Discussion on pollution-free cultivation of bonsai

A Steiner, president of the International Association for Pollution-Free Culture, defined pollution-free culture as hydroponic culture.

Plants are centered on physiological functions of inorganic nutrients. Pollution-free cultivation refers to the use of inorganic nutrient solution to directly provide essential nutrients for plant growth instead of the cultivation method that usually provides nutrients to plants from soil and organic matter. Pollution-free cultivation can be carried out by spraying nutrient solution directly onto the roots (air culture), planting plants directly in flowing inorganic nutrient solution (hydroponic culture), or directly cultivating plants in inorganic nutrient solution with disinfected microporous inorganic ores and inorganic fibers as substrates (inorganic substrate culture). Therefore, the so-called "vermiculite + horse manure","sawdust + human excrement" and "peat + nutrient solution" should not belong to the category of modern pollution-free cultivation techniques.

In the United States, Japan and some Western European countries, hydroponics of potted plants and greenhouse crops have gradually replaced traditional soil cultivation. Traditional soil culture depends on the activity of bacteria in soil to transform organic nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen into nitrate nitrogen which is convenient for plants to use. Soil disinfection is to kill harmful microorganisms and insects while preserving beneficial microorganisms (such as nitrifying bacteria) in the soil as much as possible, while removing weed seeds to improve plant yield and quality. This makes it relatively difficult to disinfect soil and organic substrates (sawdust, decayed leaves, peat, cottonseed husks, etc.). The continuous improvement of nutrient solution culture and technology can make the root system in a very breathable and sterile (less bacteria) environment, easy to cultivate plants. This new technology is gradually recognized and utilized, and its development prospects are very broad. Because it can not only produce high-quality high-yield plants, but more importantly, the products are pollution-free and can meet the quarantine conditions for export. This is something that traditional soil culture cannot compare with. The pollution-free potted plants produced by nutrient solution culture can withstand strict quarantine of customs in various countries, making the international communication of potted plants closer and more prosperous. Japanese potted plants are able to accelerate the cultivation of nutrient solution, improve the productivity and quality of potted plants, and make them break through the strict barriers of European and American quarantine checkpoints, export a large number of potted plants, thus occupying the international market. Only through pollution-free cultivation can a large number of bonsai be exported to the competitive world market.

The main points of pollution-free cultivation of potted plants are as follows:

Nutrient solution concentration to dilute principle, must apply ion balance absorption of inorganic nutrient solution, this is the key to cultivation. (Please refer to notes)

Cultivate under sheltered rain conditions. At this time, the nutrition in the basin is not easy to lose, and the bacteria and pests are very few.

Cultivation substrate can be sterilized vermiculite, pearlite and river sand, according to equal mixing. Of course, other mixtures can also be used, such as mixing rock wool, cinder and other inorganic materials, these disinfected mineral mixtures with micropores, so that the roots of potted plants in a breathable environment, conducive to the compound roots and growth of stumps. Substrate above can be planted according to the pile scene requirements, with harmonious color pebbles or cultivation moss. If the basin wall is very shallow, the matrix is loose, the specific gravity is small, and the weight is light, it is not easy to fix the stumps, and the stone method can be used to control the roots. Use Ying Shi, Fu Li Shi, etc. placed on the root matrix to help strengthen the root. One way is to avoid the toppling of piles, and the other is to add natural scenery to the old trees with strange stones. That is, cliff-type stump bonsai, although the use of microporous ore as matrix, in the help of quartz stone, etc., can still control the root system, so that the plant is stable and firm.

Note: formula of pollution-free nutrient solution for potted plants

1. Macroelement (agricultural grade) calcium nitrate 0.8 g; potassium nitrate 0.4 g; potassium dihydrogen phosphate 0.25 g; magnesium sulfate 0.4 g.

II. Trace elements (industrial grade or pharmaceutical grade) disodium EDTA 20 mg; ferrous sulfate 15 mg; manganese sulfate 4 mg; boric acid 6 mg; zinc sulfate 0.2 mg; copper sulfate 0.1 mg; ammonium molybdate 0.2 mg.

Tap water: 1000 ml (1 kg) nutrient solution is slightly acidic, pH value adjusted to 6.0 with phosphoric acid. The nutrient solution is suitable for potted plants such as Pinus five-needle pine, Podocarpus sinensis, Buxus chinensis, Murraya chinensis, Fujian tea, fig tree, sparrow plum, June snow, cypress and southern Tianzhu.