Banyan bonsai maintenance and management

Maintenance points

Generally, banyan bonsai should be placed in a ventilated and lighted place with a certain amount of space humidity. Insufficient sunlight, poor ventilation, and lack of a certain amount of space humidity can easily cause the plant to turn yellow and dry, leading to the occurrence of diseases and pests, and even death. It likes acidic soil and is not a cold-resistant plant. In the northern regions, it generally needs to be maintained in a greenhouse in winter. To maintain banyan bonsai well, scientific management of watering, fertilizing, pruning, disease and pest control, etc. must be carried out in daily maintenance.

Maintenance methods

Water, fertilizer, humidity

Improper water supply can cause great harm to banyan trees. Feel the condition of the soil in the pot with your hands and follow the principle of "feeling dry when wet and feeling wet when dry". Don't water frequently, and make sure you water thoroughly when you do. Excessive watering can cause root rot and cause leaves to fall. Banyan trees are difficult to maintain in the north, so families should spray water on the leaves more often to increase the humidity of the air around them. Banyan trees like fertilizer to grow, but frequent fertilization will cause harm to their growth. The amount of fertilizer applied varies according to the season.

temperature

The suitable growth temperature of banyan tree should not be too large during the day and night (a difference of 10 degrees), otherwise it will easily shed leaves and die. Usually, you should pay attention to placing it in a well-lit place, and provide appropriate shade in summer.

Potting soil

To grow banyan bonsai well, you need to use loose, well-drained leaf mold. The usual ratio is garden soil: humus soil: sand 2:2:1. It is best to place moss of the same size as the pot on top of the bonsai. This not only makes it look beautiful, but also helps with drainage and ventilation.

Root rot

Damage or decay of the banyan tree's roots can easily cause leaf fall, but it is difficult to detect because the roots grow in the soil. It is common for roots to rot due to long-term failure to repot or improper fertilizer and water. It is best to check the roots without damaging them, properly trim dead roots, weak roots, and damaged roots, dip them in growth agents, and then plant them in pots.

Pest control

The roots of banyan trees are prone to root rot or root nodule diseases caused by various bacteria and fungi, so proper attention should be paid to spraying pesticides for prevention and control. The main pests of banyan trees are aphids, red spiders, scale insects, etc. Spray the leaves with 500PPM of omethoate or spray with 1000 times solution of 50% parathion wettable powder. Using 0.1% laundry detergent water or wind oil water is also very effective.

prune

During the peak growing season, the plants should be topped and buds removed, and a major pruning should be done in the fall. No pruning should be done thereafter because the plants grow slowly in winter and it is not suitable to be pruned in winter. The pruning of banyan trees should be done by professionals, who should cut off the overgrown branches, overlapping branches, sick and weak branches, and crossed branches to create a layered beauty throughout the tree.