When Does Wintersweet Bloom? A Detailed Guide to Its Blooming Period
Wintersweet, together with orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, is listed among the Four Gentlemen, and together with pine and bamboo it is also known as one of the Three Friends of Winter. It has long been known as “orchid in spring, lotus in summer, chrysanthemum in autumn, plum in winter.” So, when does wintersweet bloom?
1. When does wintersweet bloom?
Wintersweet generally blooms from late December to early January of the following year. Thanks to its cold tolerance, it has become a representative flower of winter.
2. What are the propagation methods for wintersweet?
1. Grafting
Grafting is a method commonly used in China to propagate wintersweet. Grafted seedlings grow and develop quickly, bloom early, and can retain the fine characteristics of the original variety. Rootstocks for grafting can be seedlings of peach, wild peach, apricot, wild apricot and plum. Among these, peach and wild peach seeds are the easiest to obtain, the grafts take readily, growth after grafting is rapid, and flowering is abundant, so they are widely used in production. However, after grafting they are prone to pests and diseases, which shortens their lifespan, so they are not as good as apricot, wild apricot or plum as rootstocks. It is therefore recommended to grow 1-2 year old seedlings from the seeds of these three and then use them as rootstocks for grafting. After grafting, if drought occurs, water appropriately; in the rainy season, dig ditches for drainage; in windy weather, prevent the grafted buds from withering or the grafted branches from breaking at the graft due to wind, and at all times cut off sprouting shoots on the rootstock and cut back the rootstock.
2. Cuttings
The survival rate of cutting propagation is very low. To obtain a higher survival rate, varieties that root easily must be selected. Choose vigorous current-year shoots from a young mother tree, 10-15 cm long, and take cuttings in early spring after flowering or in autumn after leaf fall. Use sandy loam as the substrate. Insert the cuttings to a depth of 1/3-1/2 of the cutting length, with a plant and row spacing of 10 cm × 20 cm. After inserting, water thoroughly once; afterward, do not water too much, as overly wet bed soil easily causes the cuttings to rot, and appropriate misting to increase humidity helps the cuttings root and survive. Cuttings taken in spring must be shaded during the summer. The usual survival rate is 30%-80%. Easy-to-root varieties such as Gongfen, Lü'e and Guli Hong are commonly propagated by cuttings.
3. Layering
When the propagation quantity of plum is not large, the layering method can be used. In early spring, February to March, select vigorous 1-3 year old long branches, dig a trench beside the mother tree, notch or girdle the branch at the lower side of the bend (0.5-1 cm wide, deep to the xylem), press it into the trench, then cover with soil, and after roots form gradually cut it away from the mother tree. Air layering can also be used to propagate large plants. During the plum rain season, select a suitable branch from the mother tree, notch or girdle it, then wrap it with a plastic bag of mixed soil, tie both ends tightly, and keep it moist. After one month, check whether roots have formed; once rooted, cut it away below the incision and transplant it for growing on.
4. Sowing
Sowing is best done in autumn. If spring sowing is necessary, stratify the seeds in sand in autumn, then take them out in early spring for drilling. Harvest the fruit when it changes color in June to July, spread it indoors to fully after-ripen, wash out the seeds and dry them for later use. Because wintersweet seedlings grown from seed develop slowly, enter the flowering stage late, and their offspring vary greatly in characteristics, they are used for propagating rootstocks or for breeding new varieties.
Wintersweet flowers are fresh and beautiful. Friends who are interested can plant one or two in their own courtyard; in the cold winter they make a beautiful sight.