How to quickly create a banyan tree penjing
Do you know these? Here is an introduction to making a banyan tree penjing, including how to quickly create an old banyan tree trunk penjing. The following is a brief introduction for netizens.
Using banyan trees to create penjing is most popular in the southern provinces, but it is not easy to cultivate a good piece: first, wild old trunks often grow in rock crevices, making it difficult to dig with roots, and there is a saying that without roots, the banyan tree does not form a scene; second, it takes time and effort to cultivate young trees into ancient and majestic trunks with certain ornamental value. How to quickly cultivate large banyan tree trunks and shorten the shaping period? After years of practice, the author introduces several simple methods for reference by beginners in penjing.
One, multiple branches combined insertion:
After Qingming Festival, coordinating with the pruning of banyan trees, select branches of different sizes, cut them into插插枝 of varying heights, and bundle them together according to the shaping requirements, insert them into the loose soil (they can also be planted separately and then combined), allowing the roots to naturally intersect. After they survive, use a small knife to cut the bark where the branches are connected, allowing them to fit together and stick as one.
The following year, after Qingming, dig them up, comb the rootlets, shorten the thick roots, and temporarily delay pruning the branches to fully utilize photosynthesis to nourish the trunk. Heavy pruning is usually best done during the dormant period to avoid excessive loss of white sticky fluid, which can affect plant growth. Then plant them in the ground to promote root growth, accelerate adhesion, and remove dead branches and embedded ones. In case of poor adhesion, the method can be supplemented year by year.
In the third year, around Qingming, prune and shape, pot and cultivate to control the unlimited extension of rootlets. Prune or pinch off again around the beginning of autumn to promote branching. At the same time, use methods such as bark peeling, groove carving, and hammering on the original插干 to promote aging. After a few more years of cultivation, the插枝 will thicken, and the mutual compression will form an uneven whole, with the tree top showing the appearance of an ancient banyan tree trunk. Then lift the roots for pot display. At this point, an ancient banyan tree penjing is basically cultivated.
Two, direct insertion of old trunk:
Banyan trees have strong viability and are easy to survive after cutting. Even old cuttings can survive with careful care. The best time for cutting is around Qingming, when the average daily temperature is not lower than 20°C.
Collection of old trunks:
First, select branches and trunks with potential for cultivation are selected from old banyan trees and cut for insertion; second, banyan trees growing in mountainous rock crevices can have their trunks taken but roots cannot be dug, so the trunks are taken for root culture. Generally, they are first inserted in the ground and then potted, or directly inserted into larger pots or jars to cultivate and shape them into a scene. With careful care, they can be rooted and lifted in three years.
For areas lacking roots, two methods can be used:
One is stripping the bark to promote root growth, that is, making a small groove about 1 to 2 centimeters wide on the trunk where roots are needed using a small knife or woodworker's chisel, stripping the bark, and if multiple roots need to be补充, the grooves should be misaligned to absorb nutrients without causing necrosis of the surrounding bark layer; the other is grafting young trees to补充 roots, that is, making a vertical groove on the trunk where roots are needed, and then embedding a young seedling with roots, stripping part of the bark, into the groove, fixing it with a support. The length and width of the groove should match the grafted seedling. After the bark layer completely adheres, the root is retained and the trunk is removed. In 1994, the author dug a桩坯 of a large-leaf banyan tree, whose roots were deeply buried in the rock crevices and could not be dug, but its trunk was elegant and regrettable to discard. After cutting the old trunk for insertion and cultivating it for a few years, it is now lush and has been lifted twice to form a landscape. If a variety with smaller leaves is used to replace the canopy, it will have higher ornamental value.
Three, combined planting:
Combined planting is an ideal method to thicken and age effectively. According to the design, select 3 to 5 young trees of 2 to 3 years old, after Qingming, cut the branches and roots, cross them and combine them into one, plant them in pots with high soil, and cultivate them. According to the growth situation, prune and shape them and gradually remove the soil to expose the roots. They can become a scene after three years. In early April 1995, the author used 5 young trees of different sizes of thin-leaf banyan trees for combined planting and shaping. Now they are pressed together and have a full canopy with aerial roots, showing the charm of a natural ancient tree. To further enhance the ornamental value, starting from the second year after combined planting, branches of Indian banyan trees with smaller leaves are grafted in batches every year, making the leaves smaller and more artistic.
Four, thickening by grafting:
For multi-year banyan trees with trunks still too small or less than ideal shapes, young trees can be grafted around to thicken them. When digging banyan桩坯 from the mountains, although the trunks are old, the roots and branches may not be ideal. The old trunks can be used for grafting to补充 the trunk and roots, and a landscape can be formed in 3 to 5 years. To further enhance ornamental value, larger leaves can be grafted with smaller leaf species. Grafting should note: high-air budding or grafting is good, but if the technique is not skilled and the temperature is not suitable, the survival rate is not high. It is best to graft with roots and soil in the air, that is, using a small plastic bag to wrap the root with soil for grafting, which can achieve a survival rate of 100%.
After surviving, the seedlings close to the main trunk are buried in the soil on the trunk to make them extend and thicken, thickening the main trunk; for seedlings far from the main trunk, some are rooted and some are branchless, some are rootless and some are branchless, and some roots and branches are retained to cultivate the roots into hanging false aerial roots, which are hung on the branches for a unique interest. In 1995, the author bought a mountain thin-leaf banyan桩坯 with few branches and an upper base of the main trunk. Except for three thick roots, all the thin roots were gone. After two years of cultivation, the roots were still thin and not long, and the roots could not be exposed. Later, Indian banyan seedlings were grafted around the original桩, thickening the roots and trunk, which not only changed the tree shape but also made the leaves smaller. However, the left branch was thin and short, making the overall tree shape an equilateral triangle. Later, a rooted seedling was grafted to lengthen the branch, and its roots were retained. Using a mineral water bottle without a bottom, the roots were filled with soil and placed directly on the pot surface. After the roots were deeply rooted, the plastic bottle was removed, forming a thick fake aerial root. This method is easy to thicken both roots and trunks and compensates for the defect of a small base.
The above content on how to quickly create a banyan tree penjing is hoped to be helpful to green plant enthusiasts!