JTred
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Indoor bonsai and season

I think the general consensus is that even though tropical "indoor" bonsai like ficuses don't have a dormancy period, they do have a slowed growth period in the colder months. My question is: Is this a function of the fact that they are put indoors under artificial light, and suffer the dry air of indoor heating, or is is because of a true slowed growth period that is necessary for the tree's health? I'm just wondering, because it seems to me that if the tree is kept under good growing conditions (humid, warm, sufficient light), shouldn't it be able to continue steady growth throughout the year? The reason I ask is that many sources advocate less frequent fertilizing during the winter. It seems to me that a tropical tree, which would normally see little to no seasonal change, should be fertilized regularly year-round. I'm just thinking that maybe the slowed growth period we see is a function of less-than-ideal growing conditions that come with indoor confinement.

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Gnome
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JTred,
My question is: Is this a function of the fact that they are put indoors under artificial light, and suffer the dry air of indoor heating, or is is because of a true slowed growth period that is necessary for the tree's health?
I think the former is closer to the truth than the latter, at least as far as Ficus are concerned.

I keep the bulk of my tender species in a cool basement. This year, for the first time, I have kept a sub-set of these in a warmer bedroom. Both groups are under fluorescents and I have noted steady growth of a Ficus kept warmer and more humid (large humidity tray) throughout the winter. This group also gets a few hours of actual sunlight each day, which seems to help.

I would not necessarily extrapolate this to all species though. Some trees are more sub-tropical, Chinese Elm and Pomegranate come to mind, and these do benefit from a dormancy period. You have to know the species you are dealing with.

Norm

kdodds
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I don't necessarily know that that's true. Even if temperatures and photoperiods remain the same, there are still seasons. Wet and dry, slightly warmer and slightly cooler, mountain runoffs into lower lands, etc. Ficus seem to pretty much go throughout the year, but other species definitely have slow growth periods during winter months. Whether this is triggered by shortened photoperiods, or drier air I could not say.

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bonsaiboy
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Even in nature, on the equator, in the heart of, say, the Amazon, most of the plants there will go through periods of fast growth and slow growth. And not always will this happen on a yearly basis. It could alternate monthly, with one month of slow growth, and another of fast growth. The reason(s) for why this happens is, I think, currently unknown, although some botanists think it is because growth exhausts plants, so they require a rest period in between growth periods to recuperate.



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