Detailed Explanation of Key Points of High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Oil Camellia

At the mention of oil camellia, presumably everyone is familiar with it; it can not only serve as an ornamental tree, but can also be used to press oil, and its economic value is very high. So what are the high-yield cultivation techniques for oil camellia?

1. Site selection

Oil camellia is suitable for growing in soil with a deep soil layer (over 80cm), loose, fertile, moist soil, good drainage, and a pH value of 5-6.5. Generally, hilly, mountain ridge, and plain areas at an altitude of 100-500 meters are suitable.

2. Seedling selection

Try to use 1-year-old or 2-year-old high-quality grafted seedlings. One-year-old seedlings are required to be over 12cm tall, and 2-year-old seedlings are required to be over 30cm tall. Try to complete planting on the same day the seedlings are lifted.

3. Planting techniques

(1) Planting time: Planting from late January to early March is suitable. Choose cloudy days after rain for planting, and do not plant when it is dry and the soil is dry. It is even better if it rains within 2-3 days after planting.

(2) Seedling treatment: Before planting, dip the seedling roots in a phosphate fertilizer and yellow mud slurry. For 2-year-old seedlings, remove 80% of the old leaves to reduce water evaporation.

(3) Planting density: Row spacing 2.2 meters × 3 meters, planting about 100 plants per mu.

(4) Planting method: Deep planting and early planting are advocated to enhance the drought and cold resistance of the seedlings.

4. Post-planting management techniques

(1) Water: After planting, water once to settle the roots, and cover the base of the seedlings with rice straw or Dicranopteris dichotoma to prevent freezing and preserve moisture, improving the seedling survival rate.

(2) Pruning and shaping: For newly established oil camellia forests, the main trunk of young trees should be cut back at 0.5-0.8 meters above the ground. After new branches sprout, select and retain 4-5 robust branches in different directions with a vertical spacing of 10-15cm as the framework branches. The spacing between main branches and secondary branches should be maintained at 60-70cm. Useless branches or overly dense branches sprouting from the base of the main branches or the main trunk should be pruned promptly.

(3) Fertilization: During the young tree stage, vegetative growth is dominant, so fertilization should mainly be nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, focusing on the 3 flushes of spring, summer, and autumn. As the tree age increases, the amount of fertilizer applied should increase from less to more, rising year by year. In the year of planting, fertilization may be omitted, or after the seedlings recover growth in June-July, appropriately apply some diluted human manure and urine, or apply 25-50 grams of urea or special fertilizer per plant. From the second year onward, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer about half a month before new shoots sprout in March, 50-100 grams per plant; in early November, use soil manure or manure fertilizer as winter fertilizer, 5-10 kilograms per plant. As the tree grows, the annual fertilization amount should increase year by year.