How to Care for a Bonsai Maple Tree
The editor will explain how to care for a bonsai maple tree and the related knowledge of maple bonsai maintenance and management, as introduced below:
Maple is a deciduous small tree of the Aceraceae family, Acer genus, and one of the varieties of Acer palmatum. In spring and autumn, the bright red leaves on the full tree have very high ornamental value and are often planted in gardens and courtyards, or can be planted in pots to create different shapes of bonsai. Below, let's talk about the cultivation methods of potted maple.
1. Growth Habit Requirements
1. Light
Maple trees enjoy light and can tolerate shade, but are afraid of strong sunlight. They prefer neutral to slightly shaded light. The potted plant can be placed in a place with plenty of scattered light for maintenance, with some exposure to sunlight.
2. Temperature
Maple trees prefer cool temperatures, with a suitable growth temperature of 18 to 25 degrees Celsius. They can withstand temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, but the cold resistance of potted maple trees is a bit poorer, and they can be maintained on the balcony in winter.
3. Soil
Maple trees do not have high requirements for soil fertility, but potted maple trees can choose soil rich in humus, which can help the plant's branches and leaves thrive and also improve resistance. It is suitable to choose loose, humus-rich, neutral, or slightly acidic sandy loam, usually using special maple cultivation soil.
4. Watering
Maple trees prefer moisture but are afraid of waterlogging. The potting soil should be kept slightly moist. More watering is needed during the growing season, especially in summer, when water should be applied in the morning and evening. Less watering is needed in winter, with waterings every 3 to 5 days.
5. Fertilization
When potting or repotting for the first time, a base fertilizer should be added to the bottom of the pot. In autumn, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers can be used. During the growing season, fertilization is needed, with a thin liquid fertilizer applied every 15 days after decomposition.
2. Management Measures
1. Disease and Pest Control
The main diseases and pests of maple trees include powdery mildew, brown spot, leafhoppers, tussock moths, and longicorn beetles, which need to be controlled in a timely manner. Chemical pesticides can be used for spraying, and when diseases occur, the diseased branches and leaves should be cut off and incinerated.
2. Pruning
Yellow leaves should be pruned in a timely manner, and shaping can be done after autumn defoliation, pruning excess Luxuriant branches, diseased branches, dead branches, and crossing branches. Maple trees usually have red new leaves, which turn green in summer and red in late autumn. If you want the leaves to turn red提前, you can pick some leaves in August to promote the growth of red new leaves.
3. Potting and Soil Replacement
It is usually necessary to change the pot every 2 to 3 years, preferably in spring or autumn for potting or repotting.
3. Propagation Methods
1. Cutting Method
Potted maple trees are usually propagated using the cutting method. It is generally carried out from June to July, cutting about 20 cm long healthy branches of the current year as cuttings. Keep the cuttings moist, and before planting, the cutting ends should be dipped in 5 seconds of 1000 mg/kg naphthylacetic acid, then planted in the cultivation matrix, which should be a mixture of vermiculite and pond mud. After planting, do not expose to sunlight and keep the soil moist, roots can grow in about 30 days.
2. Seedling Method
Maple seeds mature from September to October and should be soaked in cold water for one day to induce germination before sowing in the spring of the following year.
3. Grafting Method
Usually, in early spring, 2 to 4-year-old Acer palmatum is used as the rootstock for grafting propagation, and bud grafting can also be done in late autumn. Usually, a full and plump bud from the current year's healthy short branches of maple is used as the scion. The leaf stalk on the grafting bud should be 1 cm long. If the leaf stalk falls when touched after 7 days, it means the grafting has been successful.
The above is some experience and knowledge about how to care for a bonsai maple tree and the maintenance and management of maple bonsai, hoping that reading this article can be of some help to you!