How to prune plum blossoms
As the first of the top ten famous flowers in China, plum blossoms have been highly respected by literati and scholars since ancient times. Scientific pruning is the key to allowing plum piles to show their vigorous shape and realize the beautiful scenery that blooms every year. This article will systematically explain the three golden periods and practical skills of plum pruning, and teach you hands-on how to create a plum bonsai with far-reaching artistic conception. Three golden periods of plum pruning. Post-flowering pruning: The key stage of reshaping is from March to April. After the end of flowering period, the best period for reshaping is the best period for reshaping. At this time, priority should be given to cutting off all residual flowers to avoid nutrient consumption. For old piles over two years old, emphasis should be placed on dealing with branches with damaged shapes such as crossed branches and parallel branches, and 45° oblique branches should be retained to enhance the three-dimensional effect. It is recommended to retain 3-5 main branches for potted plum blossoms, and 7-9 main branches for locally planted plants to ensure ventilation and light transmission. Pruning during growth period: Core skills for regulating growth are toppled and picked when new branches grow to 20cm from May to June. The main branch remains truncated at 15-18cm, and the lateral branches are controlled at about 12cm. Special note: Oblique shearing method should be used for lignified branches, and the incision should be 0.5cm away from the bud eye to avoid stagnant water and rot in the rainy season. Combined with 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer, it can promote the germination of secondary branches. Pre-bud pruning: The secret to doubling the number of flowers during the flower bud differentiation period from October to November, focus on thinning the dense branch group. According to the principle of "remove the straight and leave the crooked, remove the weak and leave the strong", shrink the long branches by 1/3, and retain 2-3 full flower buds on each branch. Pruning at this time can concentrate nutrients and increase the number of flower buds by more than 30%. Apply healing cream in time after pruning to prevent the invasion of germs.
While mastering the three major pruning essentials, we also need to cooperate with scientific maintenance: use decomposed soybean cake fertilizer as base fertilizer, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer monthly during the growing period, and keep the soil slightly acidic (PH5.5-6.5). Through reasonable pruning and fine management, your plum blossoms will surely present the poetic beauty of "thin shadows, horizontal slopes, clear water."