Bonsai That Grow Chinese Characters? Detailed Guide to Character-Art Bonsai Cultivation Techniques

As people's living standards improve, flowering plants and green potted plants are no longer limited to being planted well and maintained well. Modern art gives potted bonsai a new culture, such as the potted Chinese character-art bonsai we will introduce today. Below, let us learn together about the cultivation techniques for potted Chinese character-art bonsai.

1. A method for making Chinese character-art bonsai, characterized by:

1) Character design: According to the character-art bonsai to be shaped, design a Chinese character pattern that can be connected smoothly in one continuous stroke;

2) Character mold making: Prepare metal wire longer than the Chinese character pattern; following the stroke order of the Chinese character pattern from top to bottom and from left to right, bend the metal wire so that the metal wire is bent according to the stroke order of the Chinese character, obtaining the character mold;

3) Seedling raising: According to the different seedlings, select tender branches, semi-lignified or fully lignified branches and use the cutting propagation method to raise seedlings;

4) Transplanting seedlings and attaching characters: Move each rooted seedling to the field or into a pot, keeping only one bud per plant. Beside the seedling, insert the tail of the prepared character mold into the field or pot to fix it. According to the size and stability of the character mold, add metal wire or bamboo poles as support to unstable character molds to make them firm;

5) Cultivating the grown characters: Cultivate the seedlings, and tie the tender branches grown by the seedlings in reverse along the stroke order of the character mold. By making use of the characteristic that seedlings can naturally set their shape during their own semi-lignification and full lignification, the tender branches set into the shape of the character mold during lignification;

6) Crown shaping design and cultivation: As needed, after the seedling's character shape has fully grown, carry out the design and cultivation of the crown shape at the top of the seedling.

2. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 1, characterized in that: before the seedling growth height reaches 20-30cm, transplanting seedlings and attaching characters is carried out.

3. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 1, characterized in that: during the character mold making process in step 2), a metal wire length of 3-5cm should be reserved at the top of the character mold, and a metal wire of about 15cm in length should be left at the tail of the character mold, and the reserved part at the tail of the character mold should be straightened so as to facilitate insertion into the soil or pot.

4. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 1, characterized in that: when Chinese character-art bonsai need to be manufactured in large quantities, the character mold making in step 2) includes the following steps:

1) Board selection: Select a wooden board of suitable size and about 1cm in thickness, preferably plywood;

2) Character tracing: Trace the selected Chinese character that is smoothly connected in one continuous stroke onto the wooden board with a pen;

3) Fixing: Use 2.5cm or 4cm long iron nails and drive them in at the bends of the traced character. The number of iron nails to be driven is determined by the degree of bending; places with greater curvature need more iron nails to ensure that the curved places of the character are rounded and natural. The depth to which the iron nails are driven into the wooden board requires leaving about 1cm of length on the wooden board. The order of driving in the iron nails follows the stroke order of the character, top first and then bottom, left first and then right;

4) Character mold making: Use rope, thread or cloth strips, metal wire, and pliers or special metal wire shears to make the character mold according to the traced Chinese character. Specifically, it further includes the following steps:

A. Measuring the character: Use rope, thread or cloth strips to measure the total length of the character strokes according to the character on the character mold, following the stroke order from top to bottom and from left to right, then add about 20cm, and then cut the rope or thread, thus obtaining the standard line for the total length of the character strokes;

B. Cutting the metal wire: Use the standard line measured according to the total length of the character strokes to measure the length of the metal wire, then cut the metal wire at a length equal to the standard line, and use this as the standard to obtain the corresponding number of metal wires as needed and bundle them for later use;

C. Character mold making: According to the stroke order of the character traced with a pen on the character mold, use the cut metal wire to bend the metal wire from top to bottom and from left to right, so that the metal wire is bent according to the stroke order of the Chinese character. When bending the character pattern, reserve a metal wire length of 3-5cm at the top position of the character head, and leave more than 15cm of metal wire at the tail, and straighten the reserved part at the tail so as to facilitate insertion into a nutrient bag or soil. After the character mold is bent, bundle it as needed for later use.

5. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 1, characterized in that: in step 3), the cutting propagation method includes the plot-intensive seedling raising method and the nutrient bag direct cutting seedling raising method.

6. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 5, characterized in that: the plot-intensive seedling raising method includes the following steps:

1) Land preparation and basal fertilizer application: According to a bed width of 100cm, a ditch width of 40cm, a ditch depth of 25cm, and a length determined by the size of the seedling raising site, plow the seedling raising site. After plowing is completed, spread a layer of easily soluble compound fertilizer and decomposed barnyard manure on the surface of the bed as basal fertilizer, with an amount of about 5000kg/mu of barnyard manure and 50kg/mu of compound fertilizer, evenly spread on the surface of the bed. After spreading, plow once more and level the bed surface;

2) Watering: After leveling the land, water the corresponding area of the plot according to the number of cutting seedlings, and water thoroughly at one time;

3) Cutting preparation: According to different seedlings, cut tender branches, semi-lignified and fully lignified branches as cuttings. Each cutting is about 10-15cm long. For each cutting that has thorns, the thorns and leaves should be cut off; for those without thorns, only the leaves need to be cut off. As needed, multiple seedlings can be tied into a bundle;

4) Cutting treatment: Soak the lower end of the cut or sawed branches into diluted root-stimulating solution or ABT rooting powder solution, dip quickly for 1 second, then take them out for later use;

5) Cutting method: Insert the cuttings vertically into the bed to a depth of 10cm, with a plant-row spacing of 6cm x 8cm. After insertion, cover with a shade net of 75% shading, with the shade net 20-30CM above the seedlings, then water once and water thoroughly;

6) Post-cutting management: After cutting, water on both sunny and cloudy days. On sunny days, water once in the morning and once in the afternoon; on cloudy days, water once, until the cuttings root after about 2 months;

7) Bagging: Before bagging, first prepare culture soil. When bagging, first place 5-6cm thick culture soil at the bottom of the bag, put in the dug-up seedling, then fill culture soil around the seedling, keeping only one strong bud at the upper end of each seedling.

7. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 1, characterized in that: the process of cultivating the grown characters in step 5) specifically includes the following steps:

1) Field management: Including fertilizer management, watering management, weed management and pest and disease control, to ensure healthy growth of the seedlings;

2) Tying or wrapping with cloth strips: Specifically divided into 5 steps:

i. Step 1: When the seedling height is about 20-30cm, remove all leaves on the seedling stem except for 4-5 leaves kept at the top;

ii. Step 2: Tie the part of the seedling near the root to the tail of the metal character mold, fix one end with iron binding wire or cloth strips, and wrap one end along the character strokes from bottom to top to the turning point;

iii. Step 3: At the turning point of the character mold, carefully bend the seedling stem so that it presses against the character mold strokes, and gradually, slowly and alternately tie and fix the seedling stem along the character pattern. When tying, the speed should not be too fast and the movements should be gentle. Repeat this until tying or wrapping is fixed and stopped 5-6cm from the terminal bud, waiting for the next tying or wrapping to fix the seedling stem;

iv. Step 4: When the new buds grow to about 10cm again, repeat the process of step 3 above. When tying or wrapping, if axillary buds are found growing on the seedling stem, they must be removed, leaving not a single one;

v. Step 5: Tie or wrap the seedling before the seedling lignifies, with a time interval of 3-10 days;

3) Loosening the binding: When the seedling grows to semi-lignified or fully lignified, loosen the binding. After the seedling is fully lignified, the plant stem will naturally fully set according to the binding track.

8. Claim 1

The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai, characterized in that: the crown shaping design and cultivation in step 6) includes natural-style crown shaping cultivation, semi-round topped with floating branch style crown shaping cultivation, and cloud-layer style crown cultivation.

9. The method for making Chinese character-art bonsai described in claim 1, characterized in that: when Chinese character-art bonsai need to be manufactured in large quantities, the transplanting of seedlings and attaching of characters in step 4) requires moving the rooted seedlings to the field, including two steps: field arrangement and seedling placement, specifically including the following steps:

1) Field arrangement: First level the land, pull lines and mark out beds. Leveling the land requires removing weeds and leveling the land but does not require plowing. After the plot is leveled, the bed width is determined by the width of two rows of seedlings, preferably so that they do not touch each other, and the length depends on the actual conditions of the cultivation site. The bed spacing for pulling lines and marking beds is 60-80cm;

2) Seedling placement: Arrange the bagged seedlings separately on the bed surface, with only two rows arranged per bed, that is, only two bagged seedlings placed across the bed width, with exactly 10cm spacing between bags. Along the bed length, the spacing of the bagged seedlings is based on the specification width of the character pattern, and the spacing between character patterns should preferably be 10cm.

Detailed Guide to Juniper Bonsai Cultivation

Speaking of bonsai, everyone should be very familiar with it. For office workers sitting in front of computers, placing a small bonsai on the computer desk can absorb computer radiation, and when work is tiring and eyes are strained, they can also look at green plants to relax. In addition, many bonsai are now not only used for outdoor decoration in gardens and scenic areas; more and more families are also moving bonsai indoors. Keeping some juniper bonsai at home can not only purify the air, but also relax the mood and add pleasure to life.

Today, the editor will introduce a very valuable potted plant, namely juniper.

   Morphological characteristics

Juniper is an evergreen shrub or small tree, up to 10 meters tall, with a cylindrical crown when young and a rounded head shape when old. The large branches are upright, and the small branches droop. Its leaves are needle-shaped and strip-like, hard in texture, pointed at the tip, concave above into a deep groove, with a narrow white powdery band in the groove, and with an obvious longitudinal ridge on the back. The cone is light brownish yellow or blue-black when mature, covered with white powder. The seed is nearly ovate with a pointed tip and has four inconspicuous ridges.

Juniper is a light-loving tree species and is shade-tolerant. It likes cool climates and is cold-resistant. It has strong adaptability to soil and likes chestnut soil formed from limestone or gray calcium soil formed from loess. It can grow in dry rock crevices or gravelly places by the sea.

Sowing

Juniper is propagated by sowing, with a germination rate of 40%. Seeds collected in the same year often have extremely low germination rates or do not germinate when sown the next spring. Therefore, in January, clean seeds should be soaked in 5% formalin solution for disinfection for 25 minutes, then washed with cold boiled water, and then stratified at about 5°C for about 100 days. When the seed coat cracks and begins to sprout, they can be sown, and they will germinate after about 2-3 weeks. In the same year, the seedlings are several centimeters tall. They are transplanted the next spring. After 2 full years, they can reach 30 centimeters tall, and 3-year-old plants are about 60 centimeters tall, at which point they can be used for hedges.

Seed selection: Before sowing, the seeds must first be selected. The quality of the seeds is directly related to whether sowing can succeed.

1. It is best to use seeds collected in the same year. The longer the seeds are stored, the lower their germination rate.

2. Choose seeds that are plump and free from defects or deformities.

3. Choose seeds free from pests and diseases.

Disinfection: Disinfection includes two concepts: one refers to disinfecting the seeds, and the other refers to disinfecting the sowing substrate. For household seed disinfection, it is common to soak the seeds in hot water at about 60°C for a quarter of an hour.

Germination promotion: Soak the seeds in warm hot water (temperature similar to face-washing water) for 12-24 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell.

Sowing: For tiny seeds that are difficult to pick up with hands or other tools, the "basin soaking method" can be used; for larger seeds that can be picked up with hands or other tools, directly place the seeds into the substrate and sow them in spots at a spacing of 3-5 centimeters. After sowing, cover with substrate to a thickness 2-3 times that of the seeds. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-hole watering can to moisten the sowing substrate. Later, when the pot soil is slightly dry, water again, still paying attention that the watering force should not be too strong, so as not to wash the seeds up.

Post-sowing management: After sowing in late autumn, early spring or winter, when encountering a cold wave and low temperatures, the flower pot can be wrapped with plastic film to help keep warm and moist.

Seedlings: After the seedlings emerge, promptly uncover the film, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 every morning, or after 3:30 in the afternoon; otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak. After most of the seeds have emerged, appropriate thinning is needed so that the remaining seedlings have a certain amount of space between each other. When most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted.

Pest and disease control

Pathogenic fungi: Alternaria sp. and Phoma sp. are the main pathogenic fungi of juniper red blight . Both pathogens prefer slightly acidic conditions. Secondly, juniper is also an intermediate host of pear rust. Juniper red blight caused by Cercospora sequoiae var.juniperi is relatively widespread in Heilongjiang Province. [7]

Harm: The disease is severe in two seasons and can cause the affected plants to die.

Control: Use the method of spraying pesticide, choosing to spray from mid-June to early July each year. Among the three pesticides Shuangxiaoling, thiophanate-methyl wettable powder and carbendazim, 50% carbendazim at a dosage of 70ml/a has the best control effect.

Juniper branches and trunks can also be used to make furniture. In addition, juniper fruit also has medicinal value, has certain effects in treating gout, rheumatoid arthritis and so on, and can also be made into essential oil. Here, the editor would like to remind everyone that whether it is juniper bonsai or other plants, everyone should cultivate them according to their characteristics during the planting process: what temperature is suitable, how often to water, and when they can be exposed to the sun, all of these should be done according to requirements. Spend some time and energy growing the potted plants you like. When you see the potted plants becoming more and more lush day by day, your heart will be full of a sense of achievement.

Detailed Guide to the Production Steps and Cultivation Techniques of Littleleaf Boxwood Bonsai

In daily life, boxwood bonsai is a very common plant bonsai. Because of its graceful tree posture, small leaves like broad bean petals, and ability to remain evergreen throughout the four seasons and be enjoyed all year round, it is deeply loved by consumers. Therefore, many people are very interested in this plant bonsai. So what are the production methods and steps of boxwood bonsai? The boxwood bonsai bought from the market is growing quite well, so how should it be maintained? Below, let us take a look at the production steps of boxwood bonsai and the detailed cultivation techniques.

¤ Production steps of littleleaf boxwood bonsai

1. Bonsai material collection

One cannot make bricks without straw. To make a good boxwood bonsai, first of all, sufficient boxwood material is needed. Littleleaf boxwood is a very common evergreen shrub or small tree of the Buxaceae family. It has a long lifespan and slow growth, and is a very excellent bonsai tree material. For making bonsai, choose littleleaf boxwood propagated by sowing or cutting, dig up its old stump, wrap the plant roots well with plastic bags for moisture retention and protection. Then plant it, cut off the downward main root and most of the excess leaves to prevent soil erosion. After about 2 years of cultivation, this littleleaf boxwood can be used for shaping and production.

2. Potting soil

Before making the bonsai, prepare the flower pot and soil for the littleleaf boxwood. The flower pot for littleleaf boxwood can be a Yixing purple clay flower pot or a light-colored glazed ceramic pot. Both kinds of flower pots are very exquisite and elegant, and are more than suitable for decorating bonsai. At the same time, when choosing a flower pot, fully consider the later bonsai shape of the littleleaf boxwood and the size of the stump, and choose a suitable flower pot shape and size. Usually, cliff-style shapes use square or round flower pots, while slanting-trunk style and curved-trunk style use round or oval flower pots. In addition, littleleaf boxwood likes fertile sandy loam, so preparing loose and breathable sandy loam is enough.

3. Bonsai shaping

Bonsai shaping emphasizes following its natural tendency, meaning making such an artistic shape by slightly adjusting according to the naturally grown posture of the boxwood. The purpose of doing this is to preserve more of the tree material's original beauty and naturalness. There are many shaping methods: pruning, wiring, or bending. Although the sprouting ability of littleleaf boxwood is relatively good, it will not sprout without leaves, so shaping should proceed gradually downward, using the methods of retaining leaves section by section and short pruning to force buds. Never take things for granted and blindly pursue a one-step bonsai shape, which may directly damage the original appearance of the littleleaf boxwood.

¤ Detailed cultivation techniques of littleleaf boxwood bonsai

A finished littleleaf boxwood bonsai usually does not yet look particularly exquisite, because the time is still short, so it needs careful maintenance and cultivation. So how should littleleaf boxwood bonsai be cultivated and maintained?

1. Watering: Littleleaf boxwood absorbs moisture, so it needs frequent watering, and as the plant grows, the amount of watering should also increase day by day. Each watering must be thorough. But in the later stage of growth, once the plant becomes lignified, watering only needs to be stopped. At the same time, note that each watering is best done in the early morning and evening every day, and watering at noon is the most taboo.

2. Fertilizing: After entering summer, littleleaf boxwood enters a vigorous growth period and needs sufficient nutrient supply. At this time, fertilizing can be carried out together with watering, and several applications of thin decomposed cake fertilizer are enough.

3. Pruning: In daily maintenance, littleleaf boxwood should also be pruned in time to keep the bonsai tree shape graceful. Pruning away the plant's overgrown branches, overlapping branches and other excess branches is enough. If it is found that the littleleaf boxwood has borne fruit, these fruits should also be removed in time. This avoids unnecessary nutrient consumption by the littleleaf boxwood.

4. Repotting: After the bonsai has been cultivated for 2 or 3 years, it can be repotted. For relatively weak-growing plants, the pot should be changed in time, and at the same time old roots that are too dense should be cut off, and new culture soil should be replaced for cultivation.

Summary:Littleleaf boxwood bonsai is a very beautiful plant bonsai. Its posture is graceful, elegant and natural, and it remains evergreen all year round, with extremely high ornamental value. Therefore, having such a bonsai at home is absolutely something to be happy about.