How to make a maple bonsai without letting it grow tall
Nowadays people's economic conditions are constantly improving, and people also place great importance on enjoying life. Many people like to grow some plants at home. Growing some plants indoors can not only purify the air, but also make the environment cozier. Among all bonsai, maple is also very popular, so next the editor will teach everyone how to keep a maple from growing tall.
How to keep a bonsai maple from growing tall
1. Suppress the growth of other branches and buds to promote the branches that need to thicken to grow as quickly as possible. In general, the closer a seedling grows to the crown, the stronger its vitality and the faster it grows than other branches. If the growth above is not properly suppressed, the branches below will not grow smoothly and the shape will be less than ideal. Once the seedling has grown enough for pruning and shaping, the top branches must be pruned, topped and pinched, so that growth above is suppressed and the tree's nutrients are concentrated and delivered to the undamaged branches below, making them grow and thicken. For this reason, according to the shaping design, the branches that need to thicken (usually the first and second lower branch pads) are temporarily not pruned, not topped, not pinched and not defoliated, so that they gain the growth advantage and quickly grow and thicken. If they are pruned at the same time, while the whole tree's sprouting advantage is still at the top, the lower branches will grow even more slowly and it will be very hard for them to thicken, and the seedling's shaping will be delayed by several years. Generally it is best to wait until after the second position and judge whether the growth is proportionate before starting to prune.
2. After pruning the seedling, turn the pot so that the branch that needs to thicken faces south, letting that branch receive more sunlight so it can thicken as quickly as possible.
3. When the branch that needs to thicken has grown to the point where it needs wiring, bending and shaping, pay attention to keeping the branch tip pointing up, so that it can recover its strength as quickly as possible and continue growing and thickening without stopping. If the branch tip points down, the nutrient supply to this branch weakens and growth slows, and when the branch tip naturally lifts up again, more time is needed. At that time the growth advantage is again concentrated at the top.
4. For the branch that needs to thicken, make the lateral root directly below it grow downward, which can strengthen the vitality of that area and promote the growth of the branch above.
5. On sunny days, especially, spray water frequently on the branch that needs to thicken and apply foliar fertilizer. At the same time, pay attention to strengthening the routine management of water, fertilizer and pests and diseases for the seedling, promoting lush branches and leaves and speeding up the seedling's growth and shaping.
How to make a maple bonsai
1. Shaping the tree
There are many wild maples, and to make bonsai people mostly dig up old stumps or young trees from the mountains and fields. Maple's new branches are relatively long and soft, and can be wired into many styles of bonsai; common ones include the straight-trunk style, slanting-trunk style, curved-trunk style, double-trunk style, waterside style and forest style. Maple shaping is mainly by pruning, with wiring as a supplement. Maple leaves are relatively large, so it is not suitable to make them into cloud pads or cloud clusters; instead the branches and leaves are often pruned into a natural style with coordinated heights and proper density. After frost, maple leaves turn red, bright and eye-catching, and lovable.
2. Planting and pot selection
Maple is best planted in February to March, before spring budding. Before planting, prune the branches and roots once, remove half of the old soil and replace it with new soil, and place decomposed soybean cake at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer. Maple likes loose, fertile and moist soil, and grows poorly in barren places. For planting maple, use 2/3 humus soil mixed with 1/3 sandy soil. The leaves of most maples turn from green to red after frost in late autumn, so when choosing a pot, be careful not to use purple clay pots or glazed ceramic pots in red or green. For forest-style maple bonsai, a shallow pot of white marble or marble can be used, and the pot soil can be worked into an uneven natural mountain-and-field shape; if a few pieces of tortoise-vein stone or Yingde stone are placed at suitable spots on the pot surface, decorated with a few small figurines of people or animals, the bonsai will have a stronger feeling of life.
Care and management of maple bonsai
1. Site: maple likes a shaded and cool environment and avoids strong direct sunlight, so the bonsai should be kept under a shade shed or under other trees. If placed in strong light or on a balcony, leaf scorch often occurs. Because indoor ventilation is poor, a maple bonsai placed indoors should not be kept there for more than one week, otherwise growth will suffer. In winter in the north, the maple bonsai should be moved into a low-temperature indoor room; in the south, simply burying the pot in wind-sheltered, sunny soil is enough for it to overwinter safely.
2. Watering: maple leaves are large and water evaporates quickly, so during the growing season it should be watered frequently; in hot weather, water should often be sprinkled on the ground to keep the microclimate moist. In winter maple enters dormancy and should be watered less; as long as the pot soil is moist, it can be left unwatered.
3. Fertilizing: before maple buds in spring and when the leaves unfold, apply one dilute decomposed organic liquid fertilizer each time, but do not fertilize on rainy days. In August—September, apply one dilute decomposed liquid fertilizer each time. Do not fertilize during winter dormancy.
4. Shaping: maple has strong sprouting ability and often grows new buds on the trunk; any buds not needed for the design and any overly dense branches should be cut off in time, which not only saves nutrients but also helps ventilation and light penetration. The best viewing period for maple is when the new leaves have just unfolded. If all the leaves are removed in late summer and one dilute decomposed liquid fertilizer is applied, new leaves will grow in about 20 days, thus adding another best viewing period.
5. Pest and disease prevention: maple mainly suffers from powdery mildew, stinging moths, aphids and other pests and diseases, which should be controlled in time.
How to grow maple bonsai
1. Site: maple likes a shaded and cool environment and avoids strong direct sunlight, so the bonsai should be kept under a shade shed or under other trees. If placed in strong light or on a balcony, leaf scorch often occurs. Because indoor ventilation is poor, a maple bonsai placed indoors should not be kept for more than one week, otherwise growth will suffer. In winter in the north, the maple bonsai should be moved into a low-temperature indoor room; in the south, simply burying the pot in wind-sheltered, sunny soil is enough for it to overwinter safely.
2. Watering: maple leaves are large and water evaporates quickly, so during the growing season it should be watered frequently; in hot weather, water should often be sprinkled on the ground to keep the microclimate moist. In winter maple enters dormancy and should be watered less; as long as the pot soil is moist, it can be left unwatered.
3. Fertilizing: before maple buds in spring and when the leaves unfold, apply one dilute decomposed organic liquid fertilizer each time, but do not fertilize on rainy days. In August to September, apply one dilute decomposed liquid fertilizer each time. Do not fertilize during winter dormancy.
4. Shaping: maple has strong sprouting ability and often grows new buds on the trunk; any buds not needed for the design and any overly dense branches should be cut off in time, which not only saves nutrients but also helps ventilation and light penetration. The best viewing period for maple is when the new leaves have just unfolded. If all the leaves are removed in late summer and one dilute decomposed liquid fertilizer is applied, new leaves will grow in about 20 days, thus adding another best viewing period.
In the article above, the editor also introduced several methods to keep a bonsai maple from growing tall. Friends who grow bonsai maples at home can try the methods the editor taught everyone. Of course, the method for making a maple bonsai is also very simple.