How To Care For Your Parrot Beak Gmelina Bonsai Tree

About The Parrot Beak Gmelina Bonsai Tree

The Parrot Beak (Gmelina), with its distinctive, curved leaf shape reminiscent of a bird's beak, offers a unique and exotic choice for bonsai enthusiasts.

Originating from the tropical forests of Asia, this bonsai variety captivates with its vibrant green leaves and the occasional appearance of yellowish-orange blooms that add a burst of color to its aesthetic. The Parrot Beak is particularly noted for its rapid growth and adaptability, making it a favorite among both beginners and seasoned collectors.

As a tropical bonsai, it not only enhances the beauty of any space but also embodies the enchanting allure of the tropics, bringing an air of warmth and intrigue to homes and gardens alike.

It can act as deciduous when the weather turns colder, and can survive outdoors into the mid to low 30's!

Placement

A parrot beak makes a wonderful indoor bonsai over the winter, but it enjoys to be outdoors when the temperature is above 50 degrees.  Make sure it gets few hours of sun (morning sun, with afternoon shade is best.)

Over the winter, place your gmelina bonsai on a windowsill getting a few hours of sunlight per day (south facing is best, north is worst.)

Watering

The parrot beak bonsai is tropical plant.  This means it likes water, but no more than most other bonsai. And like all bonsai, it doesn’t like to be fully dried out.  That would kill it!

A few times a week should suffice when it’s indoors with decent humidity, and daily over the summer when outdoors would be fine as well.

Humidity

When you take your parrot beak bonsai tree inside for the winter, using a humidity tray is recommended.

Fertilizing

Since your parrot beak bonsai is in a small pot, and not the ground, it needs nutrients.  A slow release (pellet based) fertilizer is perfect for this, and can be added sparingly every 1-2 months during the growing season.

Pruning & Trimming

Trim back the new growth to the farthest safe point that looks good to you — but never remove all of the new growth.

A regular trim will help keep your parrot beak bonsai tree short, while helping the trunk grow thicker.

Repotting

Repotting must be performed periodically on your bonsai, parrot beak included, when it’s root system has filled the pot.  If you can clearly see the roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, it’s time to repot your bonsai.

Generally, this means every 2-3 years for a deciduous tree and every 4-5 years for an evergreen.

Repotting should be done in mid-summer, when the tree is at it’s least fragile state.

The parrot beak bonsai, along with all of its soil, should be removed from the pot.  From there, you can trim away no more than 1/3rd of the root mass (1/4th is preferred.) 

Then you can repot the tree in the same pot, or give it a newer / bigger pot to thrive in.

After repotting, your bonsai’d parrot beak should be thoroughly watered.

Diseases, Insects & Other Pests

Your parrot beak bonsai can be treated for pests like a normal gmelina tree.  Just remember, your tree is miniature and will need a much smaller and more gentile dose of treatment.