Cotoneaster horizontalis Fruit Edibility and Bonsai Care: Watering, Pruning, and Yellowing Leaf Treatment

Cotoneaster horizontalis, also known as Goucimu, Yanlengzi, and Shantou Guniang, grows in shrub thickets at an altitude of 2000-3500 m. The flowering period is May-June, and the fruiting period is September-December.So can the fruit of Cotoneaster horizontalis be eaten? How do you grow it as a bonsai? How do you water and prune it? What should you do if the leaves turn yellow?

Can the fruit of Cotoneaster horizontalis be eaten?

Generally, no one eats the fruit of Cotoneaster horizontalis.

Cotoneaster horizontalis has a low-growing habit with branches and leaves spreading horizontally. In spring, small pink flowers dot the dark green leaves. The leaves are small and dense, the flowers are clustered on the branches, and in late autumn the leaves turn red and are covered with red berries that remain through winter without falling. It is most suitable as a foundation planting material, ground cover material, or for decorating buildings, especially the walls of commemorative structures. The red fruit and jade-green leaves are particularly striking. It is often planted in groups on slopes, in rock gardens, beside ponds or rocks, or scattered on lawns. It is an excellent material for rock bonsai.

How do you grow Cotoneaster horizontalis as a bonsai?

1. Water and fertilizer management

Repot before sprouting in early spring, once every 1-2 years. Use fertile, loose leaf mold or sandy soil mixed for the potting medium. After planting, water thoroughly, prune some old roots and branches and leaves, and place in a bright spot. In routine care, keep the potting soil moist, and apply cake fertilizer water once a month during the growing season. In summer, spray water on the leaves to increase humidity and provide shade. In winter, move it indoors.

2. Temperature and light

Cotoneaster horizontalis prefers a warm climate environment and requires growth in a semi-shaded environment with dry soil. In summer, it needs a certain semi-shaded environment, while in the other three seasons, spring, autumn, and winter, sunlight exposure can be increased.

Cotoneaster horizontalis prefers warmth but can also tolerate cold. The average temperature of the coldest month is 1-2°C, the average temperature of the hottest month is 20-26°C, the annual average temperature is 15-18°C, and the annual accumulated temperature is 4500-5000°C.

The frost-free period is 210-250 days. Under such temperature conditions, Cotoneaster horizontalis remains emerald green year-round (with red, bright leaves in autumn) and has high ornamental value.

3. Propagation methods

Seed sowing and cuttings are the main methods. After the fruit matures, harvest it, soak it, and rub off the peel, then sow immediately in autumn. Sowing in the following spring has a low germination rate. Cuttings are taken during the plum rain season, and roots can form in about 40-60 days.

How do you water and prune Cotoneaster horizontalis?

1. For potted plants, in addition to adding organic fertilizer when potting, proper fertilizer and water management should also be carried out during routine care. During the winter dormant period, the main task is to control fertilizer and water, with an interval of about 3-7 days. The interval is shorter on sunny days or during high temperatures, and longer or no watering on rainy days or during low temperatures. For plants grown in the ground, apply fertilizer water 2-4 times in spring and summer according to drought conditions: first open a small ring-shaped trench 30-100 cm outside the root crown (the larger the plant, the farther from the root crown), with the trench width and depth both 20 cm. Sprinkle 25-50 jin of organic fertilizer into the trench, or 1-5 liang of granular compound fertilizer (chemical fertilizer), then water thoroughly. After winter begins and before spring begins, apply fertilizer once more in the same way as above, but do not water.

2. In winter, when the plant enters dormancy or semi-dormancy, prune away weak, diseased, pest-damaged, dead, and overly dense branches. You can also tidy the branches in combination with taking cuttings.

3. As long as it is cared for properly, it will grow very quickly. When it grows to a certain size, consider moving it to a slightly larger pot so it can continue to grow vigorously. For the potting soil and component ratios for repotting, you can choose one of the following: vegetable garden soil: cinder = 3:1; or garden soil: medium-coarse river sand: sawdust (mushroom residue) = 4:1:2; or one of paddy soil, pond mud, or leaf mold.

What should you do if the leaves of Cotoneaster horizontalis turn yellow?

1. It may be that the air humidity is not enough. Cotoneaster horizontalis likes a moist or semi-dry climate environment and requires the relative air humidity of the growing environment to be 50-70%. When the relative air humidity is too low, the lower leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the upper leaves lose their luster.

2. You can place Cotoneaster horizontalis in a bright and ventilated spot on a balcony. It is a light-loving and drought-tolerant plant, so water only after the soil dries out. Alternating dryness and moisture is better. Frequent watering and high humidity are not good, and failing to water in time is also not good. It is better to frequently spray water on the leaves and branches.