Cultivation and Appreciation of Plum Blossom Bonsai
For most women, an introduction to the knowledge of making plum blossom bonsai, including its cultivation and appreciation, will be discussed together with you next.
Placement: Plum blossoms should be placed in a sunny and well-ventilated area. Although plum blossoms can endure cold and bloom in frost and snow, they still prefer warm conditions and thrive in southern climates. If cultivated in cold northern regions, they should be kept indoors during winter.
Watering: Usually, keep the potting soil moist, avoid watering when it's dry, and prevent water accumulation in the pot. From mid to late May to mid to late June, during the period of bud germination to formation, a "water reduction" process should be carried out, which means watering only when the potting soil is slightly curled and the new shoots are withered. Repeat this several times to destroy the growth points of new branches, causing the new shoots to stop growing and increasing the occurrence of flower buds, then gradually return to normal watering.
Fertilizing: Pay attention to the fertilizing season. Generally, during potting, bone meal or soybean cake can be placed at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer. Apply 1-2 times of cake fertilizer water as top dressing before the formation of flower buds in mid to late May, and again in early August, and one more time in autumn.
Pruning: To make the plum blossom bonsai look both ancient and strong, with numerous flowers, pruning is extremely important. Since plum flower buds are formed on the current year's new branches, every year after flowering, the old flower branches should be cut short, leaving only 2-3 buds, and attention should be paid to make the buds grow outward to ensure abundant and colorful flowers the following year. Plum blossom pruning can be divided into the following types:
1. Thinning: Remove various branches that affect the aesthetic appearance of the tree, such as intersecting, parallel, overlapping, opposite, vigorous, and dense, weak branches. Follow the principle of "not moving the old branches, keeping the strong and removing the weak."
2. Shortening: On the basis of thinning, cut the top part of the one-year-old branches after flowering. The degree of shortening depends on the shaping needs and growth vigor. For good growth, less shortening is needed, and for poor growth, more shortening is needed. Sometimes, a few long branches can be retained as needed. When shortening, the direction and angle of the branches should be considered to achieve a balanced density.
3. Bud removal: In April, when the current year's leaf buds grow to about 3 centimeters, some unnecessary buds are removed based on their position, density, and shaping needs. For buds on old trunks, remove them as they appear.
4. Pinching: In late June, when the new shoots reach a certain length, the top buds are removed to control the growth of the branches. The general length should be between 15-30 centimeters. For plum blossoms with poor germination, pinching can be done earlier to promote rebirth. When the plum tree is too old and its vigor declines, the following measures can be taken to rejuvenate it:
① Gradually cut off the lateral branches on the trunk year by year, or shorten them every year until they are removed from the base to achieve rejuvenation.
② Update thick branches and pay attention to wound protection to prevent the invasion of diseases and pests.
③ Cultivate the plum bonsai in the ground, preferably in a well-ventilated and sunny area with fertile and loose soil, and thin the branches at the same time. Potting: It is best to repot the plum blossom bonsai every 1-2 years, with the timing after flowering in March being ideal, or in November-December in winter. During potting, remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the old soil, cut off withered roots, shorten overgrown old roots, and replace them with humus-rich leaf mold or frozen loamy soil mixed with rice husk ash and sand.
Disease and Pest Control: The main diseases of plum blossoms include (T-J) disease, powdery mildew, leaf curl, soot blight, etc. The main pests include plum caterpillars, aphids, longicorn beetles, Japanese beetles, and tussock moths. Diseases can be controlled by spraying 0.5% Bordeaux mixture; pests can be controlled by spraying 80% dichlorvos at a dilution of 1500 times. If longicorn beetle larvae are found boring into the trunk, apply a cotton ball soaked in a mixture of 1 part dichlorvos and 0.5 parts light diesel oil to the pest hole, then seal it with wet soil. When using chemical pest control, avoid using dimethoate, as it can cause leaf drop and even death.
Appreciation
The plum tree has an elegant posture, with twisted trunks and斜横 branches, looking ancient and sturdy, which is very beautiful. The best time for appreciation is during the flowering period, usually in February to March. If you want the plum blossoms to flower during the Spring Festival, you can place the plum bonsai in a greenhouse with a temperature of about 10℃ about 40 days before the festival, ensuring plenty of sunlight and regular watering. Plum stake bonsai have beautiful colors, shapes, and charm, with excellent scent and taste.
Song Dynasty poet Yang万里 once wrote a poem about plum blossoms: "At first, the fragrance seems to break the nose, but later there's no fragrance or taste, as if the flower is drowsy at dusk, not knowing it is醉 by the flower." This is a description of the subtle fragrance of plum blossoms.
The above is the specific content of the cultivation and appreciation of plum blossom bonsai. If it can be of help to you, remember to visit the website often!