How to Cultivate梅花 Bonsai
If you want to know how to cultivate梅花 bonsai and related topics about the care and management of梅花 bonsai, let's take a look together.
Cultivation Techniques for 梅花 Bonsai
One, wild梅花 is suitable for small-size bonsai.
There are many varieties of梅花, roughly divided into wild梅花, red-flowered, Fuyoshi, and apricot-flavored types.
Among them, wild梅花 has the thickest trunk and the easiest shape to cultivate, making it the most suitable for small-size potted plants and the most cultivated variety.
Wild梅花 refers to the common local variety, which blooms white single flowers with a very fragrant aroma. There are also famous varieties such as Chaque, Ruyue, HanHong, and Dongzhi.
Apricot-flavored梅花, though the flower color is good, lacks the defect of fragrance. Red and crimson梅花, with poor trunk thickness, are not suitable for small-size bonsai. Fuyoshi梅花 (peach system variety) has large flowers, making it unsuitable for small-size bonsai.
Wild梅花 trunks easily become thick and the tree height is low, making it easy for even small-size potted plants to present the appearance of ancient trees. It is best to choose a wild梅花 tree stump that has bloomed. Because once it has bloomed, it will bloom many flowers every year.
Two, Tips for Small-Size Bonsai
Choose a sturdy branch as the top-grade material, after purchasing the material, it can be trimmed to create a small-size bonsai. This is the secret to making the flowers bloom well every year. Trimming must be done at the right time. Generally, it is done after flowering, before the leaf buds grow, but at this time, it should be trimmed slightly (refer to the section on transplantation later). Then, in the following year, from August to September after the flower buds have grown, leave the flower buds and cut off unnecessary branches and overgrown ones.梅花 extends its branches from spring to summer, and the branches grow flower buds from mid-to-late August to early September. Flower buds grow at the leaf joint and branch parts, slightly rounded with two buds. Leaf buds are slightly pointed small buds, growing only one, which can be easily distinguished from flower buds. Then, keep the branches with many flower buds, cut off the long ends of the branches, and remove the overgrown and tangled ones. But at the same time, the root and trunk extension must be done well [Jishan Huayao].
If the material is still a young tree, wire the branches to shape them, expose the top of the roots to sunlight, and do root extension.
The tree shape is generally model wood and slanting trunk, and wire is applied to match its needs. The trunk can be made to have the feel of ancient wood, and the tree top can present the fun of small-size bonsai.
Three, Precautions for Potting
梅花 needs to be repotted every year, after flowering, during the period when leaf buds stretch. Early blooming varieties like Cold梅花 have a long period, so once the flowers are seen, cut about one node of the branch tip and repot after the cold period. Repot around spring. It is also possible to trim and repot around March. Cut the branch tip, loosen the roots, cut off 1/2 and then repot. At this time, plant the roots higher, which is the secret of repotting. If the roots are slightly higher, the root tips can be fully exposed to sunlight, and the root development will also improve, not only the root extension becomes better, but also during the important period of flower bud growth in summer, as long as it is fully exposed to sunlight, a large number of flower buds will grow.
In addition, most flowering plants absorb enough water during the flower bud growth period, so moderate water is necessary, but it should not be too wet. Water thoroughly when it is dry to some extent. Due to dryness, planting the roots higher also has benefits.
The soil for repotting is a mixture of red earth and Kiryu sand. Since it is a small-size bonsai, use fine-grained soil free of dust.
Four, Fertilization and Pest Control
Fertilizer can be a mixture of oil cake and bone meal as a base fertilizer, applied twice a month from spring to autumn. But about half a month after repotting, it will encounter the plum rain season, and pesticides need to be used to eliminate pests and diseases.
This article shares a comprehensive introduction on how to cultivate梅花 bonsai and the care and management of梅花 bonsai, hoping to bring some knowledge about green plants to green plant enthusiasts.