A Detailed Guide to the Flowering Period, Seed Prices and Planting Methods of the Golden Trumpet Tree

The golden trumpet tree is a deciduous tree in the Bignoniaceae family, genus Tabebuia. This species is a tree that changes its appearance with the four seasons. So, when is the flowering period of the golden trumpet tree generally? How much is a jin of seeds on the market? How do you plant it?

1. When is the flowering period of the golden trumpet tree generally?

According to Bignoniaceae records, the trumpet tree blooms in spring, around March to April. The trumpet tree's corolla is funnel-shaped and also resembles a wind chime, with crinkled petal edges and bright yellow flowers; during the flowering season there are many flowers and few leaves, making it quite beautiful. The fruit is a capsule that splits open downward, with much downy hair to help the seeds disperse. The flowering period lasts only about ten days; the capsule, when it splits, has fruit pods that curl back heavily and open downward, and the seeds bear thin wings, with much downy hair to help the seeds disperse.

2. How much is a jin of seeds on the market?

It is understood that the market price of golden trumpet tree seeds is around 30-40 yuan per jin.

3. How do you plant the golden trumpet tree?

1. Temperature and environment: The golden trumpet tree grows best at 23-30°C and is not cold-tolerant. During the seedling stage it also requires relatively strong light; especially when sowing and raising seedlings in a greenhouse environment, insufficient light and ventilation very easily cause the young seedlings to grow weakly and to develop damping-off disease. Therefore, after the seeds germinate and the true leaves unfold, make sure the shading rate of the growing environment does not exceed 50%, while maintaining sufficient ventilation.

2. Soil and fertilisation: For the nursery plot used to cultivate large golden trumpet tree seedlings, choose a place with loose, fertile soil and good irrigation and drainage, do the planning well and tidy the drainage ditches; plant about 3000 plants per mu, and when planting put 250 grams of compound fertiliser or 1 kilogram of organic fertiliser in each hole as base fertiliser; the base fertiliser should be fully mixed with the soil before planting the seedlings. When planting the seedlings, remove the seedling bag and plant firmly, pressing down the soil.

3. Staking the plants: Golden trumpet tree seedlings grow quickly in the seedling stage, and the trunk is soft, so it easily lodges and easily produces shoots, and the natural plant shape is often poor. To obtain an upright, straight plant shape, after planting, when the seedling height is 30-50 cm, erect a bamboo support about 2 m tall beside the seedling to guide the plant to grow upright, and tie it once each time the seedling grows 50 cm taller.

4. Pruning and shaping: During the growth period of the golden trumpet tree, carry out pruning and shaping regularly, cutting off the low side branches; after the leaves fall in winter, carry out a uniform round of pruning and shaping, cutting off diseased branches, dead branches and the occasional side branches growing low down, so as to keep the trunk growing straight. When the trunk has grown to 1.8-2 m tall, keep the branches at the top to form the crown; after 3-4 years of field cultivation, when the plant is over 3 m tall and 4-6 cm in diameter, it can leave the nursery for landscaping.

5. Pest and disease control: The golden trumpet tree is often damaged by the coffee longhorn borer (Aeolesthes holosericea); carry out a general survey of the cashew trees 3 times each year, and when an infested tree is found, immediately use a sharp knife to cut open the bark of the infested tree and remove the longhorn larvae inside. After the wound dries, mound soil to promote the growth of adventitious roots, so as to help the plant recover its growth vigour. When insect damage is found, a syringe can be used to inject pesticide into the tunnel to kill the larvae.