What are the key points of red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) cultivation techniques?
Red sandalwood, also known as santalum red sandalwood or Indian red sandalwood, is a premium variety of red sandalwood, with very stable wood properties that resist warping and cracking. It is planted in some parts of China. Below is an introduction to its cultivation techniques.
Cultivation techniques of red sandalwood
1. Timing
Each year from March to May (adjusted according to actual conditions), plant red sandalwood saplings with well-developed root systems and root nodules in selected fertile land with plenty of sunlight. Seedlings must be kept at temperatures above freezing, because seedlings suffer irreparable damage at 0 degrees Celsius; the planting site is best in open ground, because red sandalwood is a light-loving tree that does not tolerate shade; if the saplings are larger, if the saplings are larger, it is recommended to plant them in fertile, moist red or yellow soil or sandy loam.
2. Planting
Planting holes of 50*50*30 cm, with calcium-magnesium-phosphate compound fertilizer as the base fertilizer, about 250 grams per hole, and a spacing of 2*2 m between plants and rows. After placing the sapling in, fill with soil and firm it down, then water with settling water according to soil moisture conditions.
3. Light and temperature
The red sandalwood tree is a tropical and subtropical plant that loves sun and does not tolerate drought or cold. The most suitable growing environment temperature is around 20-30 degrees, and in environments below minus 3 degrees, low-temperature freeze damage is very likely to occur, with the serious consequence being a low survival rate.
4. Water and fertilizer
The red sandalwood tree has relatively high water requirements, so the growing environment must have abundant rain and sufficient rainfall. When summer temperatures are on the high side, artificial irrigation is needed. In addition, apply compound fertilizer 2 times each year, 200 grams per plant each time, and in the first 3 years weed before fertilizing and straighten the trunk.
5. Pest and disease control
For leaf-eating pests, use dichlorvos for control at irregular intervals.
Red sandalwood is prone to freeze damage below 3 degrees, so cold protection and warmth measures must be done well in winter.