Detailed Explanation of Osmanthus Bonsai Making Methods and Techniques

Osmanthus bonsai making: Osmanthus is a traditional famous flower of our country. It can not only beautify the environment and adorn gardens, but is also deeply loved by people when used to make bonsai. Xianning is located in the mountainous area of southern Hubei and is the world-renowned "Hometown of Osmanthus". Osmanthus cultivation here has a long history and a great variety of cultivars. In recent years, people have used osmanthus to make bonsai with excellent results. The making methods include the following:

Osmanthus bonsai making method one: Seedling propagation and shaping method

Osmanthus seedling propagation is generally divided into two types: sexual and asexual propagation. Sexual propagation is the process of sowing collected seeds in a nursery field after storage for propagation; asexual propagation is carried out by methods such as cuttings, layering, division, and grafting.

After the seedlings are propagated and leave the nursery, they first need to be potted and tended separately before single-plant shaping can be carried out. First, bend and tie the main trunk: insert wire (choose wire of appropriate thickness according to the thickness of the main trunk) into the pot, twist the main trunk clockwise, and bend it into an "S" shape. Then determine the main branches and side branches (be careful to keep the first and second branching points low), and at the same time cut off excess small branches, and carefully bend and tie the main and side branches with thin wire into arc shapes, so that they droop or grow in parallel lines; the top branch can be treated by the "coiling method" (bending the straight-growing line into a coil shape) and strongly pressed and controlled to a suitable height. After the first shaping is completed, careful tending and management must be carried out, with regular fertilization once every week. Fertilization should be mainly nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, at a ratio of 3:1. At the same time, attention should be paid to loosening the soil, weeding, watering, pest control, and so on. After the osmanthus seedling has grown and taken shape, the wire should be removed in time, and in spring the pot can be repotted for overall shaping (that is, the second shaping): first select osmanthus seedlings of suitable height, generally combining them in odd numbers (that is, 5, 7, 9, 11... plants), trying to keep the roots exposed (using wire to bend and raise thick roots so they are exposed above the soil surface), and then carry out layout and create various forest-style or water-and-land-style osmanthus bonsai.

Osmanthus bonsai making method two: Old stump shaping method

For shaping old osmanthus stumps collected from wild mountain and field areas, the method is similar to shaping other tree stumps: first, the stump is manually treated (such as sawing off the main root, removing crossing branches, overlapping branches, reverse-growing branches, etc.) and then planted in the ground. If the root system is good and the fibrous roots are well developed, it can be potted in one step. Whether planted in the ground or in a pot, the old osmanthus stump must first be given enough water to settle the roots, kept moist, sheltered from wind and facing the sun, and must not be exposed to strong direct sunlight. After the stump survives, attention should be paid to selecting and retaining bud positions and removing excess buds so that nutrients can be concentrated for growth.

For shaping the old stump, first treat the main trunk. If the trunk is too straight, the "splitting and carving method" can be used for processing: peel off part of the bark at the straight trunk position, use a file to split open the middle part of the trunk, remove some wood, drive stones into the trunk, and let the outer part gradually bulge; after a lump forms, remove the stones, or keep them if needed. The "insect-boring method" can also be used (pouring syrup into the trunk to attract insects to bore) to form a decayed surface to show age; the branches and trunk can be shaped by the bending and tying method, and then small branches (according to the needs of position and layer) can be tied together and allowed to grow naturally, and finally heavily pruned to promote the branches to sprout new buds. However, it must be noted that osmanthus shoots grow rapidly, so it should not be pruned frequently. It can be heavily pruned once or twice a year, preferably in November or March of the following year.

Osmanthus bonsai making method three: Ancient stump grafting method

Use a surviving and well-growing ancient stump of the Oleaceae family (with privet being best) as the rootstock for grafting. There are two methods: one is the cut grafting method. Cut off or sever all the privet branches at the position where grafting is needed, and on the smooth side of the rootstock, make a vertical cut about 3 cm deep between the xylem and the bark. Then, on one side of the lower end of the scion (osmanthus), make a slanted cut into a 3 cm flat surface, and on the opposite side also make a slanted cut removing 1 cm, and cut off the upper end while retaining 1-3 buds, then insert it into the cut in the rootstock so that the layers are tightly combined. Then carefully bind and fix the rootstock cut and the top of the scion with plastic tape to prevent water loss. The second is the branch approach grafting method: remove part of the bark and a small amount of xylem from both the mother plant branch of the scion and the branch or trunk of the rootstock (generally removing about 1/3), so that they are joined together, then bind the two plants together. When a relatively swollen callus tissue appears at the approach-grafted site, it has survived. At this time, the scion can be cut off below the joined part, and the rootstock can also be removed above the joined part. In this way, the original ancient privet stump becomes an ancient osmanthus stump. After processing by artificial techniques such as binding, pruning, and shaping, a pot of osmanthus bonsai is produced.

Osmanthus bonsai making

(1) Botanical knowledge
Belongs to the Oleaceae family, genus Osmanthus. Evergreen tree or shrub-like, with dense green branches and leaves, evergreen through the four seasons, elegantly upright, and beautiful in posture. Simple leaves opposite, leathery, long elliptical, entire or sparsely serrate; leaf axils have 2-3 superimposed buds. Flowers small, golden yellow or yellowish white, borne in leaf axils, cymose inflorescences in clustered form, fragrant when blooming, with a sweet intoxicating scent. Drupe elliptical, purple-black when ripe.
Main varieties
1. Jinguì, flowers milky yellow to golden yellow, with a rich fragrance.
2. Danguì, flowers orange-yellow to orange-red, with a slightly weaker fragrance. The one with deeper flower color is Zhusha Danguì.
3. Yinguì, flowers milky white or pale yellowish white, with a relatively light fragrance.
4. Sijigui, flowers bloom continuously in all four seasons, pale yellow, with a lighter fragrance than the above 3 types.
Osmanthus is a subtropical tree species, native to southwestern China and central China and other places. It is now widely cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and areas to the south, while in North China it can only be grown in pots.
Osmanthus is a light-loving tree species, slightly tolerant of shade, likes a warm and humid climate, and is not tolerant of severe cold or drought; it requires growth in fertile soil rich in humus and well-drained sandy loam, preferably acidic soil with a pH value of 5.5-6.5. Alkaline soil is not suitable for planting, nor is it tolerant of waterlogging. On dry and barren soil, it grows slowly, the leaves turn yellow, and it is not easy to bloom.
(2) Material selection and propagation measures
Artificial propagation: Osmanthus can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, grafting, layering, and other methods. Usually cuttings and grafting are the main methods, while sowing is rarely used. In the cutting method, softwood cuttings of the current year's growth are used during the plum rain season, with a high survival rate. Cuttings should be taken from a superior cultivar and a robust plant, generally from osmanthus about 10 years old, with a length of 8-10 cm and a thickness of 0.3-0.5 cm. Remove the top bud and retain 2 leaves. Before insertion, soak for several hours in a 100 ppm naphthaleneacetic acid solution, then insert into a clay pot or seedbed of sandy loam, with a depth of 1/2-2/3. It should not be too deep, because if too deep, aeration is poor and root rot easily occurs. After insertion, press the soil firmly with fingers, water thoroughly, and shade promptly, maintain a certain humidity, and frequently spray water on the leaves; the soil moisture should not be too much. After about 60 days, roots can form. After rooting, light can be allowed in the morning and evening, and after autumn the light duration should be increased to promote growth. In the following spring, it can be potted for cultivation.
The grafting method generally uses stem grafting, and stem grafting includes cut grafting, cleft grafting, and approach grafting. Common rootstocks include small-leaf privet, Ligustrum sinense, and privet. Cut grafting is relatively widely used. When grafting, cut off the rootstock at 5 cm above the ground, choose the smoother side of the bark, cut vertically downward slightly with xylem, making a cut 2-3 cm deep. Take a mature one-year-old scion branch, 6-8 cm long, with 2-3 nodes. Cut the lower end of the scion into a slanted cut surface 2-3 cm long, and on the opposite side cut another short slanted surface about 1 cm long. Then place the long cut surface of the scion tightly against the cut surface of the rootstock and insert it into the cut, so that the cambium of the two cut surfaces is closely joined. Then wrap the bark at the rootstock cut around the outside of the scion, bind and fix it with plastic film tape, and seal the rootstock cut and the top of the scion to prevent water evaporation, making survival easier. Approach grafting is to cut away 5-10 cm from both the mother branch of the scion and the mother branch of the rootstock, reaching a depth of 1/3-1/2 of the trunk diameter into the xylem, join the two together, bind them well with plastic film tape, and separate each after survival. Approach grafting has a very reliable survival rate, and garden nurseries mostly use this method to cultivate potted Sijigui. The layering method is also often used and also roots easily.
(3) Potting process
Pot selection: Osmanthus has green leaves and yellow flowers and is evergreen throughout the four seasons, so it is suitable to choose a relatively deep round pot or square pot. The pot mouth diameter should roughly match the spread diameter of the osmanthus branches and leaves, which is beneficial to root development and growth. The pot material is best purple clay pottery or glazed pottery. The color is better in purple or ochre, which can form a clear contrast with the colors of the flowers and leaves and increase the ornamental effect.
Soil: Osmanthus likes fertilizer, so fertile, loose, and well-drained sandy loam should be used. The culture soil for potted osmanthus is usually prepared from garden soil, composted manure, and river sand in a ratio of 1/3 each. Attention should be paid to disinfection treatment so that pests and diseases are not introduced.
Planting: Osmanthus is suitable for planting in early spring or autumn. Before potting, place a layer of river sand or vermiculite at the bottom of the pot to facilitate aeration and drainage, and above it spread a layer of peat soil or fine mud about 2-3 cm thick, reaching 1/3 of the pot depth. Then place the osmanthus seedling with a root ball into the pot, fill with culture soil, press firmly with fingers, and fill soil until near the pot mouth. The soil surface should be 2-3 cm lower than the pot mouth to facilitate watering and fertilizing. After planting, water thoroughly, then move to a shaded place for about 10 days so that it "adapts to the pot" and gradually resumes growth.
(4) Shaping techniques
Processing: Osmanthus has strong sprouting ability and tolerates pruning. One or two years after potting, shape it during the plum rain season or after flowering in autumn, using a combination of bending, tying, and pruning. The main trunk can be bent and tied into a curved-trunk form or slanting-trunk style; if the main trunk is relatively tall, it can be appropriately shortened to make new branches and trunks sprout from the base, so that the lower part does not become empty, or heavily prune the upper branches and overly dense branches to stimulate new branches from the lower part of the main trunk, maintain balance between upper and lower parts, and make the tree shape beautiful with luxuriant flowers and leaves.
Tree shape: Osmanthus is best shaped into curved-trunk style, slanting-trunk style, or flowing-elegant style. With a slanting spread tree posture and dense branches and leaves, it is simple and natural, and most enjoyable to appreciate. When flowering, the rich fragrance fills the air and refreshes the heart.

Osmanthus bonsai making methods, complete collection of osmanthus bonsai pictures