How to Make a Crape Myrtle Bonsai and Styling Techniques
Speaking of crape myrtle flowers, I believe everyone is familiar with them! The crape myrtle flower is a very elegant flowering plant, usually grown in parks or gardens, with extremely high ornamental value. In fact, crape myrtle can also be made into a very beautiful and high-end crape myrtle bonsai. Below, let's learn together about how to make a crape myrtle bonsai!
How to Make a Crape Myrtle Bonsai
1. Potting and planting: When potting a crape myrtle bonsai, arrange the bonsai material well according to the shape of the crape myrtle bonsai trunk material and future styling needs. Then pour the prepared loose, fertile humus loam into the pot all around, so that the root system and soil are firm, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and place it in a wind-sheltered, shaded spot for care. Normally, water should be sprayed on the branches and trunk frequently to keep them moist and prevent the trunk from drying out; after budding, move it to a sunny spot for normal care.
2. Watering: During the growing season of crape myrtle, due to high transpiration, the pot soil must be kept moist. In the early stage of branch and leaf growth, watering should be appropriately controlled to limit the growth of branches and leaves of the crape myrtle bonsai. After the crape myrtle buds appear and through the flowering period, watering should be sufficient; in the hot, dry summer season, watering should be increased, and the leaf surfaces of the canopy should be sprayed frequently to increase air humidity. In winter, watering should be reduced, keeping the pot soil slightly dry.
3. Fertilizing: For fertilizing a crape myrtle bonsai, mainly apply sufficient base fertilizer in winter, and during the growing season apply a cake liquid fertilizer and other phosphate- and potassium-free inorganic fertilizers once a week. Before and after the crape myrtle buds appear, a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can be sprayed on the leaves to promote flower bud differentiation and flower bud swelling. After each flowering, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied.
4. Shaping and pruning: After the crape myrtle drops its leaves, according to the styling needs of the bonsai, ordinary branches should be heavily pruned leaving 1-2 buds per branch. In the growing season, pruning mainly removes overly dense branches, leggy branches that disrupt the tree shape, and branches sprouting from the base trunk that have no useful value; all of these should be promptly pinched off or cut away. In order to make the crape myrtle bonsai bloom multiple times in one year and bloom well, after each flowering the spent flowers should be promptly removed to prevent fruiting and promote the rapid swelling of secondary flower buds, resulting in multiple bloom cycles.
5. Repotting and soil renewal: A crape myrtle bonsai needs repotting about once every two years; repotting and soil replacement can be done in both winter and spring. According to the plant shape needs of the crape myrtle bonsai, promptly change the pot, remove all or part of the old soil, cut off some excess circling roots and dead roots, replenish fertile loam, water thoroughly, and then carry out normal management and care.
How to Style a Crape Myrtle Bonsai Beautifully
When styling a crape myrtle bonsai, the multi-trunk twisting method is mostly used to thicken the main trunk of the crape myrtle. The method is to wind branches growing from the roots along the main trunk, fix them with rope, and after 2 or 3 years of growth, the twisted branches and the main trunk can grow together, achieving the effect of thickening the main trunk.
In addition, several small crape myrtle seedlings can be planted together, and as they grow, they can be twisted around each other and fixed with rope, which will also achieve the desired effect. The side branches of the crape myrtle can be pruned to shape them.
Pest and Disease Control for Crape Myrtle Bonsai
1. Disease control: Common diseases of crape myrtle bonsai include: sooty mold, which can be sprayed with 0.3-0.5 degree Baume lime sulfur mixture; leaf spot, which can be sprayed with a 700-800 times dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl; root rot, which can be drenched at the roots with a 200 times dilution of 30% copper succinate suspending agent; powdery mildew, which can be prevented and controlled by spraying sulfur powder. The above agents should be sprayed once every 5-7 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.
2. Pest control: The main pests of crape myrtle bonsai include: scale insects, which can be killed by spraying a 1000 times dilution of 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate, or poisoned with 3% carbofuran granules in the soil; aphids and mealy aphids, which can be killed by spraying a 50-60 times dilution of tobacco lime water, or a 1000-1200 times dilution of 80% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate; bagworms, which can be killed by spraying a 400 times dilution of 25% carbaryl wettable powder, or a 1000 times dilution of 90% trichlorfon crystals.
Growing Habits of Crape Myrtle
Crape myrtle prefers a warm, humid climate, likes light, is slightly shade-tolerant, likes fertilizer, and especially prefers deep, fertile sandy loam. It grows well in places with slight moisture, is also drought-tolerant, dislikes waterlogging, and should not be planted in low-lying, damp places with a high groundwater table. It likes warmth and can resist cold, with strong sprouting ability. It has relatively strong pollution resistance, with relatively strong resistance to sulfur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride and chlorine gas. It is semi-shade growing, likes to grow in fertile, moist soil, can also tolerate drought, and grows well in both calcareous and acidic soils.
Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of how to make a crape myrtle bonsai. When making a crape myrtle bonsai yourself, you can shape it into whatever style you like! And placing it at home is also very high-end, elegant and classy!