How to grow a Chinese holly bonsai, a plant whose every part is treasured? A detailed guide to cultivation and care techniques
Chinese holly is an evergreen shrub with unusually shaped leaves and bright green foliage, making it an excellent foliage and fruit ornamental species; grown as a potted plant it has very high ornamental value. Below are cultivation and care techniques for Chinese holly bonsai, for those who love plants and flowers to take a look.
1. Health benefits
The leaves, fruit and roots of Chinese holly can all be used as medicine. The leaves have a therapeutic effect on hemoptysis and pulmonary tuberculosis, while the fruit can treat chronic diarrhea and excessive vaginal discharge, and the roots can treat jaundice hepatitis and rheumatic pain. The branches, leaves, bark and fruit of Chinese holly are all tonic and strengthening medicines.
2. Care guide
(1) Choosing a pot: use a clay pot with good drainage and breathability, use a shallow pot if possible, and add broken pot pieces to the bottom.
(2) Choosing soil: Chinese holly likes fertile soil; it is suited to loose soil with smooth drainage and an acidic pH, and can also grow in neutral and slightly alkaline soil.
(3) Cultivation: during the plum rain season, first cut 10-15 cm long semi-lignified branches of the current year's growth from the Chinese holly as cuttings, leaving 4-6 leaves. Insert the cuttings into the growing medium, and after inserting keep them shaded from sunlight; roots will grow in about 30 days, and after 1-2 years of cultivation they can be transplanted. Transplanting can be done before the plant sprouts in spring or after the Beginning of Autumn, but spring is best. Wait until the plant's growth momentum has recovered before returning to normal care.
(4) Light: Chinese holly likes a environment with plenty of light, and is also fairly tolerant of shade, so it can be kept long-term in a bright spot indoors.
(5) Temperature: Chinese holly likes warmth and also has a certain degree of cold resistance. It can tolerate low temperatures for short periods.
(6) Watering: in summer, water once every morning and frequently mist the leaves; in spring and autumn, water once every 2-3 days; in winter, simply keep the potting soil on the dry side.
(7) Fertilizing: during the Chinese holly's growing season, apply a low-concentration diluted decomposed cake fertilizer solution about once every 15 days. In winter, apply organic fertilizer just once as a base fertilizer, and do not apply any further fertilizer to the plant afterward.
(8) Propagation: Chinese holly is usually propagated by sowing and by cuttings.
(9) Pruning: each year in summer and autumn, prune the plant moderately once, cutting off dense branches, leggy branches, dead branches and diseased or pest-infested branches, and shortening branches that have grown too long, so as to maintain a certain plant shape.
(10) Placement and display: Chinese holly is evergreen all year round; it can be planted directly in the garden for viewing, or grown in a pot to decorate the living room, and can also be made into a bonsai placed on windowsills and tables in the study or living room.
According to the editor's understanding, every part of Chinese holly is treasured, it has relatively high medicinal value, and making it into a bonsai can also create a beautiful sight in the garden. Everyone can cultivate it according to the cultivation methods shared by the editor.
For beginners: appreciation of Chinese holly bonsai and its care and management~~
In today's society, more and more people enjoy appreciating and growing bonsai; it not only beautifies the home but can also purify the air. So, do you all know about Chinese holly bonsai? Today let's take a look together at the care and management methods for Chinese holly bonsai.Chinese holly is like thisChinese holly floweringChinese holly fruitingCharacteristics of Chinese hollyChinese holly, also known as tiger thorn, cat's thorn and bird's roost, has a compact plant form, unusually shaped leaves that are bright green and glossy, and stays evergreen all year round; after autumn it is covered with red fruit that does not fall through the winter, colorful and lovely. It is an excellent foliage and fruit ornamental species, often used in European and American countries for Christmas decorations, hence it is also called the "Christmas tree". Common varieties include thornless Chinese holly, small-leaved Chinese holly, yellow-fruited Chinese holly, golden-edged Chinese holly, and spiny wintergreen. The leaves, fruit and roots can be used medicinally: the leaves can treat tidal fever from pulmonary tuberculosis and hemoptysis, the fruit is often used for excessive vaginal discharge and chronic diarrhea, and the roots are often used to treat rheumatic pain and jaundice hepatitis; the seeds contain oil and can be made into soap; the bark can be used as a dye. The leaves contain saponins, tannins, bitter substances, etc.; the bark contains alkaloids, etc. For decorative use, it can be planted in the garden as a hedge, or grown in a pot and displayed in the hall on a stand; because it has thorns, do not let children touch it to avoid injury.Care and management methods for Chinese holly bonsai
Chinese holly has luxuriant branches and leaves and unusually shaped foliage; especially after autumn, when covered with red fruit, it is bright and beautiful. It is a flower species that is excellent for both foliage and fruit.
1. Watering: Chinese holly is drought-tolerant. During vigorous growth it needs frequent watering; generally keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. In summer, mist the leaves often to aid evaporation and cooling.
2. Fertilizing: generally apply a thin cake fertilizer solution once every 2 weeks in spring, top-dress once a month in autumn, no fertilizing in summer, and apply base fertilizer once each winter.
3. Pruning: Chinese holly has very strong sprouting ability and is very tolerant of pruning. For finished display pieces, unnecessary leggy branches, sprouting branches and surplus buds can be cut off at ordinary times to maintain a certain tree shape. For material still to be worked on, a certain number of branches can be retained as needed to facilitate shaping.4. Repotting: soil: it likes fertile acidic soil and is not tolerant of saline-alkaline soil. Chinese holly bonsai is usually repotted once every 2-3 years, often in February-March in spring, or after autumn when the tree enters its dormant period. When repotting, some old roots can be trimmed away, sufficient base fertilizer applied, 1/2 of the old soil retained, and the plant returned to the pot.
5. Pest and disease control: Chinese holly has very few pests and diseases. Sometimes the branches and leaves develop sooty mold (also called soot disease) caused by psyllids; before the plum rain season, in April-May, spray Bordeaux mixture or lime sulfur mixture once every 10 days. Alternatively, in early spring spray 50% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution to kill overwintering psyllids; once a week for 3 consecutive times will control the psyllid damage. When scale insects are occasionally seen, spraying with lead arsenate will kill them.
6. Care location: Chinese holly is shade-tolerant and should be placed in a shady, moist environment to grow. In summer it needs to be cared for under a shade frame or in tree shade. In winter it needs to be brought indoors to overwinter; south of the Yangtze River it can overwinter outdoors.
Chinese holly bonsai prices and making
A bonsai is, in fact, a miniature landscape scenic area; it is one of China's traditional arts and has given rise to several major bonsai schools. There is the unrestrained Shanghai-style bonsai, the elegant and bold Lingnan school, the majestic and precipitous Sichuan school, the antique and plain Suzhou school, and the clearly layered, flat and steady Yangzhou school. Chinese holly bonsai is one category of tree bonsai. The Chinese holly tree, with its graceful tree form and evergreen foliage, is indeed a good material for making bonsai. It has a unique leaf shape, deep green and shiny leaves, and after autumn it also produces red fruit. The tempting red fruit stands out incomparably brilliantly against the deep green. So, what are the prices of Chinese holly bonsai? How should it be cultivated?
Prices of Chinese holly bonsai
What sells best on the market now are the small bonsai (similar to those with a pot diameter of 8-10-odd cm), because plant radiation protection is very popular now; placing a small, cute potted plant beside a computer or on various household appliances lifts the mood considerably, and the price is very affordable. China's bonsai art is unique in the world, highly artistic, and much loved by friends around the world. Bonsai with very good shaping also cost no small amount; if a small bonsai has good shaping and artistic conception it can also sell for over a thousand, and if it is by a famous master or a famous work, that goes without saying.
Chinese holly bonsai
Chinese holly, also known as cat's thorn and bird's roost. It is produced in the provinces of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, and is a subtropical tree species. It is an evergreen small tree or shrub of the genus Ilex in the family Aquifoliaceae. Its leaves are unusually shaped and leathery, glossy on the surface, and the fruit is bright red, quite beautiful when covering the branches. Chinese holly likes a warm, humid environment, is relatively shade-tolerant, is suited to growing in slightly acidic soil, has strong sprouting ability, is tolerant of pruning, and grows relatively slowly. Chinese holly has luxuriant branches and leaves, the leaves are deep green and glossy, and the leaf shape is unusual. In autumn and winter the branches are full of red fruit, rich and eye-catching; it is an excellent foliage and flower bonsai tree species. Old stumps can be taken to make bonsai, with an ancient and unusual form that truly has a certain flavor. Taking small trees and using a combination of pruning and wiring can also produce commercial bonsai.
Making a Chinese holly bonsai
a. Seedling sources
The procedure uses propagation methods such as sowing, cuttings (usually carried out in early summer, rooting in about 60 days) and division, all of which can produce seedlings. Wild stumps can also be dug up in the hills and fields.
b. Potting
Usually carried out after autumn or in spring. Chinese holly has well-developed lateral roots but lacks a taproot, so it must be transplanted with a soil ball. Use loose, fertile, breathable and well-draining slightly acidic soil. For the pot, choose a glazed ceramic pot or purple clay pot in colors such as blue, purple, gray or brown that contrast to some degree with its deep green leaf color.
c. Shaping
Because the branches and trunk of Chinese holly are relatively brittle, shaping is usually done during the plum rain season when the sap flows strongly. Also, because the leaves are large and hard and have sharp spines, it is generally used to make large stump bonsai. The form can be made into the straight-trunk style, or the slanting-trunk style, the curved-trunk style and the cliff-hanging style according to its tree shape. Before shaping, cut off the surplus leaves first, then wire. Use palm fiber for wiring. Metal wire easily damages the branches and leaves. The branches and leaves of Chinese holly can be wired into cloud-like layers; the layers should be natural and not rigid, otherwise the charm will be lost.
Care and management of Chinese holly bonsai
Before discussing the care and management of Chinese holly bonsai, everyone should first remember the placement location for Chinese holly bonsai: Chinese holly bonsai is shade-tolerant and should be placed in a semi-shady and humid environment; dry and strongly lit places are unsuitable for growth. In summer, set up a shade frame or place it under tree shade or beside a pond. In winter it should be brought indoors.
The first step in the care and management of Chinese holly bonsai is watering and fertilizing: at ordinary times keep the potting soil somewhat moist; during the spring and summer growing seasons water frequently, and mist the leaves often. Fertilizing: during the growing season, Chinese holly bonsai can be given a thin decomposed cake fertilizer solution once every half month; in winter apply base fertilizer just once.
The second step in the care and management of Chinese holly bonsai is pruning: Chinese holly has strong sprouting ability and is very tolerant of pruning; at ordinary times unnecessary leggy branches and sprouting branches can be cut off at any time and surplus buds removed, to maintain a certain tree shape.
The third step in the care and management of Chinese holly bonsai is repotting: carry it out once every 2-3 years, preferably in February-March in spring, or after autumn. When repotting, combine it with pruning, remove some old roots, and replace more than 1B2 of the old soil, filling in fertile, loose new soil to promote root development.
The fourth step in the care and management of Chinese holly bonsai is pest and disease control: Chinese holly has dense wood and hard leaves, so there are relatively few pests and diseases. Sometimes the branches and trunk develop sooty mold caused by psyllid damage, which can be controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture and applying lime sulfur mixture. Sometimes scale insect damage occurs, causing failure to bear fruit, which can be killed by spraying lead arsenate. Or in early spring spray 50% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution to kill overwintering psyllids, then spray once every 7 days for 3 consecutive times.
The beautiful tree form of the Chinese holly tree truly has an unusual artistic conception. Tending the bonsai at home in one's spare time can calm a restless mind, and a bonsai in one's own style will also add a lot of vitality to the home. Ready-made bonsai are convenient and varied in style, yet they are not as meaningful as one made with one's own hands. From selecting seedling sources, designing the shape and caring for the bonsai, each step is somewhat arduous but has its own flavor. A bonsai seems to become a friend, with deep feelings. Of course, buying one or two pots from the market to care for yourself is also nice; watching the Chinese holly bonsai grow luxuriantly, with bright red fruit unexpectedly emerging, that feeling must be happiness. The above is the content about Chinese holly bonsai prices; I hope it can be of some help to everyone!