Ilex cornuta, also known as Ilex cornuta and Ilex cornuta, is a small evergreen tree or shrub of Ilex. The bark is grayish white, smooth and densely branched. Simple leaves alternate, oval and oblong, leathery, with 5 hard teeth, bright surface and dark green. Flowers are yellow-green, born in leaf axils. Drupe is spherical and bright red. Ilex cornuta originated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China and belongs to subtropical tree species. Often born in the mountains. Resistant to shade, like warm and humid climate, suitable for fertile and humid slightly acidic soil. Strong germination, extremely resistant to pruning.
Step 2 make bonsai
(1) Drawing materials
The wood source of Ilex cornuta is mainly sowing and propagation, and it can also be cutting or propagation. Can also be supplemented by Shan Ye's excavation. Seeding and propagation are generally carried out in March and April, with sowing depth of 2-3 cm and row spacing of 15-20 cm. After sowing, cover it with grass or straw curtain, and it will germinate in about 20-25 days. After digging, the grass is uncovered to cover the shade shed, and then the normal seedbed management-watering, fertilizing, weeding, etc. Transplanting and planting after 2-3 years. Cuttings are usually carried out in the rainy season. Select the semi-lignified branches of the current year as cuttings, with the length of 10 ~ 15 cm, leaving 4 ~ 6 leaves, and the insertion depth is 1/2 ~ 2/3 of the cuttings. After the cuttings are shaded, keep the soil moist and take root in about 60 days. After staying in bed 1 ~ 2 years, it was transplanted in spring. You can also dig roots to breed. There are often some wild old piles along the ravines in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. After digging back, pruning the main roots, carefully cultivating the blank and processing it in the basin, you can quickly make a simple and elegant foliage bonsai.
(2) Upper basin
① Selection of pots: Glazed pottery or purple sand pottery pots or chiseled stone pots are commonly used to make clavicle bonsai; The color of the basin can be purple, blue, light yellow or gray; Don't use dark green, because it is similar to the color of leaves and can't set off the difference. The shape of the basin can be rectangular, square, round waist and round drum.
(2) Soil: fertile, loose and slightly acidic soil with good water permeability should be selected for Ilex cornuta. Pot soil can be made of humus soil, pastoral soil and sand.
③ Planting: Transplanting is often carried out after autumn or before germination in spring. Because there are few main roots and developed lateral roots of Ilex cornuta, it is necessary to transplant them with soil balls to protect the fibrous roots. At the same time, trim some branches and leaves on the basin properly.
(3) Modeling
The branches of Ilex cornuta are hard and brittle, and are usually processed during the rainy season and when the sap is flowing vigorously. Because its leaves are large and hard, it is generally better to climb with brown silk, but it is not suitable to climb with metal wire, otherwise it will easily cause branches and leaves to break. The bone-holding leaves are hard and have spikes. When modeling, you can cut off unnecessary branches and leaves first, and the remaining branches can climb and trim. The tree shape of Ilex cornuta can be made into straight, inclined stem, curved and cliff shape. Small bonsai has a good natural style, while large bonsai can tie branches and leaves into clouds, and the ancient pile landscape appears in the style of hanging roots and bending dry.
3. Maintenance management
water
In the vigorous growth period, it is necessary to water frequently. Generally speaking, it is necessary to keep the basin soil moist and waterless. In summer, you should always spray water on the leaves to facilitate evaporation and cooling.
(2) Fertilization
Generally, pancake fertilizer is applied every two weeks in spring and topdressing once a month in autumn. No fertilizer is applied in summer, and base fertilizer is applied once in winter.
(3) Pruning
Ilex cornuta has strong germination ability and is very resistant to pruning. For landscape engineering, unnecessary long branches, sprouting branches and redundant buds can be cut off at ordinary times to maintain a certain tree shape. For the wood to be processed, certain branches can be reserved as needed to facilitate processing and modeling.
(4) Turn the basin over
Generally, the bonsai of Ilex cornuta is turned once every 2-3 years, usually in February-March in spring, or when the trees enter the human sleep period after autumn. When turning the pot, you can trim some old roots, apply sufficient base fertilizer, keep 1/2 old soil, and reload the pot.
(5) Pest control
Ilex cornuta has few pests and diseases, and sometimes branches due to black spot caused by psyllid. Before the rainy season, Bordeaux mixture or sulfur mixture can be sprayed once every 10 day from April to May. Or spray 2000 times of 50% dimethoate EC to kill overwintering psyllid in early spring, once a week 1 time, three times in a row, to prevent and control the harm of psyllid. Occasionally, lead arsenate can be used to kill scale insects when they are harmful.
(6) Maintenance site
Ilex cornuta is shade-tolerant, so it should grow in a humid environment. In summer, it needs to be maintained in a shade shed or in the shade of the forest. In winter, people need to stay indoors for the winter.
observe
Ilex cornuta has dense branches and leaves, green leaves, strange leaves and bright autumn fruits, and is an excellent tree species for viewing leaves and fruits. Ancient stumps are simple and evergreen, and can be seen indoors all year round.