How to Grow and Care For Gulmohar Bonsai (Royal Poinciana)

Every season brings its charm along with it. What are you planning to do this season? Are you looking for a plant to light up your garden?

Gulmohar tree Bonsai is a plant that can warm your garden like a friendly fire on a rainy day. This compelling plant has a high water tolerance and can endure damp environments.

This beautiful bloom is also known as the Royal Poinciana, the royal flame tree, the peacock tree, and the Delonix regia. Many magnificent gardens in the tropics and subtropics feature its brilliant scarlet blossoms.

It’s a huge, umbrella-shaped tree with soft, feathery leaves typical of bipinnate trees. The blooms bloom in huge clusters that cover the entire tree. The bloom color ranges from bright orange to deep scarlet, with numerous tints in between.

Are you already fantasizing about this plant in your home garden? Let’s dive into the growing techniques of the Gulmohar tree bonsai.

Buying a flowering bonsai tree can be an excellent way to add natural beauty and tranquility to your indoor or outdoor space. Online retailers and local nurseries offer a variety of species, sizes, and styles to choose from. It’s important to research the specific care requirements of your chosen tree and ensure you have the appropriate environment and resources to care for it properly. With a little research and attention, a flowering bonsai tree can bring joy and beauty for years to come.

How to grow Gulmohar Tree

This deciduous tree grows quickly and generates fern-like foliage, forming a natural umbrella shape. It’s a great bonsai choice because of its tolerance for poor soil and severe trimming.

We will consider two ways to grow your Gulmohar bonsai here. First, we will cover how to grow Gulmohar bonsai (royal poinciana) from seed and then from the plant (you bought online)

How to grow Gulmohar bonsai from seed?

Initially, to begin the process of growing a Gulmohar tree from seed, you must first understand the method of Scarification. It is when you cut or otherwise weaken the seed’s outer coating so that it can germinate more quickly. Apply this lightly on the surface of the Gulmohar seed before planting.

Alternatively, soak the seed in hot water for about 10 minutes before sowing for optimum germination.

Now, take a container filled with potting mix and spread the seeds evenly.
Lay a layer of soil over them and water them.
Keep a check on your plant and let it grow happily.

Now, when we have covered the concept of How to grow Gulmohar tree bonsai from seed, we will cover the next one.

Growing the plant

To grow the royal poinciana, select a wide, shallow planting container. Pick a container with multiple drainage holes as it will ensure well-drained soil.
Mix equal parts of coarse sand, nutrient-rich potting soil, and organic compost, such as pine bark.
You can add a pinch of pure sphagnum moss to boost water retention. Only use a small amount of moss because it will eventually spread throughout the soil.
Now, cover the drainage holes of the potting container with mesh and fill a third of the container with soil.
Place the Gulmohar tree bonsai in the center.
Fill your remaining container with the soil mixture.
Irrigate the newly potted royal poinciana with water to promote a good establishment.
Water the bonsai thoroughly and evenly until the surplus runs out of the holes.
Irrigate your bonsai occasionally and deeply to maintain a slightly dry climate.
Check the moisture levels in the loam daily, and water your Poinciana bonsai when the soil feels dry.
Never let your Gulmohar tree bonsai dry out entirely.
Note: To avoid root rot, never overwater the poinciana.
You should feed your Poinciana bonsai in the early spring when the growing season is just getting started.
You can use a slow-release fertilizer with a well-balanced formula, such as an NPK 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 mix.

Note: Feed your Gulmohar tree bonsai in mid-summer.

Heavy fertilizers will lower the number of blossoms to generate thicker foliage. Avoid doing it.
To keep this strong growth healthy and in shape, prune it.
You can prune your royal poinciana tree early in the spring, just before the growing season begins.
Ensure to remove any branches and stems that are dead, damaged, or wilted.

Note: You can also trim the back branches of royal poinciana to promote their ideal shape. You can prune your Gulmohar tree bonsai several times during the growing season. To promote light and air circulation throughout the tree, you can thin the core branches and stems.

If you want the shape of your bonsai tree, prune back vigorously growing branches. You should always use sharp, sterile pruning shears.
When it comes to repotting your bonsai, do it annually.

Note: You can also prune the roots of your royal poinciana during the procedure. Trim roughly a third of the root system with sharp, sterile scissors.

You should remove dead and wilted roots first, followed by healthy roots. You should cut deadened roots to the root mass.
Then, repot the Poinciana bonsai in fresh soil in a clean container.

After growing any plant, the next and most essential that comes into consideration is the caring aspect of the plant. Now, we will cover all the necessary care guidelines of the Gulmohar tree bonsai.

Care Guidelines for Gulmohar Bonsai

Soil

To grow this plant, you’ll need the correct kind of soil. It requires soil that is above freezing and provides sufficient warmth.

It should also include a sufficient amount of natural organic compost or fertilizer to aid development and growth in the early stages.

Sunlight

Even though your Gulmohar tree bonsai can endure a lot of rain, it still needs moderate to a lot of sunlight to germinate and thrive. As a result, keep this in mind as you choose a location for the Gulmohar in your garden.

Water:

After planting, moisten the tree regularly during the spring, summer, and early fall. Maintain the moisture of the soil, but never let it go wet until the roots become set. Make sure that the soil dries out between each watering session. During the end of the fall months, slowly cut down on the water supply before refraining from extra watering during the winter months when the tree moves towards dormant.

Temperature and Humidity:

The gulmohor tree is aboriginal to tropical forests, so it does fine in warm, damp conditions. It cannot handle temperatures lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s easily grown outdoors in parts of India, Texas, and Hawaii. It is only appropriate for reliably warm weather.

Fertilizer:

Provide the tree with a proportional liquid fertilizer for four to six weeks after planting and then twice or thrice every year for the first three years. Give an extra dose of application in growing seasons, meaning in early spring and fall. For the portion to give, observe the product’s package instructions. Water the tree entirely after the soil has been fertilized.

Overwintering:

The Gulmohor bonsai tree can’t handle frost as it will rot the roots. If there is ever the risk of frost in the generally no-frost zones, protect smaller trees with shade cloth or bring them inside overnight.

Tree Maintenance

Another consideration is the size at which it grows. This royal poinciana plant matures and develops quickly, growing up to five feet every year. Gulmohar tree bonsai will become the pride of your garden if you give it enough space.

During the earliest stages of growth, prune your Gulmohar tree bonsai gently and regularly for maintenance. It won’t create a problem in the long run.

Pests and disease:

Pests will not be an issue for your bonsai as it is highly resistant to a wide range of pests. But, some species of caterpillars might nibble out on the leaves. But, it should not end the whole tree. Also, spider mites can be a problem, especially if the tree isn’t in a moist atmosphere. If you notice spider mites, improve the humidity or put the plant outdoors. Scale insects can also be a problem as well. They’ll be grouped up under the leaves, but can be dismissed with cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Phellinus noxious is a fungus that might provoke the roots to rot. Picking an area with soil that depletes nicely can help reduce the chance that this fungus will infest.

Let’s cover the least talked about yet important aspect, the pruning of your bonsai tree.

How to prune Gulmohar Bonsai

Step 1: Make Sure Your Tools Are Clean

Start with rubbing alcohol or a home cleaner like Lysol or Pine-Sol on the blades of your cutting instruments. Allow drying naturally. Wear your gloves to safeguard your hands and eyes while pruning and shaping the Gulmohar tree bonsai.

Step 2: Decrease the Size of the plant

Prune the plant to keep this growth healthy and in shape. Early in the spring, just before the growing season begins, hard prune this bonsai. Remove any dead, damaged, or wilted branches and stems of the royal poinciana.

Step 3: Shape the Bonsai with Pruning

You can maintain the shape of your bonsai by slimming the core branches and stems. Gulmohar tree bonsai can grow quickly in their growing season. To regulate the growth of the bonsai, prune during the growing season. It would be best if you use sharp, sterile pruning shears.

Step 4: Repot the Bonsai

Prune the roots of your Gulmohar tree bonsai if you are repotting it. Cut the deadends of the roots with sharp and clean sterile shears. Ensure to repot your royal poinciana in a clean container.

How to Get Gulmohor Bonsai Tree to Bloom?

If your Gulmohor tree isn’t flowering, it might not be mature enough. It can take six to ten years for this tree to produce flowers and even more when they are growing as bonsai for the first time. Another reason for its failure to flower can be the inadequate sunlight; the tree needs direct and full sun for at least 6 hours a day to bloom.

Conclusion

Royal Poinciana will lighten up your mood and your garden with its charismatic view. It demands relatively less care and thrives well. We have covered an essential aspect of how to grow Gulmohar bonsai from seed that will give you insight into the procedure.

Now, when you know the growing and caring tips of Gulmohar tree bonsai, when are you planning to grow yours?

Master Gulmohar Bonsai Care: Grow a Royal Poinciana Effortlessly