How to care for a plum blossom bonsai
For many girls, how to care for a plum blossom bonsai and the related knowledge of plum blossom bonsai maintenance and management, the editor will introduce to everyone next.
Red plum is a type of plum blossom, belonging to the Rosaceae Prunus属 deciduous small trees. Red plum blooms in winter and spring, known as the harbinger of spring, blooming alone before hundreds of flowers. Red plum can be planted alone, in clusters, or in groups in gardens, green spaces, courtyards, and scenic spots; it can also be naturally cultivated in front of houses, on slopes, by rocks, and on roadsides. Red plum can also be grown in pots for appreciation.
Plum blossoms are native to south of the Yangtze River, prefer warm climates, and have a certain cold resistance. The flowering period is very sensitive to climate changes. It can still bloom at temperatures below 0℃ in early spring. Plum blossoms like higher humidity in the air, but avoid heavy rain during the flowering period.梅花 can grow well in areas with annual rainfall of 1000mm or slightly more, and it is not strict about soil requirements, relatively tolerant to infertility. It can also grow normally in slightly alkaline soil. According to the experience of Jiangnan, when planted in compact subsoil such as gritty clay and gritty loam, the branches of the plum are full and the flowering and fruiting are abundant. It is a positive tree species, preferring充足 sunshine and good ventilation. It is a long-lived species. How to prune and care for a red plum bonsai?
I. Red plum propagation methods: The propagation of plum blossoms usually adopts methods such as seeding, cutting, grafting, and layering, mainly using grafting.
1. Grafting propagation: Common rootstocks for plum blossom grafting include plum, apricot, peach, cherry, wild cherry, etc. Grafting methods can include cut grafting, split grafting, wood tongue grafting, bark grafting, adjacent grafting, square bud grafting, sleeve bud grafting, and "T" shape bud grafting.
2. Cutting propagation: Hardwood cuttings are carried out after autumn defoliation, using one-year-old lignified branches, cutting 8-10 cm long and inserting them into a pre-prepared seedbed. The depth of insertion is two-thirds of the cutting length. After insertion, spray water, strengthen maintenance, and keep the seedbed moist for a high survival rate. To speed up the rooting of plum cuttings and increase the number of roots, plant growth hormones can be used to treat the cuttings during insertion, which has a significant effect on root promotion. Common growth hormones include indole butyric acid, indole acetic acid, naphthyl acetic acid, 2,4-D, and rooting powder, all of which have a good effect on promoting plum rooting. For example, using 50-100ppm indole butyric acid to treat old branches, and 5-225ppm indole butyric acid to treat young branches for greenwood cuttings. Tie the branches into bundles and soak them in the solution for 12-24 hours. Dipping the cutting ends in a 1000ppm 2,4-D powder also has a significant effect on root promotion. Soaking the base of the branches in 0.1-0.5% potassium permanganate for 10-24 hours can also sterilize and promote rooting.
3. Layering propagation: Plum layering propagation is divided into low layering and high layering, carried out in May-June or mid-to-late October. Low layering is to select branches close to the ground, choosing 2-3-year-old strong branches 25-30 cm long, using low layering. Make a 1 cm incision with a small knife (the position of the incision should be buried in the soil when the branch is pressed into the ground), buried the incision part in the soil and fixed it with stones, pressing it tightly, keeping the branch tip upward and preventing the branch from swaying. When it is time to plant, dig the pressed soil to observe, cut the rooted layering from the end close to the mother plant, separate it from the mother plant, and it becomes a planting seedling. With proper care, it can take root in about 20 days, and can be separated from the mother plant and planted after 2 months.
4. Seeding propagation: Seed propagation is not commonly used because the growth rate of seedlings is relatively slow and flowering is also late. Plum seeds can be sown in spring and autumn. Generally, plum fruits mature in June-July, and the fruits should be harvested in time after they change color, then clean and dry the seeds. If you want to choose spring sowing, you should first dry the seeds and then store them in wet sand, and then sow them early in the spring. If you sow in autumn, harvest the seeds in June-July and clean and dry them. Sow them in the soil in autumn and cover the seeds with fine soil. They will germinate and grow next spring. When the seedlings grow to about 10-15 cm, they can be transplanted.
II. Preparation of potting soil for red plum bonsai: When growing red plum at home, potting is usually adopted. The first step in potting is to prepare the cultivation soil. Preparing the cultivation soil is very important. A flowerpot is a special small environment. No matter which type of soil is used alone, it cannot meet the various needs of red plum for soil. Therefore, potting red plum must be artificially prepared to replace soil and fix the flowers in the pot. It should have certain water retention, drainage, and be loose, fertile, and well-ventilated. The potting soil for red plum should be selected from loose and fertile sandy loam and mixed with an appropriate amount of decomposed cake fertilizer. The prepared potting soil is best sterilized at high temperatures (fried in an iron pot or steamed) before use, or it can also be sunned to kill bacteria.
III. Potting: First, place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot, then add some decomposed cake fertilizer, crushed bones, fish bones, chicken feathers, etc., and then fill in the potting soil. Each cluster must have 2-3 plants, and the roots should be preserved; when planting, trim the long lateral roots, injured roots, and excess fibrous roots, and slightly trim the upper branches. Pay attention to the expansion of the roots during planting, fill the soil to half of the pot, gently lift and shake the red plum plant, compact the potting soil, and do not plant too deep. Keeping the rootstock level with the pot opening is fine. If it is too shallow, it will affect survival; if it is too deep, it will affect the growth of the red plum after transplantation. After planting, water thoroughly. newly planted plants should avoid long exposure to strong sunlight because their roots have not yet developed well. After potting, water twice thoroughly. After planting, keep it in a shaded environment for about a week, and then move it to a sunny place for maintenance after the roots recover.
IV. Pruning: Red plum has a strong germination force and easily produces long branches. It is necessary to pay attention to shaping and pruning to promote the germination of lateral branches, maintain a good tree shape, and promote flower bud formation. Pruning is usually done after flowering. Red plum flower buds form on new branches in the same year. To increase flowering, pruning can be used to promote branching. Pruning of pot-grown red plum is heavier than that of ground-grown plants and should be thinned and shortened. Thoroughly thin the main and lateral branches that have bloomed, then short-cut the lateral branches on the main branches, leaving 2-3 buds. This can be combined with pot changing for heavy pruning, cutting off most of the branches, and removing some diseased and weak branches; replanting, adding soil, and watering thoroughly.
V. Daily Management
1. Watering management: Red plum fears waterlogging. Too much water can damage the roots and cause defoliation, affecting bud formation and flowering. Watering should follow the principle of dry and wet in different seasons, more in dry and hot seasons, and controlled in low temperature and rainy seasons. In summer, water once in the afternoon, and during rainy days, turn the pot over to promptly remove accumulated water. In autumn, reduce watering, and also reduce watering during flowering and leaf expansion periods.
2. Fertilization management: In addition to applying base fertilizer when potting or changing pots in spring, liquid fertilizer should be applied every 2 weeks during the summer growing period to promote vigorous plant growth and dark green leaves. Stop applying nitrogen fertilizer during the autumn bud formation period and increase a small amount of quick-acting phosphorus fertilizer to control plant growth and promote flower bud differentiation.
3. Thin the buds before flowering.
4. Change pots once a year after spring flowering.
The above content introduces how to care for a plum blossom bonsai and the specific management of plum blossom bonsai maintenance. If it can help you, remember to visit the website often!