Post-Tet bonsai care service 'in season'

Buying a peach tree for 12 million VND to display on Tet, after the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Phuong Tai (Dai Dong commune, Thanh Chuong) went to a reputable gardener in the district to have it taken care of for 2 million VND. The following year, he dug it up again to display on Tet.

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Tai said: “Although the land in my hometown is large, I don’t know how to take care of it, how to make it bloom in time for Tet, how to prune it, and how to shape it, so I have to send it to a gardener to take care of it. If I plant it at home and hire someone to take care of it, it’s quite inconvenient, and the cost is high, so I send it to a gardener to take care of it, and I’ll dig it up again next Tet.”

After Tet, Mr. Le Duy Phong (Duc Thinh hamlet, Hung Loc commune, Vinh city) had to contact a gardener in Nghi Lien to send peach and apricot trees for care. “Every year after Tet, I have to send my trees to gardeners to take care of. This year, I bought peach and apricot trees since Tet Quy Mao, then asked the gardener to take care of them, and then brought them home to display. After Tet, I sent them to the gardener. The cost of hiring them to take care of them is a quarter of the price of buying new ones. Besides, it is very difficult to choose a peach tree or apricot tree with a shape and form suitable for my family's space. I should send it to the gardener to take care of it, so I don't have to buy new ones next Tet, it saves money and I have a satisfactory ornamental tree to display,” said Mr. Phong.

Previously, only a few gardeners provided this service, mainly concentrated in Kim Thanh peach blossom craft village (Yen Thanh), Kim Chi and Kim Phuc ornamental plant villages (Nghi An, Vinh City) or Nghi Lien (Vinh City), now, due to the increasing demand of the people, all districts have this service.

They can be gardeners specializing in flowers and ornamental plants or households specializing in tree nurseries, individuals with skills and knowledge about ornamental plant care. Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Truong village, Thanh Linh (Thanh Chuong) has been providing post-Tet peach and apricot care services for 3 years. Last year, he took care of 30 peach trees for people in the area and neighboring areas. This year, to serve the needs of customers, he has expanded his land area, taking care of 50 peach trees sent by customers and 200 peach trees that he has grown, planted and rented out.

Mr. Thang said: “From the 7th to the end of January, those of us who provide post-Tet ornamental plant care services are very busy. From the 3rd, we have been preparing the soil, digging holes, adding fertilizer... preparing the conditions to receive peach trees for replanting and care. Currently, in the garden there are 20 peach trees from customers from all over the place. This time, I have to hire 3 seasonal workers to plant peach trees and trim flowers."

With many years of experience in growing and caring for peach trees, and a talent for shaping and creating shapes, for many years now, Mr. Trong Tien (Dong Luoc hamlet, Kim Thanh commune, Yen Thanh) has been sent by customers from all over the country, both within and outside the province, to take care of his bonsai trees after Tet. From the 7th day of Tet until now, he has received 70 peach trees and dozens of bonsai trees from customers to take care of. Most of them are high-value bonsai peach trees.

“After the full moon of January, the number of customers sending bonsai trees increases. However, due to limited human resources, the garden only accepts regular customers, valuable peach trees that can still be cared for. The fee depends on the value of the tree, the more expensive the tree, the higher the care fee,” said Mr. Tien.

Currently, the demand for taking care of peach trees and ornamental plants after Tet is high, many gardens are overloaded, so many people collect peach trees and send them to gardens in the North for care.

“Firstly, in Nghe An, there are currently few gardeners taking care of peach trees, taking care of a small number of only a few hundred trees. While the actual demand is many times greater. Second, most of the bonsai peach trees, ancient peach trees, and faded peach trees that people buy for Tet come from the northern provinces, so collecting peach trees and taking them to northern gardeners to take care of them is suitable for the weather and soil,” said Mr. Hoang Khai, a “broker” who specializes in collecting peach trees and taking them to the North to take care of them.