How to Care for a Large Pyrus Communis Bonsai

Bonsai is the Japanese art of cultivating trees in miniature. Deciduous fruit trees such as Pyrus communis, or common pear, lend themselves well to this type of container cultivation. When grown as a bonsai, P. communis is a sun-loving tree that responds best to outdoor cultivation. P. communis bonsai are hardy enough to survive the winter in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8 and can be overwintered indoors in unsuitable climates. Caring for a large P. communis bonsai is a simple and enjoyable task.

Sprinkling can or garden hose
Rapeseed fertilizer pellets
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Place your Pyrus communis bonsai in a site that receives six or more hours of direct sunlight per day. Position the bonsai within four feet of a south- or east-facing window if you are overwintering it indoors.
- 2
  Water the bonsai every two to three days to maintain moist soil. Use a sprinkling can or garden hose with a fine, perforated attachment so the water flows gently onto the plant.
- 3
  Fertilize your P. communis bonsai every other month from March through September. Layer rapeseed fertilizer pellets over the surface of the soil and water them in. Consult the application and rate instructions on the fertilizer packaging to avoid overfertilizing the bonsai.
- 4
  Prune diseased, damaged, insect-infested or dead branches from your bonsai to keep it in good health. Cut branches from the bonsai with sharp, sterile pruning shears; make clean cuts at a 45-degree angle.

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