How to Plant Lacebark Pine Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) is a tree species endemic to China, also known as white-bone pine, three-needle pine, white-fruit pine, etc. It is light-loving, tolerant of poor soil and relatively dry, cold climates, and grows well in cool climates on deep, fertile, moist calcareous and loess soils. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings and grafting, but in actual production seed propagation is commonly used. Let's take a look below at how to plant lacebark pine seeds!
Seed Propagation of Lacebark Pine
Before sowing, lacebark pine seeds should be stratified in sand for 60 days or soaked in warm water to promote germination. Sow on raised beds; the bed surface must not accumulate water. After sowing, cover with plastic film to raise soil temperature and conserve moisture. Germination and emergence occur in about 15 to 20 days. Once the seedlings are uniform, remove the film immediately, and at the same time scatter a layer of sawdust between the rows, which can conserve moisture and prevent mud from splashing up and coating the seedlings during watering. The bed soil must not be too wet, to avoid damping-off disease. In the first year the seedlings reach 5 to 7 cm in height and have poor cold resistance, so in northern seedling nurseries they should be covered with soil for winter protection. If conditions permit, it is best to set up a shade frame for one month after emergence to prevent high-temperature sunscald. Because mice love to eat pine nuts, before building the arched frame and covering with film, scatter some rat poison on the bed surface.
Transplanting Lacebark Pine Seedlings
Lacebark pine seedlings grow slowly and are best planted densely. If larger, more mature saplings are to be cultivated further, they must go through 2 to 3 more transplants before final planting. Two-year-old seedlings can be transplanted with soil in early spring before the terminal buds begin to swell, at a spacing of 20 to 60 cm, without damaging the terminal buds; water twice in succession after planting, then water again after 6 to 7 days. Four- to five-year-old seedlings can undergo a second transplant with a soil ball, at a spacing of 60 to 120 cm. After they have established, keep the soil around the roots loose, apply 100 to 120 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per plant, water thoroughly after covering with soil, and then strengthen management to promote growth and cultivate strong saplings.
Seedling-Stage Management of Lacebark Pine
1. Reasonable watering: Once the lacebark pine seedlings have all emerged, gradually increase the ventilation time of the seedbed and harden the seedlings to enhance their resistance. The seedlings are relatively shade-tolerant, so after removing the film, shade netting should be put up at once to prevent high-temperature sunscald and damping-off. During long droughts without rain or high summer temperatures, water promptly.
2. Weeding and loosening the soil: For weed control in lacebark pine, follow the principle of removing weeds early, while small, and completely. Pull weeds between plants by hand to avoid damaging the seedlings. After weeding broadcast-sown seedlings, cover lightly with soil to prevent cracks; for drill-sown seedlings, carry out weeding and soil loosening together, and thin and fill in seedlings at the same time, then drain promptly.
3. Timely fertilizing: For lacebark pine seedlings, base fertilizer should be the mainstay, with topdressing as a supplement. From mid-May to the end of July, during the peak growth period, apply topdressing 2 to 3 times, mainly nitrogen fertilizer: apply 3 dan of decomposed human or pig manure per mu, mixed with about 20 dan of water; 5 to 15 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer per mu made into about 15 dan of cake fertilizer water; and about 4 kg of urea per mu. In the later growth stage, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer and increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote lignification of the saplings; a 0.3% to 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can also be sprayed on the leaves.