How to Grow Kerria japonica? Latest Planting Techniques and Method Tutorial

Kerria japonica is also known as Fengtang flower, Huangdu plum, Huangyu plum, etc. It is a deciduous shrub plant of the genus Kerria in the Rosaceae family. Its branches and leaves are emerald green, slender and soft, and the tree is full of golden flowers, with a unique charm. Planted in wall corners and beside pipes, it has a screening effect. It is suitable for flower hedges and flower paths, mass-planted in front of evergreen tree clusters, beside ancient trees, and in gaps between rocks. Now let us take a look at the planting techniques of Kerria japonica!

Growth Habits of Kerria japonica

Kerria japonica is a deciduous shrub native to China from North China to South China, distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Henan, Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong, Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Beijing, Tianjin and other places. It prefers warm, humid and semi-shaded environments, has poor cold resistance, and has low requirements for soil. It grows best in fertile, loose sandy loam.

Propagation Methods of Kerria japonica

1. Division: carried out in early spring and late autumn. Use a knife or shovel to directly divide new plants each with 1-2 branches from the mother plant in the soil and take them out for transplanting. The mother plant left in the soil is divided again the following year.

2. Cutting: for hardwood cuttings of Kerria japonica in March, use non-sprouted one-year-old branches; around June, use softwood cuttings, in brown soil, mature soil or sandy soil. If inserted in the open field, shade is needed to prevent drying.

3. Sowing: the sowing propagation method is only used when mass-propagating the single-petaled original species. After the seeds are harvested, they need to be stratified in sand at 5 degrees C for 1-2 months, and sown the next spring. After sowing, cover with fine soil and then grass. After seedlings emerge, build a shed for shading.

Planting Techniques of Kerria japonica

1. Soil: the planting site for Kerria japonica should be warm and humid, with soft soil, good drainage, and non-alkaline soil.

2. Transplanting: apply base fertilizer, compost, barnyard manure, decomposed human waste, etc. to the transplanting site of Kerria japonica, mix evenly, and level. Transplant in the open field or into pots before sprouting in spring or in October.

3. Water and fertilizer: Kerria japonica generally does not need frequent watering. Potted plants should be watered with cake fertilizer water in the afternoon, and should not be watered too much. In summer, water more. During the entire growing period, apply 1-2 times of liquid fertilizer as appropriate according to the seedling condition.

4. Pruning: when declining branches are found on Kerria japonica, immediately cut off the dead branches, otherwise they will spread to the roots and cause the whole plant to die. After flowering, leave 50 cm high and cut off the upper branches to promote the sprouting of underground buds.

5. Repotting: in cold regions, potted Kerria japonica should be repotted once about every 3 years, combined with root trimming, division, and renewal of old and weak branches.