How to Cultivate Ginkgo? A Full Analysis of the Key Technical and Management Points

Ginkgo, also known as white fruit, duck-foot tree, and grandfather-grandson tree, is a living plant fossil left over from ancient times. Its trunk is tall and straight, and its leaves are fan-shaped. In many places it is used as the main tree species for afforestation and greening, and it is also widely used in urban greening and courtyard greening. So how is ginkgo cultivated? Do you know these technical and management key points?

I. Key Points of Ginkgo Tree Cultivation Techniques

1. Seedling selection

To grow a healthy ginkgo tree, you must first select superior seedlings. Usually, ginkgo seedlings with relatively well-developed root systems should be chosen. Generally, ginkgo seedlings whose xylem is whitish and whose root bark is red are relatively healthy; if the root system is black or has turned black, it indicates that the seedling is already dead. If ginkgo trees are to be used as street trees, seedling trees and male plants should be selected, and ginkgo seedlings with relatively straight trunks and branches on the trunk at about 3m should be chosen.

2. Planting

Before planting, relatively fertile soil should be selected. Usually, soil with an organic matter content of 1%-3% and good water permeability is best. For ginkgo trees, planting before bud break in early spring makes it easier to survive, because the temperature in early spring is neither high nor very low, providing natural conditions for the growth of ginkgo trees. Ginkgo trees are usually planted with a soil ball, but deep burial in the soil makes it difficult for roots to develop, so shallow planting is more suitable. The planting depth is generally best when it is 1-2cm above the original root collar line of the seedling and the ground level.

3. Watering

In the early stage of ginkgo cultivation, water once every 5-7d. After the ginkgo tree survives, there is no need to water frequently. Usually, the first watering is carried out after the soil thaws and before bud break, and the second watering is carried out when the weather is relatively dry. Although ginkgo trees are not afraid of drought, they are afraid of moisture. If there is too much water, it will invade the roots of the ginkgo tree, causing water accumulation at the roots and, in severe cases, possibly leading to root death. But among all ginkgo trees, cases of false death inevitably occur. That is to say, after some ginkgo trees are waterlogged, even if the roots die, the leaves will still unfold, and they will still sprout in early spring of the second year, but the leaves will become very small. After the nutrients within the ginkgo tree are exhausted, it will no longer sprout. This is the false death phenomenon of ginkgo trees. It should be noted that some ginkgo trees will not sprout in the first year of cultivation. Do not assume that the ginkgo tree has died; it is merely very similar to the false death phenomenon and will not sprout until the second or third year. This is a manifestation of the slow growth of ginkgo trees and is a normal phenomenon.

4. Pruning, intertillage, and disease and pest prevention

First, before transplanting, the ginkgo tree can be pruned to set the trunk height, and at the same time some overly dense branches and leaves as well as diseased and pest-damaged branches and leaves should be cut off. During the growth process of the ginkgo tree, there is no need to prune again. Second, during maintenance, timely intertillage should be carried out to avoid weed growth, which is beneficial to tree growth. At the same time, it improves soil aeration conditions, promotes root growth, and rapidly sprouting new branches. Finally, compared with other trees, ginkgo trees have very few diseases and pests. Only when summer temperatures are relatively high are the stems more likely to be invaded by diseases and pests, and after rain, rot disease is more likely to occur. Therefore, in summer, a shade shed can be built for ginkgo trees to prevent diseases and pests.

II. Ginkgo Tree Management Techniques

1. Shaping and pruning

Shaping and pruning ginkgo trees can promote their rapid growth and development. Therefore, root sprouts and some diseased plants should be cut off regularly every year so that nutrients are concentrated in the main trunk and branches, allowing the ginkgo tree to maintain a good tree shape, ensuring that the tree is tall and the branches are straight, and further enabling ginkgo trees used as street trees to present a more beautiful landscape effect.

2. Artificial pollination

Ginkgo trees are wind-pollinated plants, so artificial pollination is needed. The simplest method of artificial pollination is to cut off male flower branches that are about to bloom from other trees and hang them high up in the direction of the wind. Another method is artificial liquid pollination: after picking fresh male flowers, add water, filter out the residue, then add 1% sucrose and 0.2% borax to the pollen and carry out artificial liquid pollination. The best time for artificial pollination is generally chosen when a small round bead emerges from the stigma of the pistil. When the flowering period encounters adverse weather such as rain and fog, artificial supplementary pollination is generally used as a remedial method.

3. Fertilization management

Ginkgo trees grow slowly, and strengthening fertilization management can accelerate their growth. Usually, in addition to appropriately increasing base fertilizer according to the growth conditions of the ginkgo tree, fertilizer should be applied once or twice before bud break to promote new shoot growth, generally applying 0.8-1.0kg of compound fertilizer per plant.

III. Disease and Pest Control

During the growth process of ginkgo trees, the most common diseases are leaf blight and dry rot, both of which are fungal diseases. For the control of leaf blight, in the early stage of seedling growth, use 25% carbendazim 500-fold solution and 70% thiophanate-methyl 600-fold solution to spray evenly two or three times, and promptly remove fallen leaves. For dry rot, the whole tree can be sprayed with Liangguoan 800-fold solution. For ginkgo trees that develop dry rot every year, Virus No. II 300-400-fold solution needs to be diluted and then sprayed over the whole plant and used as a root drench.

The most common ginkgo tree pests are leaf roller moths and thrips. For leaf roller moths, pest cocoons and rolled leaves can be removed manually to control the damage, and 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate 1000-fold solution can also be sprayed to trap and kill adults. For thrips, in the early stage of ginkgo tree growth, spray 2.5% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate 2000-fold solution or spray 40% dimethoate or omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500-fold solution for control.

In short, if you want to ensure the normal growth of ginkgo trees and future returns, then you must pay attention to doing the relevant management work well. Only in this way can you ensure a higher survival rate for ginkgo trees.