How much does a Golden Diamond Podocarpus cost per plant? Detailed guide to potting methods
Golden Diamond Podocarpus is a rare cultivar of the small-leaf Podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki). Its place of origin is our treasured island of Taiwan, China. The main trunk is grayish-brown with scaly cracks. The branches are more upright, the new leaves are golden yellow, the leaves are fine, dense and short, and the bud center resembles a chrysanthemum. It is a rare and precious bonsai variety. Sohow much does a Golden Diamond Podocarpus cost per plant? What are the potting methods?
1. How much does a Golden Diamond Podocarpus cost per plant?
The price of Golden Diamond Podocarpus nursery stock is generally not expensive, usually around 10 to 30 yuan. The price of Golden Diamond Podocarpus bonsai is much higher. For one grafted and grown from a 30 cm rootstock, with Golden Diamond Podocarpus branches and leaves of about 10 cm, the price of a single plant is about 100 yuan. The price of a Golden Diamond Podocarpus bonsai propagated by cuttings is about 50 to 120 yuan, while a bonsai of 70 to 80 cm in size costs more than 150 yuan.
2. What are the potting methods for Golden Diamond Podocarpus?
The material for Golden Diamond Podocarpus bonsai is usually based mainly on seedlings grown from seed or cuttings that have been artificially propagated and cultivated for several years. These materials all need to be cultivated in the open field for many years, and are often transplanted into pots and processed for shaping. The Pearl Podocarpus bonsai has an ancient, elegant posture, and it is best to use a purple clay ceramic pot or a glazed ceramic pot. The pot should preferably be filled with loose, well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic sandy loam. A layer of coarse sand is placed at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage. Transplanting into pots is best done in spring before budding. Large seedlings should retain some of their original soil, and dead roots and overly long roots should be cut off so that the fibrous roots spread out in the pot soil, which helps survival and growth.
The shaping styles of Golden Diamond Podocarpus include the following: 1. cliff style; 2. large cliff style; 3. semi-cliff style; 4. slanting trunk style; 5. curved trunk style; 6. group planting style, etc.
In the shaping process, artistic processing must be carried out according to the natural beauty of the seedling itself, that is, it must be adapted to the material and made even more beautiful, so that the shape is strong and powerful with clear layers. For shaping, iron wire, copper wire or plastic tape can be used. During operation, the wire can be selected according to the thickness of the branch. Thicker branches are more difficult to shape. A thicker wire can be placed against the branch and the wire and branch bound together with plastic tape, then the bound branch can be bent by hand according to one's will to create the shape. After about half a year or a year, the wire is removed, and by then the branch will have set its shape after a year of growth. For branches that are even more difficult, a cut can be made. At the main point to be bent, use a knife to cut a small opening, so that the branch can be bent down. After bending well, the wound must be wrapped with moss or sterile soil to help the wound heal.
The soil for maintaining Golden Diamond Podocarpus should be loose, breathable, non-waterlogging, sandy, slightly acidic soil. You can use garden soil plus weathered rock granules plus humus soil, taking one third of each and mixing them as the potting soil. This mixed soil makes the best of each and avoids their shortcomings, and is more suitable for the growth of Golden Diamond Podocarpus.
A relatively fragile root system is the weak point of Golden Diamond Podocarpus, and it extremely fears waterlogging, while a high-humidity environment is more conducive to its growth. When watering, it is divided into two steps. Observe the dry and wet state of the pot soil. Under “alternating dry and wet” conditions, with the pot soil alternating between dry and wet, let each of the dry and wet periods last for a while, then give a thorough watering. In the morning and evening, use misting to replenish water to the leaf surface and create humidity in the surrounding air.