How to plant a cherry blossom tree? The latest planting techniques and methods tutorial
Cherry blossoms are native to the temperate regions around the Himalayas in the Northern Hemisphere and grow all over the world. They can be divided into two types: single-petaled and double-petaled. Single-petaled types can bloom and bear fruit, while double-petaled types mostly do not bear fruit. The flowers often open together with the leaves in March or after the leaves, and the flower color is delicately fragrant and gorgeous, often used for garden viewing. Now let us take a look at cherry blossom tree planting techniques!
Growth habits of cherry blossom trees
Cherry blossoms are a temperate and subtropical tree species. They like sunlight and warm, humid climate conditions, and have a certain cold resistance. They are not strict about soil requirements and are suitable for growing in loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam, but are not tolerant of saline-alkali soil. The root system is relatively shallow, and waterlogged low-lying land should be avoided. They have a certain tolerance to cold and drought, but are weak against smoke and wind, so they are not suitable for planting in coastal areas with typhoons.
Propagation methods of cherry blossom trees
1. Seed propagation: If there are fertile cherry seeds, sow them immediately after collection. When growing cherry blossoms by sowing, be careful not to let the seed embryo dry out. They should be sown immediately after collection or stratified in wet sand and sown in the following spring, in order to cultivate seedlings for grafting.
2. Cutting propagation: Cherry blossom tree cutting propagation usually uses one-year-old hard branches in spring and current-year tender branches in summer. Cuttings can be treated with NAA. The seedbed needs shade, moisture retention, and a well-aerated medium to achieve a high survival rate.
3. Grafting propagation: Because most types of cherry blossoms do not bear fruit, grafting can use cherry or wild cherry as rootstock. Whip grafting in late March or bud grafting in late August are both acceptable. After grafting successfully, after 3 to 4 years of cultivation, they can be planted out. High-branch top grafting can also be used, inserting the prepared scion into the rootstock by cleft grafting, wrapping it tightly with a plastic bag, and covering it with a plastic bag for heat preservation and protection. The survival rate is high, and it can be used to replace with new varieties.
Cherry blossom tree planting techniques
1. Digging holes and planting: Before planting a cherry blossom tree, level the ground. A hole with a diameter of 0.8 m and a depth of 0.6 m can be dug. First fill the hole with 10 cm of organic fertilizer, then place the seedling into the hole and spread the roots outward in all directions. After filling with soil, lift the seedling upward a little so the roots spread deeply, then firm the soil. The planting depth should be about 5 cm above the upper layer of the seedling roots. After planting, water thoroughly and irrigate fully, and support it with a stick to prevent it from being blown over by strong wind.
2. Reasonable watering: After the cherry blossom tree is planted, the seedling is prone to drought damage. In addition to sufficient watering at planting, water once every 8 to 10 days afterward, keeping the soil moist but without standing water. After watering, loosen the soil in time, and it is best to cover the ground surface thinly with grass to reduce water evaporation. Within 2 to 3 years after planting, to prevent the trunk from drying out, it can be wrapped with rice straw. But after 2 to 3 years, when the seedling grows new roots and its adaptability to the environment gradually increases, it no longer needs to be wrapped with grass.
3. Timely fertilization: Cherry blossoms are fertilized twice a year, and acidic fertilizer is preferable. One is winter fertilizer, applied in winter or early spring with organic fertilizers such as bean cake, chicken manure, and decomposed fertilizer. The other is after the flowers fall, applying quick-acting fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate, ferrous sulfate, and superphosphate. Generally, for fertilizing large cherry blossom trees, the hole application method can be used, that is, digging a ring-shaped trench about 10 cm deep at the edge of the vertical projection line of the tree canopy and applying the fertilizer into it. This is both simple and conducive to root absorption. Later, as the tree grows, the diameter and depth of the fertilizing ring trench also increase accordingly.
4. Reasonable pruning: Pruning mainly involves cutting off withered branches, leggy branches, overlapping branches, and diseased and pest-infested branches. Generally, when many branches grow on the trunk of a large cherry blossom tree, several robust growing branches should be retained, and all the rest should be cut off from the base to facilitate ventilation and light penetration. After pruning, the wounds of the branches should be disinfected with medicine in time to prevent pathogens from invading after rain and causing rot. After long-term exposure to the sun, the bark of cherry blossoms is prone to aging and damage, causing rot, and it should be removed in time and disinfected.
5. Disease and pest control: Cherry blossoms mainly have two conditions, gummosis and root rot, both of which require timely treatment, soil improvement, strengthened water and fertilizer management, and reasonable pruning. During one year of growth, cherry blossoms can be harmed by aphids, red spiders, and scale insects. Generally, spray 3 to 4 times: the first time before flowering, the second time after flowering, and the third time in July to August. Only by careful observation and timely control can better results be achieved.