How to make a bonsai with crape myrtle flowers
Crape myrtle flowers have become an excellent carrier of bonsai art with their curved branches and 100-day flowering period. Making crape myrtle bonsai can not only show the beauty of nature, but also experience the fun of gardening creation. By mastering the three core elements of variety selection, modeling, and scientific maintenance, you can create living works of art that are all seasons round. Selection criteria for basic varieties of crape myrtle bonsai cultivation selecting dwarf crape myrtle varieties can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Horticultural varieties such as Japanese dwarf crape myrtle and red leaf crape myrtle have the characteristics of short, dense internodes and small leaves. Grafting thick stem old piles in late autumn can accelerate the formation, and wild crape myrtle old piles can be transformed by cutting trunks and storing branches, and a vigorous skeleton can be formed in two years. The technical points of pot application are shallow pottery pots for easier control. The pot soil is prepared according to the ratio of murus soil: red jade soil: river sand =5:3:2. During planting, methods such as exposing roots and oblique planting are used to highlight the aesthetic feeling of the roots. The main stem and the pot edge are in a golden section ratio. Bagging and moisturizing after planting can increase the survival rate to more than 90%. Crape myrtle bonsai modeling skills Trim and shape the leaves after the leaves are fallen, and the skeleton is trimmed to retain 2-3 bud points to promote the emergence of new branches. During the growth period, picking and length control technology is used. From May to June, 3 leaves of the new branches are left to be picked repeatedly, and aluminum wire is used to shape classic shapes such as swimming dragon style and cliff style. Flowering control secret method immediately after flowering, cut off residual flowers and top dressing, combined with 45 days of water control treatment, the effect of bursting flowers that blooms three times a year can be achieved. Spraying 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate +0.1% boric acid solution on foliar surfaces can increase the number of inflorescences by 40%, and the saturation of flower colors can be significantly increased. Intelligent management of water and fertilizer for daily maintenance of crape myrtle bonsai maintains soil moisture at 40%-60% in spring and autumn, and sprays the canopy in the morning and evening in summer. Implement the strategy of "thin fertilizer and diligent application", apply cake fertilizer water diluted by 200 times every week from March to June, and increase bone meal from September to enhance cold resistance. Root system management When changing pots in early spring every two years, 1/3 of the protective soil is reserved and the outer old roots are removed in a circular manner. Volcanic rock is used to lay the bottom to enhance air permeability. After changing the pot, place it in a scattered light place to slow down the seedlings for 20 days, and use HB-101 vital element to promote the germination of new roots.
Through the systematic crape myrtle bonsai production system, it usually takes 3-5 years from pile selection to forming. It is recommended to regularly observe growth nodes, establish a maintenance log to record changes in temperature and humidity, and adjust management strategies based on different growth stages to finally cultivate a fine crape myrtle bonsai that combines ornamental value and artistic value.