Materials

The plants of miniature plant bonsai should not exceed 10 centimeters (calculated based on the unearthed part of the plant). To make miniature bonsai, materials are generally chosen that have small branches and leaves, are easy to pot, have unique roots, have bright flowers and fruits, and are easy to shape.

Commonly used ones include five-needle pine, small-leaf Podocarpus, cypress, black pine, melon-seed boxwood, phoenix-tailed bamboo, thin-leaf holly, June snow, asparagus, plum, nandina, etc. Plants of the above tree species can be obtained by cutting, sowing and dividing.

In order to quickly prototype, you can also go to the mountains to dig up tree stumps such as wolfberry, golden pheasant, golden bean, wisteria, ground centipede, and pyracantha, and then dig them out and artistically shape them before planting them in pots.

Shape

It is necessary to "put the intention first" and have the shape of ancient wood in mind. The shape should be highly summarized. Commonly used methods include brown wire ligation, lead wire winding, branch breaking, climbing and hanging, etc. Among them, the lead wire winding method is easier to shape. Generally, tree shaping is best done in the morning.

The specific operation requires selecting lead wires of appropriate diameter according to the thickness of the branches, wrapping them around the branches, and then bending the branches into the required shape. When winding with lead wire, it must be close to the bark of the tree, the density should be moderate, and the winding direction should be 45 degrees to the diameter of the branch. After 1 to 2 years, the trunk can be basically shaped and the lead wire can be removed. Unnecessary cluttered branches should be shortened or removed.

Potting

When reshaping, transplant trees from mud pots to purple clay pots or glazed pots. The shape, size, and color of the pot must match the tree body.

Generally speaking, tall tube pots are suitable for cliff-type pots; oval or shallow rectangular pots are suitable for straight or diagonal drying; round pots can be equipped with low and curved plants; polygonal shallow pots are suitable for planting. Pots should be planted high and dry.

In addition, the pot stand should also be coordinated with the shape and color of the flowerpot to form a complete artistic structure. The ancients had a famous saying when appreciating the art of bonsai: "One tree, two pots, and three flower stands."

Maintenance

The maintenance of miniature bonsai requires careful and thoughtful care. The soil in the pot should be kept moist at all times. It should be dry and wet every time, or use the pot immersion method to irrigate. Place it in the shade in midsummer and use a fine-hole watering can to spray water on the plant to maintain a moist environment.

During the growth period, fertilizer should be applied frequently, usually once every ten days or so. Fully decomposed bean cake water, hoof slice water, etc. can be used. Full-element compound fertilizers can also be applied, and the best fertilization method is pot immersion.