Bombax RHODOGNAPHALON

Bombax RHODOGNAPHALON - Red kapok tree, Bombax rhodognaphalon, Rhodognaphalon mossambicense, Rodognaphalon MOSSAMBICENSE.

Bombax is a beautiful tree possessing a caudex, belonging to the family Malvaceae.

Bombax rhodognaphalon grows throughout almost the entire territory of Southeast Asia. The leaves are five- to eight-lobed. It blooms with beautiful large flowers. After flowering, a capsule fruit forms containing seeds and white fluffy "cotton" - kapok. It is suitable for bonsai cultivation.

Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for a couple of hours in warm water, then sown into a substrate made of equal parts sand, peat, and perlite. They are covered on top with glass or plastic film and kept at a temperature of 25–30 °C (77–86 °F). On days 11–20, seedlings emerge and the sowing containers are moved to a brightly lit spot, shielded from scorching sun rays. The cover is removed. When 3–4 leaves form on the seedlings, they are pricked out and potted on into small pots for growing on.

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Indoor bombax grows no taller than one and a half meters (4.9 ft) in height. A deep flower container is selected for planting, because in nature it is nonetheless a tree with a powerful root system. The substrate must be fertile and breathable; commercially prepared cactus potting mixes have proven themselves well in growing practice, to which fine crushed brick should preferably be added or the sand content increased. The frequency of repotting for an adult plant is once every 2–3 years. Young specimens are repotted each year before blooming or after it finishes.

Indoors, the plant is placed in a bright location; the little tree loves bright lighting, but will also adapt to partial shade. With the onset of spring, it is moved outdoors into the garden and returned to its original place in the house in autumn. If the tree has dropped its leaves, it is brought into a darker place. The temperature regime for the plant in summer months is high - up to 28–30 °C (82–86 °F). In winter, it is kept in rooms with thermometer readings no lower than 15 °C (59 °F).

Watering plays an essential role in care. In early spring, prior to and during blooming, it should be moderate, and from May to October - abundant. During dormancy, the plant is watered 1–2 times a week, preventing complete drying out of the root ball. In sultry summer weather, it responds gratefully to spraying. Fertilizing is carried out once a month with a weakly concentrated solution of mineral fertilizers. Crown-shaping procedures are carried out in late autumn, on the eve of the dormancy period.