What is the simplest way to make a ginkgo bonsai? Using natural materials is key
Ginkgo has uniquely shaped leaves like fans, and a tree form that is simple, ancient and elegant. Planted in a pot, it is especially favored by many bonsai enthusiasts for its plain naturalness and lush green appearance.
Natural-style ginkgo bonsai is made from various natural ginkgo stumps, without any binding techniques, based on the natural form of the stump itself, and matched with a corresponding flower pot. It has the advantages of wide material sourcing, short growing time, simple production, natural shaping and easy care.
Each year, select oddly shaped root-sucker seedlings from old ginkgo trees growing in the mountains and wilds, or select seven-to-eight-year-old ginkgo seedlings from the nursery. After planting, cut off the upper branches and trunk from 40 cm to 60 cm above the ground, and let them grow naturally in the ground for one year. Then prune slightly according to the tree form, valuing naturalness. Before new leaves sprout the following spring, tree stumps of different plant shapes can be made into various natural-style ginkgo bonsai with well-arranged, cleverly matched forms.
Ginkgo likes light, so after production the bonsai should be placed in a sunny, ventilated and moist place. In summer it must not lack water or be exposed to the sun, and in winter it should be buried in soil to overwinter. Normally, keep the pot soil moist. During the growing period, apply dilute cake fertilizer or decomposed human manure once a week. The pot soil should preferably be high-quality nutrient soil with an appropriate amount of sand and rice husk ash added. Repot once every 2 years. When repotting, shorten overly long roots, replace one-half of the old soil, and apply base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot. Ginkgo grows slowly, resists pollution and toxic waste gas, and has few diseases.
Ginkgo bonsai production methods and cultivation and care key points
Ginkgo is a famous long-lived tree species with strong vitality and uniquely shaped leaves. It is easy to graft, propagate and shape by pruning, and is a high-quality material for making bonsai. Ginkgo bonsai made from ginkgo tree sap is even more outstanding, with high ornamental value and economic value. Ginkgo is a commonly used tree species in Chinese bonsai. Ginkgo bonsai has a thick trunk, curved branches, exposed roots, a unique shape, is vigorous and unrestrained, and full of interest. It is a masterpiece among Chinese bonsai.
Pot soil preparation:
Because potted ginkgo is limited by the container, root growth is inhibited, and the limited pot soil must contain sufficient fertility to maintain the needs of ginkgo growth and fruiting. Choose loose, fertile garden soil and sift it, add one-third fully decomposed organic fertilizer (such as compost, barnyard manure, green manure, etc.), mix in one-fifth crushed plant straw, and wet the above materials with 5% human manure or 1% urea water solution. The humidity should be such that it forms a ball when held in the hand and breaks apart when released. Place in a sunny spot for piling, cover tightly with plastic film, and ferment at high temperature for 15 to 25 days.
Container selection:
Choose different containers according to different placement locations. For viewing on a desk or windowsill, choose a ceramic or earthenware flower pot with a diameter of about 30 cm, a height of 30 cm and a drainage hole at the bottom. For viewing in a courtyard or on a balcony, containers such as wooden barrels, small boxes, small vats and flower pots can be used. Repot once every 1 to 2 years, and at the same time fill in part of the new humus pot soil.
Careful planting:
After the soil thaws in spring and before the seedlings sprout, select 2-year-old robust seedlings with well-developed lateral roots, no pests or diseases, and a basal stem of 1 cm to 2 cm. Prune the root system and trim the wounds flat to help the wounds heal. Before planting, soak the seedlings and the new pot in water for a day and night. First place a small piece of tile over the drainage hole of the flower pot so that it can drain water without leaking soil. Then fill half of the pot with soil, with the middle high and the surroundings low. Spread the seedling roots out, keep the root trunk upright, fill with soil, gently lift the seedling by hand and then shake the pot so the soil settles, then fill with soil and press firmly. The pot soil should be 3 cm to 5 cm below the pot rim so that enough water can be poured. Be careful to prevent pouring only half-water, with the top wet and the bottom dry, which affects survival and growth. Water thoroughly and place in a shady place for seedling recovery.
Grafting and seedling raising:
Select excellent varieties with early fruiting and high yield for grafting. After surviving for three years, they can bear fruit. Relatively good varieties include Tancheng No. 3, Dafozhi, Dongting Huang and others. Before sprouting in spring, use the cleft grafting method, or from July to August use bud grafting with wood. Spring grafting sprouts in the same year, and autumn grafting survives in the same year and sprouts after the rootstock is cut in the second year.
Pruning and shaping:
According to personal appreciation level and aesthetic views, cultivate a suitable tree shape. Such as bow shape, two-layer flat-spreading type, cross shape, spindle shape, etc. For bow shape, bend iron wire 2 cm to 4 cm in diameter into a bow shape, fix it on the pot in the second spring, and tie the new branches along the tree shape. Complete shaping in 3 to 4 years. The latter three tree shapes can be fixed in expected positions by measures such as propping, pulling and bending, and shaping and pruning are carried out year by year. In the third year, select a strong branch on the sunny side of the upper crown and graft a male branch for pollination.
Fertilizer and water management:
Bonsai cultivation is affected by container size and soil fertility. Water in the pot evaporates relatively quickly, so observe frequently and water in time. Watering frequency should be determined by the pot soil and leaves, generally once every 1 to 2 days. In hot, dry seasons, irrigate the roots once before 8 a.m. and once after 5 p.m. every day, and also spray the leaf surface to wash off dust, which helps photosynthesis, increases local humidity and meets the physiological needs of ginkgo. After leaf fall in autumn, take out the surface soil in the pot and replace it with loose, fertile nutrient soil, then water to settle it. When sprouting in early spring, apply sprouting-promoting fertilizer mainly of nitrogen fertilizer. At full flowering stage, spray 0.1% borax solution. After flowering, during the fruit expansion period, apply fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Fertilizing potted ginkgo should be done less but frequently, which can both prevent root burn and allow full absorption.
Pest and disease control:
The main insect pests of ginkgo include stinging moths and super-small leaf roller moths, and the main diseases include root rot and leaf blight. Root disease is generally caused by water accumulation in the roots, while leaf blight is mainly caused by lack of fertilizer and weakened tree vigor, and is also related to high temperature. Correct control measures should be taken according to different pests and diseases. Strengthening fertilizer and water management, enhancing tree vigor and improving tree resistance are also effective ways to prevent and control pests and diseases.
How to make ginkgo bonsai?
Ginkgo is a famous long-lived tree species with strong vitality and uniquely shaped leaves. It is easy to graft, propagate and shape by pruning, and is a high-quality material for making bonsai. Ginkgo bonsai made from ginkgo tree sap is even more outstanding, with high ornamental value and economic value. Ginkgo is a commonly used tree species in Chinese bonsai. Ginkgo bonsai has a thick trunk, curved branches, exposed roots, a unique shape, is vigorous and unrestrained, and full of interest. It is a masterpiece among Chinese bonsai. In summer it is vigorous and lush green, and in autumn it is golden and lovely, giving a sense of steepness, majesty, luxury and elegance. In recent years it has received increasing attention and is known as “a living art carving”. According to people's different appreciation requirements, there are mainly several types: fruit-viewing bonsai, foliage-viewing bonsai and stump bonsai.
1. Production of tree stumps
The pots are mainly flower pots, wooden boxes and wooden barrels with elegant appearance, strong water retention and good air permeability, among which unglazed clay pots and purple clay pots are the best. The diameter of the pot is generally more than 30 cm. The pot soil generally uses peat soil, humus soil or homemade nutrient soil rich in organic matter, loose in texture and strong in fertilizer and water retention (use 6 parts loam, 2 parts coarse sand, 2 parts humus soil, and add an appropriate amount of fully decomposed chicken and duck manure or bean cake residue, etc.). Put broken bricks or stones at the bottom, then fill with culture soil. Then prune and tidy the long roots and thick roots of the tree stump, and plant it in the pot in February to March. Tree stumps can be obtained by sowing, cuttings, layering, grafting and other methods, and can also be cultivated from root suckers of various forms.
2. Planting techniques
When planting, first put part of the soil in the pot, select stump wood obtained by various methods, prune the root system and place it in the pot, let the root system fully extend, then fill the pot with soil, gently press it firm with the hand, and then lift it slightly upward. Do not fill the pot soil too full. After planting, water thoroughly immediately, and loosen the soil in time after it dries slightly to help seedling recovery.
3. Shaping
According to different appreciation requirements for ginkgo bonsai, draw a shaping design pattern in advance, create momentum according to the stump, and follow the pattern to shape, bending and tying the branches and trunk, and adjusting the curves and straightness. Fruit-viewing bonsai mainly appreciates the seeds and fruits. Before maturity, the seeds and fruits resemble olives, and after maturity they look like kumquats, initially with green leaves, with pleasing colors. When shaping, pay attention to cultivating fruiting branches, supplemented by artificial pollination, so that the seeds are large and beautiful. Foliage-viewing bonsai emphasizes leaf shape and leaf color, stressing both excellent color and shape and a unique tree form. Stump bonsai strives for a vigorous and rugged majestic posture, and can use old tree root stumps and so on to cultivate the proud temperament of a thick trunk, curved branches and exposed roots.
4. Management techniques
Shaping and pruning. Pruning is the main technique in ginkgo bonsai shaping. According to different appreciation requirements, use methods such as thinning, heading back and renewal pruning to cut off excess lateral branches, parallel branches, crossing branches, overly dense branches, water sprouts and diseased or dead branches, highlight the main trunk, enrich ornamental branches, and give it a higher artistic style. But pruning should follow nature and not be mechanically imitated.
Fertilizer and water management. Ginkgo likes warmth and fears waterlogging, so the pot soil should not be too wet. After watering, loosen the soil immediately for aeration. Ginkgo bonsai is viewed both for leaves and fruits, so in management, control heavy fertilizer and heavy water, apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and follow the principle of “light fertilizer, small amount, frequent application”. From after spring sprouting to the growing period, apply 5 to 10 g of bean cake or compound fertilizer per pot. Water immediately after fertilizing. The time and amount of watering are specifically determined according to weather conditions and the moisture level of the pot soil. Watering should be to the extent that a large amount does not seep out of the pot. Before watering, the water should be warmed in the sun, and cold water should be avoided. Avoid heavy watering at hot noon. The best method is to use the double-pot method to water, letting water slowly absorb from the bottom of the pot, or use a kettle to spray water, to prevent the pot soil from compacting and causing root breakage.
Artificial supplementary pollination. Ginkgo is a dioecious plant. Fruit-viewing bonsai must adopt artificial supplementary pollination measures to achieve the purpose of fruit appreciation. Commonly used artificial pollination methods include point pollination and flower-hanging techniques. Grafting male varieties is also relatively effective, that is, in the same pot, graft male varieties onto ginkgo branches, but they must also be shaped to meet the needs of joint appreciation.