How to Grow Paulownia: Planting Methods and Precautions

Paulownia is a woody plant that is cultivated and distributed in many parts of our country. When young, Paulownia grows very fast, has strong sprouting ability, and likes light. It is generally grown as a landscaping tree species. So, when growing Paulownia at home, how should it be planted? What are the planting methods and precautions for Paulownia?

How to Grow Paulownia

Paulownia is a plant that likes light and can tolerate shade. When growing Paulownia, it is necessary to maintain a relatively warm climate condition. Note that Paulownia is not very cold-tolerant.

Paulownia Planting Methods and Precautions

1. Root burial for seedling raising:

Root burial can be done from mid-to-late February to the end of March.

Root burial method:

First, dig holes at fixed points according to the plant and row spacing, or use a bamboo stick to make a guide hole, and insert the seed root vertically into the hole with the thick end facing up, with the upper end slightly 1-2 cm below the ground. Then fill with soil and press firmly so that the seed root is in close contact with the soil, and then cover with a small amount of loose soil on top.

Generally, to cultivate first-grade seedlings with a trunk height of about 4 m, the density is 667 plants per mu, with a plant spacing and row spacing of 1 m each. To cultivate special-grade seedlings of more than 5 m, the plant and row spacing can be appropriately increased to 12 m.

2. Seedling stage management:

1. Emergence stage: During this period, first, timely drain accumulated water from the seedling site; second, prevent surface crusting after rain; third, for the several sprouts germinating from each hole, keep only 1-2 robust sprouts and promptly remove the rest.

2. Early growth stage: The management work in this period includes, first, thinning to a fixed number of seedlings. Second, loosen the soil around the seedling roots, earth up, and weed the seedling site. Third, apply a 0.2% urea water solution every 10 days, watering 1 kg per plant. After fertilizing, cover the soil. In dry weather, irrigate appropriately together with fertilizing.

3. Fast-growth stage: During this period, the aboveground and underground parts of the seedlings grow rapidly, and height growth can reach more than 1 m in 10 days. Therefore, water and fertilizer management at this stage is very important. Because this stage has high temperature, high humidity, and much rain, weeds grow very fast, so manual or chemical weeding should be used to remove weeds in time.

4. Late growth stage: From early to late September, the seedling growth is still large. In early September, apply another 40-50 kg per mu of phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer to promote later growth of the seedlings and improve seedling quality.

Propagation Methods of Paulownia

1. Seed sowing and seedling raising

1. Seed sowing and seedling raising of Paulownia is generally carried out in February-March.

2. Before sowing, the seeds need to be pre-germinated and disinfected. Soak the seeds in warm water at about 35-40°C for about half an hour, then after cooling, place them in warm water at about 15-25°C and continue soaking for 12-14 hours. After taking out the seeds, rinse them with water at about 35°C 1-2 times every day without stirring. Generally, after 3-5 days, once the seeds begin to germinate, they can be sown.

3. Alternatively, use wet sand for pre-germination, which takes about 10-15 days. Water regularly and maintain a relative humidity of 90-95%.

4. For seed sowing and seedling raising, use the drill sowing method. After sowing, cover with fine burnt soil or a thin layer of rice husk ash, press appropriately, and finally cover with rice straw.

2. Root burial for seedling raising

1. Root collection can be done from after leaf fall to before sprouting. It is usually carried out from mid-February to early March. Collect the seed roots left after 1- and 2-year-old seedlings are lifted from the nursery, or select lateral roots 2-3 cm thick from robust large trees, then cut them into root segments about 15-20 cm long, cutting the thick end flat and cutting the small end at a slant, and dry them in the sun for 2-3 days.

2. The root burial method can be vertical or slanted, but vertical burial is better. The upper end should not be exposed or only slightly exposed above the ground, to prevent upside-down burial. Control a reasonable spacing; the suitable plant spacing is about 0.8-1 m, and the row spacing is about 1 m.

3. In addition, you can also select robust one-year-old branches about 20 cm thick, then cut them into cuttings about 20 cm long for cutting propagation.

What Are the Main Insect Pests of Paulownia

1. Cutworm

It is active at night and gnaws the young stems of Paulownia, causing missing seedlings.

2. Mole cricket

Adults and nymphs are mostly active at night, mainly gnawing the tender buds and young seedlings of Paulownia, causing them to wither and die, resulting in serious missing seedlings.

3. Paulownia leaf beetle

Adults and larvae damage Paulownia leaves. June and July are the peak damage period.

4. Paulownia lace bug

Damage is severe in July-August. Early symptoms appear as small yellow spots on the upper surface of the leaves, while dark red small spots appear on the underside. Later, the leaves curl, dry out and turn brown, and then fall off, looking as if scorched by fire. In severe cases, they may even die.

5. Red-headed blister beetle

The adults feed on leaves and cause damage. Mid-June is the peak damage period for adults, and egg laying begins in early July.

Paulownia is a plant that likes light and can tolerate shade. When growing Paulownia, it is necessary to maintain a relatively warm climate condition; it is not very cold-tolerant. When choosing soil, generally choose loose and fertile soil with a deep soil layer; it can also adapt to heavy clay soil.