Making and Management of Snow Wormwood Bonsai

Snow moxa, also known as Qiai, hibiscus chrysanthemum, sea hibiscus, snow hibiscus, is a perennial evergreen subshrub of the genus of Compositae. The whole plant is white tomentose, the plant height is 30 cm to 60 cm, the branches are yellowish brown or gray-white, the old stems are longitudinally split, the leaves are alternate, accumulate on the branches, the leaf blade is spoon-shaped or Obovate, entire, the tip is obtuse or lobed, and the leaves are gray or silver-white. Most heads gather in racemes on branches, florets yellowish green, achene long elliptic, pentagonal. Use it to make bonsai shape quickly, the roots are as curved as eagle claws, the trunk is simple, and the leaves are as white as snow, which can be watched in four seasons.

I. sources of materials

The cuttage used for bonsai is usually propagated by cutting, which is generally carried out in the growing season. Cuttings can be cut with sturdy and full branches, old branches and twigs, regardless of length, and more growing branches that affect the shape can be cut in production. The cutter can use river sand, perlite, vermiculite and other media with good drainage and permeability, pour water once after planting, and keep the soil and air moist and shaded properly to avoid hot sun exposure. It takes about half a month to take root, and a month later, it can be planted in pots for normal water and fertilizer management. it is appropriate to plant in fertile soil at seedling stage and apply mature thin liquid fertilizer once a week. Snow moxa grows very fast, and when the crown diameter grows to the right size, it can be processed and modeled.

Second, modeling

The modelling of snow moxa can be carried out in the growth period from April to October, but it can not be modeled in winter because the branches are weak and easy to break. Its modeling can be processed into different forms of bonsai, such as straight dry type, curved dry type, oblique dry type, double dry type, jungle type, water-facing type, cliff type, water-dry type, etc., and the crown can adopt either natural shape or regular disc shape; the modeling method is mainly flat binding, supplemented by pruning, fine pruning and coarse cutting, and first using wire to tie the trunk, main branches and side branches into the basic shape, and then do appropriate pruning to make it take shape. When modeling, you can make use of the characteristics of fast wound healing to tear off the branches that affect the shape from the base with skin. After a month or so of wound healing, it appears strong and simple, without man-made traces, and achieves the artistic effect of "although it is artificial, like Tiancheng".

III. Daily maintenance

Snow moxa originated in Taiwan, Fujian and other places in China, like warm, humid and sunny environment, slightly resistant to semi-shade and not cold. Bonsai made can be maintained in an outdoor place with sufficient sunshine during the growing season, and there is no need to shade it in midsummer. If the light is not enough, it will make the branches and leaves grow, the plant shape is loose and not compact, and the leaf color changes from silver to light green, which all affect the ornamental. Sufficient water and fertilizer is required during the growing period. Can be applied once a month mature thin cake fertilizer water, usually do not dry do not water, watering thoroughly, must not irrigate half of the water and basin soil stagnant water, pay attention to spray water to the plant when the air is dry, in order to increase air humidity, avoid leaf scorch, timely drainage and waterlogging prevention in the rainy season, otherwise the roots will become sick and rotten due to the stagnant water in the basin soil.

Move to the sunny part of the room in winter, control watering, stop fertilization, and maintain a room temperature of 5 ℃ to 10 ℃. If the temperature is too low, it will cause freezing damage, while too high temperature will make the plant grow too long and affect the shape. The excess bud heads that are not conducive to modeling are removed in spring every year, and the basin soil is required to contain rich humus, loose and fertile soil, and good drainage. 5 parts of humus soil, 3 parts of garden soil, 2 parts of river sand and slag are mixed and prepared, do not remove too many roots when changing the basin, remove about 1x3 persistent soil, trim the roots slightly, water them thoroughly after planting, and keep them under the shade shed. After returning to the seedling, it can be placed in a place with sufficient light for normal management.