How to make a boxwood bonsai? Detailed method

Chinese boxwood (Buxus sinica), an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Buxaceae family, likes a warm, semi-shaded, humid climate, is drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant and tolerant of pruning, belongs to the shallow-rooted tree species, grows slowly and lives long, and is an excellent tree material for making bonsai.

For bonsai material, one option is to use sowing or cutting propagation, but the cultivation time is long, and it is very difficult to obtain good material with gnarled roots and exposed claws, vigorous and ancient-looking. The second is to dig up old stumps. Digging up old stumps is best in summer, second best in spring and autumn, and worst in winter. After digging, the stump blank can be wrapped in a plastic bag to keep the roots moist. When planting, the downward-growing main root should be removed, and most of the leaves cut off to prevent water loss and ensure survival. You can first grow the blank in the open ground, or put it directly into a pot, but it must be cultivated for more than two years before shaping and making.

For pot selection, Yixing purple clay pots or light-colored glazed ceramic pots can be used. The shape and size of the pot can be determined according to the size of the stump and the styling form. In principle, cascade style is suitable for square or round tall cylinder pots, while slanting trunk style, curved trunk style, forest style, etc., are suitable for round, oval, or rectangular pots.

Potting soil Chinese boxwood likes fertile sandy loam. For potting soil, fertile, loose sandy loam with good aeration and water permeability is best. You can also use a mix of 40% cinder, 40% humus soil or garden soil, and 20% river sand.

The best time for potting is between spring and summer. When planting, overlong and overly dense roots should be cut off, and the root system can be trimmed according to the needs of styling so that the roots spread naturally in the pot. The planting depth should not be too deep. After covering with soil and watering thoroughly, place it in a semi-shaded place, keep the potting soil moist, and frequently spray water on the leaf surface. After about 30 days, once the plant grows, it can be moved to normal care.

For shaping and making, artistic shaping should be carried out according to the plant's basic tree form and following its natural tendency. Shaping techniques can be pruning or wiring, but wiring is best in summer and autumn, when the branches are more flexible and easy to bend; pruning should be done in spring. Although Chinese boxwood has strong sprouting ability, "it will not sprout without leaves," so whether for shaping or daily pruning, for branches that are not in place, the method of "leaving leaves section by section and cutting back to force buds" can be used, so that they gradually sprout downward into place, and one should not blindly pursue getting it right in one step.

Care and management Chinese boxwood likes moisture and needs frequent watering. From May to August is the vigorous growth period of boxwood, and several applications of thin, decomposed cake fertilizer can be given along with watering. Always pay attention to pruning excessively vigorous branches, overlapping branches, and excess branches that affect the tree shape. The fruits produced by Chinese boxwood should be removed in time to avoid consuming nutrients. For repotting Chinese boxwood, generally small and medium pots can be repotted every 2 to 3 years, and large pots every 5 years. Weaker-growing plants should be repotted in time. Along with repotting, cut off some overlong and overly dense old roots, replace with new culture soil, and replant.