Indoor bonsai - Abutilon Big Bell - River cloudberry

There are roughly 200-220 species of hibiscus. It comes from warm tropical and subtropical parts of Asia, Africa and America. They grow as woody shrubs or small trees. They stand out for their beautiful flowers composed of large petals and distinctive long stamens and pistils. The fruit is a capsule. It needs a sunny place, but preferably diffused light. Higher air humidity and keeping the substrate always moist are also important. For the winter, move it to a cooler, but still bright place and reduce watering slightly. There are also outdoor types that can stay in the garden all year round. We use loamy soil, we add peat to younger plants. We multiply seeds, then it is more resistant, but flowers less often, or by cutting woody twigs, which are first allowed to take root in water.

LOCATION: sunny location, blooms less in partial shade, temperature 15 – 25oC. If it is moved for the winter to a cooler, but still bright place and we slightly reduce watering

WATERING: it often likes moisture, with limited watering in poor soil it blooms earlier

FERTILIZATION: 1 x a month, if we give the plant a lot of nitrogen it has beautiful foliage, but it does not bloom TRANSPLANTATION : to poor soil after 2 years

SOIL: Substrate for bonsai Bonsai Master, or akadama, peat and sand in a ratio of 1:1:1

CUTTING: often, we have a dilemma whether to have a nice bonsai shape or to let one-day flowers form at the end of the branches

SHAPING: by wire without any problems at any time