How to grow Buddhist pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus)? Latest detailed guide to Buddhist pine cultivation methods

Buddhist pine, also known as tusong, jinqiansong, luohanshan and so on, is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Podocarpus in the family Podocarpaceae, native to China and widely cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and the southeastern coastal areas. It has extremely high ornamental value, its wood is fine and even and easy to work, and it has medicinal value. It can be used for furniture, utensils, stationery and farm tools, and so on. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods for Buddhist pine!

Growth habits of Buddhist pine

Buddhist pine prefers a warm and humid climate, has weak cold tolerance and strong shade tolerance, and prefers moist sandy loam with good drainage. It is highly adaptable to soil and can even survive on saline-alkali soil. It is fairly resistant to a variety of polluting gases such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen oxides, and has strong resistance to pests and diseases. In China it is produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and other places. It is cultivated in courtyards as an ornamental tree, and wild trees are very rare.

Propagation methods of Buddhist pine

1. Sowing: Sowing propagation of Buddhist pine can be carried out in August, usually in an open-field seedbed, sowing as soon as the seeds are collected, covering with rice straw, taking care to provide shade, keeping the substrate moist, and covering with plastic film in winter to protect against freezing.

2. Cuttings: Cutting propagation of Buddhist pine can be carried out in spring and autumn. For spring cuttings, in mid-March, select robust 1-year-old dormant branches as cuttings. For autumn cuttings, in July to August, select semi-lignified green branches as cuttings. The cuttings should all have a heel, and care should be taken to provide shade. Transplanting in March is most suitable.

Cultivation methods of Buddhist pine

1. Soil: Cultivating Buddhist pine requires slightly acidic culture soil rich in humus, loose and fertile, and with good drainage. In alkaline soil the leaves turn yellow and growth is slow. It is long-lived, able to reach several hundred years, even over a thousand years.

2. Watering: Buddhist pine is not a plant of the pine family and is not drought-tolerant. On the contrary, Buddhist pine is tolerant of shade and moisture, and during the growing season it should be watered regularly, but it should not become waterlogged. In the Shunde area, on sunny summer days it should be watered regularly, generally once in the morning and once in the evening, and the foliage should also be sprayed frequently so that the leaves are fresh green and growth is good. Summer rainfall is usually fairly abundant as well, and Buddhist pine is not tolerant of waterlogging, so care should be taken to prevent prolonged standing water.

3. Sunlight: Buddhist pine is a neutral to shade-leaning tree species. It can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in fairly shaded environments. Although summer temperatures are high and sunlight is intense, since large Buddhist pine trees benefit from high temperatures and strong light for maintaining their tree form and leaf shape, it is not necessary to shade large Buddhist pine trees in summer. However, since Buddhist pine seedlings have tender tissues, they should not be exposed to strong light for long periods, and it is best to place them under tree shade for care.

4. Temperature: Buddhist pine is suitable for pot cultivation in northern regions. When the outdoor temperature is stable at around 10°C, move it outdoors and place it in a sheltered, sunny spot for care, then move it to a semi-shaded spot after summer arrives. In winter, when the temperature does not drop to 5°C, it should be brought indoors. After bringing it indoors, control watering, and it can overwinter safely as long as it does not freeze.

5. Fertilizing: Buddhist pine likes fertilizer and should be given light, frequent applications, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, to which an appropriate amount of black alum can be added and fermented into alum fertilizer water. During the growing season it can be fertilized once every 1 to 2 months, and fertilizing can be done together with watering (water-to-fertilizer ratio of 9:1).

6. Pests: Buddhist pine is mainly harmed by leaf spot disease and anthracnose, which can be sprayed with a 500-fold dilution of 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder. Pests include scale insects, red spiders and bagworms, which can be killed by spraying with a 1500-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.

Precautions for cultivating Buddhist pine

1. During the growing season, it is better for the potting soil of Buddhist pine to be slightly dry. If it is watered too much and the potting soil stays moist for a long time, it will lead to root rot and yellow leaves. In severe cases, a large number of leaves fall off and the plant eventually dies. However, in summer the water requirement is relatively high, so watering should be ample; if the potting soil is too dry, the leaves are prone to scorching.

2. During the growth period, pay attention to pruning and pinching the already formed plants to prevent excessive growth of branches and leaves and to maintain the graceful form of the Buddhist pine. When repotting, take care to prune away excess roots and rotted fibrous roots, and also prune away overly dense branches and excessive-growth branches.

3. In winter, when the outdoor temperature drops to 5°C, it should be moved indoors. After bringing it indoors, control watering and stop fertilizing. Generally, repot once every 2 years, and repotting can be done in either spring or autumn. When repotting, take care to properly prune away excess roots and decayed fibrous roots, and at the same time prune away overly dense branches and add new culture soil.

4. Potted Buddhist pine should usually be placed on a high platform or stone pedestal, as this can reduce ants, earthworms and other insects crawling into the pot through the drainage holes at the bottom and harming the plant.

5. When planting Buddhist pine, make sure the roots are spread out, cover with soil up to 2 cm from the rim of the pot, water thoroughly once, place the pot in a shaded and ventilated place, and let the seedling recover for 7 to 10 days. After the Buddhist pine has revived, move it to a sunny, moist environment, keep the potting soil moist, and let it grow vigorously.

6. The cause of dead leaf tips on Buddhist pine is mostly fungal infection of the shoot tips during hot and rainy seasons. If the Buddhist pine plant grows excessively, with tender tissues, or the seedlings are too dense, with poor ventilation, or wounds form due to sunscald, all of these make it susceptible to infection by pathogens and trigger this disease.