Chinese Privet bonsai, Ref. 2841

Chinese Privet, Chinese ruffleberry (Ligustrum sinensis)

Age 6 years. Height 20 cm.

Features:
Ornamental evergreen subtropical shrub growing in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Excellent material for growing bonsai, a relative of the olive tree. One of the most favorite indoor bonsai for beginners that can offer beautiful blooms, very fast growth and easy care. One of the main advantages of the turquoise is its strong branching, creating a thick, massive crown. Retains its leaves all year round.  Ligustrum bonsai symbolizes peace, harmony and balance

Temperature:
Ligustrum tolerates room temperature well, provided it is regularly ventilated. The best keeping temperature is between +15 and +21ºC. If the outside temperature is above +6ºC, the plant should be taken out and left in the fresh air (in the garden or on the balcony). Without fresh air, the plant loses its attractiveness. The minimum length of time a bonsai can be kept outdoors is 5 months. At temperatures below +5ºC the plant may died. It is necessary to ensure gradual habituation to increased light when moving the plant from the room to the street (about 2 weeks of keeping it outside in the shade). In hot and dry weather, the plant needs plenty of water and additional humidification of the air.

Location:
Lots of sunlight is good for growth. If the bonsai will be kept as indoor bonsai in an indoor bonsai apartment in winter, a very bright window seat or light is important. Direct sunlight in the middle of the day is contraindicated. Diffused, bright lighting, equally intense throughout the year - a guarantee of the attractiveness of this shrub.

Soil:
For ligustrum, it is best to use special soil mixtures for bonsai. The optimal composition is a mixture of acadam with zeolite, lava or pumice in a 2:1 ratio. If ordinary soil is used, it should be loose, light, water-permeable with neutral pH, for example peat : sod soil : humus : sand in proportion 1 : 2 : 1 : 0.5.

Watering:
Water the plant as soon as the top layer of soil begins to dry out. You can use both top watering and bottom watering by immersing the pot in water for a few minutes. In winter, when kept cool, the plant is watered only in the classical way, avoiding excessive soil moisture. Complete drying of the soil even in winter is very dangerous. To maintain a moist environment, it is recommended to place the container with bonsai on trays with moist expanded clay, moss or pebbles and conduct regular spraying. Spraying should not be done during flowering. Irrigation of bonsai leaves is not mandatory, but it improves the overall health of the plant, especially during the winter months. In winter, when the central heating is on, the air can become very dry and moistening will encourage the growth of new leaves.

Fertilizer:
The bonsai should be fertilized liberally during the growth period. If it receives too little fertilizer, the leaves will begin to yellow. With good nutrition, the leaves have a dark green color. It is recommended to use special fertilizers for bonsai: Biogold or Hanagokoro

Repotting:
The younger tree, the faster it grows and the more often it needs root pruning or repotting. As a rule of thumb, repotting is required about every 2-3 years, and older specimens once every 4-5 years. If the pot the bonsai is in is large enough you can simply trim the roots and leave it in the same container. It is best to transplant the bonsai in the warm summer months, during the period of active growth. Be sure to put coarse drainage at the bottom.
Transplanted bonsai is best put in water for 5 minutes, so that the water covers the entire pot, and then let drain.
In order not to burn the roots after transplanting fertilize the plant only after a month.

Shaping and pruning:
Ligustrum is a fast-growing bonsai species that is easy to prune and shape. To maintain beautiful foliage, it is important not to let the shoots grow too long and spread out. Pruning the shoots encourages the growth of new buds and new leaves. Most new shoots appear in the spring or summer. Pruning is done several times a year. Shoots about 4 cm long are cut back to the first two new leaves. Within 4-6 weeks, new shoots emerge.
Shaping with wire should only be done on one-tree branches.

Winterization:
Cold wintering of ligustrum should take place at temperature between +10 to +12 ºC. The minimum temperature is +5 ºC, the maximum  is +15 ºC. With warmer overwintering, the plant sheds its leaves and may not recover again.

Packaging options, methods of receipt or delivery, ask the Seller.
The price is indicated without packaging and delivery.