The Latest Smoke Tree Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

The smoke tree is an important ornamental red-leaf tree species in China, also known as huanglu wood, huanglu platform, molinluo, etc. It is a deciduous small tree or shrub of the genus Cotinus in the family Anacardiaceae. The famous red leaves of Fragrant Hills in Beijing are this tree species. In gardens, it is suitable for group planting on lawns, mounds or hillsides, and can also be mixed into other tree groups, especially evergreen tree groups. Now let us take a look at the smoke tree planting techniques!

Growth Habits of the Smoke Tree

The smoke tree likes light, also tolerates partial shade, tolerates cold, tolerates drought, poor barren soil and alkaline soil, but does not tolerate waterlogging. It is suitable for planting in deep, fertile and well-drained sandy loam. It grows fast, has a well-developed root system, and has strong sprouting ability. It has relatively strong resistance to sulfur dioxide. In autumn, when the temperature difference between day and night is greater than 10°C, the leaf color turns red. It is native to southwest China, north China and Zhejiang, and also grows in southern Europe, Syria, Iran, Pakistan and northern India.

Propagation Methods of the Smoke Tree

1. Sowing: After the smoke tree fruit matures in June to July, the seeds can be collected and sown after being stored in wet sand for 40 to 60 days. Seedlings have relatively poor cold resistance, so before winter begins, they need to be covered with leaves and straw for cold protection.

2. Division: The smoke tree has very strong sprouting ability. Before sprouting in spring, select well-grown root suckers on the outer side of the trunk, dig them up together with fibrous roots, plant them in nursery land to grow seedlings, and then transplant them to the final location.

3. Cuttage: For the smoke tree, use hardwood cuttings in spring, and a plastic arch shed is needed to keep warm and moist. In the growing season, under mist conditions, use leafy softwood cuttings, and roots can form in about 30 days.

Smoke Tree Planting Techniques

1. Water management: After the smoke tree seedlings emerge, sufficient irrigation is needed in the early stage of seedling growth, but within 20 days after seedling emergence, irrigation must be strictly controlled. As long as drought damage does not occur, reduce irrigation as much as possible. The interval depends on weather conditions, generally watering once every 10 to 15 days. In the later stage, watering should be properly controlled to facilitate hardening of the seedlings and make overwintering easier. In autumn with more rain, attention should be paid to drainage to prevent water accumulation, which can cause root rot.

2. Thinning and final spacing: The smoke tree should be planted reasonably densely. Thinning is generally carried out 2 times. The first thinning is carried out when the seedlings grow 2 to 3 true leaves. The second thinning is carried out when the leaves overlap each other, keeping the superior and removing the inferior, removing poorly developed ones, those with pests or diseases, those with mechanical damage and those that are too dense, while keeping a certain distance between seedlings, with a plant spacing of 10 cm as suitable. In addition, replanting can be combined with the first and second thinning, preferably on cloudy days or in the evening.

3. Weeding and topdressing: For smoke tree topdressing, follow the principle of “small amounts many times, less first and more later.” In the early stage of seedling growth, nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer are mainly used; in the rapid growth period of the seedlings, nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer should be mixed; in the hardening period of the seedlings, potassium fertilizer should be mainly used and nitrogen fertilizer should be stopped, so as to promote lignification of the seedlings and improve their cold resistance and overwintering ability. Weeding should follow the basic principle of “weed early, weed small, weed completely.” Weed whenever there are weeds, operate carefully, and by no means bruise the seedlings, which may cause the seedlings to die.

Pest and Disease Control of the Smoke Tree

1. Aphids

[Damage] They harm leaves, tender stems, flower buds and terminal buds, causing leaves to shrivel, curl, form galls and even fall off. In severe cases, they cause the plant to wither and die.

[Control] When they occur in large numbers, spray 40% omethoate; from May to August, spray dimethoate, 50% malathion emulsion or 40% acephate 1000 to 1500 times solution once every 15 days, and also spray rotenone 1000 to 2000 times solution.

2. Damping-off

[Damage] It causes rot of the cortex at the roots or root crown, and in severe cases causes diseased seedlings to wilt and die.

[Control] Clean the garden and keep it sanitary, promptly dispose of diseased plants, spray 50% carbendazim 50% wettable powder 500 to 1000 times solution or spray 1:1:120 Bordeaux mixture, spraying once every 10 to 15 days.

3. Powdery mildew

[Damage] In the initial stage, needlehead-like white powdery spots appear on the leaves, gradually expanding into dirty white round spots, with the area around the spots appearing radial. In the later stage, the spots join into patches, and in severe cases the entire leaf is covered with a thick layer of white powder.

[Control] In the early stage of disease onset, spray 20% triadimefon 800 to 1000 times solution once, with an effective period of up to 2 months. Or spray 70% thiophanate-methyl 1000 to 1500 times solution several times.

4. Fusarium wilt

[Damage] Smoke tree fusarium wilt is an important disease of the red leaves of Fragrant Hills. In mild cases, it seriously affects the red-leaf landscape; in severe cases, the tree dies quickly.

[Control] Dig out severely diseased plants and burn them to reduce the source of infection. Plant disease-resistant varieties. Use a soil fumigant to treat the soil before planting smoke trees.