A Detailed Guide to Shaping Qingxiangmu (Pistacia weinmannifolia) Bonsai and Repotting Methods
Many trees themselves have high ornamental value, and many people like to grow them at home, so many skillful flower lovers have emerged who shape their beloved plants. Because many plants grow in different environments, many different tree postures appear, and naturally there are also different forms in bonsai shaping. Let us take a look at how to create attractive shapes for Qingxiangmu.
How to shape a Qingxiangmu bonsai to look attractive
1. Material selection
Select materials carefully, choosing Qingxiangmu seedlings with curved or deformed trunks, as well as old tree stumps with an aged posture and a graceful, ancient tree form, to cultivate and pot. Wild tree stumps dug from the mountains and fields are better, but because this would cause ecological damage, the author does not advocate it.
2. Pruning
After the plants to be cultivated are selected, carry out preliminary shaping and pruning according to the design, flexibly applying pruning methods such as thinning and heading back, and remove crossing branches, overlapping branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and leggy branches. Cut back the apical central branch and the rear branch; if it is a deciduous miscellaneous tree, the leaves can be picked before pruning.
3. Pot selection
Choose a purple clay pot with good permeability as the container for potting, cover with soil and press firm after potting, and water to keep moist.
4. Potting
Choose a pot according to the size of the tree stump and the shape; for the large tree style, generally use a manger-shaped pot or an oval pot, and for the cascade style, use a tall cylindrical pot. First prune the roots, removing the bottom roots and overly long roots, place into the potting soil, fill with soil, and poke it firm.
5. Cultivation
Because Qingxiangmu likes light and faces the sun, it should be placed in a ventilated and well-lit place such as a windowsill or balcony for cultivation.
6. Shaping
In daily care, flexibly apply shaping techniques such as coiling, tying, twisting, and pressing, and shape according to the plant's natural tendency. After several years of care, an ideal potted plant can be cultivated.
Care and management of Qingxiangmu bonsai
1. Qingxiangmu likes light, and sunning it every day is good for its growth, but do not expose it to continuous strong sun for long periods. Generally, place the Qingxiangmu bonsai in a place indoors with sunlight, such as a balcony. Qingxiangmu is also somewhat shade-tolerant, so it does not matter much if it does not get sun for a few days.
2. Do not water Qingxiangmu too frequently; once every 3-5 days is suitable, and each watering must be a thorough soaking, that is, the water must wet the bottom. Too much watering will cause root rot in Qingxiangmu, so the soil must be chosen with good water permeability.
3. Qingxiangmu cannot withstand strong wind, because the joints of Qingxiangmu leaves are very fragile, and if the wind is strong, the Qingxiangmu leaves will fall off.
4. Qingxiangmu is relatively sensitive to fertilizer, so seedlings should be fertilized as little as possible or even not at all, to avoid excessive fertility causing fertilizer burn or leggy growth in the seedlings.
5. If there are scale insects on the branches and leaves of Qingxiangmu or red spider mites on the leaves, specialized pesticides can be sprayed for control, such as methidathion and chlorpyrifos for controlling scale insects, and spraying dicofol, hexythiazox, etc. for controlling red spider mites.
Repotting methods for Qingxiangmu
1. Repotting time
Qingxiangmu is an evergreen plant. If done properly, there is no requirement for the repotting time. However, after repotting, the plant needs to be placed in a cool place for ventilation, for about 7 days. The best repotting time is when Qingxiangmu has gone dormant and is entering the period of new growth; during this time, the plant's demand for nutrients and water is not very great, which can avoid damaging the roots because of repotting. More importantly, because waking from dormancy and entering the period of new growth is relatively favorable for plant wound healing, it avoids infection.
2. Repotting method
First, it is better to use a purple clay pot, because its permeability is very strong. For planting a Qingxiangmu potted plant or bonsai, the pot diameter is best at about 15 cm, so that it will not waste space and is also good for the development of the plant's root system. When repotting, be sure to use a new pot, and soak it for 24 hours before repotting. After repotting, press the soil firm, water the plant, and keep the soil moist.
3. Repotting problems Many friends find that after repotting, Qingxiangmu leaves fall off. This is a normal phenomenon, and flower lovers should not worry too much. It may be because during repotting the original soil loosened and was not pressed well by hand, causing the soil to be loose. Or it may be because after repotting, watering was not timely and the soil was not thoroughly watered. It may also be because there is too much ventilation or the wind is relatively strong, causing water loss. Pay attention to these points and repotting Qingxiangmu should be very easy.
Notes on growing Qingxiangmu indoors
1. If growing Qingxiangmu indoors, the most important thing to note is the need for light. Qingxiangmu is afraid of shade and likes sun, so when growing it indoors, be sure to pay attention to light. If the winter temperature is relatively low, then of course Qingxiangmu can be placed indoors for growing, and there is no problem with that.
2. The scent released by Qingxiangmu can repel mosquitoes, but do not place it in the bedroom for a long time; green plants release carbon dioxide at night, reducing indoor oxygen, and this will affect sleep.
That is all about how to shape Qingxiangmu. Have you learned it? Although many plants show many different tree postures because of different growing environments, their shaping methods are much the same, and of course you can also do it according to your own preferences.