How do you care for the Ligustrum bonsai?

Bonsai privetPrivet Bonsai

Image – Flickr / cliff1066

Did you just get a bonsai from Ligustrum? Then let me congratulate you: few trees are as easy to work as bonsai as this one, the privet. By having rather small leaves and by tolerating pruning quite well, enjoying it is very simple.

In any case, do not forget that what you have is a plant that depends on you for everything, because its pot is small and, therefore, the amount of substrate that there is is very limited. So, then I am going to explain to you what their care is.

What is the Ligustrum like?

Ligustrum as hedgeligustrum as setus

Image – Arizona State University

First of all, and as always, I’m going to talk about the tree itself so that you know how it can react when growing it as bonsai. Well, the Ligustrum is a genus made up of around fifty species of shrubs and trees native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. Depending on the species, They can be evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous.

They can reach heights between 5 and 20 meters, with crowns densely populated by simple green leaves. The flowers are grouped in panicles in spring, and are white. And the fruit is a small dark colored drupe (purple-blackish) poisonous to humans.

What are your bonsai cares?

Bonsai privetPrivet Bonsai

Image – Flickr / ragesoss

Now, we are going to see how it is cared if the Ligustrum is worked as bonsai:

  • Location: it must be outside, in full sun or in semi-shade.
  • Earth: akadama mixed with 30% kiryuzuna.
  • Irrigation: 4-5 times a week in summer, and every 5-6 days the rest.
  • Subscriber: from the beginning of spring to the end of summer with a specific fertilizer for bonsai.
  • Style: formal upright, informal upright, windswept. More information on styles here!.
  • Pruning: the formation pruning is done at the end of winter, removing the branches that protrude from the style that has been previously decided, as well as those that intersect and those that grow towards you. Maintenance pruning (pinching) can be done at any time of the year.
  • Transplant: every 1-2 years, in late winter.
  • Multiplication: by seeds in spring or cuttings in summer.
  • Rusticity: resists well up to -10ºC.

I hope you enjoy your privet a lot .

How do you care for the Ligustrum bonsai?

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