Weihai's city tree: Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) sapling prices, suitable planting locations, and how many years until it blooms, plus planting methods

The silk tree generally refers to Albizia julibrissin, also called Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, hehuan, night-closing tree, or bird down tree. It is native to China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea. It is the city tree of Weihai. So how much does a silk tree sapling cost per plant? Where is it suitable to plant? How many years until it blooms after planting? What are the methods? According to Fabaceae data, silk tree flowers generally bloom from April to September, and will wither or bloom under the influence of hot and humid conditions. The flowering period is not fixed, because hot and humid conditions differ from place to place! From sowing to flowering takes more than 5 years. If it is transplanted nursery stock, it depends on the size of the stock; generally, stock with a DBH of 5 cm transplanted in the same year can bloom. The annual flowering period is 1 to 2 months.

How much does a silk tree sapling cost per plant?

Where is the silk tree suitable for planting?

The silk tree is suitable for planting in subtropical regions.

The silk tree is produced in China from the northeast to the south and in all provinces and regions of the southwest. It is also distributed in Africa and from Central Asia to East Asia; it is also cultivated in North America.

Distribution areas: East China, South China, Southwest China, and Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi in China.

Growth habits:

It grows on hillsides or is cultivated. The silk tree is a sun-loving species and likes a warm, humid climate; the young seedlings are resistant to severe cold, drought, and poor soil. In summer, the bark cannot tolerate fierce sun, and exposure to the sun easily causes peeling and disease. The silk tree grows relatively well on sandy soil, and it fears waterlogging and damp, waterlogged conditions. The land where silk trees are planted must drain smoothly, must not accumulate water in any of the four seasons, and must have abundant sunlight.

What are the planting methods for the silk tree?

1. Silk tree propagation is done through seed reproduction. The best sowing seasons are February, March, April, and May. The soil for planting silk tree seedlings must be loose and airy loess; sandy soil is best. Before sowing, first level and finely break up the soil, clear away weeds, tree roots, and other debris, then make seedbeds and ridges. Before sowing, the seeds must also be pregerminated by soaking them in warm water for 20 hours, then taking them out to dry and sow. The environment around the seedling bed must also have no tall shade-casting structures, large trees, woodland, and so on, and must be convenient for irrigation and watering, with sufficient fertility. Seedlings emerge in 10~15 days. The sowing density is preferably 12~15 jin of seed per mu (pure seedling raising), and in the second year they are cut back and transplanted separately.

2. After one year of growth, the silk tree seedlings of that year can grow 1.2~1.5 m tall. In the second year they are moved out and transplanted separately, with a plant-row spacing of 60×100 cm. After transplanting they are cut back, and in that year they can grow 2.5~3 m tall, with a diameter of more than 1.5~2 cm. The best transplanting season is February. After transplanting, the temperature gradually warms up. After budding, keep one of the strongest terminal buds per plant and wipe off the other shoots. Do not fertilize before the new branches grow to 50 cm; just water thoroughly. Apply the first fertilizer at the end of March and the beginning of April, using 80 kg of compound fertilizer per mu, broadcast it, then water. Spring is dry with little rain, so water as the situation requires. It is best for the nursery base to lay drip irrigation channels. Apply the second fertilizer in mid-May, still using compound fertilizer, 50 kg per mu. After May, East China and South China are about to enter the plum rain season. This is the last fertilization of the first half of the year; do not fertilize during the high temperatures of summer. When the temperature cools again in August, fertilize once more, with 0 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. In winter, broadcast farm fertilizers such as chicken manure, cow manure, and pig manure, 3~4 tons per mu. After growing for 2~3 years and reaching a diameter of 4~5 cm, they can be planted in fixed positions and transplanted separately. The trunk height varies by region and is decided by the grower; it is recommended to branch at 2.5~3 m.