How to Grow a Jade Kirin Bonsai? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Care Methods

The jade kirin likes warmth, requires plenty of sunlight, and prefers well-drained sandy loam. It is drought-tolerant, not cold-tolerant, yet also tolerates partial shade, making it suitable for home potted display. It has emerald green and beautiful leaves, both stems and leaves are fleshy, and the plant form is elegant, closely resembling the kirin of ancient Chinese legend, hence the name jade kirin. It can mainly be used for living rooms, lobbies, hotels, bookstores, conference arrangements, and receptions.

The fleshy, modified stem of the jade kirin is an irregular palmate fan shape, green when young, turning yellowish-brown and woody when old, with fleshy leaves densely growing at the top and edges of the modified stem. At the First China Flower Expo, the jade kirin flower sent for exhibition by Guangxi won the Quality Excellent Work Award and was selected for Zhongnanhai as one of the precious flowers cultivated there long-term. The jade kirin is one of the most primitive groups among cactus-type plants. It has the function of absorbing formaldehyde and benzene-type substances. The jade kirin likes plenty of sunlight, yet tolerates partial shade, and will not die of dryness from slight drought, making it suitable for home potted display.

The jade kirin is generally propagated by cuttings, and can be cut anytime from April to October.

1. For the cutting time, choose a sunny morning.

2. After cutting off the cutting, insert it firmly into a sand bed (pot).

3. After cutting, place it in a shaded spot for care.

4. Keep it moist, but never let water accumulate, as waterlogging will rot the cuttings.

5. Once roots have formed, it can be transplanted.

The jade kirin likes well-drained, airy soil. After planting in a pot, water it to settle the roots. After that, depending on actual conditions, water once every two or three days; the amount of water can be less than for ordinary broadleaf flowers, but slightly more than for leafless cactus flowers.

1. Summer and autumn care:

Summer and autumn are the peak growing seasons for the jade kirin. Although it likes sunlight, it fears strong direct sun exposure. A bamboo curtain, reed mat, or double-layer window screen can be used for shading, with a light transmittance of 60% being best. Too strong sunlight will cause the leaves to turn yellow, affecting growth and ornamental value. It is drought-tolerant, so watering should be less rather than more; follow the principle of not watering until dry, and watering thoroughly when you do. In summer and autumn, also guard against consecutive rainy days; water accumulating in the pot and the soil staying too wet for too long will both cause root rot or rot of the modified stem. It does not need heavy fertilizer; once a month, apply a dilute solution of bean cake water, sesame paste residue water, or horse-hoof water. Too much fertilizer and water plus excessive shading often causes the plant to grow leggy and revert, with the palmate modified stem growing into the columnar fleshy stem of its original species, the barbed-wire euphorbia, seriously reducing its ornamental value.

2. Winter and spring care:

The jade kirin is not cold-tolerant. In China, except for parts of South China and the Southwest where it can be grown in the open ground, it is grown in pots elsewhere, and in winter it should be placed in a sunny room. Generally, move it indoors for the winter before Frost's Descent in mid-October. Keep the indoor temperature above 15°C so the leaves do not turn yellow; when the room temperature falls below 12°C, the fleshy leaves will drop and the plant will enter dormancy. During dormancy, watering should be restricted, keeping the potting soil as dry as possible. Only after temperatures gradually rise in early spring can watering be gradually increased. When the weather warms, it can be placed on a balcony or in the yard, but watering should still be somewhat restricted rather than excessive. Keep the room temperature above 6°C; when the potting soil is fairly dry, the modified stem will not freeze, and new leaves will still grow the following year.

In winter, water less than during the growing season, keeping the potting soil slightly moist. Fertilizing should stop in winter. As temperatures warm up in spring, repotting can be done between Qingming and Guyu. When repotting, remove the old soil, clear the old soil from among the roots, and remove decayed roots; after repotting, keep the potting soil moist, place it indoors for about 10 days first, then gradually move it outside. The jade kirin is generally moved outside after temperatures stabilize around Guyu. At first, water sparingly, and increase appropriately as temperatures rise.