English Ivy bonsai care

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English ivy is an evergreen vine that is famous worldwide for its hardiness and ability to thrive in a variety of climatic conditions.

Bonsai beginners will find it quite forgiving, easy to work with, and a good choice for their first bonsai.

The vine produces shiny, waxy dark green leaves with palmate veins.

The leaves of the tree are dark green in color with a glossy texture. These waxy leaves have palmate veins.

The tree also produces yellowish green flowers which turn into black colored berries in the fall season.

Despite the fact that it is a vine, it is able to grow a good woody trunk, which makes it an excellent choice for small to medium-sized bonsai trees.

You can choose from many different cultivars of English ivy, including ones that have yellow or white variegation, but it is important that you choose one with small leaves.

• Hedera helix ‘Coon Hollow’ – This is a slow growing variety suited for all kinds of weather. The long and narrow three lobed leaves of this plant have a peculiar shape. The central lobe is noticably longer (twice as long) than the basal lobes. The main veins are silver grey and the base of the leaves have a greenish blue hue.
• Hedera helix ‘Gold Child’ – This ivy is well known to survive in cold weather. Its 5 lobed leaves have a golden color and have a rounded tip.
• Hedera helix ‘Icicle’ – This vine has broad 5-3 lobed leaves. (5 in larger and 3 in smaller leaves). Light green leaves with grayish white veins and center.
• Hedera helix ‘Yumin’ – The leaves of this vine have a unique yellow-golden margin with irregularly shaped light green center. They also also heart shaped.
• Hedera helix ‘Ellen Meakin’ – The glossy dark green leaves on this vine can have 5, 5 or 7 lobes. The margins of the leaves are irregular and wavy. This variety of English ivy can be propagated through leaf cutting as well.
• Hedera helix ‘Shamrock’ – Many consider this variety to be ideal for making an ivy bonsai tree. This vine has an upright growth habit. This variety is also mostly pest free (rare infestation of scales).

Ivy bonsai naturally grows in cascade bonsai style. However, it can be trained in informal upright bonsai style as well.

Best location to keep English Ivy Bonsai

Ivy bonsai thrives in bright location. However it also does well in partial shade. Preferably, it can be kept outside in summer season.

A good temperature range for the plant to thrive is 70°F to 85°F (21°C to 30°C).

This tree will prefer spending cool winter in indoor settings. A temperature range of 55°F to 65°F (12°C to 18°C) is recommended.

Move the bonsai container inside in the month of fall.

It is a good bonsai as an indoor bonsai as well. When keeping it indoors, keep it in a south or west facing window.

IMP: Refer sunlight requirements for indoor plants for more indoor gardening ideas. Also, refer to do bonsai trees need sunlight for more indoor and outdoor bonsai location ideas.

Propagation of English Ivy

Ivy vines can be propagated very easily by using stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, air layering.

Take softwood cuttings, preferably in the months of early summer or spring. Dip the cuttings in a jar of water. As soon as roots emerge, you can transfer them in a pot.

Rooting hormone is optional.

You can also propagate the plant using root cuttings.

Watering English Ivy Bonsai

Keep the bonsai soil barely and evenly moist.

Watering frequency will be more in summer than winter. This also depends on your environment.

Make sure to spray mist on the foliage in hot summer season to keep the leaves healthy and hydrated.

Read watering bonsai tree for more details.

Wiring English Ivy Bonsai

It is a very Flexible vine that can be wired at any time, which makes it a great choice for bonsai artists who are just starting out.

It is also essential that wiring is used to create the basic bonsai structure of the tree because this is not a tree that naturally grows upright.

In order for a young plant to develop an upright form, it needs to be staked and wired.

Pruning English Ivy Bonsai

When to prune English Ivy bonsai?

How to prune English Ivy bonsai?

The vine should be pruned back to two sets of leaves in order to keep the bonsai in good shape.

You can also prune the whole branch back to the trunk in case it does not align with the design in your mind. This will also help in establishing the trunk.

English ivy responds well to hard pruning. hard pruning will make it produce a lot of branches.

You should focus primarily on forming a strong trunk for the plant and preventing it from spreading out too much by timely pruning.

Repotting English Ivy Bonsai

When to repot English Ivy bonsai?

English ivy bonsai can be repotted every 2 years, preferably in the month of spring. This also depends on whether the roots are pot bound.

It also responds to root pruning well. Don’t worry if you accidentally remove a root you did not intend to. English ivy is notorious for producing roots from any part of the trunk.

You can use a basic free-draining bonsai soil mix as a potting soil.

Must Read: Bonsai Soil Recipes

Must read : Choosing the right bonsai container

Feeding English Ivy Bonsai

During the growing season, fertilize it every two weeks with an acidic fertilizer (such as for camellias) at half strength every two weeks.

Fertilizer applications should be stopped during the winter months.

Read more about bonsai fertilizer and its application.

Diseases and pest of English Ivy Bonsai

English ivy bonsai can be attacked by red spider mites. Remove these by hands or wash the leaves with water. You can even apply some soapy water before washing the leaves with water.

Aphids and scale insects can also occur. remove them manually or by jet of water. Or apply a systemic insecticide.

All the above mentioned pest infestation are pretty rare though.

Most of the problems are faced because of bad watering routine and bad lighting.

English Ivy bonsai care

In case the leaves are turning yellow, that means that the tree is not receiving adequate amount of water. Water the tree immediately. When the plant is receiving less water, the leaves can even become crispy brown and drop.

Also, the leaves loosing their color or even dropping indicates lack of light. move the bonsai pot where it can receive more light.

When growing English ivy as an indoor bonsai tree, it will take few years to get fully established. So have some patience.

Even though it is a fast grower, the trunk of the plant takes a lot of time to thicken.