Detailed Explanation of Banyan Tree Planting Methods and Key Technical Points
Banyan tree (scientific name: Ficus microcarpa Linn. f.): Large tree, up to 15-25 m tall, with a diameter at breast height of up to 50 cm and a broadly spreading crown; old trees often have rusty-brown aerial roots. Bark dark gray. Leaves thinly leathery, narrowly elliptic, dark green and glossy on the surface, with entire margins. Figs borne in pairs in leaf axils or in the axils of fallen leaves, yellow or slightly red when mature, oblate, with 3 basal bracts, broadly ovate, persistent; male flowers, female flowers, and gall flowers borne together within one fig, with a few short bristles among the flowers; perianth segments 3, broadly ovate, style nearly lateral, stigma short, club-shaped. Achene ovoid. Flowering period May-June. The banyan tree has been rated as the provincial tree of Fujian Province, and it has also been rated as the city tree of Fuzhou and Ganzhou.
Propagation Methods
Cuttings
When large-scale seedling propagation is carried out in South China and Southwest China, softwood cuttings are mostly taken in open-field seedbeds during the rainy season, and the survival rate can reach more than 95%. In the north, one-year-old plump and full branches can be collected in early May and inserted in flowerpots, wooden boxes, or seedbeds. That is, cut the branches into sections of 3 nodes each, keep 1-2 leaves at the tip, insert them into plain sandy soil, maintain them in shade, spray water 1-2 times a day to increase air humidity, and pay attention to wind protection; roots can form successively after 20 days, and after 45 days the seedlings can be lifted and potted.
Layering
In order to cultivate large seedlings, layering can be carried out by taking advantage of the flexibility of the banyan tree's large branches. First place a large flowerpot near the mother plant and fill it with potting soil, then choose a large side branch with a good shape, bend it down and bury it in the flowerpot, press stones on top; the buried part can root without being wounded, and after 2 months cut it off from the mother plant to form a relatively large potted plant. Several very thick side branches can also be selected from the crown of the mother plant for air layering, which not only takes shape quickly but is also relatively simple to carry out.
Pot Cultivation Techniques:
Planting requirements: The potting soil should mainly consist of leaf mold and garden soil, with a small amount of sandy soil added and mixed in.
Watering points: Keep the potting soil moist during the growing period, follow the principle of preferring moisture over dryness, and frequently mist around the banyan tree in summer.
Fertilization requirements: Whether planted in the open field or in pots, golden-leaf banyan should be given sufficient base fertilizer, and generally a compound fertilizer can be applied about 3 times a year.
Suitable temperature: 20-30 degrees C
Placement environment: It can be made into a potted plant and placed in places such as bedrooms and living rooms.