How to make and maintain a bonsai of Chinese crabapple

Making Bonsai

Select pot

It is appropriate to choose a medium-deep glazed pottery basin or a purple clay pottery basin. The basin shape can be round, square, rectangular, etc. It is better if the color of the basin and the color of the flower are in contrast. Begonia likes fertilizer and grows quickly, so the pot should not be too small or too shallow.

soil

The crabapple tree is not very demanding on soil and water, and is best grown in fertile, loose and well-drained sandy loam.

modeling

The shaping process of the Chinese crabapple tree usually combines coiling and pruning. The best processing period is from after the leaves fall in winter to before the budding in spring. Processing can begin on 2-3 year old seedlings.

It is better to use both palm wire and metal wire. The main trunk and large branches need to be properly tied, and all small branches should be pruned into shape. It is advisable to trim the branches and leaves into a natural crown, and not to tie them too regularly. The crabapple tree grows very fast, so the palm fiber and metal wire should be removed in time to prevent damage to the tree.

It can be processed into various shapes such as slanted trunk, curved trunk, waterside style, cliff style, double trunk style, multi-trunk style, etc.

Caring for Bonsai

Water and fertilizer requirements

The soil in the pot of the crabapple bonsai should always be kept moist, but water should not accumulate. During the growing season in spring and summer, more watering is needed, and watering should be timely and sufficient during the hot summer months.

Begonia likes fertilizer, so you can apply more fertilizer. After it blooms in spring, apply mainly nitrogen fertilizer to promote the growth of branches and leaves. Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in summer and autumn to facilitate flower bud differentiation.

Placement

The crabapple bonsai should be placed in a sunny, ventilated and airy place.

No shade is needed in summer. It is relatively cold-resistant and can be buried in a sheltered, sunny place outdoors with its pot in winter, or it can be moved into a well-lit room to overwinter, as long as the temperature is kept at around 0℃.