DIY Guide to Making a Vitex Twisted-Root Bonsai, with Extremely High Ornamental Value
Vitex twisted-root (Vitex negundo var. heterophylla) has characteristics such as liking sunlight but tolerating shade, liking warmth but tolerating cold, liking moisture but not tolerating waterlogging, and liking fertile soil but tolerating poor soil; it is an evergreen tree species. With its peculiar form, it can be appreciated both for its leaves and its shape, so it is a bonsai tree species with extremely high ornamental value. Moreover, this vitex twisted-root has tenacious vitality and is easy to manage, so once made into a stump bonsai it is also very easy to grow well. So, how do you make a vitex twisted-root bonsai?
Vitex twisted-root is a form of old vitex stump, and it has unique advantages in making stump bonsai, so it is very widely used. But the process of making a vitex twisted-root bonsai also requires mastering certain skills, and the creator needs to have a certain foundation in bonsai making; in particular, the basic techniques for making stump bonsai must be proficient. Now let's follow Huayou Jun and take a look at how to make a vitex twisted-root bonsai!
1. Material selection
To make a vitex twisted-root bonsai, we first need to obtain a suitable stump specimen. Wild-collected vitex twisted-root stumps can be obtained by digging them in the wild, and wild stumps generally grow in outdoor mountain forests. Relying on its tenacious vitality, vitex twisted-root can often survive smoothly in relatively harsh wild environments, so it is also relatively easy to dig up. In addition to collecting from mountains and fields, it can also be artificially cultivated, except that artificial cultivation of old stumps takes a relatively long time, and growing vitex twisted-root often also has relatively high technical requirements.
2. Digging the stump
After determining the time, we need to dig up the wild-collected stump in a timely manner. But when digging, be careful to keep a certain distance from the vitex twisted-root stump to avoid cutting off too many roots because of being too close, thereby affecting the survival of the vitex twisted-root. At the same time, during the digging process, keep the soil ball intact as much as possible, and during transportation of the wild-collected stump, take protective measures to avoid breaking up the soil ball, thereby affecting its rapid survival.
3. Processing
After the vitex twisted-root wild-collected stump has been dug up and transported back, we cannot blindly pot it up; generally it still needs to be grown on for stump recovery. And before growing the stump, we also need to properly trim the roots, and at the same time use drugs such as carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl to sterilize and disinfect the wounds, avoiding wound infection and thereby affecting the survival of the stump specimen. Of course, if there are too many branches and trunks, they also need to be properly shortened to avoid excessive consumption of water and nutrients; after all, before the wild-collected stump survives, it mainly relies on the nutrients and water within the tree body to sustain life.
4. Growing the stump
After carrying out the necessary processing and preliminary shaping of the vitex twisted-root wild-collected stump, plant it in the ground to grow and develop. At the same time, do a good job in management work such as light, water, and fertilizer, thereby promoting the vitex twisted-root wild-collected stump to quickly root and sprout. After the vitex twisted-root wild-collected stump has smoothly sprouted a large number of roots during the ground-planting stage and produced a certain amount of branches and leaves, we then choose the opportunity to dig it out and transplant it into a pot.
5. Potting
When the vitex twisted-root that has been grown on is strong enough and has enough capacity to grow in a flowerpot, we need to choose an appropriate time to pot it and plant it in an ornamental pot for growing. Although the root system of vitex twisted-root is relatively shallow, its distribution is still relatively well developed, and it relatively likes a deep and fertile soil environment, so it is necessary to prepare a slightly larger flowerpot, then fill it with fertile, loose, breathable, and water-permeable slightly acidic potting soil. After potting is completed, pay attention to taking shading measures in a timely manner, avoiding the need for vitex twisted-root to go through a process of recovering and surviving. During this period, its root system has not yet recovered normal absorption capacity, so shading and moisture retention are very important.
6. Shaping
Before ground planting, preliminary shaping treatment of the vitex twisted-root is often needed, and after potting and planting, we also need to carry out detailed shaping treatment of the vitex twisted-root bonsai. Generally, after determining the bonsai style to be made, a combination of wiring and pruning should be adopted to complete the branch-training and shaping treatment, so as to perfect its form and improve the ornamental effect of the bonsai. In particular, pay attention to keeping the proportions among the branches, the tree body, and the flowerpot coordinated.
7. Care
Because vitex twisted-root likes a fertile and loose potting soil environment, and at the same time requires a growing environment with ample sunlight, warmth, and moisture, in our usual care and management process, apart from properly shading it under the strong sun in summer, at other times of the year generally let it receive sufficient light. As for watering, it is generally done after the potting soil becomes dry, avoiding excessive watering that causes water accumulation in the pot and leads to root suffocation. And in the peak growing season, we also need to properly apply some dilute liquid fertilizer, mainly nitrogen fertilizer. But at the same time, avoid applying too much fertilizer, otherwise it easily causes leggy growth of branches and leaves. At the same time, it is also necessary to do a good job in the prevention and control of pests and diseases in a timely manner.
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