How to make a bonsai from Chaenomeles cathayensis? A detailed guide to the latest methods
1. Pot and soil selection
When making a Chaenomeles cathayensis bonsai, it is generally more suitable to choose purple clay ceramic pots, and the pot shape can be round, square, or rectangular. The pot color is best if it contrasts with the flower color. Chaenomeles cathayensis likes fertilizer and also grows quickly, so the pot it is paired with cannot be too small or too shallow. In addition, its requirements for soil and water are not especially high, and it grows best in fertile, loose sandy loam.
2. Proper propagation
⟦NL>It can be propagated by grafting, division, root cuttings, or layering. For grafting, either stem grafting or bud grafting can generally be used; stem grafting is done in February to March, and bud grafting is done in August to September. Root cuttings are best done in February to March; select roots about 1 cm thick and 7 to 10 cm long and insert them into soil more than half their height deep, which will give a very high survival rate. Division and layering are also both suitable in spring, which also makes it easier for them to survive.
3. Shaping
For shaping it, it is generally more suitable from leaf fall in winter to before bud break in spring. By the rainy season, the new branches have grown fairly mature, and the branches are also more flexible, making them more suitable for pruning and wiring. When seedlings are 2 to 3 years old, processing can begin; at this time they are extremely malleable and easier to work with. It is generally better to use a mix of palm fiber and metal wire; the main trunks and large branches need to be shaped by coiling. It is better to prune the branches and leaves a bit more naturally, and the coiling should not be too regular. Common styles can be made into slanting-trunk, straight-trunk, double-trunk, and so on.
3. Later care
⟦NL>After the bonsai is made, it generally needs to be placed in a spot with relatively abundant sunlight and good ventilation. If there is not enough light, its growth will be poor and the flower color will not be bright enough. In summer, it does not need much shading. It is also relatively cold-hardy; in winter it can be placed outdoors together with its pot in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot, or it can be overwintered indoors in a bright place.