Gymnosperm Care Guide: Placement, Watering Tips and Common Varieties
Gymnosperms are often used to make bonsai and large shaped landscape features, and you can recognise them from their leaves alone. Keeping one at home is also good for your health. However, gymnosperm prices on the market fluctuate quite a lot, so once you bring one home it is even more important to know how to care for it. Below we cover the key points of gymnosperm care from two angles: placement and watering.
Placement: Airy and sunny, cold-hardy in winter and no shading in summer
Gymnosperms are best placed somewhere with good air circulation and plenty of sunlight. They can withstand cold in winter and can generally overwinter outdoors; you just need to put the pot somewhere sunny and sheltered from the wind. In the peak heat of midsummer, apart from small bonsai, they generally do not need shading - just let them take in full light.
Watering method: water when dry, never let water accumulate
Gymnosperms are drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging, so watering should never be on the wet side: water only when the soil is dry, and do not water while it is still moist. During the plum rain season it often pours with rain, and at this time you must be very careful that the pot does not fill up with rainwater, otherwise problems easily arise. In summer, water once in the morning and once in the evening; when winter comes with heavy snow, there is no need to water at all - just keep the potting soil slightly moist.
What are the common gymnosperm varieties
Red giant fir: a precious green tree species, known as the "giant panda" of the plant world. Its emerald-green leaves are interspersed with fiery red fruits, creating a strong visual impact and making it highly ornamental; it also has good medicinal value, and is regarded by people as an auspicious tree and much loved.
Duke zi: a fairly common plant in daily life, found almost everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Duke zi can be used not only in cooking but also as a beer flavouring, and it contains relatively abundant nutrients.
Dragon white: a tree of the family Bai and genus Yuanbai, it can grow up to 21 m tall. When the tree reaches a certain height, its branches coil around the trunk like a dragon as they grow, giving it a very handsome form - which is also where its name comes from. Dragon white is fairly adaptable and has a high transplant survival rate.
Overall, to grow gymnosperms well, remember two keys: first, place them somewhere airy, sunny and with plenty of light; second, prefer dry over wet and guard against water accumulation. Master these two points, then combine them with the traits of your variety and tend it patiently, and your gymnosperm will grow more and more vigorous.