A Detailed Guide to the Cultivation Methods and Care Techniques of Black Ebony Bonsai
Many people love growing bonsai, and black ebony bonsai is a particularly popular type. Today, the editor will introduce the cultivation methods of black ebony bonsai for everyone.
Black ebony, also known as black bone fragrant and purple sandalwood, belongs to the genus Diospyros in the family Ebenaceae. The leaves are small, alternate, heart-shaped, leathery, and dark green, with new buds and leaves being tender red. It is a shrub type. The bark and roots are black. The wood is hard. It grows slowly, with branches growing upward, often appearing in clump form or with connected roots, and good clump specimens can often be found.
[Stage of Selecting and Developing Stumps]
Black ebony bonsai grows slowly, and among Lingnan bonsai it is the slowest-growing tree species, growing even more slowly than boxwood. Therefore, when selecting stumps, special attention should be paid to choosing those with companion replacement branches, preferably stumps with young branches. If the cut opening exceeds 3 cm, it will be very difficult to develop matching branch pads. The best time to collect black ebony is after the Spring Equinox and before Grain in Ear. Black ebony has strong sprouting ability and roots quickly, so the trunk, pads, and roots can basically be cut to the desired position in one go. After the stump is cut, soak it in clean water for 24 hours, then plant it in river sand, place it in semi-shade, and keep the trunk moist. After 20 days, black liquid secretion can be seen at the cut opening, and after a few days buds sprout. After 60 days, new roots can be seen, and the survival rate is extremely high.
[Management During the Branch Accumulation Stage]
1. After black ebony survives, it can be moved to a sunny and ventilated place and given dilute fertilizer water to promote strong roots and vigorous branches. After the Autumn Equinox, pads can be fixed according to shaping needs, and all unnecessary branches should be cut off so that nutrients are concentrated on the shaping branches. After the root system of black ebony becomes strong, it likes fertilizer, so the ratio of fertilizer water can be appropriately increased, with water and fertilizer once every 7 days. Apply fully decomposed farmyard manure on the pot surface for a long time, so that nutrients slowly dissolve each time it is watered, which helps the stump absorb them. Watering should follow the principle of large dryness and large wetness: do not water when not dry, and water thoroughly when watering. Stop fertilizing after Minor Snow, completing the management of one growth cycle. It is worth noting that throughout the entire growth cycle, do not allow growth retardation to occur because of a shortage of fertilizer and water. With such management, in one growth cycle branches can be cultivated to a diameter of 0.6 cm, and in two growth cycles to a diameter of 1.2 cm, which generally can match the original stump pads, meaning the first section can be obtained in two years.
2. Black ebony bonsai is evergreen throughout the four seasons and sprouts new shoots once each season. Therefore, pruning can be done in all four seasons; each pruning should be carried out only after the new shoots have matured, but spring and autumn are best. Black ebony bonsai does not easily lose branches, so single-branch pruning can be carried out. After sprouting, select and retain strong buds, one main and one secondary, and use wire to bend the buds so that the branches grow horizontally. If the new sprouts are allowed to grow freely, they will all grow upward, and it will be very difficult to meet the requirement of horizontally spreading branches. This is something to pay attention to. Black ebony has few fibrous roots, so it can be repotted and have its soil changed once every 5 years. Even if it is sandy soil from the stump cultivation stage, as long as sufficient farmyard manure is applied, repotting after 5 years is
not too late. Repeat the management of the previous growth cycle every year until the work basically takes shape.
[Care After Shaping]
After the black ebony bonsai takes shape, it enters the viewing period. To keep the work from deforming, the application of fertilizer and water can be reduced, just enough to maintain normal growth of the work. Remove messy buds at any time. Carry out a complete leaf change once before Qingming each year, and 30 days later, when the new buds show red, is the best viewing time. Black ebony bonsai is shade-tolerant. After one thorough watering, it can be placed indoors without watering for 20 days. When the soil turns white, water it thoroughly again. It can be placed indoors for 50 days before returning to normal outdoor management. Among Lingnan bonsai, it is one of the tree species that can be displayed indoors the longest. Black ebony has few diseases, with only a small amount of leaf-rolling insect damage, which can be sprayed with 0.2 percent of 80% dichlorvos emulsion.
The above is the black ebony bonsai decoration network.