Basin selection: the plum blossom should be made of purple or glazed pottery basins, which should not be too shallow in general. The inclined dry type and curved dry type are mostly used for medium deep trough basins or round basins, square basins, hexagonal basins, etc.; the cliff type is mostly used for thousand tube basins.
Soil use: plum blossom has no strict requirements on soil, but it is better to use loose, permeable and humus rich soil. In pot culture, the pond soil mixed with 30-40% rice husk ash is often used as culture soil.
Planting: it is better to carry out in November to December, or after flowering. Generally, it is better to plant at an angle, so as to take the potential when modeling. Before planting, it can be pruned once. Base fertilizer can be placed at the bottom of the basin.
Processing: plum blossom is usually shaped by "rough rolling and fine cutting". When the diameter of the trunk reaches 1 cm, it can be climbed and tied, and the side branches can also be rough rolled. It can be made of brown wire or metal wire, and the rest are shaped by trimming. For the annual new flowers and branches, according to the needs of modeling, you can also use brown silk to climb and tie them. The processing of main and big branches should be in winter, and the processing of new branches should be in September in autumn. Pay attention not to bruise the buds.
Tree shape: Generally speaking, the main trunk of plum bonsai in China should be inclined and horizontal, and the branches and leaves should be stretched out, but it is not always sparse. It is necessary to make sure that there is density in the sparse, and the density is appropriate, so that it is full of painting. There are many traditional plum blossom bonsai styles in various genres of bonsai in China, and the common ones are as follows:
It is the traditional style of Hui style bonsai, that is, the main body is in S-shape from the base to the top, like a swimming dragon, and the side branches are all from the convex bends of the main body, which are also bent to some extent, symmetrical left and right, and on the same plane up and down, which is very interesting.
It is also a traditional style of Hui style. The trunk is made of 2-3 bends, and the upper branches and leaves are divided into three parts. The height is staggered and the layers are clear. Each part is made into a horizontal steamed bread shape, dignified and stable.
The traditional style of Su style bonsai splits the large and shapeless meizhuang, removes part of the xylem, and carries on the carving processing, in order to achieve the effect of "withering trees for spring".
The traditional style of bonsai in Yangpai is to knot or circle the trunk in the seedling stage of plum, forming a pimple shape in a long time, which looks ancient and strange.
It is also the traditional style of Yang school, that is, all the branches of plum blossom are tied to the same side, just like the effect of wind blowing flags.
It is also the traditional style of Yang school, that is, all the branches of plum blossom are tied into a drooping shape, which is unique.
The above style is for reference only. Now, the shape of plum bonsai is more about climbing and pruning the plum blossom, making it a natural feeling.
