Winter Red Fruit Bonsai Cultivation and Shaping Techniques
An introduction to the creation of this bonsai, focusing on the cultivation and shaping techniques of Winter Red Fruit Bonsai, is as follows:
Winter Red Fruit, also known as Longevity Fruit, belongs to the Rosaceae family, Malus genus, deciduous shrubs or small trees. The branches are gray-brown, the leaves are alternate, elliptical to broadly elliptical, green, with rounded teeth on the edges. The corymbs are umbel-like, the flowers are light pink, and bloom from March to April. The fruit is ellipsoid, initially green, then gradually turning yellow, and finally bright red when mature, with a single fruit weight of 10-20g, smooth skin, beautiful and crystal-clear fruit, long observation period, the whole plant is full of fruit, does not fall in winter, and is easy to shape, making it an excellent plant material for fruit tree bonsai.
Winter Red Fruit prefers a sunny, cool, and dry environment, is cold-resistant but害怕 heat and humidity, and is suitable for growing in sandy soil rich in humus, loose and fertile, with good drainage.
1. Propagation of Winter Red Fruit
Apple, mountain hawthorn, or crabapple seedlings can be used as rootstocks, with plump buds near the middle as scions, and bud grafting can be performed from early August to late September. Branch grafting can also be done from March to April the following year. The grafting site should not be too high, generally 4-6cm from the ground. After grafting, promptly剪砧抹砧 in the following spring, strengthen nursery management, and promote vigorous growth of scions. When pruning in winter, leave a stump of 6-10cm, and in the following year, increase the spacing or replant, cultivate lateral branches according to the design, and complete the basic shaping. The timing of potting should be decided based on the cultivation direction of the bonsai. Early potting is suitable for mini or small bonsai, while delayed potting is better for quickly cultivating medium to large bonsai, continuing dwarfing control and shaping cultivation in the field.
2. Design and Cultivation of Winter Red Fruit Bonsai Shapes
The branches of Winter Red Fruit are relatively soft and can be bent into many shapes. Therefore, it can be freely designed according to the author's aesthetic taste, and different shaped Winter Red Fruit bonsais have their own characteristics and artistic effects.
2.1 Oblique Trunk Style
The trunk leans to one side, slightly curved, the branches extend horizontally outside the pot, the posture is comfortable, the shadow is horizontal, elegant and artistic; the whole shape is risky but stable, vivid and expressive, reflecting the artistic effect of the balance between the movement and tranquility of the tree.
2.2 Curved Trunk Style
The main trunk of the tree twists upwards, creating a variation, like a dragon. By coiling, the main trunk is bent, and the fine branches are also coiled.
2.3 Recumbent Trunk Style
The main trunk of the tree grows diagonally, lying or倾斜 on the pot surface, like a coiled dragon. The branches of the crown rise, as if struck by lightning or blown over by a strong wind, full of vitality, with an old and elegant posture, like a fallen tree meeting spring, a dragon, a tiger soaring, the posture of a tipsy old man waking up from drunkenness, full of wild charm.
2.4 Cliff Style
The main trunk has a significant bend near the base, drooping to the outside of the pot, like a tree hanging on a cliff, resembling a rapid stream, a dragon exploring the sea, or a waterfall pouring down, strong and graceful, with a unique artistic effect.
2.5 Rock Attached Style
The roots grow on the rock and then penetrate the soil through the rock crevices, or the entire root system grows in a stone cave, like an old tree growing on a mountain, with a "dragon's claws grasping the stone" posture, ancient and picturesque.
2.6 Thicket Style
More than two plants are planted together, with proper spacing, creating a "livable and walkable" atmosphere, with a faint "wild path" that can be traversed, enhancing its depth and perspective.
2.7 Upright Trunk Style
The main trunk is upright and sturdy, the crown is dignified, with distinct layers, and the fruits are evenly distributed, usually single-trunked, with a majestic and towering posture.
To cultivate a certain shape for the Winter Red Fruit bonsai, it requires the adoption of a systematic standard cultivation technique for long-term continuous operations. Under the premise of ensuring fertilization, water supply, and pest and disease control, timely pruning and directional shaping every year are the main shaping techniques for cultivating Winter Red Fruit bonsai, playing an important role in training the tree shape, controlling the crown, enhancing tree vigor, promoting flowering, adjusting the amount of flower buds, and preserving flowers and fruits.
3. Winter Red Fruit Maintenance Management Techniques
3.1 Flower and Fruit Management
Winter Red Fruit is a tree that requires cross-pollination. During flowering in spring, it must be pollinated with pollen from different varieties to bear fruit. Generally, the pollen from crabapples or apple trees can be used. Winter Red Fruit has a very high fruiting ability, and there is a contradiction between the amount of fruit and the stored nutrients in the tree. Therefore, the flowers and fruits on the tree must be selected and retained reasonably every year. Generally, during the flowering and young fruit periods, they should be thinned evenly throughout the crown, less rather than more. After thinning flowers and fruits, not only will the fruits become larger, but the tree will also be full of flowers and fruits every year.
3.2 Pruning
After the bonsai is initially formed, pruning is a key step to stabilize the tree's shape, control the height of the crown, and achieve full flowering and fruiting.
3.2.1 Pruning during the Growing Season. In spring, promptly remove non-directional buds to concentrate nutrients on directional buds, mainly using pruning measures such as ring cutting, branch pulling, and twig twisting to promote the conversion of tree nutrition to flower buds. In summer, when new shoots grow to 20cm or more, multiple pinching can be performed to control vigorous growth, stabilize the tree shape, and promote the formation of flower buds in the middle and lower parts of new branches.
3.2.2 Pruning during the Dormant Season. After the leaves of Winter Red Fruit fall, it enters the dormant period, which is the best time for shaping and pruning. On the premise of stabilizing the tree shape, the branches with axillary flower buds are pruned, usually leaving a length of 5-10cm, paying attention to pruning at the site of plump flower buds, retaining medium and short fruit branches, extremely short branches, and leafy branches, thinning dense branches, weak branches, diseased and dry branches, intersecting branches, and suckering branches. For branches with strong growth, light pruning is performed to the weak buds, or they can be released, or branches can be pulled to open up angles. For branches where it is not certain whether there are flower buds, they can be left for re-pruning before flowering, but remember not to prune too heavily, otherwise, it will cause the tree to grow vigorously, making it difficult to flower and bear fruit. After winter pruning, the tree should have branches and flower buds distributed evenly, reasonable space, a combination of solid and void, and a balanced tree vigor.
3.3 Soil, Fertilizer, and Water Management
It is required to update the potting soil every two years. The soil mixture can use 35% decomposed leaf soil, 35% garden soil, 20% coarse sand, and 10% decomposed animal manure as a base fertilizer. When repotting, first use a bamboo strip to circle the inside wall, then turn the pot upside down, supporting the soil ball with one hand and pressing down on the drainage hole with the other hand to tilt it out. Then, use a sharp knife to cut off about 1/3 of the old soil and old roots around the soil ball, and repot it, followed by thorough watering.
When using fertilizer, it is necessary to follow the principle of applying thin and frequent fertilizers. To fully utilize the effectiveness of fertilizers, attention must be paid to the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers, slow-release and quick-release fertilizers, and macro and micro elements. The application method emphasizes the combination of soil application and foliar spraying. Before flowering, more nitrogen fertilizer should be applied, such as watering with 1:100-150 dilution of decomposed cake fertilizer water 5-6 times, with an interval of about 10 days each time. After mid-June, Winter Red Fruit enters the flower bud differentiation period, and nitrogen fertilizer should be controlled, with more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to promote flower bud differentiation, and foliar spraying can be used if necessary. From July to September, the application of fertilizers with high nitrogen content should be strictly controlled or stopped to prevent the growth of a large number of autumn shoots.
Watering should follow the principle of "dry and wet," i.e., water when the potting soil is slightly dry, and make sure to water thoroughly. However, during the critical period of flower bud differentiation (beginning in June), a period of drought treatment should be applied to the Winter Red Fruit bonsai, i.e., water only when the top of the new shoot wilts, doing this 6-8 times. Drought treatment puts the potted tree in a state of water stress, which can strongly inhibit the vegetative growth of new shoots and promote flower bud differentiation.
3.4 Winter Management
Only a Winter Red Fruit bonsai with numerous fruits that do not fall in winter has ornamental value. Therefore, measures must be taken to prevent or reduce fruit drop to enhance its ornamental value. Methods such as spraying naphthalene acetic acid or gibberellin can be used to prevent or reduce fruit drop and improve fruit retention ability, extending the fruiting period. Generally, the first spray is started when the fruit turns red (mid-September), followed by another spray every 15 days for three consecutive times, with the spray concentration increasing from 30mg/L in the first spray to 50mg/L in subsequent sprays.
After the frost, the Winter Red Fruit should be moved to a cold room or living room, requiring a relatively dry environment, with the temperature controlled between 0-12°C. If placed in a high-temperature and humid environment, the fruit is prone to rot. After overwintering, the Winter Red Fruit should be moved outdoors to接触 natural temperatures before the flower buds begin to swell and germinate, allowing the flower bud development to synchronize with that of natural fruit trees, facilitating the use of natural fruit tree pollen for pollination to ensure fruit setting on the Winter Red Fruit bonsai.
This article shares the related explanation of Winter Red Fruit bonsai cultivation and shaping techniques, hoping to bring a little help to your life!