Honeysuckle Bonsai Creation
If you want to learn about the relevant experience of making honeysuckle bonsai, let's understand together below.
Honeysuckle is a temperate and subtropical tree species, liking sunlight but also tolerant to shade, cold, drought, and humidity. It is not strict with soil requirements and can adapt to acidic or alkaline soils, but prefers loose, fertile neutral sandy loam. It has a strong nature, well-developed roots, strong sprouting ability, light plants, graceful posture, and elegant old stems, making it an excellent material for creating bonsai.
I. Sources of Tree Trunks
1. Seed propagation.
Harvest mature fruits from August to October, wash the skin off with clean water, collect the seeds, dry them, and then store them in a cloth bag for low-temperature sand storage until the following spring. Sow from late March to early April, first soaking the seeds in 25°C warm water for a day, then mixing them with moist sand and placing them in a cloth bag before putting them indoors, using straw (straw, cogongrass, etc.) for insulation. When more than 1/3 of the seeds have germinated, sow them in loose, fertile, and well-drained sandy soil. Seedlings will emerge in about 10 days. Transplant to the nursery ground in the second spring and generally pot-cultivate after 5 years of sowing.
2. Cutting propagation.
From mid-to-late June, cut the current year's robust semi-woody branches as cuttings, each about 15-20 cm long, keep the bed soil moist, spray the cuttings, and they can root in about 25 days. Transplant to the nursery ground in the following spring and pot-cultivate after 4 years.
3. Division propagation.
In spring and autumn, dig up the seedlings from the mother plant's roots (using a sharp knife to divide them), transplant them with roots in the nursery ground, and pot-cultivate after 4 years.
4. Layering propagation.
In spring and autumn, first take the longer branches from the mother plant, bury them in the soil about 5 cm deep, 2-3 cm deep, keep the soil moist, and they can root in the same autumn. Separate from the mother plant and plant in the nursery ground in the following spring, pot-cultivating after 3 years; or choose sturdy and elegant branches during the plum rain season for high-pressure, root them, and directly pot-cultivate, which speeds up the formation time.
5. Wild collection.
Honeysuckle has abundant wild materials, suitable for digging robust, ancient, twisted, and uniquely shaped old trunks in early spring to achieve rapid shaping. The method of collection is to first cut the main branches, moderately prune the aboveground parts, retain one or two main branches, then dig around the main roots carefully to protect the roots and reduce damage. After digging the tree trunk, immerse it in water in a bag to keep it moist (or wrap the roots with wet straw, rush bags, cloth, moss, etc.), then transport it back for planting.
II. Cultivation of Honeysuckle Tree Trunks
Honeysuckle has a strong nature and can root when its stems touch the ground, making it easy for bare-root transplantation. Even old trunks without fibrous roots are easy to cultivate.
1. Root pruning.
The roots of honeysuckle tree trunks collected from the wild or nursery ground are often long. When cultivating, do not rush to prune them short. Observe and plan carefully. The roots can often be coiled and shaped to replace the trunk. According to the size of the pot and cultivation needs, prune the roots appropriately before potting. Avoid using excessive force or coiling thick roots to prevent breakage. This treatment will result in a beautiful and intricate root system.
2. Branch pruning.
Honeysuckle grows wild along roadsides, hillsides, shrubbery, or sparse forests and is a climbing plant that likes to twine around nearby objects (such as trees or branches) in a spiral pattern, often with leaves only at the ends. Therefore, most old trunks dug back have no leaves and few branches, requiring only the removal of useless, weak, and diseased branches, and moderately shortening the main branches according to the proportion and shape needed. Tree trunks dug from the nursery have been cultivated for many years with vigorous branches and leaves, which need to be thinned appropriately to achieve a natural and artistic appearance.
3. Post-pruning treatment.
Honeysuckle tree trunks are generally transplanted without soil. After pruning the roots and branches, it is best to soak them in water for 1-2 hours to absorb enough moisture, accelerate the growth of new roots and buds, then apply white glue to the branch wounds and dip the root wounds in a 0.3%-0.5% potassium permanganate solution before potting.
4. Potting.
Honeysuckle is not picky about soil, but it is best to use mountain soil or a mixture of mountain soil with a small amount of decomposed leaf soil and coal ash as the growing medium. The best time for potting is early spring. For honeysuckle bonsai in the hanging style or weeping style, it is suitable to use elegant and deep pots to show the graceful posture. For the curved trunk style, shallow round or rectangular ceramic or glazed pots are suitable. When potting, first wash the selected pot clean, then place 2-3 pieces of broken tiles (pots) in a staggered manner to cover the drainage holes. For deeper pots, use industrial slag (or broken tiles, small stones, etc.) to pad the lower layer, then fill with growing medium and plant the tree trunk.
The depth and position of planting should be determined according to the needs of the pot and the desired shape. After planting, firm the soil, water lightly, cover the pot surface with moss or plant small plants such as Selaginella, Herba Solani, Sedum Sarmentosum, or Dichondra Repens, which can serve as decorations and maintain moisture. Then move the pot to a semi-shaded area, keep the soil moist, and spray water on the tree trunk and leaves frequently. After a month, full sun management can be performed, but the frequency of watering and spraying should be increased, generally watering 2-3 times and spraying 4-5 times on sunny days.
5. Shaping.
The shaping of the tree trunk should be based on the material and artistic intention. Honeysuckle is generally suitable for making root-up style bonsai, which can be planted with exposed roots; or raise the roots 3-6 cm each year when repotting; or dig out the tree trunk with soil and do not break the soil clump or damage the roots, then plant it in a slightly larger shallow pot, fill the gaps with nutritious soil, firm it, and then rinse the soil between the roots above the pot surface with a faucet to expose the roots and cut off the excess fibrous roots.
Honeysuckle bonsai shaping is mainly in the hanging style or weeping style, which can fully display its natural dynamic posture. Since its stems have a left-twisting nature, the branches can also be shaped in a curved trunk style using the trunk storage method, but avoid excessive pruning within a year, as it may affect the formation of flower buds. For branches that are not in place, use moderate wire winding and traction, and promptly remove the wire when the branches become woody and take shape. The shaping should follow a natural style, allowing the branches to hang down smoothly with proper spacing between the leaves, and using negative space to enhance the artistic beauty.
That is a comprehensive introduction to the creation of honeysuckle bonsai, hoping to bring some knowledge about green plants to greenery enthusiasts.