How to Grow Hawthorn? A Detailed Guide to Planting Techniques and Management Methods

AbstractGenerally, sowing is adopted. Wild hawthorn can be harvested directly. After extracting the seeds, blanch them in water at about 60°C for half an hour, then place them in cold water to soak for about 5 days, then sun-dry them until they crack; if the seeds are purchased, first soak them in water for 1 day, then blanch them in water at about 60°C, after which sun-dry them by day and soak them by night, repeating until more than 50% of the seeds have cracked, then carry out sand stratification for 80 days, then germinate and sow, and cultivate rootstock seedlings.

1. Seed Treatment

Wild hawthorn seeds: Wash the seeds taken from the harvested wild hawthorn clean, then place the seeds in hot water at 60°C and soak for 30 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure the seeds are heated evenly, then place the blanched seeds in cold water to soak for 5 days before removing them, and sun-dry them until the seeds crack, after which they can be planted.

Commercially purchased seeds: Place the seeds in water to soak for 1 day, rub and wash the seeds, then place them in hot water at 60°C to soak. During the day, place the seeds under the sun to sun-dry, and at night put them back into the water to soak. Repeat until more than 50% of the seeds have cracked, after which sand stratification can be carried out.

2. Sand Storage

The temperature for sand storage of the seeds is best controlled at 0-5°C. After stratification for about 80 days, the seeds can be germinated, then sown into the field to cultivate rootstock seedlings. Plant them in the nursery according to the size of the seedlings. Before planting the seedlings, first plow and turn the land, apply organic fertilizer into the soil, make beds and conserve soil moisture. After planting the seedlings, water them in time and strengthen daily management to promote the survival and growth of the seedlings.

3. Field Planting

For hawthorn saplings planted in the same year, the above-ground part grows relatively weakly. After they recover in the second year, the growth will become vigorous. With the continuous increase in tree age and reasonable daily management, the saplings will grow better and better. During the planting process, the fruit trees should be pruned at the appropriate time, but when pruning, avoid heavy cutting and leaving branches unchecked just because the growth is too vigorous. To ensure a firm tree structure and framework, the extension shoots must be cut off to promote a reasonable distribution of branch groups and ensure the yield and quality of the fruit.

Hawthorn can also grow and develop normally when planted on thin mountain land. Hawthorn saplings can reach high yield 5 years after field planting. Generally, hawthorn orchards with relatively good fertilizer and water conditions have higher yields, and the alternate bearing phenomenon is also reduced.

Hawthorn trees bloom and bear fruit relatively early. To reduce insufficient nutrient uptake by the fruit trees and the occurrence of alternate bearing, during the young tree stage, fertilizer and water should be applied regularly to ensure sufficient nutrients in the soil, promote the growth and fruiting of the fruit trees, and improve fruit quality. Adult hawthorn trees store more nutrients in their bodies, so as long as the number of fruits is not particularly large, the probability of alternate bearing is relatively small.