Podocarpus Bonsai Shaping

In southern asia the podocarpus is a very common bonsai and very large specimen in huge concrete or stone pots are often seen in front of parks properties company buildings or hotels.

Podocarpus bonsai shaping. As it is a tropical plant the podocarpus is not frost hardy and needs a warm place all year round and therefore it is a popular indoor bonsai. It can be styled freely upright moyogi style strictly upright chokkan style or inclined shakan style as a multi stem or group. Hardwood cuttings require the use of rooting hormone and bottom heat. Podocarpus will grow roots easily from cuttings.

A podocarpus tree is suitable for small to large bonsai. Act in july or august to experience a second flush of growth. Shaping full shoots we need to shape the wires from august to march older branches at any time but beware they are fragile. An older podocarpus can look absolutely stunning really capturing the nature in miniature ideal of bonsai cultivation which is undoubtedly why it gained its reputation as a favorite of buddhist monks as to why it s good for beginners there are a few reasons 1 high temperature tolerances while of course extremes of temperature are bad for bonsai in general podocarpus can survive light frosts as well as relatively high temperatures.

Left unpruned the commonly grown tree species japanese yew podocarpus macrophyllus reaches heights of 30 to 40 feet and will grow mainly in u s. Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones. However you should stay with a chinese yew in a bonsai pot at the existing size as podocarpus grows slowly. Substrate for bonsai agro cs or clay akadama peat sand in the ratio 1.

The best method seems to be simply to place softwood preferably new growth cuttings in water until roots form and then transplant them into a quality bonsai soil with good drainage.