Bonsai pine maintenance skills, the art of creating greenery in the home

Selecting Pots and Soil, Watering and Fertilizing, Pruning and Shaping, Lighting and Temperature, Pest and Disease ControlBonsai pine, as one of the traditional arts of our country, is deeply loved by a large number of bonsai enthusiasts for its unique shape and profound cultural heritage. It is not easy to cultivate a good pot of bonsai pine. This article will introduce you to the maintenance skills of bonsai pine in detail, helping you create an artistic landscape full of greenery in your home.Selecting Pots and Soil1. Selecting Pots: The pots for bonsai pine should be made of ceramic or purple sand with good breathability and strong drainage. The size of the pot should match the size of the pine tree, not too large or too small.2. Soil: The soil for bonsai pine should be loose, well-drained, and breathable, generally mixed in a certain proportion of peat soil, decomposed leaf soil, and sandy soil.Watering and Fertilizing1. Watering: Bonsai pine prefers a humid environment but dislikes waterlogging. Watering should be flexible according to the season, weather, and the dryness or moisture of the potting soil. In high summer temperatures, the watering frequency can be appropriately increased; in low winter temperatures, the watering frequency should be reduced.2. Fertilizing: During the growing season, fertilize with a compound fertilizer once a month. During the period of vigorous growth, the amount of fertilizer can be appropriately increased. After fertilizing, water in time to prevent fertilizer damage.Pruning and Shaping1. Pruning: The pruning of bonsai pine includes thinning, cutting, and notching. Thinning is mainly to remove sick and weak branches, crossed branches, and dense branches; cutting is to prune the canopy and adjust the tree shape; notching is to prune the bark to increase the texture of the bark.2. Shaping: The shaping of bonsai pine can be carried out according to personal preferences and the growth habits of the pine tree. Common shapes include straight-trunked style, curved-trunked style, and cliff style.Lighting and Temperature1. Lighting: Bonsai pine prefers a semi-shaded environment and should avoid direct sunlight. In high summer temperatures, the bonsai pine should be placed in a ventilated and semi-shaded area.2. Temperature: The suitable temperature for the growth of bonsai pine is between 15-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, it should be moved to an indoor or greenhouse environment for maintenance.Pest and Disease Control1. Diseases: Common diseases of bonsai pine include black spot disease and anthracnose. When diseases are found, the diseased branches should be removed in a timely manner, and fungicides should be used for prevention and control.2. Pests: Common pests of bonsai pine include scale insects and red spiders. When pests are found, insecticides can be used for prevention and control.The maintenance skills of bonsai pine are an art that requires patience and carefulness. By mastering the above techniques, we believe that you will be able to cultivate a beautiful bonsai pine and add a touch of greenery to your home. In this process, we should also pay attention to industry trends and understand the latest maintenance technologies and methods to continuously improve our maintenance level.References:Chinese Bonsai Art Magazine: "Chinese Bonsai Art," Issue 3, 2018, pages 20-25.Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture: "Report on the Development of the Chinese Bonsai Industry," 2019, pages 35-40.