How to cultivate yew bonsai

Preparation method

Select pot

When making a yew bonsai, you can choose a larger flowerpot. The specific shape can be determined according to personal preference and shape needs. A square purple clay pot is recommended. Make a few more holes at the bottom of the pot to enhance the air permeability and water permeability of the pot.

Soil selection

Yew likes loose, fertile, moist, breathable, slightly acidic soil rich in humus, which can be mixed with peat soil and perlite in equal proportions. Avoid using clay, which is not breathable, and do not use sandy soil, as sandy soil retains fertilizer but has poor water retention.

Cutting method

In spring, select some strong and full branches growing upward, cut them off, rinse off the resin flowing out of the wounds in running water, prepare clean and unpolluted coarse sand or vermiculite, insert the rinsed branches into the coarse sand or vermiculite. The cutting depth should be one-third of the branch. After insertion, water them and place them in semi-shaded place for maintenance. Pay attention to spraying water to keep it moist. After about 40 days of growth, it will take root, and after about 90 days, the seedlings can be transplanted into the prepared pots.

Precautions

Yew is not suitable for making cliff-style and waterside bonsai. The crown of the tree is mostly natural, and the naturally drooping characteristics of the branches can be used to make weeping bonsai. When making it, cut off the branches that are not needed for shaping, and cut off other branches appropriately according to the actual situation. Some branches that are in bad shape or in the wrong position can be tied up with wire. The roots can be lifted out of the soil so that they hang down and show their claws, which increases the artistic value of the bonsai.

Maintenance

Watering

Yew bonsai prefers a humid growing environment and is not tolerant to waterlogging. It needs to be watered more frequently during the high temperatures in summer, and water should be sprayed on the leaves to maintain a humid growing environment. Avoid rain and reduce the frequency of watering in winter. The principle is to not water unless the soil is dry and water thoroughly when you do.

Fertilization

The fertilizer requirements of yew are not high, and it is best to apply small amounts frequently. During the growing season, apply some rapeseed fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer to the yew. Applying rapeseed cake fertilizer once every half a month can make the yew bonsai grow more luxuriantly.

prune

The yew bonsai should be pruned in February every year, because February is the season when the yew bonsai begins to sprout, which plays a big role in the growth of the yew bonsai. It is not suitable to prune during the growing season.