Prickly Ash Tree Cultivation Technique Tutorial: Detailed Explanation of the Latest Planting Methods

The prickly ash tree is a shrub with relatively high economic value and is an important woody oil and spice tree species. Because of its strong adaptability, wide distribution and large returns, it is deeply welcomed by the people, but the prickly ash tree likes water and is not tolerant of waterlogging, and fears storms, so the seedling nursery land should not be planted in mountain tops, wind gaps, or cold and shady high mountain areas.

Seedling Raising Techniques

1. Seed collection. There are many varieties of prickly ash trees. When collecting seeds, select plants over 10 years old that grow robustly, bear fruit early, have high yield and excellent quality as mother trees for seed collection. The collected seeds should be dried in the shade, not exposed to the sun, to prevent damage from high temperature and loss of germination ability.

2. Seed treatment. After the seeds are dried in the shade, remove empty grains with a winnowing machine. They can be soaked for two days in alkaline water or washing powder water (5kg of seeds plus 50 grams of alkali or washing powder), rubbed by hand to remove the oil, then rinsed clean with clear water.

3. Nursery land preparation. The nursery land is best chosen as yellow soil or sandy loam with irrigation and drainage conditions. First carry out ploughing and turning, and together with ploughing and turning apply about 3000kg of composted manure per mu or 50kg of ammonium phosphate, then rake level and make ridges or beds.

4. Sowing time and method. Generally carried out in winter and spring, before the Beginning of Spring. The sowing method can use bed sowing or semi-high beds; the sowing rate is 20kg per mu for selected seeds, and about 40kg per mu for unselected seeds.

5. Nursery land management. After sowing, keep the seedbed moist. When the seedlings emerge and grow to 4cm—5cm, thinning can be carried out, with a plant spacing of 10cm-12cm being suitable. When the prickly ash seedlings are young, manual or chemical weeding must be used, and a hoe cannot be used, so as to avoid injuring the seedlings and disturbing the roots. In June—July, urea can be applied as a top dressing 3-4 times, with an interval of about 15 days each time, 5-7.5kg per mu each time, or about 300kg of decomposed human manure and urine is suitable. When the seedlings grow to more than 60cm, they can leave the nursery for afforestation.

Land Preparation and Afforestation

Different types of afforestation land use different land preparation methods. Generally, large-pit afforestation is used; when the slope land is relatively steep, horizontal ditch afforestation is used. The pit specification should be larger than 30×30×30cm, and farmyard manure and calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, etc. should be placed in the pit as base fertilizer.

1. Afforestation specification. Plant and row spacing 3×4m, 56 plants per mu.

2. Afforestation time. Generally carried out in winter and spring, before the Beginning of Spring. In areas where winter and spring are too dry, it can also be carried out in the rainy season, but it should be completed before the Beginning of Autumn. When planting, remove some leaves to reduce evaporation, so as to help increase the survival rate.