How to cultivate banyan bonsai
Today, the editor will introduce how to cultivate banyan bonsai and share some experience on the green plant maintenance aspect of banyan cultivation techniques. Below, the editor will answer your questions in detail.
By paying attention to five key points of maintenance, banyan bonsai can grow vigorously and have an elegant posture.
Banyan trees have a graceful posture, sturdy and ancient appearance, are evergreen throughout the year, and symbolize longevity and auspiciousness. They have always been popular among people and are often crafted into beautiful bonsai for appreciation.
Banyan trees prefer a warm and humid environment. When maintaining them as household potted plants, it is necessary to provide a good growing environment, ensuring proper watering, fertilizing, and lighting to make the plants thrive.
I. Planting Cultivation Soil
Banyan trees are acid-loving plants. The potting soil should be rich in organic matter and have good water permeability and breathability. A mixture of decomposed leaf soil, peat soil, garden soil, coal slag, and coarse sand can be used as the cultivation soil. If the soil becomes too alkaline, it can cause the leaves to turn yellow and the plant to grow weakly.
II. Watering Requirements
Banyan trees are moisture-loving plants. During maintenance, the potting soil should be kept slightly moist, avoiding excessive dryness or waterlogging. Long-term waterlogging can easily cause a large number of yellow leaves and leaf fall. Each watering should be done when the soil is dry on the surface, and watered thoroughly. During the hot summer season, the potted plant should be placed in a shady and well-ventilated area, and water should be sprinkled on the plant frequently to cool down and increase humidity.
III. Fertilization Management
Plant growth is inseparable from sufficient nutrients. If the plant is not fertilized for a long time and lacks nutrients, the leaf edges will also turn yellow, and the bottom leaves will gradually fall off. To make the plant grow vigorously, a compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied once a month, or some well-fermented organic liquid fertilizer can be applied frequently.
When fertilizing banyan trees, it is not advisable to apply too much nitrogen fertilizer. It is best to use a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, otherwise, it will cause the branches and leaves to grow excessively, losing the original tree shape and affecting the ornamental effect.
IV. Proper Lighting
When the plant lacks light for a long time, it will affect normal growth and cause leaves to turn yellow and fall. Sufficient lighting can make the plant grow vigorously and the leaves greener and brighter. Therefore, the potted plant should also be moved to a sunny place frequently to allow the plant to photosynthesize better. However, in summer, it is necessary to avoid strong sunlight to prevent sunburn on the tender leaves.
V. Pruning and Shaping
Banyan bonsai branches and leaves grow quickly, and they need to be pruned and shaped frequently, while also cultivating the root system to achieve a perfect combination. Banyan styling mainly involves cutting, with wiring as a supplement. For young plants one or two years old, it is not advisable to prune excessively. Let them grow first. If there are too many tangled branches, a small number of tangled branches can be cut in spring. After they grow thicker and stronger, appropriate pruning can be done.
For mature banyan bonsai, cut the excessive growth branches, overlapping branches, weak and diseased branches, and intersecting branches during spring and autumn to make the overall plant look sparse and dense, harmonious, and natural.
Banyan trees are a southern species, preferring a warm and humid climate. When growing them as potted plants in northern regions, efforts should be made to provide a warm and humid environment, and the potted plants should be moved to a warm room for maintenance after winter.
The above is an introduction to how to cultivate banyan bonsai and the methods of banyan cultivation techniques, which can be used as a reference for everyone.