A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods for Chinese Bayberry Seeds

The Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) is an excellent tree species for landscaping combined with production. It is a small tree or shrub in the genus Myrica of the family Myricaceae, with luxuriant branches and leaves and a rounded crown. It is very suitable for solitary planting or group planting on lawns and in courtyards, or for row planting along roadsides. In China, it is distributed in East China and in regions such as Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou. Now let us take a look at how to plant Chinese bayberry seeds well!

Nursery Site Selection

When choosing a nursery site, attention should be paid to its location, terrain and orientation. It is best to choose a site with convenient transportation and flat terrain. If it is a slope, the slope should generally not exceed 5°, and the slope aspect should preferably face north or northeast. The soil should preferably be fertile, loose in texture and deep sandy loam. In sandy soil that is too loose, the upper layer dries out easily while the lower layer has sufficient fertilizer and water, so the roots extend downward and form thick, straight roots with underdeveloped fibrous roots. Neither clay soil nor saline-alkali soil is suitable for raising seedlings.

Seed Collection

Chinese bayberry seeds should be collected from fully mature fruits on robust adult trees. When collecting seeds, first check whether the seed kernels of the fruits are plump, and collect from fruit trees with plump seed kernels. The harvested fruits should be placed in a suitable spot not exposed to direct sunlight, spread out and piled up, with the pile height generally not exceeding 15 cm. After piling for 4 to 5 days, the flesh rots. They can then be rinsed in running water, and the floating shriveled seeds removed. Dry the surface and set aside for use.

Land Preparation and Fertilization

Before sowing Chinese bayberry seeds, the land must first be prepared. In paddy fields or flat land with a relatively thin soil layer, plow to a depth of 23 to 27 cm; in mountainous land or land with a deep soil layer, plowing can be deeper. After plowing, allow the soil to bleach in the sun, then apply fertilizer in layers and plow and harrow repeatedly so that the soil is thoroughly broken up. The bed surface should be 1 m wide and the ditch surface 30 cm wide. In mountainous land, the bed height should be 10 to 15 cm, and in flat land the bed height should be 20 to 30 cm. Apply 3000 to 5000 kg of pig or cattle pen manure or compost, 15 to 20 kg of superphosphate and some plant ash per mu. In paddy fields, deep drainage ditches should be dug around the perimeter; in mountainous land, attention should be paid to drought prevention and flood control.

Sowing Method

Before sowing Chinese bayberry seeds, soak the seeds for 10 minutes in a 0.1% potassium permanganate solution or a 40% thiophanate-methyl 800-fold solution. After breaking up the surface of the nursery bed, evenly scatter the seeds on the bed surface at 1.25 to 1.5 kg per sq m. After sowing, gently press the seeds into the soil with a wooden board, cover with a layer of fine soil about 2 to 3 cm deep, and then cover with a thin layer of grass to prevent rain erosion and drying out of the topsoil.

Seedling Stage Management

After sowing Chinese bayberry seeds, when the weather turns cold in mid-December, cover with a plastic film low tunnel to keep warm. A certain temperature must be maintained, and attention should be paid to drainage and prevention of rodent damage. Generally, sowing is done in mid-to-late October; the seeds germinate in January of the following year and emerge from the soil in mid-February. After emergence, if the sunlight is too strong at noon, open the film at both ends of the low tunnel for ventilation to reduce the temperature and humidity inside the tunnel and prevent sunscald or damping-off disease. By late July, they can be transplanted.

Transplanting Small Seedlings

After Chinese bayberry seedlings emerge and reach about 10 cm in height with 4 to 5 leaves, they can be transplanted. Before transplanting, the nursery should be prepared and fertilized, and at the same time 25 kg of lime should be broadcast on the bed surface per mu or a thiophanate 600-fold solution sprayed. Then transplant the small seedlings at a row spacing of 30 to 35 cm and a plant spacing of 8 to 10 cm. When transplanting small seedlings, choose an overcast day or the early morning or late afternoon of a sunny day, and water thoroughly to settle the roots. Transplant 12,000 to 14,000 plants per mu.

Transplant Management

Chinese bayberry seedlings are very sensitive to fertilizer. Even applying a small amount of dilute fertilizer can easily cause seedling death. Only after the root system has resumed good growth and 4 to 5 new leaves have grown can diluted human manure and urine be applied (1 load of water plus 2 spoonfuls of human manure and urine and 0.25 kg of urea). After that, apply a 2% ternary compound fertilizer solution or diluted human manure and urine once every half month, applying thin fertilizer frequently to promote seedling growth. Attention should be paid to preventing seedling anthracnose, damping-off and pests and diseases. Loosen the soil and weed frequently to prevent soil compaction and competition between weeds and seedlings for nutrients.