How to Plant a Camphor Tree? Latest Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

The camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) is a large evergreen tree of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae. In China it is produced in the southern and southwestern provinces and regions, adapting to altitudes below 1800 m, and in the growing areas south of the Yangtze River and in the southwest it can reach altitudes of 1000 m, growing on fertile sunny slopes, valleys and flat riverside land in the subtropics. It has extremely high cultivation value. Let us now take a look at camphor tree planting techniques!

Growth Habits of the Camphor Tree

The camphor tree mostly prefers light and tolerates shade slightly. It likes a warm, humid climate and is not very cold-hardy. It is suited to growing in sandy loam and is fairly tolerant of moisture, but when transplanting, care must be taken to maintain soil moisture, as waterlogging easily leads to root rot and death from lack of oxygen. However, it is not tolerant of drought, barren soil or saline-alkali soil. The main root is well developed and deep-rooted, and it can resist wind. It has strong sprouting ability and tolerates pruning. Its growth rate is moderate, and its crown is huge like an umbrella, able to provide shade and coolness.

Seed Collection of the Camphor Tree

The fruit of the camphor tree falls off on its own when ripe, and birds peck at it. Each year from October to December, collect the ripe seeds, then store them mixed with sand, and by early March they can be germinated and sown. For the seeds, select mother trees 40 to 60 years old that grow rapidly, are robust, have an obvious, straight trunk, high branching, a well-developed crown, no pests or diseases, and bear abundant fruit. Each kilogram contains 7200 to 8000 seeds, with a germination rate of 70 to 80%, and the sowing rate is 10 to 15 kg per mu.

Land Preparation and Fertilization of the Seedbed

For the camphor tree seedbed, carry out the first plowing and harrowing in early winter, and the second plowing and harrowing before sowing, and apply sufficient base fertilizer. The base fertilizer is generally 1500 to 2000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure per mu, or 50 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 150 kg of rapeseed cake, then build raised beds, generally 35 to 50 cm high and 1.2 m wide.

Germination Promotion and Sowing of Seeds

The camphor tree needs germination promotion before sowing. Soak the seeds in warm water at 50°C; when the warm water cools, replace it with 50°C water and repeat the soaking 3 to 4 times, which can make the seeds germinate 10 to 15 days earlier. Sow in drills with a row spacing of about 20 cm, at 10 to 15 kg per mu. After sowing, cover with soil and then with rice straw or plastic film, keeping the surface soil of the seedbed moist to help the seeds germinate.