How to Make an Apple Bonsai and Key Care and Management Points (with Pictures)
An apple bonsai, as the name suggests, is an apple tree cultivated in bonsai form for people to admire. It has extremely high ornamental value, and the apple bonsai takes the sound of “ping” from apple, symbolizing peace. It can be both admired and eaten; pleasing to the eye and sweet and refreshing to taste, it is truly an excellent gift. Now let us take a look at how to make and care for an apple bonsai!
Variety Selection
When selecting material for an apple bonsai, you should choose varieties with characteristics such as dwarfed tree body, thick roots, short branches, small leaves, large and brightly colored fruit, late ripening period, easy flower formation and early fruiting, high fruit-setting rate and self-pollination fruit-setting rate, and strong disease resistance and ability to adapt to potted conditions.
Pot Selection and Soil Mixing
For an apple bonsai, choose a clay pot, wooden bucket, or wooden box with a mouth diameter of 40 cm, bottom diameter of 35 cm, height of 30 cm, and drainage holes. The nutrient soil formula is 6 parts fertile mature soil, 2 parts river sand, 1 part decomposed sheep manure, and 1 part rotted leaves and fermented horse hoof fertilizer. Mix evenly in proportion and sift.
Potting at the Right Time
Choose seedlings that are robust, have plump buds, and are free from pest and disease damage, and pot them in early to mid-April. When planting, soak the roots in 5-degree lime sulfur mixture for disinfection, and cut off necrotic roots. First put a small amount of nutrient soil into the bottom of the pot, place the seedling in, spread the root system evenly, cover with soil and firm it, and water promptly to ensure survival.
Fertilizer and Water Management
Before and after bud break, apply 0.2% quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer once to the apple bonsai. Starting from May, apply liquid fertilizer once about every 10 days, mainly 200-fold organic cake fertilizer liquid, supplemented by 0.2% inorganic liquid fertilizers such as urea, diammonium, and ammonium sulfate. During the fruit enlargement period, apply foliar fertilizer, spraying 0.3-0.5% urea and 3-5% plant ash extract. During the vigorous growth of autumn shoots and when the fruit is approaching maturity, apply 200-fold organic liquid fertilizer once every half month. When new shoots stop growing and during fruit maturity, according to the plant's growth condition, apply fertilizer once about every 10 days, mainly 200-fold organic liquid fertilizer, combined with 0.2% inorganic nitrogen fertilizer. The soil should be watered thoroughly after drying out. During the bud break period, flowering period, and fruit enlargement period, replenish water promptly. In June, to promote flower bud differentiation, appropriately control water. In the rainy season of July-August, water less.
Shaping and Pruning
To control the crown of an apple bonsai, start from 1-year-old seedlings. The trunk height should preferably be equivalent to the pot height or twice the pot height. Use a coiling branch-pulling method to suppress growth vigor and promote branching. You can also pinch the top of 1-year-old seedlings at the required height to strengthen the trunk and encourage new branches. For new branches, pull and train them to build the tree shape. For water sprouts and competing branches, twist the shoots between the 5th and 7th leaves of the branch, which can effectively control tree height, prevent excessive growth, and promote flower buds. For vigorously growing water sprouts and competing branches, make full use of them. Combined with branch pulling, carry out shoot twisting, top pinching, scoring, and girdling to cultivate a large number of fruiting branches and promote flower bud formation, achieving the goal of early fruiting and high yield.
Pest and Disease Control
Because potted apples are carefully managed, have good ventilation and light, and grow robustly, they have fewer pests and diseases. Once pests or diseases occur, promptly remove diseased branches, leaves, and fruit, scrape off diseased spots, and manually capture pests. When pests or diseases are severe, after flower drop spray fungicides such as carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, and chlorothalonil 1-2 times to control fruit and leaf diseases. In April-May, spray pyrethroid-based insecticides 2 times to control pests such as aphids and leaf rollers. In June-July, spray insecticides and acaricides such as fenpropathrin and difenthiuron 1-2 times to control red spiders and peach fruit borers. In July-August, spray fungicides such as carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, and Bordeaux mixture to control early leaf drop disease, ring rot, and anthracnose.
Repotting and Soil Replacement
For potted apples, in order to fertilize and prune roots, improve nutritional conditions, and make the tree grow strong, repot before winter dormancy or before spring bud break each year, replacing the old soil with newly prepared cultivation soil (containing applied organic fertilizer and chemicals to eliminate underground pests). When repotting and replacing soil, first use a bamboo strip to go around the inner wall of the pot, then invert the pot, support the apple plant and soil ball with your hand, and let it tip out under gravity. Then use a sharp knife to cut off the old soil and root system 3-4 cm thick around the outside of the soil ball, place it into a new pot containing cultivation soil, fill new cultivation soil around it and press firm, and water thoroughly.
Flower and Fruit Management
1. Artificial pollination: To ensure the fruit-setting rate of potted apples, 2-3 days before apple flowering, collect flowers from pollinator varieties in orchards with similar phenological periods to obtain pollen. At the early full-bloom stage of potted apples, carry out artificial pollination on the morning of the day the flowers open. During the flowering period, spray 0.25% borax to increase the fruit-setting rate.
2. Timely bagging: After physiological fruit drop, to improve fruit quality and prevent pests and diseases from damaging the fruit, bag the fruit. Remove the fruit bags 15-30 days before fruit maturity to allow the fruit to color.
3. Coloring and character pasting: Potted apples have the characteristic of being convenient to manage. In the later stage of fruit growth, turn the pot to allow the fruit to color comprehensively. Remove the fruit bags 15-30 days before maturity, and paste characters or patterns such as Fu, Shou, Xi, Lu, Fa, and Jixiang on the sunny side of the fruit. When the fruit colors and matures, peel off the stickers, and the characters and various beautiful patterns will appear on the fruit, making the potted apple even more beautiful.
Fruit Tree Bonsai Making Techniques and Care
Fruit tree bonsai is the product of combining fruit tree cultivation techniques with traditional bonsai art, integrating flower appreciation, fruit viewing, and scenery viewing into one, allowing both beauty of form and beauty of abundance to be displayed at the same time. In spring the flowering branches are delicate and gorgeous, brilliant as brocade; in summer they are full of vitality, with crisp and dripping fruit growing from small to large, changing with each passing day; in golden autumn the abundant fruit is colorful.
Making and Care Management:
Choose a healthy fruit tree and keep several relatively strong branches. Cut off the thinner and smaller ones. Then use lead wire to shape it and create the appearance you want. Actually it is just this simple. After that, just pay attention to management!
1. Choose the Best Grafting Time
Fruit tree bonsai grafting includes early spring grafting, summer grafting, and autumn grafting. Early spring grafting is carried out before the fruit tree bonsai sprouts; summer grafting is carried out after the scion buds mature; autumn grafting is carried out in late summer and early autumn. For grafting to improve fruit tree bonsai varieties, except for fruit tree bonsai such as grapes that must use green branch grafting and must choose summer grafting, most fruit trees can choose early spring grafting. For fruit trees whose buds have early-maturing characteristics, that is, fruit trees with multiple branch-growing characteristics in one year, autumn grafting can be chosen, but attention must be paid to cold protection of young branches for overwintering. Generally, choosing early spring grafting for improvement of fruit tree bonsai is more conducive to young branch growth and crown formation.
2. Pruning Branches and Retaining Rootstock
Pruning branches and retaining rootstock refers to cutting back a fruit tree bonsai that needs grafting improvement, removing most of the original branches of the fruit tree bonsai, retaining branches suitable for grafting (which can also be called rootstock branches), and cutting them into short stubs of appropriate length. During operation, note the following points:
1. Remove upper parts and retain lower parts to reduce wound surface. Try to prune away upper or distant branches, retain lower branches and branches near the main trunk as grafting rootstock, and reduce wounds directly made on the main trunk and rootstock stubs, while preventing bark peeling and splitting of the rootstock stubs.
2. Pay attention to the orientation of retained stubs. Retain stubs according to the tree and according to environmental conditions, while also making operation convenient. If the orientation of the main branch is not ideal, lateral branches or strong auxiliary branches can be used instead for retaining rootstock. In short, lower the height and contract the crown.
3. The number and length of retained stubs depend on the original tree shape and tree age. Generally, lower main branches should be retained as rootstock. For taller tree shapes, it is advisable to retain the first and second layers of main branches from bottom to top and the retreated portion of the main trunk. The length of retained stubs should be longer on the lower part, with the cut end 30-50 cm from the main trunk; the upper part should be shorter, 25-35 cm from the main trunk. For trees within 5 years old, retain 3-5 stubs; for trees around 10 years old, retain about 10 stubs. For vine fruit trees, retain 1-2 rootstock stubs per main vine. If the original crown is large, retain more stubs; if the original crown is small, retain fewer stubs.
3. Variety Selection and Scion Collection
1. Variety selection. For grafting improvement of fruit tree bonsai, it is advisable to choose varieties suited to local climate conditions, with good fruit market prospects, and strong grafting compatibility with the fruit tree bonsai to be improved, and to achieve a reasonable combination of different maturity periods, different flavors, different colors, different fruit shapes, and fresh-eating, storage, and processing varieties.
2. Scion collection. Scions should be selected from robust, pest- and disease-free, plump-budded, upright-growing 1-year-old branches. For early spring grafting, terminal buds can be fully used for branch grafting, and flower buds must be removed. For summer and autumn grafting improvement, scion collection should pay attention to the degree of bud maturation. Darker branch color and dark green, enlarged leaves indicate that axillary buds are relatively well matured.
4. Grafting Methods
1. Cleft grafting. This method is suitable for early spring branch grafting of rootstock stubs with a diameter below 3 cm and for summer grape grafting. The cleft opening length of the rootstock stub is 3-5 cm. The "wedge head" cut on the insertion part of the scion is 2-3 cm long and should be flat and smooth, with the two slanted surfaces equal in length or slightly different. When inserting, the cortex on one side of the scion should align with the cortex of the rootstock stub; the insertion depth of the scion is based on aligning one cut surface edge with the cut edge of the rootstock stub, and 2-3 buds are retained on the scion. After insertion, bind tightly. You can first wrap with plastic tape, then tie tightly with fine string; or after fixing the main parts, apply grafting wax.
2. Bark grafting. There are two methods: branch insertion grafting and single-bud insertion grafting. In branch insertion grafting, the "wedge head" cutting method of the scion branch is the same as cleft grafting. The difference is that the "wedge head" is short and steep, with the longer slanted surface about 2 cm and the shorter slanted surface 1 cm. When inserting, the longer slanted surface faces the xylem of the rootstock stub. For single-bud insertion grafting, the bud is cut as follows: cut obliquely upward 1 cm below the bud, cutting through the xylem up to above the bud, then make a horizontal cut above the bud, and remove the single bud. The common opening method on the rootstock for bark grafting is a "t" shape. For branch insertion grafting, the rootstock opening methods also include a "one dot and one horizontal" style, as well as directly making 1 longitudinal cut at the cut end of the rootstock stub. After insertion, bind as in cleft grafting, and for single-bud grafting, expose the bud eye.
3. Summer bark grafting. The bud cutting method of summer bark grafting is the same as that of single-bud insertion grafting. After the bud is cut off, the bud piece needs to be peeled off and the xylem removed. When peeling the bud, prevent "hollowing out." For grafting peach, pear, and apple trees, after cutting the bud it can be grafted with xylem. The rootstock openings for bark grafting include "h" shape, "t" shape, and so on. When grafting, make sure the bud piece and rootstock fit flatly and tightly, and prevent the bud piece from curling. The binding method is the same as single-bud insertion grafting. In addition, in summer, patch budding, whistle grafting, and other methods can also be used.
4. Cut wound care. According to the sequence of grafting, the rootstock cut and the upper cut of the grafted branch should be wrapped with plastic tape or coated with grafting wax. In case of drought, whitewash the main trunk and large branches with lime water to protect tree moisture and improve the success rate of grafting improvement.
5. Management After Grafting
1. Check and supplement grafting in time. Check the survival rate 15-25 days after early spring grafting, 7 days after summer grafting, and 10 days after autumn grafting. If the scion or grafted bud turns black or brown, it indicates that grafting was unsuccessful. If the survival rate is too low, supplement grafting can be carried out in time.
2. Apply sufficient fertilizer and water enough to accelerate grafted branch growth. After grafting fruit tree bonsai, apply farmyard manure 5-25 kg and diammonium phosphate 0.50-2.50 kg by burying according to tree size. Use ring-shaped or star-shaped fertilization, with trench depth 20-40 cm, and combine with root pruning to thin out some aged lateral roots. After fertilizing, water thoroughly and keep the root area moist. Fertilization can also be done in advance, that is, fertilize in autumn of the previous year for spring grafting improvement, and in early spring for summer grafting.
3. Strengthen the care of young branches of fruit tree bonsai to prevent breakage by strong winds. When the grafted branch begins to grow after grafting, slightly loosen the binding material, but do not fully release it. When the young branch grows to 10 cm long, take some wooden sticks or crop straws, fix half on the main trunk or main branch, and gather half around the young branch, and wrap with fine string to protect the young branch. After the young branch is securely fixed, use a small knife to cut all the binding material from grafting at once to facilitate its growth.
4. Remove rootstock suckers in time to reduce nutrient competition with the grafted branch. However, fruit trees facing supplementary grafting should be treated differently: one situation is that grafting in the previous season was unsuccessful and supplementary grafting is needed in the next season, in which case rootstock suckers should be allowed to grow; another situation is that summer grafting was unsuccessful and supplementary grafting would have too great an impact on the fruit tree root system, in which case supplementary grafting should be abandoned and rootstock sprouts should be allowed to grow.
5. Pruning grafted branches. For overly vigorous grafted branches, "pinch the top" at an appropriate height, which can promote the sprouting and growth of secondary branches; for densely growing vigorous branches and competing branches, use methods such as branch bending and traction to fill gaps, and do not use or seldom use heading back and thinning pruning methods.
Pruning Techniques for Fruit Tree Bonsai
Pruning fruit tree bonsai should master the principles of "five looks" and "three sparse and three dense." "Five looks." Look at tree age: for young trees, in order to increase the amount of branches and leaves, expand the crown, and form a good structure as early as possible, winter pruning should be carried out in November-December. For vigorous trees of fruiting age, winter pruning time can be appropriately postponed to early spring bud break. For weak trees in full fruit period, in order to promote vegetative growth and quickly restore a robust tree vigor, the winter pruning task should be completed before the end of December.
For vigorous trees in full fruit period, in order to weaken tree vigor and form more flower buds, winter pruning can be carried out in January-February; look at tree vigor strength: the degree of pruning should be grasped both overall and locally, and overall the tree vigor should be maintained in balance. The crown should be full and compact, with clear primary and secondary branches, dense on the plane, and the upper backbone branches obviously shorter than the lower backbone branches. Subordinate branches should make way for dominant branches, and the growth vigor of backbone branches in the same layer should be approximately consistent. As long as the goals of firm and compact branch framework, ventilation and light transmission, and early fruiting and high yield can be achieved, it can be organized and guided according to its original tree shape and tree vigor. Be sure not to overemphasize shaping, especially for young trees, which often causes them to fail to fruit early and yield early;
Look at branch appearance:
① Fruit tree bonsai with strong top and weak bottom: cut back strong upper branches at the flower to replace with weak leaders, or even saw off the strong upper part; for lower weak branches, heavily head back the main branch tips from the base at plump buds.
② Fruit tree bonsai with inconsistent growth vigor of basal main branches: cut strong main branches at the flower, and heavily head back thin and weak main branches from the top plump buds.
③ Fruit tree bonsai with no lateral branches or inner canopy branches to speak of: choose the best upright branch and pull it with string to a reasonable position, and thin out overly dense ones.
④ Fruit tree bonsai with no tree shape to speak of: saw off some obviously redundant large branches, open the distance between layers, select backbone branches for key cultivation, make long-term plans, and use methods such as "pulling, propping, pressing" to make the tree structure as reasonable as possible. If there are very few or no flower buds, leave more shoots unpruned, thin more, and head back less;
Look at pruning response:
If the 1-year-old branches on the 3-year-old branch section have a large number of medium and short branches that are thick and strong, with plump buds and growth length significantly shorter than the extension branch tip, and some leaf cluster branches are also produced, it indicates that the pruning amount in previous years was appropriate and can continue to be used that year. If the length of the 1-year-old branches on the 3-year-old branch section is similar to or exceeds the extension branch, it indicates that the pruning amount in previous years was too large, and light pruning should be appropriately carried out that year. If no medium or short branches grow on the 3-year-old branch section, and only some leaf cluster branches with very small leaves are attached, it indicates that the pruning amount in previous years was too light, and heavier pruning should be appropriately carried out that year; look at the number of flower buds: work carefully both locally and overall so that flower bud branches and leaf bud branches have an appropriate ratio, generally 1:2-3.
"Three sparse and three dense" means: large branches sparse, small branches dense; peripheral branches sparse, inner canopy branches dense; upper branches sparse, lower branches dense.
"One large and one small" means: lower part large, upper part small.
Treatment of branch groups and small branches of fruit tree bonsai. Fruiting branch groups should be promptly retracted, rejuvenated, and renewed to maintain robust fruiting potential. For other branches, form new branch groups after treatment. Vigorous trees and vigorous branches should be left unpruned more and cut less, and retracted after fruiting becomes weak. For branches left unpruned for too long, promptly retract and rejuvenate them, and train them into fruiting branch groups. For back branches, do not thin them all out; use them as appropriate. Young trees have strong vigor, and back branches tend to grow vigorously. They can be controlled by multiple top pinching, branch pulling, and branch bending in summer pruning, turning useless into useful. Trees in full fruit period have stable vigor, and back branches do not easily grow vigorously, so they can be kept or removed according to space and position. For old trees after full fruit period, all back branches should be used in order to renew tree vigor and extend the fruiting years.
Methods of thinning branches in fruit tree bonsai:
First, do not remove small ones while failing to remove large ones. That is, when thinning branches, first consider removing large branches, then consider removing small branches, to prevent the whole plant from becoming a "bare stick."
Second, for trees with too many large branches, do not thin too many at one time. It can be done year by year in batches, and no more than two at a time.
Third, do not thin two opposite large branches at the same time, causing opposite wounds, so as not to weaken the upper tree vigor.
Fourth, wounds should be disinfected and protected. They can be disinfected with 2% copper sulfate solution or undiluted lime sulfur mixture, and coated with paraffin or anti-rust paint to prevent the invasion of pathogens and evaporation of tree moisture.
Disinfection of pruning tools. Tools often accidentally contact diseased scars, so they should be promptly disinfected with 3-5 degrees Baume lime sulfur mixture or 50-fold asomate solution to prevent the spread of pathogens.
About Fruit Tree Bonsai Care
Fruit tree bonsai is simple and easy to learn. As long as you follow the methods below, you can learn how to care for it and make it bloom every year and bear fruit every year. The beautiful scenery will accompany you for as long as several decades.
1. Key Points of Fruit Tree Bonsai Care Techniques
1. Watering: Fruit tree bonsai needs more water. The pot soil should be "dry and wet alternately," that is, when the pot soil dries and turns white, water thoroughly again. If watering is not timely or there is no watering for several days, causing the root system to be in a water-deficient state for too long, the leaves will wilt or even dry up. If water is applied for a long time without waiting for the pot soil to dry, and the interval between waterings is too short, the pot soil pores will be filled with water and a large amount of air will be expelled from the soil, thereby affecting root respiration, causing difficulty in root growth or even browning and rotting. In summer and autumn, watering time should avoid the high-temperature midday period. When the weather is cold, watering time should be at noon on sunny days. Fruit trees are not very strict about water quality; clean fresh water without salinity or alkalinity is best. Water from washing rice or vegetables or water changed after raising fish can also be used for irrigation.
2. Topdressing: Fruit tree bonsai has strong adaptability to fertilizers. General organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers, and "flower fertilizers" sold in flower shops can all be used, but fully decomposed organic liquid fertilizer is best. Commonly used ones include cake fertilizers such as sesame paste residue and animal hooves and horns. Note that they must be soaked and decomposed, and applied diluted more than 50 times. Inorganic chemical fertilizers should be mixed with multiple elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, first dissolved in water, and then poured into the pot soil or sprayed on the leaves, but the concentration should not exceed 5‰. Flower fertilizers sold in flower shops are clean and hygienic, come in many brands, and can be used according to their instructions. During the growing season, apply organic liquid fertilizer 1-2 times per month. In this way, the fruit bonsai can have large and colorful fruit and maintain vigorous growth the following year.
3. Light: Fruit bonsai likes light. During the growing period, it should be placed in an open area or on a balcony with light. If placed indoors during the ornamental period, it is best to place it in a spacious hall, under a window, or another ventilated and lighted place. July-August is the peak period of flower bud differentiation for most fruit tree species. During this period, sufficient light is conducive to flower bud formation.
2. Management Characteristics of Various Tree Species:
1. Apple bonsai (pear, crabapple, and sand pear can refer to apple)
1) Pruning: Winter pruning should be carried out in January-February (before bud break). First, correctly identify flower buds. Apple flower buds mostly grow at the tips of robust medium and short branches. The buds are plump, with tightly wrapped scales. Vegetative branches are often relatively thick and long, and their terminal buds and lateral buds are all leaf buds. If they are too dense or too long and affect tree shape, they can be cut flat from the base. If there is space around, leave 1-2 cm and cut flat, and short branches will sprout that year to form flower buds. In apples, Yinv (a small-fruited apple variety), and in crabapples Donghongguo, etc., can form clusters of axillary flower buds. The middle and upper buds of their robust branches are often all axillary flower buds. For pruning axillary flower buds, more than 1/2 of the flower quantity should be cut off, so that density is appropriate and the tree shape is full.
2) Summer pruning: Pinch the top, pull branches, and from May to July pinch the top of the fruit-bearing lateral shoot (the branch growing from the base of the fruit stalk), leaving 4 leaves, to reduce nutrient competition and benefit fruit development. For upright new shoots, pinch the top 1-2 times. For upright perennial or current-year branches, pull them into a flat and slanting state. The larger the horizontal angle pulled, the more conducive to flower formation.
3) Pollination: Apples and pears have low self-fruit-setting rates and high cross-pollination fruit-setting rates, that is, mutual pollination between different varieties of the same tree species (for example: Red Fuji with Yellow Banana, Xue Li with Ya Li). Artificial pollination can be carried out during the flowering period. When the flowers open, use a clean brush from 8-10 a.m. to pollinate different varieties with each other. If there is only a single variety, you can contact this base, or before flowering ask the specialty store set up by this base to purchase dried fresh pollen.
4) Thinning flowers and fruit, so that nutrients are concentrated, can lay a good foundation for fruiting. For trees with many flowers, thin the inflorescences. Each inflorescence can open 5-6 flowers. Before flowering at the bud stage, retain 2 flowers and remove the rest. After flowering, poorly pollinated young fruit will drop. The remaining young fruit gradually enlarges. Due to nutrient competition, some young fruit will still drop. This is normal until early June. After mid-June, fruit no longer drops, and then fruit setting can be carried out. According to crown diameter, for example, a fruit tree with a crown diameter of about 40 cm should retain about 10 fruit, 1 fruit per inflorescence. For small-fruited fruit trees such as Yinv, sand pear, and crabapple, retain about 25 fruit at 40 cm, about 3 fruit per inflorescence.
2. Hawthorn bonsai: Hawthorn has self-fruit-setting ability and does not require artificial pollination. Hawthorn inflorescences grow at 1-3 bud positions at the top of branches. During winter pruning, do not thin branches; simply shorten overly long branches to keep the tree shape compact. In May, when vigorous upright new shoots grow to 20 cm, pinch the top leaving 4-6 leaves. It is better earlier than later. In addition, spraying 3 parts per 100,000 urea during the flowering period can increase the fruit-setting rate.
3. Peach bonsai (plum and apricot can refer to peach): Peaches include flower-viewing and fruit-viewing types. Flower-viewing peach types have gorgeous petals, mostly double-petaled, and do not set fruit or the fruit is small and inedible. Fruit-viewing peach types have pale flowers, single petals, and strong ornamental and edible value. This base has all fruit-viewing fruit trees. Peaches have a very large flower quantity, and a large number of lateral buds grow in strings. During winter pruning, cut off 1/2-1/3, and cut off overly long vigorous branches. Select 3-5 branches in the lower part of the crown, remove flower buds, and keep them as reserve branches for fruiting the next year. Upper fruiting branches are cut off after fruiting to keep the tree shape compact. Peaches have self-fruit-setting ability. If different peach varieties are paired for mutual pollination, the fruit-setting rate can be higher.
4. Grape bonsai
1) Pruning: Grape pruning should be carried out after leaf drop, preferably from mid-October to early November. Most buds at the middle and base of 1-year-old robust branches are flower buds. Leave the lower 4 buds and cut. This can be determined according to vigor. For weaker branches, leave 2-3 buds at the base and cut. Grapes must be pruned in winter; otherwise flower buds cannot sprout or nutrients cannot be concentrated for the flower buds, and good fruit will not be produced. There are mainly two reasons: first, there is no reasonable pruning or no pruning; second, nutrient supply is insufficient and the plant is too weak. Courtyard grapes are basically the same as this.
2) Bud removal: This can be carried out after buds sprout in spring. Among the double buds or triple buds sprouting on the fruiting mother branch, keep the weak buds, that is, select 1 strong bud per node and remove the rest.
3) Top pinching: Top pinching can shift nutrients from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, which is conducive to concentrating nutrient supply to the fruit. Generally, before flowering, pinch the top above the inflorescence leaving 4 leaves. After pinching, it will continue to sprout, and pinching can be repeated. Tendrils should be removed as early as possible to avoid consuming nutrients.
4) Thinning fruit clusters: Each fruiting branch can retain only 1 fruit cluster, and excess ones should be removed early. Before flowering, part of the flower cluster should also be pinched off so that nutrients are concentrated, thus laying the foundation for good fruit.
5. Persimmon bonsai: Self-fruit-setting. Persimmon often produces 1-2 strong vegetative branches in the current year. During winter pruning, they can be shortened to keep the tree shape compact. Persimmon flower buds grow in the middle of the crown and at 1-3 lateral bud positions at the top of strong branches and can be left unpruned. After fruiting branches grow in spring, large-fruited varieties retain one fruit per branch, and small-fruited varieties retain 2-3 fruit per branch, and the rest should be thinned early.
3. Repotting Fruit Tree Bonsai
Repotting can be done once every 3 years, using the original pot or a slightly larger pot. After fruit trees grow in the pot for several decades, a thick root mat will form close to the bottom and walls of the pot. When repotting, remove the net-like root mat. In this way, the distance for roots to transport nutrients to the tree body is shortened. If repotting during the growing period, do not damage too many roots; simply place the whole root ball into the new pot.
4. Overwintering of Fruit Tree Bonsai: Their characteristic is generally spring flowering, fruit gradually enlarging in summer, and ripening in autumn. For late-maturing varieties such as apple, pear, and persimmon, after ripening in autumn, the fruit can remain on the tree until about February of the following year. If placed indoors for viewing in winter and during the Spring Festival, note that the ambient temperature should not be too high. Apples, pears, and hawthorns can withstand -20°C low temperatures without freezing. It is best to create an overwintering environment of -10°C-10°C for them. For peach, grape, persimmon, jujube, etc., -5°C-10°C is better. If placed outdoors for overwintering, wrap the pot with newspaper or plastic bags, place it in a windproof and sunny place, and check the pot soil moisture once a month. 5. Pests and Diseases of Fruit Tree Bonsai: Because the bonsai cultivation base controls fruit tree pests and diseases strictly, after they are distributed to urban users, there is no surrounding infection, so the possibility of pests and diseases is extremely small. If they occur, they can be sprayed and brushed with laundry detergent water.
Donghongguo Bonsai Picture Appreciation
Chinese name: Donghongguo
Family and genus: Rosaceae, Malus
Origin and distribution: Horticultural species
Donghongguo bonsai is one of the relatively popular fruit bonsai. This article collects and organizes several Donghongguo bonsai pictures for flower lovers to appreciate, including mature Donghongguo and immature Donghongguo.
Donghongguo flowers open in spring, with light pink flowers. The fruit is elliptical-spherical, with single fruit weight of 10 g to 20 g. It is initially green, then gradually turns yellow, and after maturity becomes bright red. The skin is smooth and does not fall through winter. It can remain until February to March of the following year before gradually falling.
When caring for Donghongguo bonsai at home, pay attention to four key points: first, pay attention to ventilation and light, generally turning the bonsai once every 2 to 3 days; second, water according to soil moisture, not too much. Generally water when there are signs of leaf drought, water thoroughly at one time, and the water temperature is best close to room temperature. Also pay attention to spraying water on the leaves; third, apply organic liquid fertilizer once about every 10 days, and at the same time spray foliar fertilizer; fourth, pay attention to low-temperature dormancy and cold protection of the fruit tree in winter. After the leaves fall, the fruit is removed, and thorough watering is completed, wrap the tree body and flower pot with plastic cloth that has ventilation holes, and place it outdoors or in a cool place for overwintering. The following year it can bloom and set fruit normally.