A brief introduction to the history of Milan and the techniques of bonsai making and conservation
Text: Mr. Hanaki
All year round, the flowers bloom and fall, spring, summer, autumn and winter, each has a good hui. Compared with the spring flowers blooming, autumn is the harvest season of fruit, so there are relatively few flowering plants, and naturally it is one point weaker. However, there are also many typical flowers in autumn, such as chrysanthemums, osmanthus flowers, moon seasons, lotus flowers, hibiscus, Fuso, cockscomb flowers, etc., are the traditional famous flowers in China, needless to say, today we want to introduce another famous autumn flower - Milan.
Milan is a famous ornamental plant flower, known for its long flowering period, strong aroma, and small leaves, dense foliage, very suitable for making potted bonsai ornamental. However, in the northern flower market, it is relatively rare, because Milan is a typical southern flower, like a sunny, warm and humid slightly acidic environment, and it is still difficult to plant in the north. At the invitation of flower friends, the author will briefly share the history of Milan's appreciation and a little experience of bonsai making.
I. The history of connoisseurship and cultivation in Milan
Milan, scientific name Aglaiaodorata Lour., also known as tree orchid, fish (sub)orchid, orchid rice, broken Milan, etc., is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the neem family, the genus Miriam. Stems are multi-branched, 3-5 leaflets, full margin, dark green leaf surface, shiny; small conical inflorescence, 5 petals, yellow, very fragrant; flowering period from May to December, fruit period from July to March of the following year.
Milan originates from South China and Southeast Asia, often grows in low-altitude mountainous sparse forests or shrub forests, and is often cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hainan and other provinces. Compared with other traditional flowers, Milan's cultivation history in China is not very long, this is because its distribution is mostly in the Lingnan region, relatively remote, and because the flowers are very small and inconspicuous, so they are mostly ignored.
From the Ming Dynasty onwards, the coastal economy began to rise rapidly, and Milan was called "tree orchid" because of its elegant shape and strong aroma, like a hui orchid, suitable for garden planting. Because its flowers are golden and resemble roe, together with the pearl orchid, they are called "caviar orchids". And Milan is also called "Milan" because it is smaller than Zhulan, in order to distinguish. Later, these two kinds of flowers became the best raw materials for refining fragrances and flower tea, and gradually became one of the four famous camellias (pearl orchids, jasmine flowers, white orchids, and generation flowers) in China, which received more and more people's attention and love, so there began to be literati inkers' arias.
For example, the poems of He Jingming (1483~1521), one of the "Seven Sons of the Ming Dynasty", include: "There are art chrysanthemums in the garden, and there are tree orchids in the garden; Qiu Fang is Yue, and Chun Rong Is Guan"; Guo Ziqi's (1607-1662) "Shulan": "Entering the embrace should be xiang Xiaofang, looking at each other with one heart; intending to leave a shadow pei kai lotus system, Ken Lingqin song wounding the grass"; in the late Ming Dynasty, Taiwan Tongzhi Sun Yuanheng's "Two Tree Orchids before the Court, Blooming Twice in Summer" has: "Qing Fen is unique, not with the fangs; Fragrant Pearl Orchid, Yellow First Laurel Bush; , one summer and two warm winds; Providence holds each other, pity Yu Haidong. ”
Dong Yuankai, a poet of the early Qing Dynasty, has "Hui Lan Fang Yin Yong Shu Lan" (蕙蘭芳引 Yong Shu Lan) has: "A different kind of pearl, a famous caviar, and a number of thousand knots." Afraid of the grass as a herd, alone and desperate. For example, the lyricist Zou Qimu (1627-1670) of the early Qing Dynasty poet Zou Qimu (1627-1670) has the words "Caviar Orchid Thick Invading embroidery belt, Goose Wine Thin Halo Red Tide"; the early Qing Dynasty poet Wan Shu (1630-1688) "Huan Xi Sha Drama Friend" has the words: "Caviar Orchid Xiang Xiao Luzi, get up and move closer to the embroidery curtain, and cut two or three branches at the beginning of the tender yellow".
The early Qing Dynasty scribe Cha Shenxing (1650~1727) '窳轩初夏触景成唫八首·5》 has: "The leaves are still looking at the roe, and the smell in them is difficult; idle to go through the Jin Zhang's score, do not love Zhulan and love Milan." And Cha Shenxing also noted himself: "The leaves are also called Milan, and the roe is also known as Zhulan, all of which are owned in the court." And so on, and so on, can not be one by one, it can be seen that Milan and Zhulan have been widely cultivated in the south since the Ming Dynasty at the latest.
Second, the distinction between Milan and Zhulan
(Zhulan)
in Milan
Milan and pearl orchid are very similar, but not the same plant, the author has previously written a special article "The difference between pearl orchid and Milan and appreciation" for identification, here will not be repeated, interested in reading can be further read. In simple terms, it is best to distinguish from the leaves, the pearl orchid is serrated at the leaf edge, and the Milan leaf is full margin; in addition, the pearl orchid bud is slightly larger, the aroma is light and elegant, quite similar to the fragrance of the orchid; the Milan flower bud is slightly smaller, the fragrance is more intense, and it is not dispersed for a long time, quite similar to the fragrance of the orchid.
Third, the shape of milan bonsai
Milan is an evergreen shrub or small tree with the original variant Aglaia odorata var. microphyllina), both have a strong aroma, the flowering period is long, it can bloom up to five or six times a year, and when it is open, a pot (plant) of Milan can make the whole space aroma attack. Generally speaking, the small-leaved rice orchid has larger leaves and higher plant shape, so it is suitable for garden cultivation, while the small-leaf rice orchid is suitable for potted or bonsai ornamentation because of its small leaves and dense foliage.
Small-leaved rice orchid, strong tillering force, dense branches and leaves, pruning resistance, potted plants in the juvenile stage, suitable for making a full crown or spherical shape. And bonsai modeling, both Milan can be selected, according to the original pile type for pruning and pan-za shape, such as straight dry type, curved dry type, lying dry type, cliff type, waterfront type, etc., the leaves are cut and made into clouds, such as Stratus type, table type, etc., that is, according to the change of plant shape.
Milan bonsai (planting) pruning is very important, for the full crown-shaped potted plant, re-pruning every spring, retaining the trunk of about 20 cm, and then truncating the secondary side branches, generally 15 to 20 cm long, so that the side branches germinate, usually prune more pruning to cut off the diseased dead branches, cross branches and inner branches, in order to facilitate light and ventilation, so that the tree posture is symmetrical, dense, the crown shape is beautiful and plump. For the bonsai modeling, according to the specific shape, the branches can be selected and the subordinate branches can be cultivated purposefully.
Fourth, milan bonsai (planting) cultivation and maintenance precautions
1, Milan belongs to the long sunshine plant, like light, the average daily light is more than 14 hours, is conducive to the formation of flower buds, likes warm climate, is not tolerant of cold, grows at a moderate temperature of 20 ° C ~ 25 ° C, grows slowly below 16 ° C, is not easy to form flower buds, and is prone to frost damage below 8 ° C to cause the death of the whole plant. Milan has been maintained indoors for a long time, and if the indoor light and ventilation conditions are lacking, it is not conducive to the growth of Milan, so it needs to be placed in a well-lit and ventilated position.
2. Milan belongs to the typical southern flowers, growing vigorously in loose and fertile humus-rich weak acidic soils, growing slowly or even withered in neutral or weak alkaline soils, and the pH value is maintained at about 5.5-6.5, so the soil preparation is commonly used peat soil mixed with humus and sandy soil for cultivation.
3, Milan likes wet and not tolerant to waterlogging, the principle of watering is "see dry and wet, watering is thorough". Milan is a fertile plant, and it is necessary to apply thin fertilizer diligently. In milan in the spring, to the autumn before and after the start of fattening, to thin organic liquid fertilizer as a good, it is best to apply crushed bone, fish bones, chicken bones and other soaked rotten alum fertilizer water, often supplemented by some fertilizers containing more phosphorus components or fermented rice water, etc., are helpful to pregnant buds, so that they bloom more, golden color, smell fragrant. From the second year onwards, in the peak growing season, topdressing organic liquid fertilizer or phosphorus and potassium fertilizer every half a month or so (stop fertilizer in hot summer).
5. Conclusion
The above is a little experience sharing about the appreciation and cultivation of Milan bonsai, the author is blunt, it is inevitable that there are places of lack or mistakes, please criticize and correct teachers and flower friends, welcome to leave a message to communicate, thank you!
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2021/8/30 Easy to flower wood