How to shape the crape myrtle flower bonsai
Crape myrtle flowers have become a popular choice for bonsai art due to their unique bark texture and long-lasting flowering period. However, to create a crape myrtle bonsai with both form and spirit, you need to master the golden rules of shape and maintenance secrets. This article will explain in detail the three core techniques to help you create a crape myrtle bonsai with great artistic value. Basic techniques for the modeling of crape myrtle flower bonsai multi-stem twisting and thickening method Select 3-5 sprouting branches from the base, spirally wrap them around 1/3 of the height of the trunk, and fix them with elastic cloth strips. When ligating is carried out from March to April every year, a 1mm deep incision needs to be carved on the contact surface to promote healing. After 2-3 years of growth, the neocortex will completely merge to form a vigorous and powerful composite trunk. Seedling weaving and modeling technique Plant 5-7 2-year-old seedlings together and form a hollow shape through cross-weaving. The key is to retain 20% of the branch space to ensure photosynthesis efficiency. It is recommended to use copper wire to assist in shaping and adjust the winding angle quarterly. After three years, a natural tree cage landscape can be formed. Advanced techniques for pruning crape myrtle flowers in winter after shaping and pruning the fallen leaves, implement strong shearing, retain the 60-cm inner skeleton branches of the main trunk, and remove the inner bore branches and parallel branches. Focus on cultivating 3-5 main branches, retaining 2-3 bud points for each main branch, and maintaining the pruning angle of 45°-60 ° to form a well-layered umbrella-shaped structure. During the growth period, fine management is carried out when new shoots grow to 15cm, and 4-6 true leaves are retained. After flowering, cutting off the 3 branches under the residual flowers in time and combining it with 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer can promote three flowering times. Note that the cutting must be 0.5cm away from the bud point and have a 30° slope. Crape myrtle flower special modeling process Antique bark treatment method Select branches more than 3 years old, use a blunt knife to scratch the epidermis longitudinally to the xylem, and apply the original solution of stone sulfur mixture. After treatment, it is placed in a semi-cloudy environment for maintenance. After 2 months, the wound will form silver-white turtle cracks, recreating the vicissitudes of a century-old tree. The old leaves were removed in three batches before and after the seasonal leaf control secret technique: the bottom layer 1/3 of the leaves were removed for the first time, and the middle layer was picked again at an interval of 10 days to retain the top new leaves. Combined with the application of potassium fertilizer, new leaves can remain green until frost falls, extending the viewing period by more than 45 days.
Through systematic design and continuous maintenance, the crape myrtle flower bonsai can achieve the four-season viewing effect of "viewing buds in spring, appreciating flowers in summer, appreciating red leaves in autumn, and appreciating cold branches in winter." It is recommended to turn the pot and prune the roots every 2 years, and use aluminum wire to fine-tune the tree shape to make your crape myrtle bonsai a real living work of art.