How do you care for the latest potted Buddhist pine?

Buddhist pine is also known as yew podocarp, money pine, Buddhist cypress, etc. It is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Podocarpus in the family Podocarpaceae, with extremely high ornamental value as a potted plant. Its tree form is lush, elegant and graceful, ancient and vigorous, with fresh green foliage in all four seasons, giving a sense of strength and nobility. If accompanied by mountain stones to create an eagle-claw-embracing-stone posture, it becomes even more antique and distinctive. Now let us take a look at how to care for a potted Buddhist pine!

Growth habits of Buddhist pine

Buddhist pine is native to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces and regions in China, and is cultivated in gardens as an ornamental tree; wild trees are very few. It prefers a warm and humid climate, has weak cold tolerance and strong shade tolerance, prefers well-drained moist sandy loam, has strong adaptability to soil, and can also survive on saline-alkali soil. It has relatively strong resistance to various polluting gases such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen oxides, and strong resistance to pests and diseases.

Propagation methods of Buddhist pine

1. Sowing: Buddhist pine seeds are best sown immediately after collection and cannot be stored over summer. Before sowing, soak the seeds for several days, and once the seeds have fully absorbed water and swollen, sow them in rows or in spots. The sowing depth should be just enough to cover the seeds. After sowing, cover with grass to retain moisture and spray water once a day. If sown in open ground, in the southwestern region it is also necessary to cover with grass to protect it through winter. In other regions, pot sowing is required, and after sowing, move them into a low-temperature greenhouse to overwinter. The seedlings emerge in 8 to 10 days; after emergence, remove the covering grass and shade them immediately. Never expose them to strong sun.

2. Layering: Layering propagation of Buddhist pine is best carried out around the Jingzhe solar term in spring. Select a branch near the ground that is slightly smaller than a chopstick, make a slanted cut with a small knife on one side of the base near the ground through one-half of the branch, insert a prepared 1-cun-long bamboo strip horizontally into the cut, and insert a small wooden stick beside it to support the branch. Bind it gently with a plastic strip, then cover the cut with loose soil, press it lightly, and cover with dry grass to keep it moist. After 3 months, the branch will take root at the cut.

3. Cuttings

① Softwood cuttings: For softwood cuttings of Buddhist pine, in the first half of the year carry them out from mid to late May to early July, and in the second half of the year from mid to late August to mid to late September. Cuttings taken in the first half of the year should be protected against high-temperature scorching and disease, while cuttings taken in the second half of the year should be protected against cold and freezing in the middle and later stages. The shading net should be removed in late November; in dry years, removal of the shading net may be postponed to late December.

② Hardwood cuttings: Hardwood cuttings refer to collecting strong, fully lignified branches from the previous year during the dormant period in early spring from February to March, before the sap begins to flow, and using them for cuttings. For early spring hardwood cuttings, attention should be paid to raising soil temperature and controlling the air temperature inside the shed.

How do you care for a potted Buddhist pine?

1. Soil: Buddhist pine prefers well-drained moist sandy loam. It has strong adaptability to soil and can also survive on saline-alkali soil. For cultivation, it requires a slightly acidic growing medium rich in humus, loose and fertile, and well-drained. In alkaline soil, the leaves turn yellow and growth is slow. It has a long lifespan, reaching several hundred years, even over a thousand years.

2. Transplanting: Transplanting Buddhist pine is best done in spring from March to April. Small seedlings need to be moved with soil, and large seedlings with a soil ball; they can also be potted. After planting, water thoroughly. During the growing season, keep the soil moist. In the hot midsummer season, place it in a semi-shaded spot for care, and fertilize once every 2 months. In winter, potted plants should be protected from the cold; the pot can be buried in the soil, and watering should be reduced.

3. Watering: Buddhist pine is not a plant of the pine family and is not drought-tolerant. On the contrary, Buddhist pine tolerates shade and moisture, and during the growing season it should be watered regularly, but it should not become waterlogged. In the Shunde area, on sunny summer days, pay attention to regular watering, generally once in the morning and once in the evening. In addition, frequently spray water on the leaves so that the leaf color stays fresh green and growth remains good. Summer rainfall is usually plentiful as well, and Buddhist pine is not tolerant of waterlogging, so be careful to prevent prolonged standing water.

4. Sunlight: Buddhist pine is a neutral to shade-leaning tree species. It can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in a more shaded environment. Although summer temperatures are high and sunlight is intense, because large Buddhist pine trees benefit from high temperature and strong light for maintaining their tree form and leaf shape, it is not necessary to shade large Buddhist pine trees in summer. However, since Buddhist pine seedlings have tender tissues, they should not be exposed to strong light for long periods. It is recommended to place them under tree shade for care.

5. Temperature: For potted plants in northern regions, when the outdoor temperature is stable at around 10°C, move them outdoors and place them in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot for care. After summer arrives, move them to a semi-shaded spot. When the winter temperature does not drop to 5°C, they should be moved indoors. After moving indoors, control watering, and they can overwinter safely as long as conditions do not freeze.

6. Fertilizing: Buddhist pine likes fertilizer, so apply thin fertilizer frequently. The fertilizer should be mainly nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented by phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. An appropriate amount of black alum can be added and fermented into alum fertilizer water. In spring, along with repotting, apply sufficient base fertilizer. During the growing season, apply some dilute alum fertilizer water, and regularly apply 01% urea and 3% leftover beer, which can make the leaves thick and emerald green. During the growing season, fertilize once every 1 to 2 months. Fertilizing can be done together with watering (water-to-fertilizer ratio of 9:1).

7. Shaping: Buddhist pine has whorled branches. According to the established momentum of the trunk, prune disordered branches and retain 2 to 3 branches at suitable positions. Bind the branches with metal wire so that the main branches droop slightly; its branching ability is not strong. Prune once each in June and July every year. At ordinary times, mainly pinch the tips (generally, pinch the tips after the small branches have become woody).

8. Pests and diseases: The main diseases of Buddhist pine are leaf spot and anthracnose, which can be sprayed with 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 500 times dilution. The pests of Buddhist pine mainly include scale insects, red spiders and bagworms, which can be killed by spraying with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1500 times dilution.