the sun-kissed fields and cool evening valleys of California. Most care practices that are used for other deciduous bonsai are applicable for your wine grape as well.
Light Exposure
Your bonsai will enjoy light as bright as possible, but avoid excess heat which will dry out the soil too quickly. A location that provides morning sun or filtered light throughout the day is ideal.
Water and Fertilizer
It is important to water your bonsai regularly – the soil should be moist to the touch. Excellent drainage is equally as important as regular watering; however, please avoid allowing the plant to sit in standing water. A simple method is to set your bonsai in the sink and run a steady stream of water from the faucet until you observe water exiting the drain hole at the bottom of the container. For fertilizer, a well-balanced and soluble organic plant food every two weeks is ideal. Your local nursery will have an appropriate food available.
Water daily, through hot spells and in the summer heat. Every other day is sufficient in the spring and fall. In the winter you should keep the plant moist, watering only when the soil is dry to the touch.
Pruning
During the growing season you should remove long shoots that haven't fruited, cutting above the last two leaves on the shoot (this will encourage new growth). This creates good branch structure and canopy development. During the dormant season you should remove all of the last year's growth, leaving two buds for fruit development the following season.
Dormant Period
Bonsai plants perform better the following year if allowed to go dormant during the winter. If you live in a frost free area you may leave it out on a protected patio or other shaded area. In areas with snow or freezing temperatures you may place it in a basement or wine cellar to avoid freezing. Remember to keep the soil and roots moist but not in standing water. Activity in the roots will continue even though the plant will lose its leaves. Your bonsai will wake up again in the early spring, just like they do when growing naturally in the vineyards of California.
Repotting
Every two to three years in mid to late winter, you should remove the bonsai from its pot and trim away 1/3 of the existing root-ball and then repot your plant using a well-drained, balanced organic potting soil.