How does the June Snow bonsai survive the winter
For most women, the topics related to how the June Snow bonsai survives the winter and the cultivation methods of June Snow green plants are introduced in detail below.
June Snow is a semi-evergreen small shrub, native to the southwestern region of China. It belongs to the Rubiaceae family and is commonly associated with plants such as the white flower snake tongue grass favored by traditional Chinese medicine, popular flowers like gardenia and lysimachia.
Miniature forest style, good lighting, Figure 1
In the Rubiaceae family, June Snow is considered a top student-level class flower, although there are not many varieties and the flower colors are simple, with only white, pink, and light purple.
However, June Snow has small and dense leaves, thin leathery texture; the branches are strong and flexible, with strong germination and branching abilities; it adapts well to various climates, surviving in both humid and dry air; it can also adapt to slightly acidic, weakly alkaline, and neutral humus soil; compared to other subtropical plants in the north, June Snow as a potted plant grows better indoors.
Combined with its suitable shaping characteristics, it has become one of the top four choices for beginner bonsai enthusiasts, along with catalpa, Japanese apricot, and Vitex negundo. However, growing June Snow indoors in the north often results in yellow leaves, root rot, and lost branches.
Curved trunk style bonsai, Figure 2
1. Adapting to the humus soil for June Snow
Although June Snow is highly adaptable outdoors, this is because it can obtain many resources from nature to supplement nutrition and moisture.
But as a potted plant, confined to a small space, if the humus soil does not meet its survival requirements, some branches may become dry at the tips, leading to lost branches; the leaves are brittle and lack flexibility, breaking easily when folded by hand; the leaves may wilt during the day and recover at night.
When this happens, it can be inferred that part of the roots are rotting. Root rot in June Snow needs to be addressed by looking at the soil mixture, often due to accumulated water in the humus soil or difficulty in drainage and water渗透, resulting in heavy and poorly ventilated soil.
Highly permeable potting soil, Figure 3
When leaves wilt and small branches dry out, relying solely on medication is not very effective. We need to change the pot in time. When repotting, it is important to maintain the humus soil slightly acidic, loose and permeable, sandy and non-accumulating water, but the humus soil matrix must be fine and not rough.
A layer of coarse river sand 3-5 cm thick can be placed at the bottom of the pot, then a mixture of sandy garden soil, peat soil, and fine river sand, in equal proportions of three; or a mixture of riverbed sediment soil, decomposed pine needle soil, akadama soil, and decomposed organic fertilizer can be used.
The best time to repot June Snow is before spring germination, but if root rot occurs in May or June, repotting should also be done promptly, moving the plant to a shaded and well-ventilated area, spraying water to keep it moist, and gradually increasing light and ventilation after the acclimatization period.
It is not necessary to wait until autumn or the following spring, as such a rigid approach may prevent June Snow from surviving until then.
How does the June Snow bonsai survive the winter
Moist potting soil, Figure 4
2. Adapting to the watering and fertilizing methods for June Snow
The characteristic of June Snow is that it likes both water and fertilizer and is drought-resistant. Yellow leaves and root rot are closely related to the humus soil and watering and fertilizing.
When growing June Snow bonsai in the north, first, pay attention to the quality of water. Try not to use tap water, although I often use tap water for irrigation, it can make the soil compact and is one of the causes of yellow leaves.
Second, if growing a potted bonsai indoors, and the humus soil does not accumulate water, it can be fertilized frequently and thinly during the growing season, applying a dilute organic fertilizer once a month, with chemical fertilizers mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, avoiding nitrogen fertilizers and concentrated fertilizers; if outdoor care is provided, the plant needs to be watered daily in summer and water and fertilizer should be controlled in winter, keeping the potting soil warm and slightly dry.
Note that too much or too little water can cause yellow leaves in June Snow, but as long as the humus soil does not accumulate water, less watering and no fertilizing during low temperatures generally cause no harm (Figure 4).
Exposure of roots and claws creates a good effect, Figure 5
3. Adapting to the lighting, ventilation, and temperature for June Snow
Firstly, June Snow likes sunlight but also tolerates shade. However, to have a vigorous growth, more flowers, rapid thickening, and good root lifting, more sunlight should be provided in spring and autumn (Figure 6); if you want the leaves to be thick and green, some shading is needed in summer. Without shading during the hot summer sun, the leaves will be full and old, with vigorous basal growth, but June Snow will remain healthy.
If lighting and ventilation are insufficient, the evaporation of potting soil is low, and there is too much water, the stipules will start to turn yellow first, followed by the leaves turning yellow and falling off.
Secondly, although June Snow can tolerate some cold, the temperature during wintering should not be lower than 0-5 degrees. After the leaves fall in winter and the plant enters a dormant period, the potting soil should be slightly moist, maintaining a slightly dry state. Remember not to place it near radiators or air conditioners.
Golden edge June Snow with no water accumulation in the humus soil, Figure 6
4. Propagation methods for June Snow
In daily management, there are two propagation methods for June Snow: cutting and division. June Snow branches have a strong rooting ability, and cutting is usually done before spring germination, taking one-year-old branches; or using young branches for cutting in June and July.
Using fine river sand, akadama soil, and alluvial soil as the matrix, cut the collected scions into lengths of 10-15 cm, leaving a few small leaves at the top, and make a smooth 45-degree diagonal cut at the bottom, then soak in root growth liquid for 30-60 minutes before burying in the sand.
After cutting, cover with humus and keep the matrix moist and well-ventilated, and it will root in about a month. If the temperature is too high and the matrix has too much water, it is easy for the scions to rot.
Division propagation can be done during repotting by cutting the basal suckers with a tool and pruning dense and long roots. Long main roots can be buried in sand to develop into small bonsai stock with roots as trunks.