Peach Bonsai Cultivation Technique Tutorial, Latest Methods Explained in Detail

The peach tree is a deciduous small tree of the genus Prunus in the rose family, native to China and widely cultivated in all provinces and regions of our country. Potted peach trees are a combination of fruit tree horticulture and bonsai art. Besides the effects of delighting the heart and pleasing the eye, beautifying the home, and providing delicious fresh fruit, they are also a path to wealth. Now let us take a look together at peach bonsai cultivation techniques!

Variety Selection for Peach Trees

Most varieties of common peach, nectarine, flat peach, flat nectarine and others cultivated in production, as well as ornamental peach varieties, can be potted, but it is best to choose varieties with compact tree bodies, open tree posture, abundant flowers, beautiful flower colors, large fruit, bright fruit color, high self-fruit-setting rate and a relatively short dormancy period, as well as special flower-viewing varieties, such as Zaoxiangyu, Chunyan, Lichun, Huaguang, Sahuahong Pantao, Zaolu Pantao, as well as Bitao, Yangchun Baixue, Juhua Chongban, American Flower Peach and so on.

Seedling Cultivation of Peach Trees

1. Rootstock cultivation: Potted peach trees require a compact and dwarf tree body, among which the use of dwarfing rootstocks is an effective approach. Suitable dwarfing rootstocks mainly include Nanking cherry and dwarf flowering cherry, etc. Nanking cherry and dwarf flowering cherry are wild resources widely distributed in Northeast China, North China and other regions. Their common characteristics as peach rootstocks are significant dwarfing and strong adaptability and stress resistance (cold resistance, drought resistance, tolerance of barren soil), and they can also make peach trees bear fruit earlier, mature earlier, and improve fruit quality. Nanking cherry has strong grafting compatibility with peach trees, and the survival rate of grafting is very high in all four seasons, while the survival rate of grafting peach trees onto dwarf flowering cherry is relatively low. Dwarfing rootstocks can be propagated by seedlings, through sowing and raising seedlings in the field and then transplanting them into pots. Wild Nanking cherry and dwarf flowering cherry growing on mountain slopes and field ridges can also be dug up, and attention should be paid to using perennial plants with unusual stumps. The dug-up rootstocks can be slightly shaped and pruned and directly planted into pots, then grafted after they survive.

2. Grafting techniques: Grafting methods can use branch grafting and bud grafting. If special tree forms are to be cultivated, “inverted bud grafting” can be used during bud grafting, that is, the bud eye tip faces downward, and the branch that grows after the graft survives naturally forms a crooked shape. At the same time, “inverted bud grafting” also has the effect of moderating tree vigor and reducing tree size. According to experiments, there is no obvious difference in survival rate between inverted bud grafting and normal bud grafting of peach trees. In addition, varieties with different flower colors and different fruit colors and shapes can also be grafted onto the same rootstock, so that it produces flowers of different colors and fruits of different colors and shapes, improving the ornamental value of potted peach trees.

Potting and Planting of Peach Trees

1. Pot selection: Pots should be selected according to the placement environment, cultivation purpose, tree size and so on. Commonly used ones include clay pots, porcelain pots, purple clay pots and so on. Clay pots are the most commonly used pots for potted fruit trees and flowers, with low price and good aeration, which is beneficial to root growth, but they are relatively brittle, easily damaged, rough on the surface and not very attractive. Porcelain pots are sturdy in texture and beautiful in appearance, but have poor drainage and aeration, and are relatively expensive, so they are generally better for indoor ornamental cultivation. Purple clay pots are fine and dense in texture, harmonious in color, elegant and generous, and their drainage and aeration are between those of clay pots and porcelain pots. They are relatively expensive and suitable for indoor ornamental use. In addition, containers such as plastic pots, cement pots and wooden boxes can also be chosen. The size of the pot can be determined according to need and tree size, and generally a diameter of more than 24 cm is better.

2. Pot soil preparation: The pot soil must use culture soil. There are no strict requirements for the composition and proportions of the culture soil. Generally, 2 parts fertile garden soil, 2 parts leaf mold, and 1 part decomposed livestock and poultry manure are used, or 3 parts garden soil, 1 part furnace slag, and 1 part decomposed high-quality organic fertilizer are mixed. When preparing, first break up and sieve the various ingredients, then mix them evenly in proportion. In short, the prepared pot soil should be rich in nutrients, loose and breathable, retain fertilizer and water, and be slightly acidic, with a pH value of 5.5 to 6.5. The prepared pot soil should be disinfected to kill pathogens and pests in it. Commonly used disinfection methods include sunlight exposure and formalin disinfection. Sunlight exposure is to spread the pot soil thinly and evenly on a cement surface and expose it to the sun for 2 to 3 days. Formalin disinfection is to spray the pot soil with 5% formalin solution, then seal it with plastic film and fumigate for 1 to 2 days, then remove the film, and use it after the agent has volatilized.

3. Planting method: The planting time is after leaf fall in autumn or before sprouting in spring. Fill the prepared pot soil to about half of the pot, higher in the middle and lower around the sides. After properly pruning the seedling root system, place the seedling in the center of the pot and spread the root system out, with the root crown 3 to 4 cm from the pot rim, then add pot soil while shaking the pot so that the root system and soil are in close contact, with the pot soil slightly higher than the root crown, and finally water thoroughly. If the soil sinks after watering and exposes the root crown, add soil to cover the root crown.

Shaping and Pruning of Peach Trees

1. Shaping: Potted peach trees can be shaped at will according to requirements, such as open-center form or curved-trunk form. For main branches, the branch-pulling method is used to adjust branch direction and angle, and through multiple pinching, side branches are promoted. With techniques such as bending branches, looping branches and twisting branches, branches are cultivated into different shapes such as round form, slanting-trunk form, weeping-branch form and fan form, increasing beauty and filling out the crown.

2. Thinning branches: Peach trees have high sprouting ability, strong branching ability and large growth volume. This can be done according to the principle of thinning more on strong trees with many branches and thinning less on weak trees with few branches, removing diseased and insect-damaged branches, dense branches and water sprouts.

3. Heading back: For one-year-old moderate branches with medium growth and good development, cut them back from the middle-lower part of the branch to control the outward movement of fruiting positions.

4. Renewal pruning: For relatively long perennial branches, cut them back to within a certain range to control the outward expansion of the crown.

5. Removal of sprouts: In spring, when branches grow to 3 to 5 cm, many latent buds and buds on upright branches sprout, and they should be removed in time to reduce nutrient consumption.

6. Pinching: For vigorous branches that grow upright and have obvious apical dominance, when the new shoot grows to 25 cm, pinch it back leaving 5 to 8 cm, to control vigorous branch growth and make the crown compact.