Can the Chinese mahogany tree be propagated by cuttings? Detailed guide to cutting methods and the best time

It is currently the season when Chinese mahogany hits the market, and the selling price in major markets is a bit high. At present, there are also quite a few places in China where Chinese mahogany is grown, but because it is difficult to preserve and is mostly grown in greenhouses in the south, the price is very high. So can the Chinese mahogany tree be propagated by cuttings? How to take cuttings? When is the best time to take cuttings?

The Chinese mahogany tree can be propagated by cuttings, but the survival rate is low, so the requirements are high, and generally very few people use this method.

Cutting time:

It is generally done from April to June, and can also be propagated by cuttings from late June to early July. Take current-year, semi-lignified branches and cut them into about 15 cm pieces, then insert them into a sand bed. To increase the survival rate, the cuttings can be soaked in a 0.4% butyric acid solution diluted 1000 times for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or dipped in 0.1% BA powder before inserting.

Cutting propagation is divided into 2 types: softwood cuttings and hardwood cuttings. Semi-lignified or mostly lignified branches used as cuttings have a high survival rate. Using sprouting shoots from the base or trunk as cuttings makes it easier to root and survive than branches from the canopy.

The specific techniques are:

1. Use an electric heating hotbed as the cutting cultivation bed

Make a low bed 7 m long, 1 m wide, and 20 cm deep, tread the bed surface level, spread a 3 cm thick layer of straw and other heat-insulating material, lay a layer of old plastic film on top, spread 1-2 cm thick soil on the film, then lay one electric heating wire 100 m long with a power of 1 kW. Use loam soil with good heat retention and water retention for the bed soil, 10-15 cm thick.

2. Select and cut branches for cuttings

After natural leaf fall in the open field, select one- or two-year-old branches with a diameter of more than 1.5 cm, and cut them into 30-40 cm long cuttings. Each cutting should have a terminal bud at the top and also a relatively plump lateral bud, about 1.5 cm from the cut. The cut surface should be small and flat, and during the operation, mechanical damage to the upper lateral buds and branch epidermis should be avoided as much as possible.

3. Carry out dormancy-breaking treatment

Use a gibberellin aqueous solution at a concentration of 50 mg/kg, soak the cuttings for 10 minutes, and insert them immediately after soaking.

4. Dense insertion, triple coverage

According to the length of the cuttings, divide them into two groups and insert them at a plant and row spacing of 1-2 cm. The uppermost lateral bud of adjacent cuttings should be appropriately staggered. Insert 700-900 cuttings per sq m, with an insertion depth of about 10 cm, but the insertion depth can be appropriately adjusted so that the cut surfaces of the cuttings are at the same level. After insertion is completed, cover with straw curtains and an arched film, and cover the cuttings with a layer of plastic film.

5. Careful management, timely harvest

During the growth period, shading or weak-light management can be carried out. Keep the temperature inside the bed at 20°C-25°C, the relative air humidity above 95%, and the bed soil constantly moist. After buds emerge, remove the plastic film in time. For one with multiple buds, select and keep one strong bud early and remove the rest. Carry out natural light and variable temperature management 2-3 days before harvest, maintaining a daily average temperature of 20°C and a daily temperature difference of 12°C. About 40 days after cutting, when the buds are about 20 cm long, they can be harvested. Harvesting is best done in the morning. Remove the whole bud and put it into bags and boxes as it is harvested. Each sq m can yield 2-2.5 kg.

Besides cuttings, Chinese mahogany can also be planted by other methods.

1. Seed sowing

If uniform growth of Chinese mahogany seedlings is desired, seed sowing propagation is the most effective method and also the most commonly used method. Chinese mahogany trees grown by sowing have obvious main roots and vigorous growth.

Before sowing the seeds, it is advisable to first soak the seeds in water at 20°C-30°C for 12 hours. After soaking, take them out, rinse them clean with clear water, and place them in a bag for germination. Keep the temperature at about 25°C. After the seeds sprout, they can be sown. Sowing is generally carried out from April to May, and by autumn and winter the seedlings can be transplanted. During seedling raising, pay attention to the occurrence of root rot.

2. Root sprout division method

Dig trenches around the canopy, and cut roots about 1 cm in diameter to stimulate the growth of root sprouts. When cutting roots, it is advisable to follow the principle of not damaging larger roots. After cutting the roots, cover with soil, and add decomposed organic fertilizer in a timely manner to benefit root sprout and plant growth. About 2-3 root sprout seedlings can be produced each year.

3. Root cutting propagation

Take roots about 0.5 cm-1 cm in diameter, cut them into 10-15 cm long cuttings, with the thicker end flat-cut facing upward and the thinner end obliquely cut facing downward. The cuttings can be soaked in a 0.4% butyric acid solution diluted 1000 times for 30 minutes, or dipped in 0.1% BA powder before inserting. Insert the treated cuttings deeply into a sand bed. To maintain temperature (25°C-30°C) and humidity (75%-80% RH), cover with transparent plastic sheeting. After sprouting, keep only one bud per cutting. When they grow to about 30 cm, they can be transplanted.