What is the best season to plant wintersweet, and in which month should seedlings be planted for a high survival rate?
What is the best season to plant wintersweet? In which month should wintersweet seedlings be planted for a high survival rate? Wintersweet planting: sow seeds in February —March.
Sowing
Generally harvest when the wintersweet fruit turns yellow in July—August, take out the seeds and store them dry until sowing in February —March of the following spring, covering with about 4-5 cm of soil. If the seeds are soaked in warm water before sowing, germination can be promoted. After the seedlings emerge in April, pay attention to preventing damage from cutworms, and strengthen management; shading is not necessary. The seedlings grow slowly, reaching only 10—15 cm in height in the first year. Sowing can be used to propagate wintersweet rootstock in large quantities, but it requires a relatively long growing time.
Management
1. Watering
For wintersweet, it is best to water normally to maintain the soil in a half-moist state; pay attention to drainage during the rainy season to prevent waterlogging. Replenish water promptly in dry seasons. During the flowering period, keep the soil moderately dry and do not water too much. For potted wintersweet in spring and autumn, do not water until the potting soil is dry; in summer, water once each morning and evening, with the amount controlled according to how dry or moist the potting soil is.
2. Fertilizing
For potted wintersweet, no additional fertilizer solution is applied in the early stage after potting. In spring, apply fertilizer for leaf growth. After the flowers fade each year, apply a fully decomposed organic fertilizer once. From the emergence of new leaves in spring through the growing season until June, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once every 10-15 days; during the flower bud differentiation period in July-August, apply a mixed liquid of decomposed organic fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. After autumn, apply organic fertilizer once more. After each fertilizing, water and loosen the soil promptly to keep the soil loose. Do not fertilize during the flowering period.
3. Pre-flowering pruning
After leaf fall and before the flower buds swell, for long branches leave one extra pair of leaf buds above the flower buds, cut off the upper part without flower buds, and thin out dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, overly weak branches, and dense or excessively vigorous non-flowering branches and root suckers not used for renewal. Operate carefully to avoid knocking off flower buds.
4. Supplementary pruning after flowering
For wintersweet, thin out aging branches, dead branches, overly dense branches and excessively vigorous branches, and cut back weakened main branches or branch groups. For main branches that are too tall, too long or too strong, cut back to a relatively large, moderate, slanted branch, letting a weaker branch lead, so as to control branch height, length and vigor. Shorten one-year-old branches: leave 30-40 cm on extension branches of main branches, leave 10-20 cm on other relatively strong branches, and leave one pair of buds on weak branches or thin them out. After the flowers fade, remove the spent flowers promptly.
Wintersweet's growth habits and planting season
1) Growth habits: wintersweet likes sunlight, tolerates shade, cold and drought, dislikes waterlogging and fears wind; it is relatively cold-tolerant, has strong tree vigor, tolerates pruning, is easy to shape, and is suitable for planting in a wide range of regions.
2) Planting season for wintersweet: generally wintersweet is planted in March-April, because March-April is spring, when temperatures warm up, and many seedlings are suitable for planting, among which wintersweet is one.
3) While ensuring the survival rate, wintersweet seedlings are generally suitable for planting or transplanting in March-June. Because March-June is dry and hot, which suits the growth of seedlings, the survival rate of wintersweet planted in March-June is above 60%.