How to plant Masson pine? The latest planting techniques and methods tutorial

Masson pine is a type of pine tree, also known as green pine, mountain pine, fir pine, etc. It is a tree of the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae, with high cultivation value and wide uses. Pine wood is an important timber for industrial and agricultural production, pine resin is a raw material for medicine and chemicals, the trunk and roots can be used to cultivate poria and mushrooms, and the bark can be used to extract tannin extract. Now let us take a look at Masson pine planting techniques together!

Growth habits of Masson pine

Masson pine is a sun-loving tree species and does not tolerate shade; it prefers light and warmth. It is suitable for growing in areas with an annual average temperature of 13-22°C and annual precipitation of 800-1800 mm, with an absolute minimum temperature not below -10°C. Its root system is well developed, with an obvious taproot and root fungi. It is not strict about soil requirements and prefers slightly acidic soil, but it fears waterlogging and does not tolerate saline-alkali conditions. It can grow in gravelly soil, sandy soil, clay, eroded thin soil on ridges and sunny slopes, and even in the crevices of steep rocky mountains.

Geographical distribution of Masson pine

Masson pine is produced in Jiangsu (Luhe, Yizheng), Anhui (the Huai River basin, south of the Dabie Mountains), Xiakou in western Henan, south of the Han River basin in Shaanxi, and the provinces and regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, reaching south to Fujian, Quancheng Red, Quancheng Green, Guangdong, and the low mountains and west coast of northern Taiwan, China, west to the eastern slope of Daxiangling in central Sichuan, and southwest to Guiyang and Bijie in Guizhou and Funing in Yunnan. In the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it is distributed vertically below 700 m above sea level; in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, below 1100-1200 m above sea level; and in the west, below 1500 m above sea level. There are Masson pine plantations in northern Vietnam.

Seedling raising techniques for Masson pine

1. Seed collection and storage: When collecting Masson pine seeds, healthy mother trees 15-40 years old with a well-proportioned crown, straight trunk form, and no pests or diseases should be selected. Collection can be done from late November to early December, when the cones turn from green to chestnut brown and the scales have not yet opened. Use artificial heating to thresh the seeds (seed extraction rate 3%). The collected seeds should be screened, winnowed, dried, put into bags, and stored in a ventilated and dry place. The general storage period is 1 year. If the dried seeds are sealed in plastic bags and stored at a low temperature of 0-5°C, they can be stored for 1-2 years.

2. Seedbed site selection: For Masson pine seedling raising, choose fertile, well-drained, moist, and loose sandy loam or loam soil as the nursery site. After applying sufficient base fertilizer, prepare the land and build the beds. Fine cultivation is required, breaking up clods and leveling the bed surface.

3. Seed treatment: To promote rapid and uniform germination of Masson pine seeds, they can usually be soaked in 30°C warm water or cold water for 24 hours and then disinfected. A 0.5% copper sulfate solution can also be used to soak the seeds for 46 hours, or a 0.15% formalin solution can be used for disinfection.

4. Sowing: Masson pine is generally sown in spring, and early sowing at the proper time is advisable, preferably from early February to early March, and sowing should be completed by mid-March at the latest. Winter sowing is mostly used in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, and other places. There are two sowing methods: drilling and broadcasting. The drilling width is 8-10 cm, and the sowing rate is about 5 kg per mu. At present, broadcasting is still mostly used for Masson pine sowing in production, with a sowing rate of 7-10 kg per mu. After sowing, the seeds should be covered with a thin layer of soil. Burnt mud ash can be used to cover the seeds, preferably so that some seeds can still be seen, and then grass should be covered.

5. Post-sowing management: About 20-30 days after sowing Masson pine, the seedlings emerge. After most of the seedlings have emerged, remove the grass cover. Within 40 days after the seedlings emerge, special attention should be paid to keeping the seedbed moist. From May to July, chemical fertilizer can be applied 1-2 times per month, with 2-5 kg of ammonium sulfate applied each time per mu. When Masson pine seedlings are too dense, thinning and transplanting can be carried out, usually in 2 rounds. The first transplanting is in mid-to-late May, and the second transplanting is in early-to-mid July. On cloudy days after rain or during rainy days, with a little original soil attached, not only can all survive, but the seedlings also grow well.

Afforestation techniques for Masson pine

1. Afforestation time: Masson pine afforestation can be carried out from mid-to-late January to mid-to-late February, mainly using 1-year-old seedlings for planting. The afforestation density is generally 240-450 trees per mu, with a spacing of 1×1.5-1.7×1.7 m. First-grade seedlings are more than 15 cm tall and more than 0.3 cm in ground diameter.

2. Land preparation method: Block land preparation should be no less than 50×50 cm, with a depth of no less than 20 cm. Strip land preparation should have a width of no less than 70-100 cm. The bottom diameter of the planting hole should be no less than 30 cm and the depth no less than 25 cm. Land preparation requires turning the topsoil downward, and digging holes requires backfilling soil, with the topsoil returned to the center.

3. Young forest tending: In the year of planting, tend 1-2 times or more than 2 times, only cutting grass without loosening the soil. Straighten the seedlings and properly earth up. In the 2nd and 3rd years, tend 1-2 times each year. In the 4th year, if the canopy is not yet closed, continue tending once. The tending area for the plants should be expanded year by year. Weeding and soil loosening must not damage the plants and root systems, and the soil loosening depth should be shallow, not exceeding 10 cm.

4. Tending of mature forests

① Reasonable pruning: Masson pine begins pruning at 5-6 years old, and the principle of “light pruning and frequent pruning” should be followed. Before 10 years old, the crown height should be 2/3 of the tree height. After 10-15 years, the crown should be 1/2-1/3 of the tree height. Pruning from late autumn to early spring is relatively suitable. The pruning cut should be smooth and flush with the trunk to prevent tearing the bark.

② Tending thinning: When the canopy density of an 8-10 year old stand reaches above 0.9, tending thinning should begin. The intensity of the first thinning is 10-15% of the stand volume, carried out in combination with pruning. From 10-20 years, the thinning intensity is 20-30% of the stand volume. After 20 years, 25-30% can be thinned. After thinning, the stand canopy density should be maintained between 0.6-0.7.