When is the latest flowering time for trumpet trees?
The scientific name of the trumpet tree is Handroanthus chrysotrichus, also known as yellow trumpet tree, Brazilian trumpet tree, ipê tree, etc. It is the national flower of Brazil and is native to Mexico, Central America, South America and other places. Its flowers are golden yellow and bright, and it is often used as an excellent street tree. It can also be planted in courtyards, campuses, residential areas and other places. Now let us take a look at when the trumpet tree blooms!
When does the trumpet tree bloom?
The trumpet tree blooms in spring, around March to April. The trumpet tree has a funnel-shaped corolla, also resembling the shape of a wind chime, with wrinkled petal edges and bright yellow flowers. During the flowering season, there are many flowers and few leaves, making it quite beautiful. The fruit is a follicle, splitting downward, with much fuzz to help disperse the seeds. The flowering period lasts only about ten days. The follicle, when splitting, has fruit pods that mostly curl back, splitting downward. The seeds have thin wings, and there is much fuzz to help disperse the seeds.
Propagation methods of Handroanthus chrysotrichus
Handroanthus chrysotrichus likes high temperatures, and the suitable growing temperature is 20-30°C. In winter, it needs warmth and shelter from the wind to overwinter. In the northern part of South China, winter temperatures are low and there is also a lot of rain and humidity, so attention must be paid to cold damage. The best cultivation soil is sandy loam rich in organic matter. Drainage and sunlight need to be good. In our country, it is only suitable for cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions. It can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, or air layering, but sowing is mainly used, and spring and autumn are the suitable periods. The best cultivation soil is soil rich in organic matter or sandy soil. It likes high temperatures, and the suitable growing temperature is 23-30°C.
Cultivation techniques for Handroanthus chrysotrichus
1. Temperature environment: Handroanthus chrysotrichus grows best at 23-30°C and is not cold-tolerant. During the seedling stage, it also requires relatively strong light. Especially when sowing and raising seedlings in a greenhouse environment, it is very easy for the seedlings to grow weakly and develop damping-off disease due to insufficient light and ventilation. Therefore, after the seeds germinate and the true leaves unfold, it is necessary to ensure that the shading rate of the growing environment does not exceed 50%, while maintaining sufficient ventilation.
2. Soil and fertilization: For the nursery land used to cultivate large seedlings of Handroanthus chrysotrichus, choose a place with loose and fertile soil and good irrigation and drainage. Make good plans and arrange the drainage and irrigation ditches. Plant about 3000 plants per mu. When planting, apply 250 grams of compound fertilizer or 1 kilogram of organic fertilizer per hole as base fertilizer. The base fertilizer should be fully mixed with the soil before planting the seedlings. When planting seedlings, remove the seedling bags, plant firmly, and press down firmly.
3. Plant tying: Handroanthus chrysotrichus grows quickly during the seedling stage, and its trunk is soft, making it prone to lodging and easy to sprout, so the natural plant shape is often poor. In order to obtain an upright and straight plant shape, after planting, when the seedlings are 30-50 cm tall, erect bamboo about 2 m high beside the seedlings to guide the plants to grow upright. Tie once each time the seedlings grow 50 cm taller.
4. Pruning and shaping: During the growth period of Handroanthus chrysotrichus, prune and shape it regularly, cutting off low branching side branches. After the leaves fall in winter, a uniform pruning and shaping should be carried out to cut off diseased branches, dead branches, and occasional side branches growing low down, so as to keep the trunk growing straight. When the trunk grows to 1.8-2 m tall, retain the upper branches to form a crown. After 3-4 years of field cultivation, when the plant is more than 3 m tall and 4-6 cm in diameter, it can leave the nursery for landscaping.
5. Pest and disease control: Handroanthus chrysotrichus is often damaged by the coffee longhorn beetle. Conduct a general survey of cashew trees 3 times each year. When infested trees are found, immediately use a sharp knife to cut open the bark of the infested tree and remove the longhorn beetle larvae inside. After the wound dries, earth up the soil to promote the growth of adventitious roots, so as to help the plant recover its growth vigor. When insect damage is found, pesticide can be injected into the tunnels with a syringe to kill the larvae.