A Detailed Guide to Toona sinensis (Chinese Mahogany) Shoot Cultivation Techniques and Methods
AbstractSeed selection: select plump new seeds. Germination promotion: keep warm at 20°C-25°C indoors to promote germination. Sowing: choose flat, fertile, well-lit and well-drained sandy soil or field plots. Seedling management: carry out dwarfing treatment at the right time. Fertilization: apply farmyard manure or chemical fertilizer at the right time. Planting density: both row spacing and plant spacing are about 15cm. Shoot harvesting: under ordinary and dwarfed close planting cultivation, 2-3 times/year, harvest 2 times; under protected cultivation, harvest once every 7-10 days, 4-5 harvests.
I. Choosing Seeds
1. Do not choose old seeds stored for many years; fresh, plump new seeds of the current year are best.
2. Generally, new seeds are red-yellow, and the kernel is yellow-white; purity must be higher than 98%, germination rate above 40%, and pre-treatment to promote germination can make Toona sinensis shoots emerge uniformly.
3. Before planting, the seeds should undergo hot-water treatment: soak in 40°C warm water for about 5 minutes, stirring fully and evenly, then soak in 20°C-30°C water for another 24 hours or so to promote growth and development.
II. Warmth Retention and Germination Promotion
1. After the seeds have absorbed enough water, take them out, drain them, and place them on a clean reed mat, spreading them out to a thickness of 3cm, then cover with a layer of clean gauze and place in a 20°C-25°C indoor environment for moisture-retaining germination promotion.
2. During this period, turn the seeds 1-2 times/day, and also rinse the seeds thoroughly 2-3 times with clean water at about 25°C; after draining, they can be sown when the sprouting rate reaches 30%.
III. Sowing in Suitable Sites
1. For the seedling bed, usually choose flat, fertile sandy soil or field plots with strong photosynthesis and good drainage; in combination with land preparation, the soil should be thoroughly turned, and fertilizer spread evenly when applied.
2. Make beds 1m wide, and within the beds dig furrows 5-6cm wide and 5cm deep, keeping a row spacing of 30cm.
3. Sow the germination-treated seeds evenly; after sowing, cover the soil surface with a 2cm-thick layer of soil, water appropriately to keep the soil moist, and seedlings will emerge about 7 days after sowing.
IV. Seedling Management
1. Thinning and final singling of seedlings should be carried out when the Toona sinensis shoots emerge from the soil and grow 4-6 true leaves; after watering, finalize the seedlings at a plant spacing of 20cm.
2. When the Toona sinensis seedlings grow to about 50cm tall, control their growth height and carry out dwarfing treatment of the seedlings; use 15% paclobutrazol at 200-400 times dilution, spraying 2-3 times in succession, once every 10-15 days.
3. Spraying with paclobutrazol helps increase matter accumulation; dwarfing treatment combined with pinching can thicken the rhizome and speed up fruit development.
V. Land Preparation and Fertilization
Toona sinensis shoots are best cultivated in a sunlit greenhouse; when fertilizing, apply sufficient base fertilizer: 5000kg/mu of high-quality farmyard manure, together with 100kg/mu of superphosphate and 25kg/mu of urea; after spreading evenly, deep-plow, prepare the beds and plant the seedlings, making beds 80-100cm wide.
VI. Planting Density
Planting density should not be too dense or too sparse; a planting spacing of 15cm between plants and 15cm between rows, with a total of about 30000 plants/mu, is better.
VII. Shoot Harvesting
1. Whether under ordinary cultivation or dwarfed close planting cultivation, Toona sinensis shoots can be picked around Grain Rain; newly planted Toona sinensis shoots can also be harvested at most only 2 times; after 3 years the yield of Toona sinensis shoots will increase somewhat, and they can be harvested 2-3 times/year; the first batch of shoots is rich in flavor, plump and tender with good quality, and the second harvest is 3-4 weeks later.
2. For Toona sinensis shoots under protected cultivation, they can also be harvested when the temperature rises in winter; without heating, shoots can be supplied early in early spring; in the greenhouse, Toona sinensis shoots are harvested more times than under ordinary cultivation and dwarfed close planting cultivation, 4-5 times in total.
3. Wait until 40-50 days after the temperature rises and straw mats are added, and harvest when they grow to about 15-20cm and have good coloration; it is best to pick in the morning and evening, leaving a little of the shoot stem when picking the terminal bud portion; the remaining part can continue to differentiate leaves and grow, and can be harvested once every 7-10 days; after each harvest of shoots, topdress and water promptly.