Latest Prices for Chinese Honeylocust Seeds and a Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
The Chinese honeylocust is a plant native to China, a deciduous tree of the genus Gleditsia in the legume family, widely distributed throughout China and put to a wide range of uses. The oil pressed from its seeds can be used as a lubricant and for making soap, its medicinal uses include treating ringworm and relieving constipation, and its timber is a first-rate wood for making furniture. It is also very suitable as a shade tree in courtyards and as a greening species along roadsides and around homes. Now let us take a look together at the price of Chinese honeylocust seeds and how to plant them!
How much does a jin of Chinese honeylocust seeds cost?
The price of Chinese honeylocust seeds is about 40 to 70 yuan per jin, but prices vary considerably depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin and market. The Chinese honeylocust mostly grows in plains, valleys and hilly areas. It likes light and tolerates slight shade, prefers a warm and humid climate, and is not demanding about soil; it can grow normally in calcareous and saline-alkaline soils and even in clay or sandy soil. Its growth is slow but its lifespan is very long, reaching six or seven hundred years. In production it is commonly propagated by seed.
Sowing methods for the Chinese honeylocust
1. Seed collection: For the Chinese honeylocust, select vigorous mother trees in their full fruiting period, 30 to 100 years old, with straight trunks, relatively fast growth, good development and plump seeds, and collect seeds in mid-to-late October. The harvested fruits should be spread out and sun-dried; after drying, smash or crush the pods, then dry the seeds in the shade and store them dry in bags.
2. Seed treatment: The seed coat of the Chinese honeylocust is relatively thick, so germination is slow and uneven. Before sowing, the seeds must be treated to promote germination. In late autumn or early winter, put the cleaned seeds into water, and once they have absorbed enough water, take them out and mix them with moist sand for storage and germination. Sow in the following spring after the seeds have split open.
3. Land preparation and fertilization: For the Chinese honeylocust nursery site, choose a place with fertile soil and convenient irrigation, and carry out careful land preparation. Apply 3000 to 5000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, and build flat beds or raised beds.
4. Sowing method: The Chinese honeylocust is sown in drills, with 10 to 15 seeds per 1 meter of furrow. After sowing, cover with 3 to 4 cm of soil and keep the soil moist. When the seedlings are about 10 cm tall, thin and then finalize the seedlings. For 2-year-old large seedlings, transplant them after leaf fall in late autumn at a row spacing of 0.5×0.5 m.
Planting methods for the Chinese honeylocust
1. Site selection: For the Chinese honeylocust, choose loam or sandy loam with deep, fertile and moist soil as the afforestation site. For hills and mountains, choose the foot of the slope where the gradient is not steep; for flat land and sandy beaches, choose places where water does not easily accumulate, and at the same time provide certain drainage and irrigation measures.
2. Land preparation method: Preparing the land before afforestation of the Chinese honeylocust is meant to provide a better living environment for the tree. In order to improve site conditions and raise soil fertility, the quality of land preparation must be ensured. Trenching or strip preparation can be adopted, while for roadside and scattered planting, large-hole preparation can be used.
3. Afforestation time: The Chinese honeylocust can be planted in both spring and autumn, but autumn and winter planting is better. Before planting seedlings, carry out hole preparation according to seedling size, with hole specifications of 30×30×20 cm or 60×60×40 cm.
4. Planting density: The density of the Chinese honeylocust should be determined according to actual conditions. The greater the density, the higher the thorn yield per unit area and the better the economic benefit, but management also becomes more difficult. After 3 to 5 years, when the crowns between plants meet, thinning dense plants and keeping sparse ones may be considered to ensure ventilation and light penetration in the stand.
5. Planting method: Before planting the Chinese honeylocust, prune the seedling roots appropriately. When planting, follow the rule of “three burials, two tramplings and one lifting of the seedling”. Hold the seedling upright, and when the soil has been filled to the root collar, gently lift the seedling by hand so the roots spread out, then trample the soil firm. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots, then cover with another layer of soil.
6. Cultivation and weeding: After the Chinese honeylocust seedlings are transplanted and have survived, choose sunny days to loosen the soil and weed in good time. Loosen the soil shallowly rather than deeply to avoid damaging the seedling roots, and hoe the surface soil loose to let sunlight reach in. During the nursery period, cultivate and weed 4 times a year, in April, June, August and October respectively.
7. Fertilization management: For the Chinese honeylocust, choose fertilizers rationally according to soil nutrient conditions and the characteristics of the tree species. Generally the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 3:2:1. Apply base fertilizer before planting, and topdress 3 to 4 times a year, mainly by furrow application and broadcasting, which can be done together with cultivation and weeding.
8. Training and pruning: In the young stage of the Chinese honeylocust, the branches and trunk should be trained and pruned so that the tree structure and form are reasonable, and the growth and development of branches can be regulated and the tree vigor balanced. Along with training and pruning, promptly cut off upright water sprouts at the top, and also promptly cut off the autumn shoots at the tips of the branches.
9. Pest and disease control: Pests of the Chinese honeylocust include the Chinese honeylocust bean weevil and the Chinese honeylocust fruit borer, while the main diseases include anthracnose, damping-off, powdery mildew and brown spot. Silvicultural control and chemical control can be used.
① Silvicultural control: For the Chinese honeylocust, strengthen tending and management to enhance the tree's stress resistance. When pests and diseases occur, prune rationally and promptly remove dead branches and fallen leaves damaged by pests and diseases. At the same time, interplant short-statured economic plants such as peanuts, beans and medicinal herbs to increase biodiversity.
② Chemical control: For the Chinese honeylocust bean weevil and the Chinese honeylocust fruit borer, spray a 1200-fold dilution of dichlorvos for control. During outbreaks of anthracnose, spray 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture. During outbreaks of damping-off, powdery mildew and brown spot, apply a 800-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder.