The Latest Methods for Making Caragana Bonsai

Sourcing Material for Caragana Bonsai

The stock material for making Caragana bonsai can be small seedlings grown from cuttings, division, or layering, or old stumps dug up from the wild over many years; choose those with graceful forms to achieve a quick finished shape.

Dig up the Caragana plant during the dormant period and the rainy season. First cut away most of the above-ground stems, then remove the soil, and according to the growth direction of the roots, carefully dig out the Caragana roots, taking care to protect the root system and not injure the roots.

After digging out the Caragana, there is no need to shorten it immediately; first place it in a semi-shaded spot, and when the roots are slightly dry, coil and shape them so as to use the roots in place of a trunk, then pot and plant it. Never coil the roots while they are wet, otherwise they break easily. Handled this way, once formed, the roots become gnarled and interlocking, very pleasing to the eye.

Potting the Caragana

Choose a suitable flower pot. When making Caragana bonsai, it is best to choose a round or square purple clay ceramic pot. If it is a cascade-style bonsai, it is best to choose a tall cylindrical pot; in order to fully show the Caragana roots, a shallower pot may be chosen.

After choosing the flower pot, fill the pot with soil; use neutral or slightly acidic loam or light clay, not alkaline soil; ordinary potting soil or garden soil will also do. Then pot it in early spring.

Shaping the Caragana Bonsai

To make the Caragana bonsai look beautiful, the main branches and trunk may be shaped appropriately. On the basis of grasping the overall shaping effect, make fine adjustments. For small branches, rely mainly on pruning, and prune them so they are uneven and well-arranged. Arrange and lay out the root system so the roots entwine each other, or use palm fiber to bind them appropriately, so as to present the beautiful gnarled and interlocking root form.

For the shaping of the Caragana bonsai, those with a single trunk and twisted branches and an antique, elegant posture are best; it can also be made into a form with branches and leaves drooping down; or with the roots raised and claws exposed, showing its aged look; or with branches and leaves pruned and bound into a cloud-like shape; all to achieve the effect of beautiful form and brilliant flowers.