Detailed Explanation of the Techniques for Making a Golden Bullet Tree (Diospyros cathayensis) Stump Bonsai

When golden bullet tree is mentioned, bonsai enthusiasts familiar with it will excitedly tell you how beautiful it is when made into a bonsai. Indeed, the golden bullet tree is a very beautiful plant, especially when made into a bonsai for appreciation. Its flowers are delicate and colorful, and its fruits are golden yellow. If placed at home, it is nothing short of a beautiful enjoyment. It should be noted that although the golden bullet tree produces beautiful and tempting fruits, they contain a slight toxicity and are not edible.

Besides its beautiful flowers and fruits, the golden bullet tree's fruits also remain on the tree for a long time without falling, so it is very suitable for making into a bonsai for appreciation. So, how do you make a golden bullet tree bonsai? Below, the editor will explain the techniques for making a golden bullet tree bonsai, hoping it will be helpful to everyone.

1. Collecting Old Stumps

To make a bonsai with the golden bullet tree, as with other plants, it can be obtained through artificial propagation, mostly by seed propagation. However, obtaining bonsai material through seed propagation takes too long to grow, and it is not easy to obtain a tree body that is convenient for styling. Therefore, the editor suggests obtaining it by digging up old golden bullet tree stumps in the wild. Obtaining stump material in this way can shorten the time needed to make a golden bullet tree bonsai.

2. Cultivating and Nurturing the Stump

After bringing the tree stump dug up in the wild home, first cut off broken roots or excessively long roots, and at the same time cut off dead branches or redundant branches that are unfavorable for styling. Then spray the stump head with rooting water pre-mixed with rooting powder. Finally, plant it in the ground to nurture the stump. Only after the stump has normally grown roots and sprouted new branches can it be transplanted into a pot.

3. Transplanting into a Pot

Before transplanting into a pot, it is necessary to ensure that the cultivated old golden bullet tree stump is in a period of normal growth. The potting process is the focus of the editor's explanation, including the three steps of choosing a pot, preparing soil, and planting. Below, the editor will introduce them one by one:

1) Choosing a pot: The pot used for making a golden bullet tree bonsai should not be too deep or too shallow. A glazed ceramic pot or purple clay pot of moderate depth is suitable, and even a stone pot can be used. In order to set off the colors of the bonsai, the color of the chosen pot should preferably be elegant and subdued.

2) According to the growth characteristics of the golden bullet tree, it likes fertile, loose, and moist sandy soil. When potting, you can take humus soil or garden soil and mix it with sandy soil for planting. In order to achieve the effect of ventilation and water permeability, no substrate needs to be placed at the bottom of the pot.

3) The potting of the golden bullet tree is best carried out in spring and autumn, as transplanting during this period makes survival easier. When planting, place the cultivated old golden bullet tree stump into the pot, position it upright, pour in nutrient soil, compact the soil in contact with the plant, water it thoroughly once, and then place it in a sunny and ventilated place for maintenance and management.

4. Shaping and Styling

The shaping and styling process of a golden bullet tree bonsai is the same as that of most tree stump bonsai, wWw.pjCN.ORg usually carried out in two stages. On the one hand is pruning and processing, and on the other hand is training the tree shape. Below, the editor will explain them one by one:

1) Since our golden bullet tree stumps are dug from the wild, they are only suitable for pruning and processing after 2 years of ground cultivation and nurturing; before processing, first cut off messy branches that are unfavorable for later styling, and then bend the remaining branches. For thick and strong branches, it is best to use palm fiber for binding and shaping in late spring and early summer; while small redundant branches can be directly cut off.

2) In addition to processing, tree shape is also an important means of creation. During the styling process, thick branches are usually styled by binding and bending; small branches and leaves are usually styled by pruning. Since the root system of the golden bullet tree is relatively developed and quite distinctive, the treatment of the root system must not be neglected during the styling process. As for the treatment of the tree crown, we can artificially shape it, and it can be made into a steamed bun shape or a round disc shape. After pruning and binding, the golden bullet tree bonsai will present itself with an ancient and elegant posture.

5. Maintenance and Management

After we have made the golden bullet tree bonsai, the next key work is daily maintenance and management. As for the maintenance and management of the golden bullet tree, it is mainly water and fertilizer, pruning and repotting, and pest and disease control.

First, we need to choose a suitable placement location for the golden bullet tree bonsai. According to the characteristic that the golden bullet tree likes warm and humid environments, in summer we can place it outdoors, just paying attention to shading; in winter we need to put it indoors, and if there is sunlight, we can place it outdoors to receive light.

The golden bullet tree likes moisture, so watering should be maintained regularly to keep the potting soil moist. Especially in the hot summer, in addition to normal watering, it is also necessary to spray water on it or sprinkle water in the placement environment to increase humidity. During its growing season and before flowering, topdressing should be applied; in early spring, in order to maintain the tree shape, redundant branches should be properly pruned; every 2-3 years it should be repotted and the soil changed. In addition, pest and disease prevention and control should be done well.

The above are the techniques related to the making and maintenance of the golden bullet tree bonsai. Have all you bonsai enthusiasts mastered them? Even if you cannot remember so much at once, it does not matter. The editor will continue to introduce related knowledge to everyone in future articles.