Want your Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta) bonsai to stand out? Mastering these few points is all it takes

Sourcing material is the key to making a good Chinese holly bonsai, and how to obtain the Chinese holly plant for making it. There are many ways to get it, such as sowing seeds, cuttings, digging up wild plants, and so on. Generally, most people still prefer dug-up old stumps, as naturally grown old stumps have a full wild character. After digging them up, trim the main root appropriately, as well as the branches and leaves.

In bonsai making, everyone knows the importance of the pot without needing to be told. The more commonly used ones in making bonsai are glazed ceramic or purple clay (zisha) pots, but what I want to say here is that stone pots are also a very good choice. However, when generally choosing a pot, most people do not much like to choose one close in color to the plant itself. Choose fertile, loose, well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Plant after autumn or before the spring buds sprout.

The branches and trunk of the Chinese holly bonsai are very hard and brittle, basically during the plum rain season. The leaves are large and hard, and when wiring and bending, the choice of material is key. Do not use metal wire.