Methods for Bending Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai and Pruning Techniques for Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai

As a slow-growing evergreen tree of the subphylum Gymnospermae, Chinese arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis) is deeply loved by people because it stays green all year round and is not large in size, and it is often kept indoors as a bonsai. The wood of Chinese arborvitae is medium in hardness, and in cultivation the bonsai pruning and bending of Chinese arborvitae have become a major difficulty, so this time we will learn how to bend and prune Chinese arborvitae bonsai.

Methods for Bending Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai

1. Shoot picking and shari (deadwood) are important techniques that must be mastered when bending Chinese arborvitae bonsai. Shoot picking is actually pinching leaves, because the young branches of Chinese arborvitae develop and grow from scale-like small leaves; by pinching off the young tender branches and leaves, excessive growth can be controlled. At the same time, shoots are also the only choice for organizing the form, standardizing the tree's appearance and keeping the landscape beautiful and clean, and this is usually carried out on the basis of trunk chopping and branch cultivation, interacting with wiring. Shari and jin (dead branches) give Chinese arborvitae more connotation, and can fully display, amid the baptism of nature, a lofty character that has endured countless calamities and a heroic spirit standing tall beneath the heavens. Many Chinese arborvitae bonsai stumps have dead tops above, scars below, and decayed holes at the base; or the growing layer has been extensively killed by insects, or the trunk has many wounds from knives and axes and the cut ends are too exposed. One can follow their natural form and use shari techniques to turn ugliness into extraordinary beauty.

2. Shari can be applied to parts that have already died and parts that can be allowed to die, and can also be applied to twisted yet beautifully spiraling trunks and branches, or implemented because of the need for contrast in lines and colors. Peeling bark is best done in mid-spring, carving is best done in winter, and jin is best made by twisting. One must grasp well the contrast between the dead and the thriving, and grasp well the viewing side. However, doing shari should proceed from reality; the key is to examine the bonsai stump and see whether it is necessary and possible. Shari techniques must not be overused, otherwise one will make things worse. In bonsai art there are no fixed methods and no fixed styles. Authors differ in cultivation and styles vary. Every move and every gesture depends on the author's inspiration; it is completed through inner impulse. In shaping Chinese arborvitae bonsai, one should expand exchanges in practice, improve oneself, sum up experience well, and constantly innovate.

Pruning Techniques for Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai

1. Pruning pine bonsai: to maintain its graceful and antique tree form, appropriate pruning must be carried out. During the growing season, pruning is mainly bud pinching. From March to April each year, when the new buds have elongated but have not yet produced needles, about 1/2 of each terminal bud can be pinched off. If a bonsai does not need to grow more branches, all terminal buds can be pinched off. For branches that affect the beauty of the tree form, pruning can be done during the dormant period.

2. Repotting pine bonsai: generally repot once every 3 to 5 years, and it is best done in February to March. When repotting, keep the original pot soil intact and tip it out, remove 1/2 of the old soil, cut off overly long roots as well as dead roots and rotten roots, and at the same time prune some unnecessary branches and leaves to maintain the balance between the upper and lower parts of the pot soil. If the original pot's capacity is insufficient, it can be changed to a slightly larger new pot, and the planting method is the same as for potting up.

3. Chinese arborvitae can be shaped in various forms, including straight trunk, slanted trunk, curved trunk and cascade. According to the natural conditions of the stump, choose the position of the stump and the direction in which it sits, plant it in a pot, carry out wiring and pruning, and adjust the branch pads.

Making Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai

1. Material selection

Chinese arborvitae bonsai can be made using seed propagation, and many small seedlings can be obtained at one time, but it takes a relatively long time from propagating small seedlings to cultivating them into shape, so this method is suitable for nurseries or bonsai production bases. One can also go to a nursery or a flower and bonsai market to buy a potted Chinese arborvitae with a certain amount of character.

2. Bonsai shaping

Shoot picking and shari (making the trunk turn white and dead) are important techniques that must be mastered when making Chinese arborvitae bonsai. Shoot picking is actually pinching leaves. Because the young branches of Chinese arborvitae develop and grow from scale-like small leaves, by pinching off the young tender branches and leaves, excessive growth can be controlled. The purpose of shoot picking is to standardize the tree form. The usual practice is to carry it out on the basis of trunk chopping and branch cultivation, and it can produce results together with wiring.

Care of Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai

1. Light: Chinese arborvitae likes light, but also has a certain tolerance for shade. In spring and autumn, keep it in a sunny, well-ventilated and relatively humid place for care. In the hot summer, a shade net can be used for appropriate shading. In early winter, potted plants should be moved into a low-temperature indoor room. Jishan Huayao

2. Watering: Chinese arborvitae likes moisture. During the growing season, keep the pot soil moist. In addition to watering into the pot, water should also be sprinkled on the ground. But there must be no standing water in the pot. Water less in winter.

3. Fertilizing: Chinese arborvitae can tolerate poor soil. In spring and autumn, applying 2-3 times of fully decomposed dilute organic liquid fertilizer is enough. Fertilizing is not suitable in the hot summer and in winter.

In fact, for growing bonsai we also need to pay attention to many issues, especially in terms of the beauty of the bonsai. If you want to grow it well, a lot of manpower and material resources will be spent during this period. As for Chinese arborvitae bonsai, if it can be grown well, it not only has a beautiful effect, but can also become a very good natural care product.