Detailed guide to making an Acorus bonsai, step by step

Acorus is favored by more and more bonsai enthusiasts for its alluring color, fragrant scent and upright posture. As one of the best companion plants for bonsai, it has a distinctly scholarly temperament. A bonsai made with Acorus is both poetic and helps resist pollution, and can also relieve visual fatigue.

Choosing Acorus

Division should be carried out before Acorus enters its vigorous growth period, so you can choose to divide it around Guyu (Grain Rain). Acorus with vigorous growth, thick tubers and a short stature is an excellent choice for making bonsai; generally, Acorus gramineus 'Jin Qian' is chosen.

Growing medium for Acorus bonsai

When making a bonsai with Acorus, choose a loose, breathable sandy loam. If you choose stone as the container, no growing medium is needed; simply fix the plant with pebbles.

Fertilizing Acorus

For containers with growing medium, place an appropriate amount of organic granular fertilizer on the surface of the soil. For containers without growing medium, liquid fertilizer can be applied. Fertilizing Acorus requires a sense of proportion: no fertilizer will cause the leaves to turn yellow and affect its growth, but Acorus is not tolerant of fertilizer, and too much fertilizer will burn the seedlings, which is equally bad for its growth.

Watering Acorus

For potted Acorus, watering is relatively easy to control. Acorus likes moisture and dislikes drought. In daily watering, keep the potting soil moist, but do not water too much, otherwise the leaves easily turn yellow. In dry summer air, you can mist the leaves appropriately to maintain humidity.

Light for Acorus

Acorus likes shade, but cannot do entirely without light; appropriate scattered light is more favorable for its growth. In everyday care, it can be placed in the shade of medium to large bonsai.

Shaping Acorus

The more Acorus leaves are trimmed, the finer they become, but trimming should not be too frequent. Remove rotten and yellow leaves regularly to keep Acorus looking its best.

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