Ginkgo Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Ginkgo is a deciduous tree in the Ginkgo family and Ginkgo genus. Ginkgo is a large deciduous tree, with a diameter at breast height of up to 4 m; the bark of young trees is nearly smooth and light gray, while the bark of large trees is grayish brown, irregularly longitudinally fissured, and rough; it has long shoots and slow-growing spur-like short shoots.

I. Site Selection for Ginkgo

Ginkgo has a long lifespan, and a single planting brings long-term benefits, so land selection is very important. Ginkgo is a light-loving tree species, so a sunny slope with a gentle gradient should be chosen as the planting site. It has no strict requirements for soil conditions, but neutral or slightly acidic soil with a thick upper layer, moist and fertile soil, and good drainage is best.

II. Planting Ginkgo

1. Reasonable arrangement of pollinator trees: Ginkgo is a dioecious plant. To achieve high yields, pollinator trees should be reasonably arranged. Choose male trees with the same variety and flowering period as the female trees, with a female-to-male ratio of 25-50:1. The arrangement method uses a central-point pattern among 5 or 7 trees, or planting at the four corners.

2. Seedling specifications: Good varieties and strong seedlings are the material basis for early fruiting and high yield in ginkgo. Seedlings with a height-to-diameter ratio of 50:1 or more, a main root length of 30 cm, well-developed lateral roots, and current-year new shoot growth of 30 cm or more should be selected for planting. In addition, the seedlings must have strong terminal buds, plump and full lateral buds, and be free of pests and diseases.

3. Reasonable close planting: Ginkgo grows relatively slowly in the early stage, and close planting can improve land utilization and increase yield per unit area. Generally, a spacing of 2.5×3 m or 3×3.5 m between plants and rows is used, with 88 or 63 plants planted per mu. After the canopy closes, transplanting is carried out, first moving every other row within the plant spacing to become a 5×3 m or 6×3 m spacing, with 44 or 31 plants per mu. After a few years, every other row is again transplanted from the original row spacing to become a 5×6 m or 6×7 m spacing, with 22 or 16 plants planted per mu.

4. Planting time: Ginkgo is mainly planted in autumn with leaves still on, or in spring before leaf emergence. Autumn planting is carried out in October-November, which allows the seedling root system a longer recovery period and prepares it for aboveground sprouting the following spring. When planting before spring sprouting, because the aboveground part sprouts quickly and the root system does not have enough time to recover, growth is not as good as with autumn planting.

5. When planting ginkgo, dig planting holes according to the designed spacing between plants and rows, with a size of 0.5-0.8×0.6-0.8 m. After the holes are dug, backfill topsoil and apply fermented fertilizer containing calcium superphosphate. When planting, spread the seedling root system out naturally, align it with the seedlings in front, behind, left, and right, and then firm the soil while filling in topsoil. The planting depth should be such that soil is mounded to 2~3 cm above the original soil mark on the seedling; do not bury the seedling too deeply. After planting, water thoroughly with establishment water in a timely manner to improve the survival rate.