When Does an Osmanthus Tree Sprout? What to Do If It Doesn't Sprout or Sprouts Too Much

Osmanthus trees are widely cultivated because their flowers are very fragrant and they have a certain resistance to harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen fluoride. However, since the flowering period of osmanthus is very short and it only blooms in September to early October, if you want the osmanthus tree to bloom normally, you need to ensure it sprouts normally. So when does an osmanthus tree sprout? What to do if it doesn't sprout or sprouts too much?

When does an osmanthus tree sprout

Osmanthus produces leaves three times a year: twice in spring and once after the Mid-Autumn flowering. In between, it hardly sprouts at all. It generally blooms around Mid-Autumn, flowers twice, and then blooms again about half a month to a month after the flowers fade. Four-season osmanthus types, such as 'Foding Zhu', 'Sijigui' and 'Rixiang Gui', are blooming and growing leaves at all times, with a flowering period that can last more than 200 days, though on some days the flowers have little fragrance. But if it is a cutting-propagated osmanthus tree, it generally takes one to two months to sprout after being planted, and some take three months.

Reasons why an osmanthus tree does not sprout and solutions

1. Reasons why cutting-propagated osmanthus seedlings are slow to sprout and solutions

Check whether the cutting-propagated osmanthus seedling has died from improper care. If it is still emerald green, it is still alive. During the period from cutting to sprouting, the osmanthus seedling is best given diffused light rather than strong light, and it can be covered with a bag to retain moisture. Of course, the bag must not be too tightly sealed, and ventilation should still be provided every day. If a cutting-propagated osmanthus seedling puts out shoots for the first time, it is often a false sign of life, so do not let your guard down. Quite a while must pass before it puts out shoots a second time and grows vigorously. At that point it is truly alive, has roots, and can be transplanted.

2. Reasons why a transplanted osmanthus tree does not sprout and solutions

(1) The osmanthus tree is a tree species that fears both drought and waterlogging. If there is too much spring rain and the transplant site is too low-lying to drain promptly, it can easily lead to root rot, yellowing leaves, and no new branches or buds. Solution: choose farmland with high terrain and convenient drainage, or plant on a mound of soil.

(2) During transport, the soil ball may break apart, causing severe loss of fine roots, and such trees often have a poor survival rate. Solution: handle the soil ball gently.

[Tip] If a transplanted osmanthus tree does not sprout, you can inject the tree to supplement nutrient solution, and at the same time mix rooting powder according to the relevant instructions and water it in. Also promptly remove the withered leaves at the top of the tree and around the canopy to prevent them from drawing away moisture, and cut off branches that have already withered.

Solutions for too many sprouts

1. Removing sprouts and wiping out buds: removing sprouts and wiping out buds is a method of removing new shoots in the early stage, just as new buds have sprouted or new shoots have just begun to emerge, before the new shoots have become woody. If this work is done in time, it can save a great deal of organic nutrients and promote the rapid, healthy development of the retained branches.

2. The focus of removing sprouts and wiping out buds is on the root crown area near the ground of young trees. This must be done multiple times a year, especially before the vigorous flushing of spring, summer and autumn shoots. These new shoots, which sprout from adventitious buds and latent buds, have strong vitality and grow quickly. If treatment is delayed even slightly, many clustered branches will appear at the base. What is more, some water shoots grow straight upward, competing in parallel with the trunk and disrupting the original tree form. If, for various reasons, sprout removal and bud wiping cannot be carried out in time and the suckers have already grown, they should be completely removed from the base when pruning, leaving no live stubs; otherwise, the more you prune the suckers, the more they will grow.