Species · Deciduous trees like maple and elm
Korean hornbeam
Carpinus turczaninowii
Korean hornbeam carries finer leaves and a more compact natural habit than its European cousin, with the same muscular, fluted bark developing over time. It is slower to establish thick trunk girth but builds fine ramification readily once established, and is widely regarded among the most refined of the hornbeams for bonsai.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Never let it dry out fully in leaf. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 1 in summer, 2 in autumn and 7 in winter.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade.
- Winter
- Hardy once established; loses its leaves and rests through winter. Protect it when the forecast drops below -8 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 14 days, Apr to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 3 years, as buds swell, in Feb or Mar.
- Growth
- Moderate growth. Hardy in zones 5 to 8.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Mar | Apr | Nov | |||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Mar | Nov | Dec | |||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun | Jul | |||||||||
| Defoliate | Jun |