The Latest Technical Method Tutorial for Transplanting Osmanthus Trees
The cultivation of osmanthus has a long history in our country. In ancient Chinese poems praising flowers, the number of works praising osmanthus is also quite considerable. Since ancient times, it has been deeply loved by Chinese people. It not only has a beautiful tree shape and stays evergreen all year round, but also fills the air with fragrance during the crisp autumn days. It is widely used in garden construction. Now let us take a look at osmanthus tree transplanting techniques together!
Transplanting Time for Osmanthus Trees
When transplanting large osmanthus trees, the choice of season is very important. Generally (under normal circumstances), the semi-dormant period of a healthy tree can be chosen. For example, in Jiangnan, it can be done from after the Mid-Autumn Festival to the end of winter the following year (from mid-September to around February 15 of the following year, excluding severe freezing weather with ice and snow), because at this time it is in its semi-dormant stage and new buds have not yet sprouted, which is beneficial to the coordination of various factors within the tree. At the same time, it can also be done during the plum rain season in Jiangnan, because at this stage the tree has completed its first growth peak and has already enriched its internal nutrients, so the survival rate tends to be relatively high. Conversely, when transplanting in other seasons, corresponding measures must be taken to regulate water, nutrients, oxygen, temperature, light, and other aspects according to the balanced survival characteristics of the tree and the actual environmental factors, so transplanting is difficult and costly.
Osmanthus Tree Transplanting Techniques
1. Tree selection: For osmanthus tree transplanting, choose osmanthus trees with a full tree shape, luxuriant branches and leaves, no pests or diseases, and that are easy to dig up and lift for transport.
2. Digging the pit: About one week before transplanting, dig the tree pit at the new planting site. The pre-dug tree pit diameter should be about 1 m larger than the packaging diameter of the transplanted tree, and the height should be level with the height of the transplant packaging. Place the excavated topsoil and subsoil separately, spread the soil out to dry, and at the same time clean out impurities such as bricks and tiles from the soil. Then mix in ferrous sulfate at a ratio of 10:1 (with soil as 10 parts). This increases the acidity of the soil, disinfects the soil, and also enhances fertility.
3. Pruning: Pruning osmanthus is one of the keys to successful transplanting. Because osmanthus has weak sprouting ability, cutting the trunk or branches is not advisable. You can only prune the leaves of the osmanthus by cutting off the leaf blades with scissors, leaving the petioles to protect the axillary buds, and retaining one third of the original number of leaves. This can both reduce water evaporation and preserve the beauty of the original crown.
4. Lifting the seedling: Hard packaging is best for osmanthus transplanting. For the osmanthus tree to be transplanted, water it thoroughly one week in advance so that its root system absorbs enough water. This makes it easier to dig into a ball and prevents the soil ball from breaking apart because the soil is too dry. The diameter of the soil ball should be 6 to 8 times the diameter of the crown at 1 m above ground, and the height should be 70% of the soil ball diameter. If conditions permit, digging it larger is even better.
5. Planting: Before planting, backfill the pre-dug tree pit with 10 to 15 cm of original soil brought back with the transported osmanthus tree. Because osmanthus trees cannot tolerate waterlogging, the planting depth of the osmanthus should be 10 to 15 cm higher than the original ground level. First lower the osmanthus tree and place it according to its original growth orientation, then place one plastic pipe at each of the four corners of the tree pit. After the tree pit is filled with soil, this increases air permeability at the roots. Then, while removing the template in order, backfill soil to 1/3 of the soil ball height. Fill original soil tightly around the soil ball, tamping each layer as it is filled to prevent the soil ball from breaking. After the entire tree pit is filled and tamped firm, build a berm, install supports, and water thoroughly for the first time.
6. Management: First, water thoroughly again 3 to 4 days after the first watering. Second, after the water has completely dried in the shade, pile the remaining soil around the original tree pit around the roots to form a mound that is high in the middle and low around the edges, so that the osmanthus tree will not be drowned by accumulated water. Third, in the following spring, be sure to water once with spring-opening water. Fourth, at an average temperature of about 20°C, spray the leaves and branches once every half month with a mixture of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and fungicide (such as carbendazim). This both provides foliar topdressing for the osmanthus tree and also plays a sterilizing role.
Precautions for Transplanting Osmanthus Trees
1. Before transplanting a large osmanthus tree, if there is sufficient time, in the spring or autumn two years earlier, dig a ring-shaped trench 10 cm smaller than the soil ball diameter and more than 60 cm deep. Any large lateral roots encountered should be cut off with a sharp tool. If a relatively large lateral root about 6 cm thick is encountered, treat it by removing a ring of bark. After treating all wounds with “wound healing coating agent”, refill the ring trench.
2. The time for transplanting osmanthus trees should be chosen in early spring or autumn, preferably with no wind or rain, not strong light, and moderate soil dryness and moisture at the time of digging, so that the ball-forming strength is greatest and to avoid the soil ball scattering or collapsing due to being too dry or too wet.
3. Determine the soil ball diameter at about 7 times the diameter at breast height of the tree to be transplanted. When digging to a certain depth, gradually taper it so that the soil ball takes a semi-spherical shape. During the digging process, be very careful to avoid breaking the soil ball. For all roots, thick or thin, cut them off with a sharp tool, and apply “wound healing coating agent” to all wounds to prevent water loss and pathogen infection.
4. When digging to a certain depth, tightly tie a 30 cm wide waist band around the upper part of the soil ball with straw rope. After the soil ball is formed, spray the soil ball once with “Large Tree Root Power No. 1”, then tie one end of the straw rope to the base of the trunk and tightly wrap the soil ball in a net-like manner at equal intervals. Also wrap the main trunk tightly with straw rope. Cut off most of the small branches and leaves, remove the overly wide side trunks that affect transport, and apply “wound healing coating agent” to the wounds. Then bind the branches to reduce the crown, so as to facilitate lifting and transport.
5. After hilling up soil around the osmanthus tree, immediately set up fixtures (four, from four directions) to support the large tree and prevent it from swaying, which would affect survival. Use “Large Tree Root Power No. 2” to water the roots, watering thoroughly once. Both “Large Tree Root Power No. 1 and No. 2” have the effect of enhancing root vitality and promoting rooting. Water thoroughly once more within a short time. The soil should remain moist but not wet, and moist but not dry, and attention should be paid to hilling and tamping the soil so that there are no gaps between the soil ball and the soil, and the round platform always maintains a fixed shape.
6. After transplanting the osmanthus tree, promptly tidy the crown, remove branches and leaves broken or damaged during transport, cut off as many leaves and small branches that do not affect the tree shape as possible, and reapply “wound healing coating agent” to the wounds. In autumn and winter, temperatures are lower and the tree's metabolism is slow. If it is not heavily pruned, a false appearance of survival may appear. In the following spring, as temperatures rise, because the root system has not recovered and water supply is insufficient, a large number of branches and leaves may suddenly dry up, and by then it will be too late to rescue them. When transplanting in autumn for overwintering, you can add a layer of plastic film outside the straw rope wrapped around the trunk, and cover the soil ball round platform with film to preserve heat and moisture.
7. After transplanting the osmanthus tree, it is best to promptly set up a shade shed. This plays an important protective role against high temperatures and strong light in summer. Under continuous sunny and high-temperature conditions, spray water or anti-transpirant on the crown and trunk to maintain the humidity of the branches and trunk and facilitate survival.
Summary: Transplanting large osmanthus trees is a relatively difficult project. To restore them to their original tree shape and luxuriance generally takes 3 to 5 years. During this process, there can be no negligence. As long as we use scientific methods and treat every step carefully and seriously, success will become inevitable.