Buddhist pine, Ref. 2348

Buddhist pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus) - an evergreen tree with dense leaves. It grows in Japan, China and other parts of East Asia. This plant has become very popular as a feng shui tree and therefore has a high market price.

Age: 10 years, height: 33 cm.

The leaves of pine trees release phytoncides that clean the air of harmful substances.
Indoors, it does not like dry air, so it is necessary to humidify the air. It can only be planted outdoors after frost.
It can grow in full sun, but needs shade in hot light. It does not tolerate heat well.
The best temperature is +18-20°C in summer, +12-14°C in winter.
If we don't have enough light the leaves will become longer and thinner and the needles on the lower branches will become yellow.
Responds well to often moving from indoors to outdoors and back, but abrupt changes in temperature can cause partial shedding of leaves.

In summer, water daily or every other day, with soft water, the rest of the time the soil should be kept moist. If the temperature in the room is too high, the crown is moistened with a sprayer.
If the color of the leaves has changed from bright green to pale gray - there is too much moisture in the soil.
In winter, reduce the frequency of watering by half.
Fertilize once a month from spring to fall. The tree also benefits from applying chelated iron once or twice a year, soil pH 6.8-7.

Special mineral substrate is used (70% Acadama, 20% Kiryuzuna, 10% Lav), which has high drainage ability and air permeability.

Fertilizer: Biogold Original (granules) and mykkorhiza.
Substrate and fertilizer was produced in Japan.

Pruning. During growth, the tree makes shoots with light green foliage. They can be trimmed or pruned to a few new leaves, first allowing them to elongate by 7-10 cm. This will encourage the branches to bud back. Old, yellowed leaves can be removed to give the tree a fresh look. Wrap the branches with wire carefully, as they can be brittle, especially the older ones.
The crown is formed by pruning the tops of the branches. To do this, carefully bend and break off the branch in the right place and treat the cuts with charcoal powder or disinfectant solution. Garden jam is not suitable, as it can penetrate deep into the bark, deteriorating the appearance of the branches.
The branches of the tree can be directed in the right direction, as long as they remain flexible.
Repotting a young plant in the spring is once a year, an adult once every 2 or 3 years. The roots are pruned to half of the volume. There are small nodules on the roots, contributing to nitrogen fixation.
Feeding is carried out in the spring and summer time once every 15-30 days. In winter time 1 time in 1.5 - 2 months.