How to Grow a Chinese Arborvitae Bonsai? A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
There are many ways to enjoy Chinese arborvitae; some enjoy its unique fragrance, some enjoy its ethereal, immortal-bone demeanor, some enjoy its millennium-aged small decorative pieces, and others enjoy its culturally evocative carvings, while bonsai cultivation is the highest level of enjoying Chinese arborvitae. A tree form where withering and flourishing complement each other, life and death coexist, and twists and turns transform can better let people feel the vicissitudes of time and the power of life. This realm expressed by Chinese arborvitae is one that no bonsai material that has ever appeared in the world can surpass. Chinese arborvitae is the king of root art, and Chinese arborvitae bonsai is likewise the "king of bonsai"!
In the process of collecting Chinese arborvitae, brothers in the mountains often dig up some live material, and some specifically dig live material to sell to bonsai middlemen. The amount of live Chinese arborvitae material exceeds that of dry material, but a large amount of live material becomes two-color material and white-bark material among Chinese arborvitae materials because the roots cannot be extracted or the branches and leaves have been chopped off. But when live material with roots and leaves is encountered, it can be cultivated to survive. Whether in ecological value, ornamental value, or market price, it is not comparable to simply turning it into root art and root carving!
Digging: roots are the least suitable to dig, but as long as there are two or three small red roots, there is still hope of survival, and the more leaves carried, the better. Having roots and leaves is the first fundamental requirement for Chinese arborvitae survival. Without roots and leaves, no matter how much effort is made later, it is futile.
Time: the shorter the time from digging it off the cliff to planting it in soil, the better; after a live tree comes down the mountain, it is best to plant it firmly that same night. If not planted at that time, it can be placed in a warm, humid, dark place, with sprinkling and misting to keep it moist; do not soak the roots in water.
Soil: the soil used for cultivation must be a mixed soil that is permeable, breathable, and loose; never use pure soil, generally adding 80% river sand is enough. In the Taihang Mountains area, it is best to use coal briquettes that have been burned and then discarded for a period of time with no residual fire; discarded coal briquette ash is a culture soil that is sterile, permeable, breathable, and has very good moisture-retention performance, and is very suitable for cultivating Chinese arborvitae. When watering, the water must seep into the soil within 2 or 3 seconds and then flow out from the bottom of the pot, which is ideal.
Planting firmly: after planting firmly, it is best not to transplant again within three years, and never carry out a second transplant within one year. Chinese arborvitae has difficulty rooting; even for a tree that has survived for two years, the roots are not necessarily well grown, so once planted, it must be planted into a container, and after planting, use rope to secure the trunk to the container so that the tree cannot shake.
Moisture retention: newly planted Chinese arborvitae is recommended to be cultivated in a greenhouse, which is the best way to increase the survival rate, as it can retain moisture and control temperature. During the growing period, the pot soil must not be allowed to dry out, and the overall environmental humidity is best kept above 70%; when the temperature reaches 25°C to 35°C, it is the best time for Chinese arborvitae to root and sprout, and attention should be paid to ventilation. The main purpose of moisture retention and temperature control is to keep the trunk and leaves from losing internal water, sustain life, and then create the key conditions for rooting and sprouting.
Taboos in Chinese arborvitae bonsai cultivation:
1. Avoid fertilizing. In the high temperatures of midsummer, leaf surfaces lose water relatively quickly; fertilizing at this time can make the concentration of the stump's cells lower than that of the external environment, causing plant cell water to flow back into the soil, and the stump dies from dehydration due to fertilizer damage. However, a protective solution such as Xinguozhimu can be sprayed to prevent water evaporation.
2. Avoid drought. Watering only when you think of it and not watering when you do not think of it, sometimes ignoring it for several days in a row, and only quickly replenishing water once leaves are found to be wilting, after which the leaf surface then returns to normal; this is a reaction of the stump adapting to the environment, but if this continues for a long time, excessive transpiration will ultimately make the stump seriously "ill" and difficult to heal, leading to death by dehydration.
3. Avoid waterlogging. When the environmental temperature exceeds 28°C, shade protection should be provided for the bonsai; otherwise, the amount of water the stump obtains from the soil is far lower than the amount of water lost through transpiration, and at best the leaf edges are scorched and withered, while at worst the stump is severely damaged by sunscald and dies.
4. Avoid sudden shading. Usually, to avoid high-temperature damage, when the environmental temperature exceeds the maximum temperature the stump can endure, the bonsai should be moved to a relatively low-temperature area with weaker light to benefit the stump's growth, but if it is suddenly moved indoors or to a low-temperature area without light, within a few days the leaves will naturally fall off and the stump will also quickly wither and die.
5. Avoid midday bathing. At noon in hot summer, do not spray water on the stump under sunlight or pour water into the pot; this kind of "pampering" method will suddenly make the bonsai temperature lower than the environmental temperature and harm the stump.