How to prune the branches and leaves of a camellia sasanqua bonsai to make its shape look better

Nowadays many people like to place beautiful plants at home as bonsai to improve their home environment and also purify the air. Camellia sasanqua bonsai is a particularly popular bonsai plant, with its distinctive shape, and it can also bloom with very beautiful flowers. So do you know how to prune and shape a camellia sasanqua bonsai?

How to shape a camellia sasanqua bonsai to look good

1. Material selection

Camellia sasanqua that is short, slow-growing, with smaller leaves and softer branches is more suitable for shaping, such as the spreading low-growing winter camellia sasanqua.

Ordinary camellia sasanqua varieties that are relatively upright can also be tried as tall-type bonsai, but it is best not to use varieties that are tall, grow rapidly, and have large flowers and leaves.

2. Material sources

It is best to use 2—3-year-old cuttings or seedlings, because the branches and trunks of young plants are easier to shape, and during cultivation they can be continuously shaped, pruned, wired and wrapped according to the shaping requirements to develop various tree forms.

You can also dig up old plants such as wild golden-center camellia and oil tea with curved trunks and gnarled branches, and through the trunk-cutting grafting method or by using old residual plants that sprout new branches, after continuous shaping, create aged camellia sasanqua bonsai.

3. Shaping

Usually the natural posture of the camellia sasanqua plant is taken as the main basis, or artistic treatment is added, processing it into upright trunk style, slanting trunk style, double trunk style, and metal wire or binding can also be used to cultivate curved trunk style, cascade style, semi-cascade style, and so on.

Methods for pruning branches and leaves of bonsai camellia sasanqua

1. Branch treatment

The length and density of branches must be coordinated with the height and thickness of the trunk. Excessively dense branches can be pruned moderately. Do not let it bloom in the first two to three years, and do not be too impatient during the shaping process.

Because the branches are relatively brittle and hard, especially where they branch, they break easily, so special care is needed. For individual slender branches, except that water sprouts can be cut off or shortened, generally lead wire should be twisted to shorten them. In shaping, it is better to be coarse than fine, and shaping year by year is best.

2. Leaf treatment

Through handling branches, leaves and small twigs, cleverly combining them, achieve a reasonable layout and coordinated proportions. The relationship between leaves should be handled so that many are not cumbersome and few are not sparse. To coordinate the branches and leaves with the plant, some can be appropriately cut away. During cultivation, appropriately limit fertilizer and water to make the leaves as small as possible.

What to do if camellia sasanqua leaves drop

1. Appropriate shading

Because newly planted camellia sasanqua cannot withstand cold wind and sun in early spring, it should be placed outdoors in a wind-sheltered, warm, semi-shaded place.

If it is cold outdoors, it should be placed indoors in a spot with diffused light. Only as the temperature rises can the pot gradually be placed outdoors.

As the temperature continues to rise, around noon the pot can be placed on a north-facing windowsill of a south room or on a balcony of a north room, receiving only morning and evening sun and avoiding direct sunlight around noon. In summer it should be placed under eaves or under a trellis in the courtyard.

2. Appropriate watering

For newly transplanted or just-mailed camellia sasanqua seedlings, after watering thoroughly the first time, as long as the potting soil is not dry, do not water. Spray water on the plant and the soil surface 2—3 times a day, keeping the potting soil slightly moist, which ensures the leaf surface is not short of water and also keeps the potting soil from becoming too wet.

Usually water by the principle of dry-wet alternation: water only when dry, and water thoroughly when watering.

Care methods for camellia sasanqua bonsai

Generally repot once every two to three years. When repotting, besides choosing a pot whose color, size and style match the plant, the pot should preferably be a bit small, not large, about one-half the size of the canopy.

Appropriately cut away damaged roots and some old roots to help the shallow root system develop better and also help dwarf the plant. When planting, the base of the trunk needs to be slightly higher, beyond the edge of the pot. Plants with exposed roots must avoid wind and scorching sun.

Without affecting growth and development, apply as little fertilizer as possible. To maintain a balanced and natural tree posture, it is not advisable to casually top the plant. In the growing season, light pruning can be done, using the pinching method to remove the growth buds of branches that are unwanted or too long. Stronger pruning and shaping should be done before budding.

Apart from water sprouts, if there are branches that are too long or out of proportion, a longer section of the tip can be cut off, or metal wire can be twisted from bottom to top to shorten them.

Do not keep it indoors for too long, as this will affect the growth and development of the camellia sasanqua.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of camellia sasanqua bonsai. If you place an artistic bonsai in a study or office, it will definitely be pleasing to the eye. Friends who like it, what are you waiting for? Hurry and prune it yourself!