Bonsai tasks to do in Cape Town – October

OCTOBER                                SPRING TIME! 

MonthMean Rainfall mmRel.  Humidity %Daily Sun­shine HrsTemp. Max CelsiusTemp. Min Celsius
October32,7748,921,210,6
POSITION Early spring! All or nearly all deciduous plants are out in leaf, the soft new foliage is a delight. We normally still experience rain and some cool weather is still around but days are definitely less cloudy and longer. The drying south-east wind has not started seriously but be careful of hot dry days.  
WATERINGDaily watering of outdoor bonsai may be required unless it rains.
FERTILISINGThis is the time of year when advantage must be taken of good strong growth and from now on feeding should be regular and conscientiously carried out. Trees put on girth and wiring must be carefully watched lest scars develop.
DISEASE CONTROLPests are starting to enjoy life and may be decimating bonsai so judicious control needs to be exercised. Some pests are not easy to see or identify, if a tree is not looking “right” ask for help.  
PRUNINGNipping and feeding is what is done now, it may seem a contradiction to feed and then to nip most of the new growth off but that is the way to build up a fine structure of small branchlets and achieve detail design. 
POTTINGMany evergreens may be potted now. Watch for swollen buds. The correct time is usually when buds are swollen but before the leaves unfurl. An exception may be figs it is far too early to pot them.  
REMARKSIn our area the weather may be unfriendly with cold wind and rain but it is spring and when the weather is nice take the opportunity of collecting moss and stones for use with bonsai. It is also a good time to collect potential bonsai from the wild as long as the appropriate permission has been sought, have respect for the ecology. 
This is a very good time to plant seeds and to take cuttings

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