Banyan bonsai refers to a potted Ficus microcarpa which takes Ficus microcarpa as the material, appreciates the peculiar shapes of its stumps, roots and leaves, carefully cultivates it through pruning, pruning, hanging and grafting, and controls its growth and development for a long time, making it a unique artistic shape.

Growth habit: I like light cultivation, warm and humid climate, water and humidity resistance.

Garden use. As street trees and shade trees, bonsai can also be made.

Breeding: high pressure breeding, cutting or sowing. Easy to cultivate.

In the world bonsai family, banyan bonsai has almost all the advantages of bonsai, which in turn leads the way with its long tree age, peculiar fibrous roots, rapid growth and strong plasticity. Some people say that Minnan people like banyan trees and love banyan trees, reaching the realm of "no banyan trees can be a village, banyan trees can be seen everywhere", and their popularity can be seen. Banyan bonsai, the so-called close at hand contains the meaning of towering, and the beauty of Chihiro can be distinguished between square inches. The banyan tree in the basin, with one tree and one scene, is simple and vigorous, of high standard, elegant and graceful, and the garden is an elegant work of art, just like people roaming in the pictorial world. The garden can be used as garden configuration, street trees and ornamental potted plants, with rapid growth, wide adaptability, cold tolerance and drought tolerance. Banyan bonsai is a specialty of Zhangzhou, and it is favored by people from all walks of life because of its simplicity and elegance.

Ficus microcarpa is a big tree of Ficus in Moraceae, also known as Ficus microcarpa and Ficus xanthocarpus. The main varieties are red banyan, white banyan, big-leaf banyan, mosaic banyan, round-leaf banyan, willow banyan, rubber banyan, bamboo banyan and Indian banyan. Mainly distributed in Guangdong, Fujian, Taiwan Province, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, southeastern Zhejiang, southwestern Jiangxi and other provinces and cities, as well as India, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.

There are many kinds of banyan trees, such as air root, root block, cosmetic block, strange root, old stump (all natural) and so on. There are both natural, wild and artificially cultivated. Because of its beautiful shape, the banyan tree can not only be a garden ornamental tree, a street tree, a country shade tree and a forest tree, but also be a superior material for bonsai, making it into large, medium, small and miniature bonsai.

Shaxi town has a long history of planting banyan bonsai. In the long-term cultivation, rich cultivation art has been accumulated, which makes it vigorous and beautiful, with harmonious proportion of roots, ridges and roots, beautiful leaf crown, distinct layers, refreshing and memorable. It is beautiful in appearance, roots, branches, skin color, leaves and roots. Some are intertwined and vigorous, giving people a feeling of rising from the ground and standing tall; Some are like dragons playing in water, both rigid and flexible, free and easy; Some branches take root and the roots are dry, just like the wonders of primitive forests. Exactly: the interesting stone looks like a mountain peak. Why are there dragons on the top of the cliff? The husband has his own spiritual ambition, but he is very careless.

Banyan bonsai is the characteristic flower of Shaxi. Six series of products have been developed, including Ginseng banyan bonsai, Aerial Roots banyan bonsai, Scenery banyan bonsai, Stump banyan bonsai, Miniature banyan bonsai and banyan bonsai seedlings. Can be used for ornamental bonsai, street trees and garden trees. Ficus can be propagated by sowing, cutting, high pressure or grafting, and the suitable period is from spring to summer. The roots of seedlings are prone to hypertrophy, which is beneficial to the development of bonsai. High-pressure method is a widely used method for horticulturists because of its high speed. Leaf order of banyan. Ficus is natural, and its selectivity to cultivated soil is not strict.

Cultivation in banyan bonsai

Banyan is one of the leading bonsai in Lingnan bonsai, which is favored by bonsai lovers. I have devoted myself to the study of banyan bonsai for many years. Now I will describe its cultivation methods. Please correct me.

1. Selection of materials;

There are three sources of materials for tree bonsai: wild piles, cuttings and seedlings. This paper mainly talks about the cultivation of wild piles. The collection time of wild stumps is from February to 10 every year, especially from April to July. During this period, the climate is mild, the air is humid, the stumps take root and sprout quickly, and the survival rate is high. The location of collecting wild piles should be at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the village and at the corner of the ground. In these places, banyan bonsai is often trampled by livestock and artificially cut down, and the trunk twists and turns, making it easier to find a pile suitable for bonsai. Generally speaking, as long as the natural pile is finished, after a year or two of careful cultivation, the air root will be born, and after making up for the deficiency, it will grow into an unexpectedly good pile. When picking piles, be careful about the old piles, don't hurt the roots too much, and try to take thin roots to improve the safety factor of survival. The tender pile doesn't have much scruples, and it can survive if it is intercepted halfway. The longer the tender pile, the better, the more plastic it is. It seems that ordinary pile materials can also be cultivated into good bonsai.

Second, maintenance;

Wild piles should be treated as soon as possible after collection, and they should be cut and selected according to pile materials and training objectives. The banyan tree has strong vitality and fast wound healing, and the pile can be cut in one step. Stump can be planted in pots and boxes, or in the ground if conditions permit. Moreover, the ground planting grows faster, can be pruned more times a year, and also takes shape quickly. Generally speaking, the cultivation substrate of stumps requires loose, breathable and acidic black stone silt, river sand, building stone powder, cinder and so on. And these culture soils are easy to obtain. Pile planting can cover the roots with culture soil, and it is advisable to insert trees about 3 inches deep. After pouring the root water thoroughly, put it in a cool and leeward place for maintenance, and cover the ground with a cover. It's cold in early spring, so it's best to bag with film to ensure survival. During the management period, water according to the weather conditions to keep the cultivated soil moist without water accumulation. Too much waterlogging can easily lead to root blackening and necrosis. Under normal circumstances, the stump will sprout and take root. Banyan trees germinate first and regenerate roots. We must not be confused by appearances and neglected in management. After the bud grows to 5 cm-6 cm, the stump will gradually adapt to the sun and return to normal management. Sometimes too many piles are collected. After cutting, I put the stake in a cool and humid place in the lee, and sprayed water twice in the morning and evening to promote the stake to sprout and take root. After the roots are strong, transplant them into pots.

Third, fertilizer and water management;

Ficus microcarpa is a tree species that likes water and fertilizer, and is drought-tolerant and moisture-tolerant. It can grow in cracks and water. After the stump enters normal care, the decomposed human and animal manure or cooked cake fertilizer is used as topdressing, and the topdressing outside the root is 1-2 times a day. When transplanting or changing pots, cooked chicken manure, bean cake, bone meal and culture soil can also be mixed as base fertilizer. Sufficient fertilizer will make the branches grow fast and thick, and they can be pruned several times a year, thus shortening the culture period. Water resources management is also very important. Although banyan is drought-tolerant and moisture-tolerant, it can not be ignored in management. After a long period of waterlogging, the surviving banyan trees are likely to have only long roots and no branches. Trees will not die if they are not watered for two or three days in dog days, but once they are watered, their leaves will wither and fall off, which will affect their growth. Therefore, the management of water should be dry and wet, and it should be watered once every morning and evening in dog days.

Fourth, pruning

Pruning is a very important process when wild piles become pile landscapes. In the first year, cultivate its roots, raise its essence, and only smear the wrong buds. In the second year, cut the branches after they grow thick and woody. It is advisable to cut it once a year, mainly by cutting and supplemented by binding. Cut the branches twice when they grow vigorously, and cut them again after they grow vigorously. Over and over again, if properly trimmed, a good bonsai will appear in your hands within four years.

Cultivating ginseng bonsai with mosaic

As a kind of bonsai, banyan mosaic is very popular among bonsai lovers. But it is more expensive to buy a pot of ginseng with flowers and leaves. When Ficus Ficus is cut with flowers and leaves, Ficus Ficus takes root slowly, grows slowly and has a low survival rate.

In order to solve this problem, the common banyan tree Zhu Can was used to solve it. Remove the top of the cultivated two-year-old banyan tree, leave the trunk of 8 cm long to sit on the rootstock, split the middle 2 cm long by splitting, and use the branches of the mosaic ginseng tree about 6 cm long as scions. Peel off the skin 2 cm long on both sides of the lower end of the scion to expose the wooden part, then stick it like the center of the split rootstock and tie it tightly, and then tie the scion tightly with non-toxic film plastic.

Then, put the grafted plants in a cool and ventilated place with curtains to keep the soil moist. It will gradually move to weak light in about 20 days, and then move to strong light for half a month. At the same time, the plastic will be peeled off, the water spray will be increased, and fertilization will be carried out every 7 days. The axillary buds grown on the rootstock will also be removed to promote the vigorous growth of the scion and improve the survival rate. When it is found that the rootstock and scion are well healed, the binding line should be removed. Generally speaking, grafting took place around Tomb-Sweeping Day. When the grafted branches grow to about half a meter; Bury the flowerpot in the soil, dig a ditch half a meter long and 2 cm deep to press the grafted branches into the ditch, and hook them with bamboo hooks to prevent them from being lifted off the ground. Buried in the soil about 2 cm. It is also necessary to expose the twigs on the branches to the soil surface and spray water to keep the soil moist. Before burying branches, cut off the exposed xylem about half a meter with a knife, so that it can take root quickly after being buried in the soil. After a month and a half, the pressed branches have fibrous roots; You can dig out the surface with iron, cut it into several sections with scissors with branches and fibrous roots, disinfect the knife edge with plant ash and potassium permanganate to prevent decay, plant it in five-inch flowerpots, spray water on them and put it in a cool and ventilated place. After 30 days, it was fertilized under strong light, leaving three to five strong branches. Around Tomb-Sweeping Day in the following year, the branches left can be used as rootstocks, and the branches with mosaic of banyan trees can be used as scions. According to the above method, you can get the banyan mosaic, and after cultivation, you can get pots of beautiful banyan mosaic.

Rapid cultivation of old banyan stump

Banyan is the most popular bonsai in southern provinces, but it is not easy to cultivate a good work: first, wild old piles are mostly born in crevices, which is extremely difficult to dig with roots, but banyan is said to have no roots or roots; Second, it is time-consuming and laborious to cultivate young trees into ancient piles with certain ornamental value. How to cultivate old banyan piles quickly and shorten the molding cycle? After years of practice, the author introduces several simple methods of making bonsai for beginners' reference.

1. Multi-branch combination: After Tomb-Sweeping Day, with the pruning of banyan trees, select some branches with different sizes and cut them into cuttings with different heights, bind them together according to the modeling requirements, and cut them into loose mud (which can also be combined after transplantation) to make the roots naturally cross. After survival, cut the bark with a knife at the joint of each branch to make it match and stick together. In the second year, after the Qingming Festival, dig up, comb the roots, cut the long roots short, suspend pruning, and make full use of photosynthesis to raise piles. Reconstruction should generally be carried out in the dormant period, so as to avoid excessive outflow of white mucus and affect plant growth. Then plant it in the ground, promote the roots to be strong, accelerate the attachment, remove the cloth embedding on the dead branches, and make up for the improper attachment every year according to the above methods. In the third year, pruning and shaping were carried out around Qingming to control the infinite extension of roots. Beginning of autumn was trimmed or cored again before and after to promote its branching. At the same time, on the original stem, methods such as prying, grooving and hammering are used to promote the old and ancient. After several years' cultivation, the cuttings will thicken and squeeze to form an uneven whole. The head of the tree looks like an uneven pile of banyan trees, and then the ornamental pot will be lifted. At this point, an ancient banyan bonsai has been basically cultivated.

Second, the old stem is directly inserted: the banyan tree has strong vitality and is easy to cut. Even old logging can generally survive as long as it is carefully cared for. The cutting time should be before and after Tomb-Sweeping Day and when the daily average temperature is not lower than 20℃. The adoption of old stems: firstly, select promising branches from old banyan trees and cut them for cutting; Second, the banyan tree growing in the crevices in Shan Ye is desirable for the pile blank, but the root can't be dug, so it can be cut off to support the root. Generally, it can be inserted in the ground first and then in the basin, or it can be directly inserted in a high basin to cultivate the shape and sublimate it into a landscape. As long as it is carefully maintained, it will take root and sprout in three years. For places lacking roots, the following two methods can be adopted: first, peeling to promote roots, that is, cutting a small groove with a width of about 1 cm ~ 2 cm on the trunk with a knife or a woodworking chisel, and peeling off the bark. If multiple roots need to be repaired, stagger the grooves up and down to absorb nutrients and avoid cortical necrosis around the wound; Second, the young trees are butted to repair the roots, that is, a slit is cut longitudinally on the trunk where the roots need to be repaired with a sharp knife, and then a part of bark is cut by the seedlings with roots, embedded in the slit, and fixed with the help of force. The length and width of the slit should be suitable for the butted seedlings, and the roots are allowed to dry after the cortex is completely bonded. 1994, the author went up the mountain to dig the pile blank, and found that the foundation of a big-leaved banyan tree was buried deep in the crevice, so it was a pity to abandon it. After cutting off the old stems, after several years of cultivation, it is now flourishing and taking shape. It will be more ornamental if the crown can be replaced with a variety with smaller leaves.

Third, combined planting: combined planting is the most ideal and effective method to thicken and promote ancient times. According to the modeling design, select 3 ~ 5 young trees of two or three years old. After Tomb-Sweeping Day, according to the modeling requirements, the roots and branches were cut and combined into a whole. The landscape can be achieved in three years by adopting the methods of high soil cultivation, pot cultivation, pruning and shaping according to the growth situation, and gradually removing soil and exposing roots. 1At the beginning of April, 1995, the author planted five young Ficus microcarpa trees of different sizes. Now they are crowded together, with full crowns and developed air roots, and have begun to show the charm of natural old trees. In order to further improve the ornamental value, from the second year after planting, banyan branches with smaller leaves were grafted year by year to change crowns, and the leaves became smaller, which is now more artistic.

Fourth, docking thickening: perennial banyan piles, but the trunk is still too small, or the shape is not ideal, you can use small trees to attach to the surrounding docking thickening. Although the trunk of banyan unearthed in Shan Ye is ancient, it has many roots and branches, which is not ideal. We can use its old trunk to supplement the trunk and roots, and the landscape will take shape in three to five years. In order to further improve the ornamental value, large-leaved trees can be grafted with leaflets for crown replacement. Attention should be paid to grafting and crown changing: although high-altitude bud grafting or branch grafting is good, the technology is not perfect, the temperature is not suitable, and the survival rate is not high. It is best to connect the roots with the soil at high altitude, that is, wrap the roots in small plastic bags and connect them with the soil. The survival rate can reach 100%. After survival, the grafted seedlings on the trunk are attached to the trunk by removing mud and burying roots, so that the bottom is lengthened and the trunk becomes thicker; According to the needs, some seedlings far away from the trunk are removed from roots, some branches are removed, and some roots are left. It is interesting to cultivate roots into drooping pseudo-air roots and hang them on branches. 1995 The banyan pile blank bought by the author has few branches, and there are no fine roots at the base of the trunk except for three thick roots. After two years of planting, the roots are not long enough to show. Later, Ficus microcarpa seedlings were attached to the original pile, and the roots were supplemented and dried, which not only changed the tree shape, but also made the leaves smaller. But the lower left branch is thin and short, and the overall tree shape is an equilateral triangle. After that, the seedlings are butted with one root, the floating branches are lengthened and the roots are left; Remove the bottom with a mineral water bottle, put the roots in the bottle and put them directly on the basin surface; After the roots are deeply rooted, the plastic bottle is taken out to obtain a thick pseudo-air root. In this way, the root is easy to thicken, and at the same time, it makes up for the defect that the base is too small.

How to cultivate ginseng banyan

Ginseng is cultivated from the seedlings of red ginseng. Its swollen tuberous root is actually formed by the mutation of radicle and hypocotyl when seeds germinate. Some plants are also grafted with bougainvillea or Ficus ovata (a variety of Ficus tenuifolia) on the stem base, which is more elegant. Its requirements for light, heat, water and fertilizer are the same as those of common banyan trees. Like warm, humid and sunny environment, not cold-resistant, tolerant to semi-shade, the suitable growth temperature is 2 0℃ to 30℃, and the greenhouse temperature should be maintained at not less than 5℃ in winter. Cultivation soil requires loose and fertile sandy loam with good drainage, rich organic matter and strong acid reaction, and alkaline soil is easy to cause yellowing and poor growth of its leaves. Adequate water supply is required during the growing period, which should be wet but not dry. The basin soil should be kept moist at all times, and the leaves should be sprayed with water frequently in summer. Fertilize 3 to 4 times a year, don't overdo it, otherwise it will easily lead to excessive growth of branches and leaves and destroy the composition and shape of plants. During the germination of leaves, it is necessary to properly control watering, or spray more water and less water, which is helpful to shorten the thickness of leaves and give sufficient light to make leaves thick and bright. It should be noted that the soil in the growing basin should not be too wet and the light should not be insufficient, otherwise it will cause a lot of fallen leaves, which will affect the display and appreciation. Its leaves are often susceptible to leaf spot disease, and 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder can be sprayed 800 times, and a small number of diseased leaves can also be removed and destroyed as soon as possible to prevent its spread.

Banyan bonsai can be changed every two years, and the best time is before going out in spring. First, pick up the soil around the flowerpot, then gently take out the huge rhizomes, pound off part of the permanent soil, cut off some lifeless and aging roots, and re-select fresh, fertile, loose, drained and nutritious culture soil for planting. As the plant grows up, it can be replaced with a larger flowerpot to meet its normal growth needs. When changing pots, the branches and leaves should be trimmed properly to maintain a good plant shape. It is not advisable to water too much when changing soil, and then give normal water and fertilizer management when the temperature rises above 20℃.

How to make and maintain banyan bonsai?

Banyan leaves are leathery, dark green and shiny, evergreen all the year round, with dark brown bark, soft branches and strong whiskers on aerial roots. Some aerial roots hang into the ground, shaped like pillars; Some are drooping and winding, which is quite spectacular. Some roots of seedlings can also form larger tuberous roots with different shapes, which can be fully utilized when making bonsai. Planting banyan trees is usually carried out from April to May. Because banyan trees have strong adaptability, potted plants with light purple sand can be used to show the beauty of various roots. The basin should be rectangular or rectangular. Before planting, cut off the damaged root system, cut short the useless long roots and side branches, water them in the shade after planting, and transfer them to normal management after restoring vitality. Banyan trees are often made into straight, inclined, curved and cliff-shaped bonsai. The roots can be washed and exposed to the ground and attached to rocks, and combined with pruning to become stone-attached bonsai. The root system is grotesque, and it can be made into a potted plant to show the gesture of hanging roots and showing claws. The shape of branches should pay attention to the change of dwarfing, and seek curves from straightness. Because the leaves are large, they are not suitable for processing into clouds, and are generally processed into natural shapes with certain levels. In addition, because the branches are soft and tough, they can be bent and braided at will. I have seen branches bent into shapes such as "blessing" and "longevity" and various patterns, which are also very unique and impressive. Banyan trees are native to tropical areas. Banyan bonsai should be placed in a sunny, well-ventilated, warm and humid environment. Water often during the growing season, but no water can be accumulated in the basin. In summer, proper shading should be done, and water should be sprayed on the ground and leaves to cool down and increase air humidity. Apply 1 times of dilute liquid fertilizer to the decomposed oil cake every month, and avoid too much fertilizer and water, otherwise the branches and leaves will grow white and spoil the beautiful tree appearance. Banyan trees are resistant to pruning, strong in germination and fast in growth. In addition to pruning in early spring, new branches and long branches should be shortened or cut off according to the modeling requirements in normal maintenance to maintain the beauty of the tree. There are often thrips on banyan trees, which make the branches and leaves curly and brown. It needs to be cleaned and burned in time and sprayed with chemicals for prevention. Banyan bonsai should be moved indoors in late autumn and early winter, and the room temperature should be kept at about l0℃. According to the age and growth of the banyan tree, you can turn the pot 1 time in 2 ~ 3 years or 3 ~ 4 years.

Banyan bonsai maintenance

Banyan bonsai is an iconic landscape with vitality, and maintaining the continuity of its life growth has become the inevitable goal of conservation and management. Daily maintenance must be watered, fertilized, pruned, pest control, etc.

Generally, banyan bonsai should be placed in a ventilated and light-transmitting place with a certain space humidity. Insufficient sunshine, poor ventilation and lack of certain space humidity will make plants yellow, lead to diseases and insect pests, and even die. Banyan trees are mainly distributed in southern China, and the main commodity producing area is Zhangzhou, Fujian. Ficus likes acidic soil and belongs to plants that are not cold-tolerant. In northern China, greenhouses are generally used for maintenance and management in winter.

Banyan bonsai conservation-watering.

Watering is one of the most important and common management measures in banyan bonsai. Banyan trees are planted in pots, whether deep or shallow, the soil is always limited and the water content is limited. If you don't water for a long time to replenish water, the plants will wither due to lack of water, so you should observe them in time, water them according to their soil dryness and wetness, and keep the soil moisture. Of course, watering should not be excessive. If you water too much, the pot soil will be too wet for a long time, which will easily lead to hypoxia and rot of the root system. At the same time, the amount of watering depends on the change of season and the cold and warm weather. Generally speaking, in summer or drought, it is best to water it once in the morning and evening, once every day or every other day in spring and autumn, and once in the morning and evening when the stump germinates in spring. In rainy season or rainy day, you don't need to water, but also pay attention to drainage. Sandy soil can be watered more and cohesive soil less. Watering can be done by spraying water on leaves or irrigating roots. Generally the two are combined. First, spray water on the leaves, and then thoroughly irrigate the roots. Be careful not to pour "half water" to make the basin surface dry and wet, and don't spray too much water on the leaves, which will easily lead to too many branches and leaves.