How to grow a Chinese elm bonsai? A complete guide to care methods
Sageretia (Chinese elm, Sageretia thea) is an excellent bonsai tree species, praised since ancient times as one of the "Seven Sages" and loved by many.
However, Sageretia has a phenomenon that gives people a headache: finished works often lose branches, commonly known as “retiring after success.” A single work condenses the creator's years of effort, and being ruined by branch loss is heartbreaking.
What causes this phenomenon? It is actually caused by the unique physiological characteristics of Sageretia. Its nutrient transport method is longitudinal transport, that is, one side of the root supplies one side of the branch. Therefore, the care of Sageretia should pay attention to the following points:
First, keep Sageretia growing vigorously.
Branching out on all sides and balancing the tree's vigor is very important for growth. All-round growth of roots, trunk, branches and leaves is of great benefit to the recovery of the stump and the accumulation of nutrients, laying a solid foundation for future shaping.
Sageretia is shaped mainly by pruning; try not to use metal wire wrapping, so as not to affect the nutrient transport of the branches, which over time leads to weakened growth and branch loss. For a finished Sageretia bonsai, do not prune excessively, at most twice a year. The plum rain season and before budding are best. After pruning in winter, move it indoors promptly to avoid freezing damage to the buds and small branches, which would affect branch sprouting the following year.
Second, Sageretia is averse to severe water loss.
Severe water loss is one of the main causes of branch loss in Sageretia, so keeping the bonsai soil moist is very important for Sageretia. For Sageretia that has suffered severe water loss, even if water is replenished, some plant cells will still die, causing growth to stall, which hinders the growth of some branch pads and leads to branch loss.
Third, Sageretia must be repotted and the soil changed frequently.
The root system of Sageretia is very developed. For potted Sageretia, because the root growth space is limited, if the pot is not changed for a long time, it will seriously affect the roots' absorption of water and nutrients, and further affect the normal growth of the whole plant. Therefore, potted Sageretia must be repotted and the soil changed frequently.
As long as all the care tasks are done reasonably and promptly in daily maintenance, the phenomenon of branch loss in Sageretia can still be avoided.
Care of Sageretia bonsai, cultivation methods for Sageretia bonsai
Sageretia is a top-grade tree stump bonsai, with an upright and unyielding character, strong sprouting ability, good adaptability, vigorous vitality, changeable through the four seasons, and a thousand postures. It is suitable for making bonsai of various styles and has high ornamental value. Sageretia is a plant of the Rhamnaceae family. It is native to the southeastern provinces of China, and is also distributed in Japan and India. Sageretia is a sun-loving tree species; it likes a warm, sunny environment, is somewhat cold-tolerant and can tolerate slight shade, can tolerate water and moisture, has no strict requirements for soil, has strong adaptability, strong growth vigor, and tolerates pruning and wiring. So how should Sageretia bonsai be cared for?Care methods for Sageretia bonsai1. Characteristics: Sageretia has been an important material for making bonsai since ancient times, and has always had the reputation of being one of the bonsai “Seven Sages.” So today I will introduce to you the care methods for Sageretia bonsai. Let's take a look. The old trunks of Sageretia are mostly decayed, while their branches are ancient and twisted. They have strong sprouting ability, tolerate pruning and wiring, their roots are easy to expose, their posture is strange and ancient, and they have the unique form of "dead wood meeting spring."
2. Bonsai soil: The bonsai soil should be good. Sageretia stumps originally grew in wild areas, with developed root systems, tolerant of drought and waterlogging. Once collected by people and planted in a tiny shallow pot, their growth conditions are restricted, and they are prone to death if not cared for properly, so they must be tended with special care. Choose a well-draining flower soil, and during care it is best to put the bonsai soil in thicker. Change the soil every two years and apply some base fertilizer to keep the soil fertile, so that the stump bonsai can grow normally.
3. Temperature: Sageretia likes a warm climate, with a suitable growth temperature of 20——25°C, and has good cold tolerance. When the summer temperature is high, it should be moved to a shady place to prevent the leaf tips from scorching. In winter, it can overwinter outdoors in the Yangtze River basin, but in northern regions it should be moved to a cold room at around 0°C to overwinter.
4. Fertilizing: For Sageretia bonsai, you can use cake fertilizer and kitchen waste, sealed and fermented in a jar, then take the upper layer of fertilizer water, dilute it with 4——5 times water, and water it on. Sageretia is an acid-loving plant, so 1% ferrous sulfate should be added to the fermented fertilizer water before application; when Sageretia sprouts, spray 1——2 times with 0.1% urea; before and after flowering, spray once with 0.1%——0.2% monopotassium phosphate, etc.
5. Watering: When watering, be careful not to make the bonsai soil too wet or too dry. During the dog days, water once in the morning and once in the evening. To shorten the branches and leaves and make the form more beautiful, you can appropriately control water during the spring and summer growing seasons.
6. Shading: Sageretia bonsai has little soil and shallow roots, so exposure to the scorching sun can easily burn or kill tender buds, tender shoots, and tender leaves. Therefore, in summer it must be shaded, with a shade frame or placed indoors, under the eaves, in tree shade, or other places without direct sunlight.
7. Repotting: When cultivating and managing Sageretia as a bonsai, in addition to the above conditions, regular repotting is also required, once every 2-3 years, preferably in spring before budding in February-March. While replacing the old compacted soil, place base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot so that it can grow better.
8. Pest and disease control: The main factor harming Sageretia is insect pests. Longhorn beetles harm the branches of Sageretia; this pest can be removed by applying lime sulfur mixture. Scale insects suck the sap of Sageretia and can be removed by manual brushing. Therefore, during the cultivation and management of Sageretia bonsai, more attention should be paid to whether these two pests appear, and preventive measures should be taken.
9. Pruning: Pruning should be timely. The general pruning time is late spring and early autumn, as in these two seasons the Sageretia stump has the strongest sprouting ability and the most vigorous growth. Water sprouts, overlapping branches, crossing branches, radiating branches, dead branches, and pest- and disease-damaged branches should be cut off at any time. But note that in hot weather it is easy to scorch new buds and cause leaf curling, so after pruning it is best to place it in a shady place and only expose it to strong light after budding has returned to normal.
10. Management in spring, summer and autumn
These three seasons are the peak growing seasons for Sageretia. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of “Hua Bao”——clear water——“Hua Bao”——clear water, with an interval of about 1-4 days. On sunny days or during high temperatures the interval is shorter, and on rainy days or during low temperatures the interval is longer or no watering is done.
Care knowledge for Sageretia bonsai, cultivation methods for Sageretia
Sageretia is a plant of the Rhamnaceae family. It is native to the southeastern provinces of China, and is also distributed in Japan and India. Sageretia is a sun-loving tree species; it likes a warm, sunny environment, is somewhat cold-tolerant and can tolerate slight shade, can tolerate water and moisture, has no strict requirements for soil, has strong adaptability, strong growth vigor, and tolerates pruning and wiring. So how should Sageretia bonsai be cared for? Let's take a look at the care methods for Sageretia bonsai below.
Care methods for Sageretia bonsai
1. Characteristics: Sageretia has been an important material for making bonsai since ancient times, and has always had the reputation of being one of the bonsai "Seven Sages." So today I will introduce to you the care methods for Sageretia bonsai. Let's take a look. The old trunks of Sageretia are mostly decayed, while their branches are ancient and twisted. They have strong sprouting ability, tolerate pruning and wiring, their roots are easy to expose, their posture is strange and ancient, and they have the unique form of "dead wood meeting spring."
2. Bonsai soil: The bonsai soil should be good. Sageretia stumps originally grew in wild areas, with developed root systems, tolerant of drought and waterlogging. Once collected by people and planted in a tiny shallow pot, their growth conditions are restricted, and they are prone to death if not cared for properly, so they must be tended with special care. Choose a well-draining flower soil, and during care it is best to put the bonsai soil in thicker. Change the soil every two years and apply some base fertilizer to keep the soil fertile, so that the stump bonsai can grow normally.
3. Temperature: Sageretia likes a warm climate, with a suitable growth temperature of 20--25°C, and has good cold tolerance. When the summer temperature is high, it should be moved to a shady place to prevent the leaf tips from scorching. In winter, it can overwinter outdoors in the Yangtze River basin, but in northern regions it should be moved to a cold room at around 0°C to overwinter.
4. Fertilizing: For Sageretia bonsai, you can use cake fertilizer and kitchen waste, sealed and fermented in a jar, then take the upper layer of fertilizer water, dilute it with 4--5 times water, and water it on. Sageretia is an acid-loving plant, so 1% ferrous sulfate should be added to the fermented fertilizer water before application; when Sageretia sprouts, spray 1--2 times with 0.1% urea; before and after flowering, spray once with 0.1%--0.2% monopotassium phosphate, etc.
5. Watering: When watering, be careful not to make the bonsai soil too wet or too dry. During the dog days, water once in the morning and once in the evening. To shorten the branches and leaves and make the form more beautiful, you can appropriately control water during the spring and summer growing seasons.
6. Shading: Sageretia bonsai has little soil and shallow roots, so exposure to the scorching sun can easily burn or kill tender buds, tender shoots, and tender leaves. Therefore, in summer it must be shaded, with a shade frame or placed indoors, under the eaves, in tree shade, or other places without direct sunlight.
7. Pest and disease control: Sageretia bonsai is easily damaged by pests and diseases. The main pests are: tea tortrix, which can be killed by spraying with 35% phosalone emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution; longhorn beetles, which can be killed by applying lime sulfur mixture; scale insects, which can be removed by manual brushing.
8. Pruning: Pruning should be timely. The general pruning time is late spring and early autumn, as in these two seasons the Sageretia stump has the strongest sprouting ability and the most vigorous growth. Water sprouts, overlapping branches, crossing branches, radiating branches, dead branches, and pest- and disease-damaged branches should be cut off at any time. But note that in hot weather it is easy to scorch new buds and cause leaf curling, so after pruning it is best to place it in a shady place and only expose it to strong light after budding has returned to normal.