How to grow Chinese elm as a bonsai? Cultivation techniques for Chinese elm bonsai
Bonsai is the best choice for courtyard decoration. According to the editor, many tree species can be made into bonsai, among which Chinese elm is a tree species very suitable for bonsai in gardens. Today the editor will share with everyone the cultivation techniques for Chinese elm bonsai.
Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) belongs to the family Ulmaceae, genus Ulmus, and is a deciduous tree, also known as small-leaf elm. It is native to China and is cultivated in most parts of the country. The Chinese elm has a graceful tree form and an elegant bearing, with mottled and refined bark and gently drooping small branches. Its leaves turn red in autumn, and it has strong resistance to toxic gases and smoke and dust. It can be planted as a street tree, a greening tree species for mines and factory areas, or planted alone or in groups in courtyards, and can also be grown as a bonsai. The wood of the Chinese elm is hard, with straight grain and resistance to water and moisture, and can be used for industrial timber. Its roots, bark, and tender leaves used as medicine have effects such as dredging collaterals and relieving pain, clearing heat and promoting diuresis, detoxifying and reducing swelling, and cooling blood and stopping bleeding. They mainly treat symptoms such as soreness and pain in the lower back, toothache, difficult urination, sores and abscesses, acute mastitis, burns from water and fire, dysentery, gastrointestinal bleeding, blood in urine, bleeding hemorrhoids, and traumatic bleeding.
The Chinese elm can reach 25 m in height, with a trunk diameter at breast height of up to 1 m; the crown is broadly rounded, and the base of the trunk sometimes forms buttress roots. The bark is gray or grayish brown, splitting into irregular scaly thin flakes that peel off to reveal reddish-brown inner bark. The leaves are thick in texture, lanceolate-ovate or narrowly elliptic, rarely ovate or obovate. The inflorescence is a cyme, with the upper part of the perianth cup-shaped and the lower part tubular; the samara is elliptic or ovate-elliptic, and the flowering and fruiting period is from August to October. The Chinese elm likes light and a warm climate, is slightly cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant, moisture-tolerant, and tolerant of pruning. It is not strict about soil, but grows best in fertile, well-drained neutral soil.
Cultivation techniques for Chinese elm
(1) Seedling raising techniques:For sowing and seedling raising, harvest ripe seeds in time, spread them out to dry in the sun, winnow away debris, and store them dry in bags. Sow in March of the following year by broadcast sowing. After sowing, cover with fine soil, then cover with rice straw. After germination and emergence, remove the straw in time and thin the seedlings appropriately. When they reach 20 cm in height, they can be lifted from the nursery and transplanted or potted.
For cutting propagation, select 2-year-old branches from vigorous mother plants and cut them into 7-8 cm cuttings. Choose a substrate with good drainage and good air permeability and insert the cuttings at a spacing of 4 x 8 cm, with a depth of 1/3 of the cutting length. After insertion, spray water and maintain air humidity at around 85%. After the cuttings survive, apply fertilizer appropriately, and once growth is stable, they can be transplanted.
(2) Cultivation techniques:Choose fertile, well-drained neutral soil for field planting, with spacing determined according to need. For potting, use a mixture of garden soil, leaf mold, and fine sand as the potting soil. Purple clay ceramic pots can be used for planting. For potted shaping, pruning and wiring can be combined. Coir or metal wire can be used for wiring. Since Chinese elm branches grow quickly, after the shape is set by wiring, the wire should be removed in time to avoid wire bite and affecting appearance. During the growing period, newly sprouted branches can have their new shoots cut off to promote branching, and the branches can be twisted into shape. During the growing season, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every half month. Prune in time to control excessive growth so as not to disrupt the tree form. Potted plants need to be repotted once every 2 years.
Bonsai is a very good ornamental plant, and Chinese elm is a very good bonsai tree species. Moreover, its cultivation method is simple, the survival rate is high, and it is easy to manage. The above are the simple cultivation methods for Chinese elm bonsai.
Six questions about making Chinese elm bonsai
Six questions about making Chinese elm bonsai
Chinese elm, also known as elm tree, small-leaf elm, peeling elm, chicken gall, iron-branch tree, etc., belongs to the family Ulmaceae and genus Ulmus, and is an important bonsai material in both northern and southern parts of China. Commonly cultivated species in the same genus include: cut-leaf elm, big-fruit elm, red-fruit elm, long-raceme elm, Langya elm, and Zuiweng elm. The three species long-raceme elm, Langya elm, and Zuiweng elm are endangered plants and have been included in the "List of Rare and Endangered Protected Plants of China."
The Chinese elm is a deciduous tree and a suitable tree species for subtropical areas. The trunk is upright, and the branches spread widely. The leaves are elliptic with serrated edges. It flowers before leafing out from March to April, with purple-brown flowers clustered on one-year-old branches. The fruiting period is from April to May, and the fruit is nearly spherical, yellow-white when ripe. Propagation is by sowing.
The Chinese elm is a sun-loving tree species with a well-developed root system and strong sprouting ability. It is slightly drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant, heat-tolerant, moisture-tolerant, salt-alkali-tolerant, tolerant of poor soil, and tolerant of pruning and wiring; it likes sunlight and also tolerates shade, and prefers a warm climate and relatively moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
The Chinese elm is an ordinary tree, found in mountains and fields all over the world. The Chinese elm has an elegant tree posture, small and emerald leaves, an unrestrained and bold appearance, full of vitality, with clear layers, well-spaced density, gnarled roots, and exposed hanging roots and claws. Regardless of the size of the stump, it has a dignified and elegant, majestic presence. Especially old stumps are even more varied with caves and gullies, vigorous and primitive, strangely twisted, and showing the look of great age. The branches are elegant and upright, giving a strong sense of an old tree meeting spring.
The author believes that the reason the Chinese elm is so favored by people is relatively speaking: first, it is easy to obtain material; second, it grows quickly; third, it is extensively managed; fourth, it can be appreciated with or without leaves; and fifth, it costs little. But whether it can be well made and maintained, the author believes the following 6 issues should be properly addressed:
How to solve the problem of sap bleeding in Chinese elm bonsai
Plum yew fears "branch shrinkage," while Chinese elm fears "sap bleeding." Therefore, anyone who cultivates Chinese elm will be very cautious in handling the "sap bleeding upon contact with water" problem of wounds and cut surfaces from digging, sawing, and chiseling. The solutions for "sap bleeding" generally include air-drying, applying plant ash, coating with mud slurry, coating with latex, hot-dripping beeswax, and applying erythromycin ointment, etc. Also, be careful not to immediately water with "settling water" at planting time; wait 2-3 days before watering. As long as "sap bleeding" can be completely prevented, there is no threat to the survival of the Chinese elm, and the results will be twice as good with half the effort.
How to solve the problem of branches and trunk not being in place in Chinese elm bonsai
"The quality of Chinese elm is superior, but poor branches and trunk hinder appreciation." Although this problem is not fatal, it is somewhat spoiling the scenery, affects appreciation, and is a blemish on perfection. For this reason, the author has also repeatedly imitated the position-selecting "hammering to promote growth method," but it was difficult to make effective, so nearby branches had to be hung and pulled, and bent to make up for the missing parts. In fact, branches and trunk not being in place is not only a problem in Chinese elm bonsai, but also a common problem in all stump bonsai.
How to solve the problem of shedding leaves and changing to brocade in Chinese elm bonsai
The best viewing period for Chinese elm bonsai should be in [missing]. For this reason, the author has several times about 2 months before an exhibition or an auspicious celebration day heavily pruned the Chinese elm and removed all leaves to prompt it to again present its best viewing period. There are three methods for removing leaves: first, cut off the leaves one by one with floral scissors; second, place the plant in a corner of the hall to cause the leaves to fall naturally; third, "withhold water" for 5-7 days to cause a short-term interruption of water supply and force the leaves to fall. Although the first method is time-consuming, labor-consuming, and energy-consuming, it is safe and reliable. The second and third methods both belong to forcing self-defoliation, but the "heat" must be controlled well, otherwise it will affect the normal growth of the plant.
How to solve the problem of water and fertilizer management in Chinese elm bonsai
Watering should follow "see dry, see wet" and "water thoroughly when dry." Too much watering makes the roots too wet, affects root respiration, and causes root rot and plant death. Too little watering makes the potting soil dry up and the plant stop growing. Long-term water cutoff makes the plant dry up. Spray less water on the leaf surface to prevent leaves from becoming too large and new branches from growing excessively, which affects appreciation. In severe heat, sprinkle water on the ground to increase air humidity,
so as to benefit plant growth. Usually, watering should follow the "six looks": look at the soil when watering, do not water if not dry, and water thoroughly when watering; look at the tree when watering, water more for large trees and less for small trees; look at the pot when watering, water more for small pots and less for large (deep) pots; look at the weather when watering, water more on sunny days, less on cloudy days, and do not water on rainy days; look at the plant's growth condition when watering, water more when growth is vigorous and less when growth is weak; look at the bonsai placement when watering, water more in sunny locations and less in shady locations. In short, avoid uniform watering and avoid "too frequent" watering.
The Chinese elm avoids heavy fertilizer. Usually, master dilute fertilizer applied frequently, avoid "concentrated fertilizer," and avoid applying undecomposed organic fertilizer. From April to October each year is the growing period of the Chinese elm. On the evening of a sunny (cloudy) day, apply dilute cake fertilizer or "compound fertilizer" liquid 1-2 times a month (do not fertilize during the plum rain season and severe heat days). Before the Start of Winter, it is best to apply an additional phosphorus fertilizer, bone meal, to enhance the plant's cold resistance. Fertilization should follow: less fertilizer for old stumps, more fertilizer for strong and healthy stumps; less fertilizer for shaped stumps, more fertilizer for developing stumps; more fertilizer for vigorously growing stumps, less fertilizer for weakly growing stumps. Do not fertilize during the dormant period. In short, avoid "concentrated fertilizer" and prevent "fertilizer damage."
How to solve the problem of potting soil and repotting in Chinese elm bonsai
The Chinese elm tolerates poor soil and is not strict about soil. For homemade potting soil, generally take ordinary field soil (mountain soil or pond mud) and freshwater sand (coarse sand) at 40% each, coal cinder (for sterilization and aeration) or sawdust (for looseness) at 20%, and add some dried poultry manure or compound fertilizer, mixing them into a growing medium. Before use, spray water on the growing medium and stir it (it should form a ball when squeezed and scatter when dropped), fill and cover the roots of the Chinese elm and press it firm, then wait 2-3 days before watering with "settling water," so as to avoid root wounds "bleeding sap upon contact with water" and endangering survival.
The Chinese elm has strong vitality and grows quickly. Therefore, it should be repotted about once every 2 years, preferably before spring budding. When repotting, cut off rotten roots, dead roots, and some old roots and excessively long roots, remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the old soil, and fill in fertile, loose, well-drained new growing medium.
How to solve the problem of pest and disease control in Chinese elm bonsai
Common pests of Chinese elm bonsai include: aphids, red spiders, elm sawflies, etc., which can be sprayed with a 2000-fold dilution of 30% insecticidal king emulsifiable concentrate, with very good results. The larvae of the "borer" (longhorn beetle) lurk inside the boring holes. First insert a wire into the hole to stab them to death, then use a cotton ball soaked in malathion to plug the hole, and coat the outside with yellow mud. For adult longhorn beetles that have already formed, they can be captured manually. If root rot is found (manifested as leaf drop and branch death), repot and change the soil in time, cut off and burn the rotten roots and branches, apply a 1000-fold dilution of carbendazim, and pot again after the liquid dries.
Production, cultivation, and maintenance knowledge for elm and pine bonsai
Elm is distributed throughout China and is generally transplanted during the dormant period in winter and spring, with the highest survival rate before budding in February and March
Elm is a deciduous tree in the family Ulmaceae and genus Ulmus. The trunk is gray-white or gray-brown, and the leaves are elliptic to oblong with irregular single serrations along the edges. There are many varieties, and those suitable for making bonsai are Chinese elm, red elm, and other varieties with small, dense leaves and vigorous, twisted roots and trunks.
Elm is distributed throughout China and is generally transplanted during the dormant period in winter and spring, with the highest survival rate before budding in February and March. Before production, it should first be planted in sandy soil to “nurse the stump.” Before planting, the branches, trunk, and root system must be pruned. Its wounds often exude sticky sap. If too much of this sap seeps out, it will seriously affect the survival rate. Wax, lacquer, etc. can be applied to the cut, or a layer of erythromycin ointment can be applied, then fine sandy soil can be sprinkled on to prevent the sap from flowing out. However, it must never be soaked in water, otherwise it will worsen the loss of sap, causing the roots to rot and the plant to die. After planting, press the soil firm, but do not water. You can spray the trunk with clean water 1 to 2 times a day, and after 2 to 3 days water once thoroughly. Afterward, place the plant in a ventilated and well-lit place for maintenance, and water according to "do not water if not dry, water thoroughly when watering." Waterlogging in the soil is strictly prohibited.
The shaping of elm bonsai can be done during the growing period or the dormant period, but the budding period should be avoided to prevent excessive sap loss and affect plant growth. Its form can be processed according to the basic shape of the stump into various bonsai forms such as straight-trunk style, curved-trunk style, slanting-trunk style, deadwood style, waterside style, cascade style, and forest style. The crown can use either a natural style that is elegant and well-spaced, or a large tree shape with a rounded top, and can also be processed into a regular rounded-pad shape. The shaping method uses both wiring and pruning: first use metal wire to coil out the basic form, then prune carefully.
After the elm survives, it is robust in habit and extensively managed. The finished bonsai can be placed in a place with sufficient light and good ventilation for maintenance, keeping the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. In summer, when the air is dry, spray a small amount of water on the plant to increase air humidity and keep the leaf color fresh. Apply a decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer about once every 20 days. Elm bonsai has strong sprouting ability and grows quickly, so it should be pruned frequently, both to maintain the beauty of the tree shape and to increase the plant's light penetration. The best viewing period for elm bonsai is when the new leaves have just grown. If all old leaves are removed in early to mid-August and water and fertilizer management is then strengthened, by mid to late September new leaves as tender green as in spring will grow again, greatly increasing the ornamental value. In winter, the whole pot can be buried outdoors in a wind-sheltered, sunny place or moved to a cold room for overwintering. The temperature should not be too high, otherwise the plant will not get sufficient dormancy and the next year's growth will be affected. Repot once every 1 to 2 years in early spring, and use a sandy soil rich in humus, loose and breathable, and well-drained for planting.