Cuckoo, the Xishi in the bonsai, makes you fall in love at first sight
Author | Tranquility ecological landscape
RhododendronsimsiiPlanch.: Also known as Yingshan Red, Mountain Pomegranate, Rhododendron family, Rhododendron genus, evergreen or deciduous shrub, is one of the tree species endemic to Jiangnan, China. It is resourceful. The pile-shaped cang is peculiar, the trunk is straight, the thick roots are overhanging, the growth is fast, the pruning is resistant, the flowers are full of branches, and it is a good material for viewing flowers, leaves and stems. According to legend, there were cuckoo birds in ancient times, wailing day and night and coughing blood, staining the flowers red all over the mountain, hence the name. Rhododendrons generally bloom in spring, 2-6 flowers per cluster, the corolla funnel-shaped, red, light red, apricot red, snow blue, white, etc., the flowers are lush and colorful.
Rhododendron old pile is not easy to live, the author has also had the experience of failure, after more than ten years of exploration, there are some cultivation and production experience, take this opportunity to discuss with lovers who love rhododendron bonsai, and jointly improve the cultivation and production skills of rhododendron bonsai.
1. Mining
Excavation time: Hubei region is better after the establishment of winter to before the Qingming Dynasty of the following year. After the winter, the plant enters the dormant period, the body nutrients are sufficient, it is easier to survive, the flowers open after the Qingming Dynasty, the plant consumes a lot of nutrients, and it is not easy to survive.
Pile selection: First, choose a trunk with a thick trunk, a beautiful pile type, a certain height, good branches, and a beautiful distribution of roots, who have been cut down or struck by wind and lightning. If one side has a root point that is too high, the pile blank that cannot be planted in the soil must not be excavated.
The nutrient supply of rhododendron is somewhat similar to the absorption and sparrow, one side of the root tube and the other branch, if this root system does not die, its corresponding branches will also wither and lose branches.
The pile blank retrieved from excavation must have the original soil, in order to prevent looseness, the pile blank loses water, and the soil lump is wrapped with woven bags and other items.
Before potting, soak in water for a few times before planting. In order to facilitate wound healing, evaporate water, crack when exposed to the sun in the future, the truncated pile blank, the incision should be repaired smooth, coated with yellow mud mixed with rooting agent, and then wrapped with black plastic film.
In the early spring, it is potted or planted after the flowers have fallen, and put an appropriate amount of rotten chicken manure or bean cake on the bottom of the pot. If there is a peculiar smell, you can buy a base fertilizer suitable for rhododendron.
Second, pile blank cultivation
Rhododendrons are planted with acidic soil, loose and breathable yellow mud mixed with saprophytic soil. The soil is dry, too wet and easy to saka knot, too fine and sharp roots must breathe. After planting, let stand in a ventilated and moist place, pour enough root water, and then cover the moisturizing with transparent plastic film or bag with piles and pots, and check every once in a while to check the wetness.
After the spring buds germinate, when they grow to about an inch long, and other branches have sprouted new shoots, then choose a rainy period for several consecutive days to remove the shelter to practice seedlings, if the weather is sunny and dry and the high temperature must be properly shaded, and spray water to the pile to moisturize and avoid water accumulation.
Rhododendron is a shallow root cotton root, the upper pot should be used to burn a light pot, purple sand pottery or glazed pottery, or choose a slightly darker oval or rectangular pot, the color of the pot as far as possible to choose darker, contrast with the flower color. If planted in a cliff type, you can choose a deep thousand barrel pot.
Do not rush to remove new shoots after the plant has emerged. The growth of new shoots does not mean that they have become alive, and the new shoots left by the pile blank are more, and the water evaporated is more, which can promote the rooting of the pile blank. The stump blank with better growth can be moved to the dry full sunshine for maintenance after autumn, and the potting soil can be dried and wet, which can promote the growth of new roots and make the pile strong through the winter.
Third, prune the ribbon
The shearing of the cuckoo is mainly based on the first two years, and the scissors are the mainstay after that. New branches of the year of the new pile are not pruned. Because the rhododendron branches are brittle after lignification, the cymbals are very easy to break, so it can be bent according to needs before the branches are fully lignified, or pruned after the branches are thickened. Branches that have been bent by Panzana will grow into several twigs. When a new pile is branched, the branch with a large incision cannot be branched on only one side. In case one side has no new branches and gradually withers away, causing the whole tree to look withered. After the plant is formed, it is pruned once or twice a year, once after the spring flower, cut off the flower pedicle and the long branches and random branches, adjust the branch width, and then carry out a small pruning before and after the autumn to prepare for the flowering of the following year and the formation of flower buds in advance after autumn.
Fourth, maintenance
Depending on the amount of potting soil and the growth of the plant, it is advisable to change the pot once every 2-3 years. The time is chosen when the plant is rejuvenated after flowering in the spring or in the summer. If the pot is changed too late, the plant does not recover, which will affect its wintering and flowering the following year. When changing pots, the pot soil should not be too wet, and the wet soil is easy to cause soil sagging. After the plant is depoted, remove about half of the old soil, cut off the roots and whiskers that rely on the edge of the pot and the bottom of the pot, cut off the roots, and replace them with loose, fertile and acidic saprophyte soil or configured culture soil.
Watering: The new pile of rhododendron must keep the pot soil moist, and after survival, it is carried out according to the principle of not drying and not watering, and watering is thorough, and the water in the pot can cause plant death.
Fertilization: The new pile is not fertilized in the first year, and after it is fully alive, thin fertilizer can be applied, and thick fertilizer should not be applied. Fertilizer is mainly organic fertilizer, timely fertilization after spring flowering, appropriate increase in fertilization density in autumn, lay a good foundation for flowering in the following year, and appropriately increase a little phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in autumn, and stop fertilizing after plant growth is stopped.
Flower thinning: The buds should be removed before the plant is not formed, and the flowering will consume a lot of nutrients of the plant, delay the molding time, especially the new pile, and a large number of flowers can cause death.
If the branches of rhododendrons are thick and strong, it is advisable to choose a fertile and loose saprophyll soil or mountain soil in a pine forest. Family farming mountain soil is rare, you can also use sun-dried, frozen pond soil or rice field soil, adding sand soil is also very suitable.
Rhododendrons bred after potting need to be grown after 3 to 4 years, and they follow the principle of thickness before thinning. Because of its fragile branches, the pruning should not be excessive, pruning to remove diseased and weak branches, and strong pruning of heavy branches.
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