7-year-old Metasequoia Bonsai

Common Name: Swamp Cypress or Bald Cypress (because it is a deciduous cypress)

Scientific Name: Metasequoia Glyptostroboides

Characterization: Belongs to the Cupressaceae family, with Metasequoia originating from China.

There is a "relative" called Taxodium, which originates from Southeast America. Both are "relatives" of the "giants" of the plant world, the Sequoias.

Large deciduous trees, easily reaching 40 meters in height, and 3 or more meters in diameter at the base of the trunk.

The bark is grayish in color and the leaves are compound, being paired in Metasequoias and alternate in Taxodium.

In nature, they live in very swampy areas, often in swamps in Florida (hence one of the common names), so we must always be very careful with watering and their high water consumption.

Location: Outdoors where they receive 2 to 3 hours of sun per day (ideally in the morning or late afternoon), protected from strong winds and frost.

To avoid the typical tip burn of leaves due to dehydration in summer, we should protect them from the hours of strong sun, preferring east or west sun exposure.

Watering: Water the soil abundantly until plenty of water comes out of the drainage holes, to evenly moisten the soil, always from above never by immersion, using a watering can with fine holes.

Tips about watering, consult the watering technical sheet.

Let the surface layer of the soil dry slightly between waterings, and in summer keep the soil always moist; when the leaves fall, start letting it dry a little more between waterings (to confirm if the plant needs water, touch the soil with your fingers).

If you have a plate under the Bonsai, never leave any water in it (to prevent the roots from rotting).

There is no benefit in misting the leaves; only do it on the days you fertilize and if the fertilizer is for foliar application, but make sure the leaves dry by night to avoid fungi.

Nutrition: From February to October, with a basic plan composed of a complete fertilizer (Fertil Bonsai Humic, or Green & Gold Bonsai Organic or Biogold), and a biostimulant (Bio Bonsai Activ), which can also be combined with other products from our range.

Detailed information on how to combine these products with others from our range, or for a more specific nutrition plan, consult the complete nutrition plan technical sheet.

 
Pruning: Above a pair of leaves, restoring the shape, normally during the winter shaping pruning, prune heavily going back to the "basics" as they have very vigorous growth; usually it is easy to maintain the shape by doing "Metsumi" with your fingers on the new shoots that appear.

Tips about pruning, consult the pruning and defoliation technical sheet.

Repotting: In January/February before bud break using Terra Bonsai Folhosas because although they are conifers, they require a lot of moisture retention.

Details about repotting, post-repotting, and specific fortifiers you can use, consult the repotting technical sheet.

 
Wiring: From late autumn to early spring, after leaf drop, due to rapid growth and thickening of the trunk, we must be careful that the wires do not cut into the bark.

Instructions on wiring, consult the wiring technical sheet.