What is the market price of the Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine?
The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine is a seedling variant individual of the Taiwan Lanyu Buddhist Pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki), a very rare variety of Buddhist Pine. Its branches are upright yet flexible, the leaf spacing is dense, and the plant also shows small-leaved foliage. The terminal bud is a beautiful lotus-like stamen, and the leaf color is golden yellow with a full, rich luster. It is generally propagated by grafting to maintain the variety's characteristics. Let us take a look below at how much a Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine costs!
How much does a Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine cost?
The price of Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine saplings is generally not expensive, usually around 10-30 yuan. The price of Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine bonsai is much higher. A Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine grown by grafting onto a 30 cm rootstock with branches and leaves of about 10 cm costs roughly 100 yuan per plant. The price of Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine bonsai propagated by cuttings is around 50-120 yuan, while bonsai of 70-80 cm in size cost more than 150 yuan.
Making a Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine Bonsai
The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine itself is derived from a variant of other pines, so its seeds are not capable of reproduction. When propagating and cultivating it, grafting and cutting methods are mostly used, which can be done in spring and autumn, with specific requirements for the grafted branches and the seedbed. Before making it into a bonsai, it needs to be cultivated artificially for many years and then transplanted. Here, attention should be paid to the choice of soil at the bottom of the pot. After transplanting into the pot, appropriate care, pruning and shaping should be carried out according to the Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine's own growth characteristics, so that its form becomes more artistic and ornamental. In addition, for a formed bonsai, even more attention should be paid to maintenance, including the frequency and timing of soil replacement, fertilizing and pruning.
How to Grow a Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine
1. Soil: The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine requires a slightly acidic culture soil rich in humus, loose and fertile, with good drainage. In alkaline soil, its leaves turn yellow and growth is slow. It has a long lifespan, reaching several hundred years, or even over a thousand years.
2. Fertilizing: The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine likes fertilizer, so it should be fertilized lightly and frequently. The fertilizer should be mainly nitrogen-based, and an appropriate amount of black alum can be added and fermented into alum fertilizer water. During the growing season, fertilize once every 1-2 months. Fertilizing can be done together with watering (water-to-fertilizer ratio of 9:1).
3. Sunlight: The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine is a neutral to shade-leaning tree species. It can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in a more shaded environment. Although summer temperatures are high and the sunlight is intense, since high temperatures and strong light help maintain the tree's posture and leaf shape, there is no need to shade it in summer. However, since the tissue of young Buddhist Pine seedlings is tender, they should not be exposed to strong light for long periods, and it is best to place them under tree shade for care.
4. Watering: The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine is not a plant of the Pinaceae family and is not drought-tolerant; instead, it tolerates shade and moisture. During the growing season, it should be watered frequently, but it should not become waterlogged. On sunny summer days, water frequently, generally once in the morning and once in the evening. In addition, frequently spray water on the leaf surface to keep the leaf color fresh green and the growth good. Summer usually has more rain, and since it is not waterlogging-tolerant, be careful to prevent prolonged standing water.
5. Temperature: When potted in northern regions, the Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine can be moved outdoors when the outdoor temperature stabilizes at around 10°C, placed in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot outdoors for care. After summer begins, move it to a semi-shaded place. In winter, when the temperature does not drop to 5°C, it should be moved indoors. After moving indoors, control watering, and it can safely overwinter as long as conditions do not freeze.
6. Pests and diseases: The Golden Diamond Buddhist Pine is mainly harmed by leaf spot disease and anthracnose, which can be controlled by spraying 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 500 times dilution. Pests include scale insects, red spiders and bagworms, which can be killed by spraying 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1500 times dilution.