Preface. Ginkgo biloba is loved for its elegant posture, resilient rhizomes, and plump semi-circular leaves, and has become a bonsai plant that has attracted much attention in recent years.
However, as a deciduous tree, the key to successful cultivation of ginkgo bonsai lies in skillfully preserving the entire growth process of the ginkgo tree from germination, flowering to fruiting.
In order to enjoy the high ornamentality of ginkgo bonsai, we need to pay special attention to the growth stage of the ginkgo tree. From the beginning of germination, through proper management and care, ginkgo gradually shows an elegant posture.
During the flowering phase, we need to focus on protecting the ginkgo biloba flowers so that they can fully bloom and add color to the overall ornamental appearance. When it comes to fruiting, proper cultivation methods can ensure that the ginkgo tree bears full fruit and makes the bonsai more attractive.
1. The unique botanical characteristics of Ginkgo.
Ginkgo biloba is an ancient and unique plant that possesses many striking botanical properties. As a deciduous tree, ginkgo biloba is vigorous and adaptable, and is widely distributed all over the world.
Ginkgo biloba is distinguished by its distinctive leaves, which are fan-shaped, often two-lobed, and deeply lobed in a fan-shaped arrangement, giving a beautiful landscape to the entire canopy.
The colour of these leaves varies from season to season, from tender green in spring, dark green in summer, and golden yellow in autumn, like an abstract painting that attracts the eye.
In particular, the leaves of ginkgo biloba fall off in a neat and beautiful way when the leaves fall in autumn, creating a beautiful scenery like a golden carpet that adds a rich color to the nature of autumn.
Ginkgo biloba is a dioecious plant, that is, the ginkgo tree is divided into male and female trees, which produce male and female flowers, respectively. This unique mode of reproduction makes Ginkgo biloba have certain particularities in reproduction.
Ginkgo biloba flowers are yellow-green in color, and although they are inconspicuous, they play an important role in the ecosystem. The pollen produced by male flowers is a potent spreader of ginkgo biloba, while female flowers produce nuts after fertilization, which resemble cherries in appearance and are key to ginkgo reproduction.
Ginkgo biloba has strong vitality and adaptability, and it can grow in a variety of environmental conditions, including urban, rural, mountainous, etc.
This resistance to stress has made Ginkgo biloba a common tree species for urban greenery, while also allowing it to be widely distributed in nature. Ginkgo's vitality is reflected in its resistance to pollution, pests and diseases, making it a relatively easy plant to cultivate and manage.
The wooden part of ginkgo also has a certain economic value, and its wood is hard and corrosion-resistant, which can be used to make furniture, carvings, etc.
In addition, the leaves of ginkgo biloba are believed to have certain medicinal properties and are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine preparations, which are believed to help improve memory and promote blood circulation.
Second, ginkgo bonsai cultivation technology.
1.Sowing date.
In order to make the ginkgo bonsai come to life and appear luxuriant, we must first focus on choosing the right pot. In the choice of flower pots, we can diversify, such as pottery pots, porcelain pots, plastic pots, etc.
However, tile pots are the best at promoting the growth of ginkgo biloba leaves, so it is recommended to choose a tile pot with a wide mouth and a deep pot, which can help provide a more favorable growing environment.
When the ginkgo biloba begins to bear fruit, consider using clay pots and ceramic pots, making sure there is a drain at the bottom to allow for later drainage and soil conditioning, and also to enhance the overall ornamentality.
Ginkgo bonsai are susceptible to container size constraints and have a great impact on root growth. To ensure optimal growth in a confined space, we need to choose fertile potting soils that meet the nutrient needs of ginkgo growth and fruiting.
Considering the growth characteristics of ginkgo, we should choose a pH of 42~5.0 soils, avoid choosing overly wet soils, preferring soft soils.
Although Ginkgo biloba is not particularly strict on the soil, to ensure that the roots get enough nutrients, we can add the right amount of organic fertilizer to the selected potting soil, mixed with the right amount of human manure to cultivate the soil.
Specific operations include sieving loose soil, using pastoral loose soil, and mixing 5 to 1 ratio of organic compound fertilizer and the same proportion of crushed plant straw. That is, add 3 1 decomposed organic fertilizer to the soil and mix 1 5 plant straw minced.
The above raw materials can also be soaked by using human feces, urine or 1% urea aqueous solution to control the degree of humidity in manual clumping and dispersing.
Place the prepared potting soil in a sunny place, cover it with plastic film, and ferment at high temperature for more than half a month.
Generally speaking, you can choose the ginkgo biloba pit that is available in the market as the seed. Before sowing, the kernels are dried in mild sunlight for 1 month to prevent germination under the influence of moisture.
The easiest way to sow seeds is to plant the dried kernels in selected potting soil in the spring, but this method can be affected by a number of factors that can lead to slower germination.
In order to increase the germination rate, we can also adjust the environment and adopt the method of germination. For spring sowing, the seed kernels can be buried in the soil using sieved garden soil or wet river sand with suitable humidity, and then covered with plastic film for germination.
If you choose to pot by grafting, the final grafting distance should be 20cm from the ground of the ginkgo seedlings.
When grafting is carried out during the dormant period of ginkgo, prepare flower pots and prepared nutrient soil. Place the roots of the ginkgo seedlings flat in the potting soil and gently pat the potting soil with both hands. In this way, we provide an ideal environment for the growth of ginkgo bonsai.
The specific steps are as follows:
1) Place a few tiles or ceramsite at the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot to prevent the soil from overflowing.
2) Sprinkle a small amount of coarse sand on the top layer of the tile (ceramsite), mainly to enhance the drainage capacity.
3) Then add a layer of nutrient soil, then spread the root system of the ginkgo seedlings and put them in the pot, gradually add the nutrient soil, and gently pat the edge of the pot during the addition process to ensure that the nutrient soil can be compacted in the pot.
4) Water the potted plants adequately to ensure that the water penetrates to the bottom of the pot.
5) Place the transplanted ginkgo bonsai in mild sunlight, avoid too strong direct sunlight, and then drench it every 2 3 days. In the early stages of growth, 01% urea aqueous solution to promote the rapid growth of seedlings.
2.Nursery period.
In the process of ginkgo seedling development, we should fertilize regularly according to the development of branches, especially in autumn and winter, when the growth is relatively slow, and choose nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer as the main fertilizer.
Due to the different climatic and geographical environments, we need to adopt a phased watering strategy during the seedling rearing period.
Water evaporates easily and quickly in summer, so it is recommended to water the seedlings every day to ensure that the plants get enough water.
In autumn, the leaves may fall off due to the low temperature, so the frequency of watering can be reduced to 1 time every 2 days to adapt to the cold season.
3.Growth period.
After ginkgo bonsai enters the growth period, although it has strong vitality, it also needs careful care. The growth of branches and leaves and the wetness of the soil should be carefully observed on a regular basis, and a scientific and practical watering and fertilization strategy should be formulated.
At the same time, the branches and leaves are regularly pruned to ensure that the ginkgo bonsai can show the maximum ornamental value. Check and remove pests at any time to ensure the health and sustainable growth of ginkgo bonsai.
3. Maintenance of ginkgo bonsai.
1. Pruning branches and leaves.
Ginkgo bonsai is loved for its unique form of branches, branches, and foliage. In general, most ginkgo bonsai adopt the form of oblique stem, and it is necessary to emphasize the protrusion of the main trunk to show the unique and vigorous charm of the ginkgo tree.
However, due to the vigor of ginkgo biloba, it is necessary to prune the branches and leaves regularly in order to improve the ornamentation. When the ginkgo bonsai is in the growth period, you can use hemp rope, filament and other tools to artistically decorate the trunk to achieve the ideal ornamental effect.
For dense branches and leaves and dry parts, prune in time to avoid messy branches and leaves affecting the ornamental effect of the ginkgo trunk.
2. Prevention and control of ginkgo bonsai insect pests.
During the growth of ginkgo, common insect pests are scale insects and leaf mites. Once a pest infestation is found, the best way to deal with it is to manually catch it or spray the infested area with a diluted pest spray.
In addition, during the growth stage, the roots of ginkgo bonsai should not be kept too moist to avoid root rot. Proper watering intervals are sufficient.
3. Protection against fallen leaves in winter.
Ginkgo bonsai has a low ornamental value in winter, so controlling the winter defoliation of ginkgo biloba is essential to maintain the ornamental value of bonsai.
Usually in October, artificial defoliation can be carried out to activate the hibernating buds early and fertilizer can be applied to promote the growth of new leaves and branches.
During the winter regrowth period, move the bonsai indoors to a warm place with plenty of sunlight and water regularly to ensure soil moisture.
For the new branches and leaves, the fertilization strategy mentioned above can be used to assist, which can effectively maintain the healthy growth of ginkgo bonsai.
4. Watering and fertilization management.
The watering of ginkgo bonsai needs to be flexibly adjusted according to the growth of roots and leaves and the seasonal climate. Generally speaking, the larger the bonsai container, the larger the root growth area, so the amount of water drenched per day can be moderately increased.
In summer, due to the rapid evaporation, special attention should be paid to spraying on the foliage surface when watering to avoid drying out the branches and leaves. In the cold and dry winter, the amount of water should be controlled when drenching to avoid excess.
Usually, potting soil that is too dry is watered in moderation to prevent moisture from permafrost or ginkgo roots due to frequent watering.
According to the characteristics of different seasons and climates, the fertilization management needs of ginkgo bonsai are different. In general, a fertilization strategy of low frequency and frequent fertilization is adopted, usually twice a year.
Fertilization in early spring: In order to ensure the healthy and rapid growth of ginkgo, before fertilizing in spring, the bonsai should be treated with soil, a part of the old soil should be removed, and then new soil and compound fertilizer should be added.
When fertilizing, it is necessary to pay attention to the method of taking a small amount and multiple times to avoid one-time fertilization resulting in excess nutrients in the roots of ginkgo biloba, which is not conducive to growth. It is also possible to spray 03% urea to promote the growth of ginkgo biloba branches and leaves.
Fertilization after autumn leaf drop: Use a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer to help store nutrients.
In winter, for the ginkgo bonsai that is still in the growth period to fertilize, you can choose to use crushed soybean cakes, vegetable cakes and other fertilizers to soak, after fermentation and decomposition, it becomes organic liquid fertilizer to promote the germination of new shoots.
5. Turning pot management.
The branches of the ginkgo tree grow luxuriantly, and in order to keep the ginkgo bonsai alive, it needs to be repotted regularly every year. The ideal time to repot is usually during the bud dormancy period, which is in February and March of each year.
The specific repotting operation process: first pat the bottom of the pot to let the potting soil come out of the pot, then scrape off about 1 4 old soil on the outside of the potting soil, and then prune the old roots that are too lush and sick to ensure the health of the root system, and add loose new soil in the potting stage.
After finishing the potting, rinse with water, and remember to pour enough water for the first time after turning the pot. Finally, place the bonsai in a sunny, well-ventilated area and take good care of it.
Epilogue. Ginkgo biloba is a sun-loving, adaptable, dry-tolerant but not waterlogg-tolerant plant that grows slowly but has a long survival period. Therefore, the cultivation and maintenance technology of ginkgo bonsai is particularly crucial.
In today's increasingly colorful life, bonsai has gradually become a much-loved art form.
Learning the cultivation techniques and maintenance methods of bonsai can not only improve environmental awareness, but also add elegance to the family and add a lot of color to personal life.
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2] Cultivation and maintenance technology of potted ginkgo biloba[J].Zhang Xiaofei. Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, 2013(03).
3] Ornamental bonsai cultivation method of ginkgo biloba[J].Zhou Heng. New Technology in Rural Areas, 2010(15).
4] *Cultivation technology and maintenance of ginkgo bonsai. Ni Liyuan. New Countryside [Heilongjiang].2013