Awakening!
The majority of species wake from dormancy. The solidified sap in the vessels slowly liquefies, which allows the sap to recirculate. At the same time, the terminal buds start to swell because they are irrigated, and the rootlets begin growing again, their tips returning to white.
Heat, and sun light will activate the buds.
Roots reactivate and start to grow.
Hoover the red dot for more info…
Note
According to your place of residence this calendar could be slightly advanced or delayed by 15 days to three weeks. Make the correction.
Placement
Bonsai are wakening! Gradually the buds swell and the roots activate. Take care; there could be a sudden late, though less intensive, frost. You can bring your trees out from the cold greenhouse, but keep a close eye on them and return them to shelter in the event of freezing. The aim is to prevent buds from shooting in greenhouse. It is useful to have a thermometer .
Fertilizing
Two cases. If your trees are in formation, start at the end of the month to apply fertiliser rich with N (nitrogen). If your trees have already reached the required size, give one application of fertiliser with less N, just to give them a kick-start. You’ll give them plenty of fertiliser later when the branches are established, otherwise you are likely to lengthen the internodes and have large leaves.
Watering
Begin to water regularly if the parts above ground still seem dormant and the roots start to grow. Do not water if there is threat of freezing.
Treatment
It is the moment to spray insecticide on your trees, right before the opening of the buds. You can use these two mixed products.
Activities
- All species: It’s time to repot. Don’t repot when it is very cold or in a high wind. During repotting, take care that the roots are not desiccated. Have a sprayer close at hand. Clean the roots well. Eliminate those that cross, grow upwards, and those that have rotted. Look at the former scars and revive them if necessary. Put cut paste on the largest. It is the last month for the big structural cuts. You can also select buds before they open by eliminating those in excess of requirement, or that are badly placed.
- Wiring: You can wire leafy trees that don’t yet have their leaves. Those that have already received a major repotting, with many roots cut, will have to await a month or two. In general, don’t do several different things to a tree at the same time.
- Layering, grafting, pruning: Possible this month as soon as weather warms up. Particular cases:
- Fig trees: the fig tree can make a very pretty bonsai so long as you know how to ramify it and reduce its leaves. A specific pinching makes it possible to achieve these goals. As soon as the terminal bud of a branch starts to swell, grip it with your nails, thereby removing it from its base. In the 15 days following, many small buds will shoot. They will produce either small branches or small leaves. Do this only on trees in excellent health and on strong branches.
- Flowering and fruit trees: every 3-4 years remove all the buds with flowers to allow the tree to rest. It will flower much better the following year. If you disbud this way you can carry out a structural pruning.
- Conifers and junipers: wire before the rise of sap. Tearing off the bark can cause the death of small branches, but with junipers there is less risk of that.
