Cultivation Methods and Production and Care Techniques for Red Maple Bonsai
According to the editor, the common cultivation method for red maple is garden planting. In fact, red maple can also be made into bonsai. Because of its unique leaf color, it offers a different scenery compared with other bonsai. Those who are interested can follow the editor to look at the production and care techniques for red maple bonsai.
Red maple belongs to the genus Acer in the family Aceraceae, and is a deciduous shrub or small tree. It is also known as chicken-claw maple, seven-ridged maple, mountain maple, and so on. When the new leaves of red maple sprout, they are already red, and the leaves remain red or purplish red throughout the year. This is what distinguishes it from other trees in the family Aceraceae whose leaves are green in spring, summer, and early autumn and only turn red after frost in late autumn.
Production and care of commonly used tree-stump red maple bonsai
1. Material selection
When making red maple bonsai, what we most often make is the double-trunk style bonsai, but we must choose plants of different heights and sizes to plant as bonsai; only in this way can the effect be achieved. It is better to choose those with a short plant form and slender, drooping branches. When selecting seedlings, it is best if they can come with a soil ball.
2. Bonsai styling
When styling red maple bonsai, first wrap the small branches on the main trunk with aluminum wire, then bend them in the desired direction. If you feel that the extension angle of the branches cannot reach the ideal styling effect, you can use aluminum wire to guide them appropriately. Note that every main trunk branch must be guided to the correct position with aluminum wire and aluminum wire. The next step is wiring and bending, which means that the weak branches around the trunk and inside the tree cavity, as well as some weaker branches on the main branches, must all have their directions determined, and be wrapped and guided with aluminum wire so that they grow in the ideal direction. Excess branches and leaves should be cut off with pruning shears.
3. Bonsai care
(1) Light. Red maple is a weakly sun-loving tree. In spring and autumn, it can be cultivated in a well-lit and ventilated place. In summer and early autumn, when the light is relatively strong, place it where it can see sunlight in the morning and evening, or keep it under a shade net. In winter, red maple bonsai should be moved into a low-temperature indoor space to overwinter.
(2) Watering. During the growing season, keep the potting soil moist, but there must be no standing water in the pot. After autumn and in winter, water evaporation is low, so watering should be appropriately reduced, and the potting soil should be slightly on the dry side.
(3) Fertilizing. During the growing season, apply a once-monthly diluted decomposed organic liquid fertilizer. In spring and autumn, apply 1 to 2 times each of a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate liquid fertilizer, which helps make the leaf color more brilliant. Do not fertilize in the hot summer and cold winter.
There are countless types of bonsai, but red maple bonsai gives people a different kind of visual attraction. Friends who like bonsai should quickly save the production method.
Care of Red Maple Bonsai and Steps for Making Red Maple Bonsai
The leaves of red maple are elegant in shape and brilliant in color, and the tree posture is graceful, so people often make red maple bonsai and place them in a corner of the home for decorative embellishment. Next, I will share with everyone the care of red maple bonsai and the steps for making red maple bonsai.
Care of red maple bonsai
To raise red maple bonsai well, one must frequently water, frequently apply thin fertilizer, carefully prune, and promptly repot and change the soil all year round.
Red maple likes moisture, and the potting soil should be kept moist. When new buds sprout, water more. During the spring growing period, water thoroughly once a day, and spray the leaf surface with water once a week. In summer, when temperatures are high, the water in the potting soil evaporates easily, so it is best to water and spray once in the early morning and once in the evening. In autumn, water once a day and spray the leaf surface with water once every 2 to 3 days. In winter, red maple goes dormant, so water once every 3 to 5 days.
During the tree stump growing period in spring and summer, apply a decomposed, diluted organic liquid fertilizer once every half month. When fertilizing, add a small amount of phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer to promote good leaf growth and make the leaves red and brilliant in autumn. If fertilizer and water are insufficient, and there is frequent lack of water and fertilizer, the leaves will be small and thin, and in autumn the leaves will easily fall early, affecting the ornamental effect.
After leaf fall in autumn until before the tree buds, pruning can be carried out, cutting off overlapping branches, crossing branches, parallel branches, leggy branches, and diseased or dead branches. Heavily prune and shorten the retained branches, keeping 1 to 2 nodes on each branch, so as to keep the tree shape beautiful. At ordinary times, do not prune, and only pinch the tips of individual leggy branches.
In late summer and early autumn, remove all leaves and apply diluted fertilizer water. Red and brilliant young buds and new leaves will sprout, which can increase the ornamental effect and extend the viewing period.
Normally, repot and change the soil once every 2 years. Repotting and soil replacement should preferably be carried out before budding in early spring. When repotting, cut off some old roots and long roots, and replace 1/2 to 2/3 of the old soil. Use fertile, loose leaf mold and dried, crushed pond mud soil, add an appropriate amount of bone meal and cake fertilizer, and after decomposition use it as the new planting soil. Pond mud soil has good granular structure, which is beneficial to root growth. Only sufficient base fertilizer can make the tree stump grow robustly and the red leaves flourish.
Red maple leaves are susceptible to infection by brown spot disease, and lime sulfur mixture can usually be sprayed for prevention and treatment. The main pests are nettle caterpillars and aphids, which can be killed by spraying 50% dichlorvos 800-fold solution or 40% dimethoate 800-fold solution respectively.
Steps for making red maple bonsai
Step 1: Selection of saplings
When making red maple bonsai, what we most often make is the double-trunk style bonsai, but we must choose plants of different heights and sizes to plant as bonsai; only in this way can the effect be achieved. It is better to choose those with a short plant form and slender, drooping branches. When selecting seedlings, it is best if they can come with a soil ball.
Step 2: Preparation of tools
Pot, soil, filter net, stones, pruning shears, aluminum wire, small saw, wire pliers. The choice of pot is very important. It is best if the color is close to that of the tree trunk, and it does not need to be too deep. The bottom of the pot must have holes to facilitate drainage. Only in this way is it beneficial to the growth of red maple. For the soil, prepare mountain sand, burnt mud ash, and loess, mix them in a certain proportion, and then make them into nutrient soil.
Step 3: Potting
Before potting, it is best to remove excess soil from the roots to provide enough space. Then trim off some excess fibrous roots. Then bring the two trees together. Lay a filter net over the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Spread a layer of small stones on the filter net. Put the red maple tree into the pot; at this time, be sure to check the front side. Once placed, add soil to the pot, but do not fill it full, so that watering is convenient. While adding soil, press it firmly to prevent the tree from shifting position.
Step 4: Pruning
Prune away overly tall main trunk branches, dense branches inside the tree cavity, and overly weak branches. Branches growing too low on the main trunk should be pruned only after the styling is completed.
Step 5: Styling
When styling, first wrap the small branches on the main trunk with aluminum wire, then bend them in the desired direction. If you feel that the extension angle of the branches cannot reach the ideal styling effect, you can use aluminum wire to guide them appropriately. Note that every main trunk branch must be guided to the correct position with aluminum wire and aluminum wire.
Step 6: Wiring and bending
This is the last step, which is that the weak branches around the trunk and inside the tree cavity, as well as some weaker branches on the main branches, must all have their directions determined, and be wrapped and guided with aluminum wire so that they grow in our ideal direction. Excess branches and leaves should be cut off with pruning shears.
The above is what I have shared with everyone about the care of red maple bonsai and the steps for making red maple bonsai. Is everyone clear now? For more home knowledge, please stay tuned.
Appreciation of Red Maple Bonsai Pictures, Production Techniques and Care Methods for Red Maple Bonsai
Red maple is a famous scenic tree in our country, with a graceful and moving tree form. It is suitable both for being planted alone or in groups among mountain stones and green pines and cypresses, and for household pot cultivation or making into bonsai for appreciation. It can also be cut into branches for vase insertion and enjoyed as cut flowers. So what are the production techniques for red maple bonsai, and what are the production and care methods for red maple bonsai? Let us understand:
Red maple bonsai pictures
Production techniques for red maple bonsai:
Red maple can be made into different forms of bonsai according to the shape of the tree stump, such as straight-trunk style, slanting-trunk style, curved-trunk style, waterside style, cliff style, and so on; several plants can also be planted together in one pot to make double-trunk style, three-trunk style, forest style, and other forms of bonsai. When making forest-style bonsai, choose plants of different heights and sizes and plant them in groups, and pair them with mountain stones, moss, and other accessories to express the artistic conception of a "drunkenly dyed maple forest." Because its leaves are relatively large, the crown should not be made into cloud-pad or cloud-cluster shapes; it can be pruned into a natural style that is coordinated in height and elegant and free. The styling method is mainly pruning, supplemented by wiring and bending. Some branches can be pulled to make the layout reasonable. Red maple bonsai should use white stone pots, green glazed ceramic pots, or yellow purple clay pots, and should not use red or purple pots that are similar to the leaf color. The specific steps for making red maple bonsai are as follows:
1 Selection of saplings
When making double-trunk style bonsai, choose plants of different heights and sizes to plant as bonsai. It is better to choose those with a short plant form and slender, drooping branches. When selecting seedlings, it is best if they come with a soil ball.
2 Preparation of tools
Before making bonsai, a comfortable workbench of suitable height must be prepared. The following tools must also be prepared: pot, soil, filter net, stones, pruning shears, steel wire, aluminum wire, small saw, wire pliers. The choice of pot is very important. Mainly choose brown-yellow purple sand pots of similar color. It does not need to be too deep, because maple trees are afraid of standing water, and the bottom of the pot must have holes to facilitate drainage. For the soil, prepare mountain sand, burnt mud ash, and loess in a ratio of 1:1:1, then make them into nutrient soil. Also prepare colored compound fertilizer, and mix the burnt mud ash, loess, and fertilizer together. In this way, it can be potted.
3 Potting
Before potting, remove excess soil from the roots so that there is enough space in the pot. Trim off overly long main roots, lateral roots, and overly long fibrous roots on the soil ball, and bring the two trees together. The first step of potting is to lay a filter net over the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Spread a layer of small stones on the filter net. Next, put the prepared tree into the pot. When the tree is put into the pot, check the front side, and also distinguish the front side from the back side. Once placed, add soil to the pot until it is 2-3 cm below the pot rim, which is enough. Do not fill it full, so that watering is convenient. While adding soil, press it firmly to prevent the tree from shifting position.
4 Pruning
Prune away overly tall main trunk branches, dense branches inside the tree cavity, and overly weak branches. Branches growing too low on the main trunk should be pruned only after the styling is completed.
5 Styling
When styling, first wrap the small branches on the main trunk with aluminum wire, then bend them in the desired direction. Determine our several main branches and determine the direction of extension. If you feel that the extension angle of the branches cannot reach the ideal styling effect, you can use aluminum wire to guide them appropriately. Every main trunk branch must be guided to the ideal position with aluminum wire and aluminum wire.
6 Wiring and bending
Wiring and bending is mainly for small branches. Although the branches are small, they must also be styled well for us, so as not to affect the perfection of the overall styling. The weak branches around the trunk and inside the tree cavity, as well as some weaker branches on the main branches, must all have their directions determined, and be wrapped and guided with aluminum wire so that they grow in our ideal direction and angle. If there are branches unfavorable to the styling, cut them off with pruning shears.
Once pruning is done, the bonsai production is considered complete. Then use rope to tightly bind our two main trunks together and connect them. Once fixed, bind the main trunks and the pot together to prevent displacement during transport. Once tied, finally water once more, watering until water can seep out from the bottom of the pot. Within 1-2 years, our shape will basically be set, and at that time it will be enough to remove the steel wire and aluminum wire.
Care methods for red maple bonsai:
Of course, the production of red maple pot cultivation cannot be separated from careful care, because only careful care can make red maple grow luxuriantly, make the leaves red and beautiful, and give it higher ornamental value. Next, let us understand the care methods for red maple bonsai:
1. For planting, ordinary culture soil can be used. After watering, place it in a semi-shaded place. Frequently spray water on the branches and trunk. When the leaves begin to unfold, light can be increased. After all leaves have unfolded, apply a light (nitrogen) fertilizer water once. Place it in a semi-shaded place with even sunlight for normal management.
2. In summer and autumn, pay attention to ventilation. Potted plants should be moved to a semi-shaded place around noon, and attention should be paid to ventilation. Under the scorching sun, the leaves are prone to scorched edges, curling, and falling. At the same time, pay attention to watering to prevent the soil from becoming too dry.
3. If you want to manually control leaf viewing, you can do it once each during the periods between spring and summer and between summer and autumn. Doing it too frequently will harm the tree. In June and September, all leaves can be removed once each, and after 10 days fresh red new leaves will grow. Two points should be noted: first, pruning should be done after leaf removal; second, fertilizer should be applied one week before leaf removal. To manually control new leaves, fertilizer and water must be strengthened; this is the key to success.
4. If the leaves wither and scorch under the scorching sun, in August all scorched leaves can be removed, and the plant placed in a cool, semi-shaded place, and a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound liquid applied lightly, about 2 times a week. In this way, by autumn, fresh red new leaves can grow.
5. After leaf fall in winter, it enters the dormant period. A thin application of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium base fertilizer can be made, and shaping and pruning carried out, so that the branches and leaves in early spring of the following year will be even more red and brilliant. If unusually cold special weather is encountered, the bonsai should be placed in a warm, wind-sheltered, sunny place or in a sunny indoor place to avoid freezing damage.
6. The main pests of red maple are: red wax scale insects, cottony cushion scale insects, and heart borers. Control method for scale insects: when there are few, wash and brush them off with a toothbrush; when severe, spray and kill with 25% iminophosphorus sulfur emulsion 1000-fold solution. Control method for heart borers: use a syringe to inject 40% omethoate 2000-fold solution into the pest-damaged part of the trunk.
Related content such as production techniques and care methods for red maple bonsai has been shared with everyone here. I hope it can help everyone. For more related information, please continue to follow the Tubatu Learn Decoration Flowers and Plants column.