Among them, Podocarpus is a single family, and the other three are Pinaceae plants. In Shandong, there are also many gardeners who call Luo, which is only a local custom, so this gold is not an authentic name.
Luo Hansong has many advantages in making bonsai. Its branches are softer than those of Pinus thunbergii, Pinus tabulaeformis and Pinus armandii, with dense branches and leaves, uniform rotation and strong germination; The tube spore is developed, the brown eye is obvious, and the phloem is thick.
This determines that it is more resistant to transplantation and easier to produce fine products than black pine and Korean pine (figure 1). The weakness lies in the cultivation of Podocarpus in the north, with poor temperature and humidity; There is more gum in the growth period than other bonsai trees, so there are fewer wounds in the growth period.
There are not many varieties of Podocarpus. Podocarpus microphylla, Podocarpus columnar, Podocarpus pearl and Podocarpus migrans are suitable for bonsai.
Today, I would like to share with you what aspects should be paid attention to in the maintenance of Luohansong bonsai and how to operate the specific measures.
Buried Luohansong, Figure 1
1, how to select blank according to design shape
Many people like to choose downhill piles, but Luo Hansong's downhill piles are very rare.
There are two ways to choose the suitable blank of Podocarpus: one is to choose the semi-finished blank of bonsai market. The raw piles there are also artificially cultivated, but they all claim to be downhill piles.
It is very detailed, from which place and which mountain, even the specific location is very clear, just listen and you will know.
The second is to select suitable seedlings in the breeding base of Podocarpus. When you get there, Luo, aged from 1 to 30, is your choice.
When selecting the blank of arhat pine, we should pay attention to the following aspects: (1) Don't dig any traces, because the roots are not good; If the lower part is bald and lacks branches, it will be difficult to make up branches; Don't split the trunk, it's not easy to bend it.
Luo Hansong, Figure 2.
2. What should I pay attention to when excavating Luohansong stump?
2-3-year-old blanks can be selected for digging raw piles of Podocarpus. If it is too big to be shaped, the cost is high. It is best to reduce the flow of glue in the north before germination in March.
When digging, first, pay attention to protect the branches above. Don't cut down deciduous trees to cut branches, or trim most branches to ensure the survival rate.
The second is to keep the length and thickness of the bending main root as much as possible. This kind of straight root can be raised, and Arhat pine without root raising effect has style and no rules.
When digging a green pile, you can cut the lateral root first and then the main root. Don't trim in place at once, leave room for trimming.
Third, the root system should have more soil balls and the incision should be smooth. There is no need to use disinfectant, just seal it with wax, paint, mud, tin foil, etc.
Fourth, take away about 5 kilograms of Luohan pine humus, mix it with your own humus, or dig natural rotten pine needle soil in the mountains.
Arhat pine on the cliff, Figure 3
3. How do you need to raise the blank when making bonsai with Podocarpus?
It is also possible to put the blank of Podocarpus directly into the pot, but it will be more difficult to fix the root system in the deep pot and shallow pot, so there will be many difficulties in maintenance and shaping.
Therefore, it is recommended that you plant them in boxes or fields. Use 1 m long, 0.5 m wide and 0.5 m high wooden box to plant 2-3 Podocarpus.
When planting in box, the root system should be trimmed, and most of the downward growing main roots and lateral roots should be cut off, leaving the thickest and longest horizontal roots. The incision should be smooth, disinfected and dried with guangkuling and hymexazol, and sealed with white paint.
Punch 4-5 holes in the bottom of the wooden box to fix the trunk and the main root, and tie the blank trunk and the main root with metal wires respectively. Spread 5-6 cm of coarse sand on the bottom of the wooden box, and then spread 2 cm of clean river sand.
At this time, pine needle soil and sandy humus can be mixed in the box, and the thickest and longest taproot can be placed on it. First, fine sandy humus can be spread, and then moss or wet cotton wool can be spread.
Finally, tighten the steel wire again to fix the root system. To keep arhat pine rough, put the wooden box in a place where there is no direct light. Don't water it in a hurry when planting, and water it the next afternoon.
Spray water 2-3 times a day in the first week to moisten the soil. If it is planted in mid-March, it will take about 15-20 days, and the seedling stage will be over in mid-April (see Figure 1 and Figure 4).
Inclined dry layout, Figure 4
4. How to choose the shape that suits Luo?
The shapes of arhat pine are curved dry type, inclined dry type, adjacent water type and jungle layout. The overall branches and leaves are mainly straw hat, steamed bread and cone.
For beginners to make bonsai, it is best to use bent-dry type and inclined-dry type, but it is not recommended to start with straight-dry type and cliff type with difficult movements (Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5).
Cliff style, Figure 5
2-3-year-old Podocarpus is rough, and the trunk bending should be carried out before germination. If it has erupted, you can't use the thick bending method, because there is too much glue flowing, and the wound is difficult to heal (Figure 6).
Bending dry type, Figure 6
Bending dried Podocarpus, Figure 7.
5. How to trim the blank of the main branch and side branch of Podocarpus?
The pruning of arhat pine mainly adopts the methods of binding, hanging and pressing.
If the main branch is in a good position, but the direction conflicts with the bending part or is contrary to the topping trend, a bamboo pole can be tied at the connection between the main branch and the trunk, and the other end is tied at the tip of the main branch. Pull the bamboo pole by hand to adjust it to the right direction, and then set a vertical pole to fix it.
For other branches with suitable thickness, you can climb up and tie them with thick aluminum wire.
Inclined dry four-cloud topping, as shown in Figure 8.
Double dried Podocarpus, Figure 9
Conclusion: The key to making the blank of Podocarpus into bonsai is to raise the blank, bend the trunk and main branches during dormancy, raise the roots and climb the side branches in rainy season.
As long as we pay attention to the radian, trend direction and size of climbing, the method of cutting and storing branches of the whole frame relative to miscellaneous trees is relatively simple. If the maintenance measures keep up and the growth momentum is good, it will be effective in 3-5 years.