What are the propagation methods for the five-needle pine?
The five-needle pine generally refers to the Japanese five-needle pine, an elegant tree species. It is native to Japan, and is now widely cultivated in the Yangtze River basin of China. So what are its propagation methods?
What are the propagation methods for the five-needle pine?
1. Grafting
(1) Selection of rootstock: choose an old potted black pine stump that already has the beginnings of a bonsai form. For the branches on the rootstock that receive the graft, those under six or seven years old that have not yet developed scales are generally best. The best time for grafting is generally from mid-February to early March, before the buds have sprouted but are about to.
(2) Selection of scions: the buds and branches should be robust. Main buds are preferable, and branches with 3 side branches are best. In general, how many buds and branches to graft onto the black pine rootstock should be determined according to the size of the crown and the length of the rootstock branches. Generally, long rootstock branches can take 3 to 5 scions, while 1 is enough for short ones.
(3) Post-grafting care: the care after bud grafting is relatively simple - just place it in the open air, with no need for shade. During spring drought, spray water on the crown as appropriate. After branch grafting, move the pot into a greenhouse or plastic shed and mist frequently to maintain a high humidity of about 80%.
After the graft has taken, control the growth of the rootstock branches, and once the five-needle pine branches are about to grow to a size corresponding to the rootstock trunk, cut off all the rootstock branches.
2. Sowing
(1) Before sowing, the seeds should be treated, for example by stratification in sand. The seeds can also be soaked in warm water at 50 to 60 degrees. Generally, treated seeds can be either broadcast-sown or sown in drills.
(2) When they grow into seedlings, build a shade shed and keep the soil moist to prevent damping-off disease. If raising seedlings in containers, transplant them once as well, so as to ensure the survival rate and suit their growth characteristics. Therefore, if you want to plant on a large scale, you can choose a place with good drainage and irrigation, flat terrain and convenient transportation, which can also effectively reduce costs.
Grafting is generally the recommended method for propagating the five-needle pine, as it shortens the time to maturity and the varieties are also superior.