A Detailed Guide to Podocarpus Propagation Methods and Fertilization Techniques

Podocarpus is surely no stranger to many people; we can often see it in daily life. Podocarpus has high ornamental value, with evergreen leaves all year round, which are mainly its primary ornamental feature. Nowadays many people like to grow it, so before growing it, it is very necessary to understand its propagation methods and fertilization techniques.

How to Propagate Podocarpus

1. Sowing. Sowing of Podocarpus is carried out in August each year. It can be done right after the seeds are harvested in August. Seedlings grown from sowing grow slowly, and the potting soil needs to be kept moist; shade care is required in midsummer. Fertilization should be mainly light fertilizer, as too high a concentration can easily burn the young seedlings. When transplanting into pots, the young seedlings need to be moved with soil.

2. Cuttage. Cuttage refers to the propagation method of using semi-mature branches of the current year as cuttings during the growing season of the seedlings, and it is mainly suitable for evergreen and semi-evergreen woody flowering plants. In the first half of the year, it is generally done from mid-to-late May to early July, and in the second half of the year, from mid-to-late August to mid-to-late September. Cuttings taken in the first half of the year need attention to prevent high-temperature burning and disease. Cuttings taken in the second half of the year need attention to heat preservation and frost protection in the middle and late stages; the time to remove the shade net is late November, and in drought years the time to remove the shade net can be extended to late December.

Podocarpus Fertilization Methods

1. When growing Podocarpus, appropriate fertilization is needed. When fertilizing, note that Podocarpus does not like heavy fertilizer, so do not use overly concentrated fertilizer when growing it. During its growing season, some decomposed organic fertilizer can be used. Generally, fertilize once every 10——15 days; on the second day after fertilizing, water once, which can promote the roots' absorption of fertilizer and dilute the fertilizer.

2. If the Podocarpus is planted in the ground, it can be top-dressed once during the growth of the spring shoots and autumn shoots, and no fertilization is needed at other times. When fertilizing, a trench can be dug for fertilization, and water should be given once on the second day.

3. In order to make the leaves of Podocarpus emerald green and more ornamental, whether the Podocarpus is potted or ground-planted, a fertilizer solution can be applied to it once every half month. Add a small amount of fertilizer to the water and apply it for supervision.

Podocarpus Watering Methods

1. First, potted Podocarpus needs to have a certain drainage capacity; note that it cannot be waterlogged for a long time, otherwise it will cause root rot. When watering Podocarpus, the soil needs to be kept slightly dry, which is generally what gardeners call three parts wet, seven parts dry. Follow the principle of preferring dry over wet, and do not water excessively.

2. Second, in summer, because summer temperatures are high and light is strong, evaporation will be very vigorous, so more watering is needed at this time, and the soil cannot be too dry, so as to avoid yellowing leaves.

How to Graft Podocarpus

1. Softwood grafting method. Softwood grafting mostly uses large-leaf Podocarpus as the rootstock. Note that the rootstock needs proper pruning before grafting, and then the soft branches of fine-leaf Podocarpus can be selected as scions for grafting; the cutting method is the same as other grafting. When grafting Podocarpus, special attention should be paid to aligning the scion with the cambium of the rootstock, and then to proper management, so that the plant can grow healthily. Science has proven that this grafting method has the highest survival rate.

2. Side grafting method. The rootstock selected for the side grafting method of Podocarpus is also large-leaf Podocarpus, but it needs to be two to three years old; fine-leaf Podocarpus can likewise be used for the scion, and it can be carried out all year round. The difference is that the grafting site becomes the side of the rootstock. No matter which grafting method is used, bagging for moisture retention is required. Of course, if grafting in midsummer or severe winter, great attention must be paid to management issues to avoid plant death.

3. High-branch grafting method. The high-branch grafting method of Podocarpus likewise uses large-leaf Podocarpus as the rootstock and fine-leaf Podocarpus as the scion, but this grafting method has a relatively low survival rate, so it is generally not used.

There are many methods for propagating Podocarpus, generally mainly sowing and cuttage, and when propagating you can choose the one you like. The care after propagation is related to its growth and survival rate, so the management of watering and fertilization also needs to be strengthened.