Appreciation of Bamboo Bonsai and a Detailed Guide to Dwarfing Techniques

Title: Bamboo and Rock Picture

Specifications: 65 cm

Materials: Bamboo, Ying stone

Author: Zheng Yongtai

Zheng Yongtai bonsai "Bamboo Shadow and Qin Melody"

Zheng Yongtai bonsai "Discussing the Way Beneath the Bamboo"

[Reflections of a Bonsai Enthusiast]

Text | Xiamen, Fujian @Zhou Yingzhi

Meeting is only a beginning; only by cherishing can two people accompany each other for a lifetime. A person's greatest joy is to have someone greet them; the greatest happiness is to have someone care; the greatest moving moment is to have someone be tolerant; the greatest contentment is to have someone keep watch; the greatest extravagant wish is to have someone understand. Do not seek too much pleasure in life; simple happiness is enough. Do not demand a perfect life; being happy without regret is enough. Whether it is a friend or the person you love most, there is no need for flowery words; being genuine is enough. There is no need for vows of eternal love; as long as you truly do it, that is enough!!!

Ode to Bamboo at Xinyuan Garden

Photos and text | Zheng Yongtai

Though potted, it does not forget the ambition to reach the clouds,

Humble in heart, yet its joints grow ever stronger.

Through all four seasons its verdant color does not change,

In cold winter the garden still holds spring.

When one keeps this gentleman as a lifelong companion,

Restlessness fades away, and one forgets even age.

Zheng Yongtai bonsai "Seeking a Kindred Spirit"

Yu Gong bonsai "Morning Flute - A Bamboo Worthy Style"

Yu Gong bonsai "Bamboo, Acorus and Stone"

Dwarfing Techniques for Bamboo Bonsai

Carefully selected varieties:Potted bamboo should use small bamboo types with unusually slender and short culms, narrow small leaves and slow growth, such as Buddha Belly Bamboo, Arhat Bamboo, Square Bamboo, Guanyin Bamboo, Black Bamboo, Spotted Bamboo, Mi Bamboo, Vajra Bamboo, and so on.

Suitable for shallow pots:Bamboo prefers acidic, slightly acidic or neutral soil. In northern regions where the soil is strongly alkaline, 0.2% iron sulfate solution may be added. For the potting soil, use loose, well-drained sandy loam. When transplanting potted bamboo, first place it in an ordinary clay pot; after a 30 to 40 day recovery period, once it has established, transplant it into a shallow pot. Do not fill in too much soil; if there is too much potting soil, its root system grows too quickly, making the height of the bamboo difficult to control.

Keep good new shoots:The shooting period of potted bamboo is generally from April to September, with July to August being the peak period. At this time the number of shoots is high, the internodes are short and thick, and the quality of the mature bamboo is good, so these should be kept as much as possible.

Water control at the right time:Bamboo likes moisture but fears waterlogging. After potting, the first watering should soak through; afterward keep the potting soil moist, following "water thoroughly once dry." During the emergence of new shoots and the vigorous growth period, appropriately control watering to keep the potting soil on the drier side, expose it to more sunlight, and control its apical growth to make it short and sturdy. Watering should be done before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m.; in hot summer, spray the leaves 2 to 3 times a day to prevent leaf tips from drying and scorching. On rainy days, by all means avoid rain soaking and water accumulation to prevent root rot.

Apply less topdressing:Bamboo likes fertilizer, and fertilization should mainly use organic fertilizers such as compost, barnyard manure and green manure. However, topdressing for potted bamboo should be minimized, and only light fertilizer may be used. In spring and summer, apply 0.5% urea and 1% compound fertilizer with water. To promote robust growth of potted bamboo, appropriately apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in the later growth stage.

Peel shoots appropriately:After new shoots emerge, 7 to 10 days later, when they are about 10 cm tall, depending on the growth situation, peel off 1 to 2 shoot sheaths every other day from bottom to top, so that they mature earlier, the amount of growth is suppressed, and dwarfing is promoted.

Reasonable shaping:Potted bamboo should be short and concentrated, and the number of shoots is often taken as an odd number, planting 3, 5 or 7 shoots per pot. For those shoots and bamboos with long internodes, improper positions, or overly dense or weak growth, promptly prune them away. When the kept shoots and bamboos reach the ideal height required by the composition, remove their top tips to encourage side branches, and when the side branches reach a certain height, also remove their tip ends.

(This article was compiled and recommended by "Penyi Panyi"; copyright belongs to the original author)

Title: A Quiet Harbor

Specifications: 150 cm

Materials: Chinese Sweet Plum, Turtle-Veined Stone

Author: Zheng Yongtai

Quanzhou, Fujian@Huang YucongSelf-recommended bonsai as follows:

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