Detailed Explanation of Soilless Cultivation Methods for Toona sinensis (Chinese Mahogany) Sprouts
SummarySubstrate and container: Soilless cultivation of Toona sinensis sprouts requires perlite, newsprint, etc. as substrate, and lightweight plastic pots as containers. Seed selection: New seeds with high cleanliness, purity, and germination rate should be selected. Sprouting and sowing: First sun the seeds, then soak them in warm water for about 12-24 hours, and sow when the germination rate reaches 70%. Light and temperature: Control at medium-intensity light, and the suitable growth temperature is around 20-23°C. Reasonable watering: Just keep the seedling tray moist.
I. Selecting Substrate and Containers
1. Substrates for soilless cultivation can be newsprint, non-woven fabric, rock wool cloth, clean fine river sand, or perlite with relatively light bulk density, no pollution, strong water-holding capacity, and good aeration.
2. Containers for soilless cultivation can be lightweight plastic vegetable seedling trays, generally with specifications of 62cm×24cm×4cm, or other specifications and types can also be chosen.
3. For the specifications of cultivation containers, angle steel or wood can be used to design and build multi-layer three-dimensional cultivation racks, with each layer spaced about 40cm apart, and about 4-6 layers can be designed, so that space can be fully utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of the production site.
II. Soilless Cultivation Techniques
1. Seed selection
Before planting, seed selection must be carried out. Toona sinensis series varieties with high cleanliness, purity, and germination rate, and relatively large seeds should be selected, and new seeds of the current year are best for planting.
2. Sprouting and sowing
(1) First, after sunning and cleaning the seeds, soak the seeds in clean water at 18-25°C for about 12-24 hours, then place them in a 20-23°C location for sprouting. To ensure suitable humidity for the seeds, a moisture-retaining cloth can be covered on top while spraying water.
(2) Each tray can be sown with about 500-700 grams. To allow the seeds to germinate evenly, the trays need to be turned once a day, swapping the top, bottom, left, and right positions of the seedling trays. After 3-4 days, when the seed germination rate reaches about 70%, sowing can be carried out.
(3) Before sowing, the perlite needs to be mixed wet, preferably to the point where water droplets can be squeezed out. Spread 1000 milliliters of perlite evenly in the seedling tray, then broadcast sow, using about 30-50 grams of seed per tray, then cover with about 2000 milliliters of perlite on top. Do not compact it. Spray 2-3 times a day, and when the sprouts grow to 2-3cm, they can be placed in the cultivation room.
3. Light and temperature
(1) Soilless cultivation of Toona sinensis sprouts requires good control of light. Toona sinensis sprouts are suitable for growing under medium-intensity light.
(2) In addition, growth temperature is also relatively important. The suitable growth temperature is around 20-23°C. The temperature should not exceed 30°C or be lower than 15°C. Under suitable temperatures, the growth cycle of Toona sinensis sprouts is about 15-18 days.
4. Reasonable watering
During the sprout growth period, watering should be carried out in a timely manner. Every day, micro-spray facilities or plant protection sprayers can be used for spraying about 2-3 times. It is only necessary to keep the substrate in the seedling tray moist, and excessive watering is not suitable. To ensure air humidity, the ground can be watered wet, and attention must be paid to weather changes.
5. Disease prevention management
If phenomena such as seed mold and rot and root rot occur, the possible causes may be: poor seed quality, seedling trays not clean enough, unsuitable temperature and humidity, etc. Try not to use chemical pesticides, and handle according to the cause.