How to Make an Osmanthus Bonsai? Detailed Methods and Steps

  Osmanthus has lush branches and leaves, stays evergreen all year round, with gnarled roots and elegant posture, gorgeous flowers and fruit, and rich floral fragrance. It also has biological characteristics such as strong sprouting ability, tolerance to pruning, and long lifespan, making it an excellent tree species for processing into tree bonsai. The production process of osmanthus bonsai is complicated, learning from nature, and wonderfully indescribable. High-level bonsai benefits from the profound artistic conception and skilled techniques of bonsai masters.

  I. Production Principles

  Profound conception and composition; genuinely learning from nature; enhancing strengths and avoiding weaknesses; combining movement and stillness with agility; unified and coordinated to be pleasing to the eye; seeing the big in the small for insight; proper density and sparseness; clear primary and secondary for eye-catching effect.

  II. Variety Selection

  For small bonsai, it is advisable to choose "Dongxiang Hong," "Dongxiang Yinge," "Rixiang Gui," "Daye Fodingzhu," "Yueyue Gui," "Siji Gui," "Jiulong Gui," "Liuye Gui," etc.; for medium bonsai, it is advisable to choose "Dahua Dangui," "Zi Dangui," "Zhusha Dangui," "Dahua Jingui," "Yuanban Jingui," etc.; for large bonsai, it is advisable to choose "Daye Huang Yingui," "Jingui," "Daye Dangui," "Dadan Jingui," "Chenghong Dangui."

  III. Material Sourcing and Cultivation

  1. Artificial propagation: Osmanthus can be propagated by seeding, cuttings, grafting, layering, etc. Usually cuttings and grafting are the main methods, while seeding is rarely used.

  For the cutting method, use tender branches grown in the current year during the plum rain season for cuttings, which gives a high survival rate. Cuttings should be taken from osmanthus with excellent varieties and robust plants, about 10 years old, with a length of 8-10 cm and a thickness of 0.3-0.5 cm. Remove the top shoot and retain 2 leaves. Before inserting, soak in a 100ppm naphthaleneacetic acid solution for several hours, then insert into a clay pot or seedbed with sandy loam, at a depth of 1B2-2B3; it should not be too deep, as too deep causes poor ventilation and easy root rot. After inserting, press the soil firm with fingers, water thoroughly, and shade promptly, maintaining a certain humidity and often spraying water on the leaf surface; the soil moisture should not be too much. After about 60 days, it will take root. After rooting, it can receive light in the morning and evening, and after autumn increase the light duration to promote growth, and in the following spring it can be potted.

  2. The grafting method for osmanthus bonsai generally uses branch grafting. Branch grafting includes cut grafting, cleft grafting, and approach grafting. Common rootstocks include Ligustrum quihoui, Ligustrum sinense, Ligustrum lucidum, and other species. The cut grafting method is 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 into the xylem, making a cut 2-3 cm deep. Take a mature one-year-old branch as the scion, 6-8 cm long, with 2-3 nodes. Cut the lower end of the scion into a 2-3 cm slanted surface, and on the opposite side cut another short slanted surface of about 1 cm. Then place the long cut surface of the scion tightly against the cut surface of the rootstock, insert it into the cut, so that the cambium layers of the two cut surfaces are closely connected, then wrap the bark of the rootstock cut around the outside of the scion, bind and fix with plastic film tape, seal the rootstock cut and the top of the scion to prevent water evaporation, and it will easily survive. 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 the xylem to a depth of 1B3-1B2 of the trunk diameter, combine the two, bind them well with plastic film tape, and after survival separate them from each other. Approach grafting has a very reliable survival rate, and garden nurseries mostly use this method to cultivate potted Siji Gui. The layering method is also often used and also easy to survive.

  IV. Potting Process

  1. Pot Selection

  Osmanthus has green leaves and yellow flowers and is evergreen all year round. It is advisable to choose a relatively deep round pot or square pot. The diameter of the pot mouth should roughly match the spread diameter of the osmanthus branches and leaves, which benefits root development and growth. For the pot material, purple clay ceramic pots or glazed ceramic pots are best. Purple or ochre colors are better, as they can form a clear contrast with the colors of the flowers and leaves and increase the ornamental effect.

  2. Soil

  Osmanthus likes fertilizer, so it is advisable to use fertile, loose, and well-drained sandy loam. The culture soil for potted osmanthus is usually made by mixing garden soil, piled manure, and river sand in equal parts of 1B3 each. Attention should be paid to disinfection treatment so as not to infect pests and diseases.

  3. Planting

  Osmanthus is best planted in early spring or autumn. Before potting, place a layer of river sand or vermiculite at the bottom of the pot to facilitate ventilation and drainage, then spread a layer of peat soil or fine mud about 2-3 cm thick on top, reaching 1B3 of the pot depth. Then place the osmanthus seedling with a root soil ball into the pot, fill with culture soil, press tight 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 to let it "adapt to the pot" and gradually resume growth.

  V. Pruning Methods

  Osmanthus has strong sprouting ability and tolerates pruning. One or two years after potting, during the plum rain season or after autumn flowering, process and shape it using a combination of bending and pruning. That is, by using methods such as pinching, cutting, thinning, and wounding to prune the branches and trunk, weaken, dwarf, and change the tree shape. First, cut off diseased and disabled branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, parallel branches, and opposite branches; second, carry out gradual yearly and node-by-node severe shortening pruning on the retained branches to gradually form the required tree shape.

  VI. Shaping Techniques

  1. Processing

  Osmanthus has strong sprouting ability and tolerates pruning. One or two years after potting, during the plum rain season or after autumn flowering, process and shape it using a combination of bending and pruning. The main trunk can be bent 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 is not 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 top and bottom, make the tree shape beautiful, and make flowers and leaves luxuriant.

  2. Tree Shape

  For osmanthus shaping, the curved-trunk style, slanting-trunk style, or flowing style are best. The tree posture spreads diagonally, with dense branches and leaves, simple and natural, and most worthy of appreciation. When flowering, the rich fragrance overflows and refreshes the heart.