What are the care methods for a Sageretia thea collected stump?

Sageretia thea, also known as duijieci, Sageretia thea vine, sour fruit, and sour-seed tree, is a deciduous climbing shrub in the genus Sageretia of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). The bark is grayish-brown, and the slender branchlets bear thorns. The simple leaves are opposite, ovate or elliptical, with fine serrated margins, thinly leathery and bright green. In autumn and winter it bears small pale yellow flowers; the drupe is nearly spherical, purplish-black when ripe, edible, and sour with a hint of sweetness. Its roots and trunk are naturally peculiar, and its tree form is vigorous and elegantly ancient. It is one of the main tree species for Chinese stump bonsai, one of the five famous trees in Lingnan bonsai, and one of the bonsai plants exported to the United States after China's entry into the WTO.

The branches of Sageretia thea are fine and long, and the leaves are small, leathery, green and glossy. Its old stumps have peculiar tree forms and mottled bark, some forming dead hollows and decayed cavities, simple and elegant, giving a sense of vigor in old age when viewed, making it one of the commonly used tree species for making bonsai. Below is an introduction to the cultivation and care of Sageretia thea collected stumps.

Handling of Sageretia thea collected stumps:

After the Sageretia thea stump arrives at the planting site, observe and analyze the stump carefully, choose the best viewing side, and analyze which trunks and branches to keep or discard. Prune the roots according to the requirements for future potting. Some beginners lack experience, so they can consult experienced people for discussion; do not saw arbitrarily, because once sawn off, it is impossible to restore. Those with few fibrous roots can be planted first and cut off in several sessions after surviving. For some tree species with weak sprouting ability, or very old stumps, more branches and trunks should be kept.

Those dug up in winter should also be left longer, and the final selection can be made after buds sprout at ideal positions later. After pruning is complete, the cut openings on branches and trunks and the saw cuts on large roots should be sealed once or twice, coating the cuts with wax, white glue, or paint; for very large openings, apply several times. Ensure the stump retains moisture, which favors bud sprouting and survival. Then the roots are best disinfected with potassium permanganate, which can also promote rooting. For some that root with difficulty, mud slurry mixed with rooting powder can be applied to the roots.

Cultivation of Sageretia thea collected stumps:

After the preliminary work is done, choose a place with higher terrain and good, fast drainage to plant. Several methods can be chosen, and they can be treated according to the situation.

1. Direct planting in the ground: dig a hole, add soil, and use a wooden stick to pack the soil and roots tightly with no gaps. The disadvantage is that the roots will still be damaged when potting later, and small stumps are inconvenient to handle later. The advantages are fast growth, reduced water management, and a short time to take shape.

2. Pot planting: the disadvantage of direct pot planting is that there is little potting soil, nutrition cannot keep up, growth is very slow, some trees are afraid of freezing in winter, and water is consumed quickly in summer, increasing the workload. The only advantage is that the roots do not grow randomly.

3. Build a bed with bricks for planting: the method is to make it slightly wider according to the size of the stump, with a height of 40-60 cm; place some coarse sand or soil in the lower layer, add coarse soil in the middle, and use growing medium on top to plant the stump well. The third method is the most used now. This method gives fast growth, is convenient to handle later, and the roots only grow downward, so potting later will not damage the roots.

Care of Sageretia thea collected stumps:

1. For those dug up in winter, good insulation work must be done; insulation can use straw wrapping, plastic bags covering the stump, and so on.

2. After choosing the planting method, water once, and it must be watered thoroughly; afterward, when the soil clumps no longer feel moist, water thoroughly again.

3. After the temperature rises, moisture retention becomes even more important, that is, frequently spraying water on the stump; spraying it damp is enough, and do not spray too much, because too much water will seep into the soil, and too much water in the soil will cause root rot. Spraying 3-5 times a day is enough.

4. When exposed to direct sunlight, pay attention to shading, and a shade shed can be built for shelter. Only after normal growth in the first year can the shade net be removed; for shade-loving ones, it can only be removed after October.

5. After a season of growth, all unnecessary branches can be cut off according to the desired shape, so that nutrients are concentrated and supplied to the retained branches. Depending on the growth situation, a little fertilizer water may be applied appropriately, but it must be dilute, generally in a ratio of 3 ladles of fertilizer to 7 ladles of water. If it is too concentrated, it will burn the tree roots to death; if a tree that is already alive is burned to death, would that not mean all previous efforts are wasted?