Eucalyptus Planting Technical Tutorial: Detailed Explanation of the Latest Planting Methods
Eucalyptus belongs to the Myrtaceae family, genus Eucalyptus, and is an evergreen plant. Its aliases include white diesel tree, mang tree, Youjiali, large-leaf eucalyptus, large-leaf eucalypt, oil eucalypt, Jiali tree, large-leaf eucalyptus, etc. Eucalyptus is native to Australia and is one of the world's three famous fast-growing tree species (poplar, pine, eucalyptus). At present, more than 90 countries and regions across the world's five continents have widely introduced it, and the planted area accounts for about 1/3 of the world's plantation area.
Eucalyptus Planting Characteristics
1. Strong adaptability: Eucalyptus likes a warm climate, but it is not tolerant of humid heat, and growth is poor when the climate is too hot; eucalyptus likes light, and even slight shading can affect its growth rate; eucalyptus is not very cold-resistant and can only tolerate short periods of low temperature around -7°C. If exposed to -5°C for 2-3 days, it will suffer varying degrees of cold damage; in mild cases, small branches die, and in severe cases, the whole plant dies; eucalyptus likes fertile, moist acidic soil.
2. Fast growth: Eucalyptus is the fastest-growing tree species in the world. During the peak growth season, it can grow 3 cm taller in 1 day, 1 m taller in a month, and up to 10 m taller in a year.
3. Few pests and diseases: Because eucalyptus is an introduced tree species, its history of large-scale planting in China is not long, so there have still been few large-scale outbreaks of pests and diseases, much better than the situation with poplar. However, in recent years, the situation of pests and diseases has shown a trend of expansion and development.
4. Very short rotation period: The rotation period of Norway spruce plantations in Northern Europe is 70 years. The rotation period of masson pine plantations in China is 20-25 years, and the rotation period of Chinese fir is 15-20 years. In contrast, the rotation period of eucalyptus plantations in the southern provinces is 5-7 years, and in the Leizhou Peninsula in particular, some are even shortened to 3-4 years.
5. Wide range of uses: Eucalyptus wood is red, glossy, has no special odor, interlocked grain, dense structure, hard and heavy material, and is easy to bend, making it extremely suitable as material for bentwood. It can be used for furniture, flooring, turnery, tool handles, and farm tools, etc. Its fiber is a good raw material for papermaking, and small-diameter timber has a high calorific value and can be used as fuel, so its uses are extremely wide.
Planting Environment Requirements
Eucalyptus has strong adaptability and can also grow in poor, thin soil. But only under suitable soil conditions can it give play to its fast-growing characteristics.
1. Soil: Eucalyptus likes fertilizer, and generally requires deep, loose, fertile red soil or brick-red soil, and grows well when the soil is neutral or slightly acidic.
2. Light: Eucalyptus is a light-loving tree species, and throughout its growth period it needs strong sunlight to grow well; growth on sunny slopes is better than on shady slopes.
3. Altitude: For mountain afforestation, altitude must also be considered. For every 100 m increase in altitude, the temperature drops by 0.6°C, so cold resistance must be considered; generally the altitude should not exceed 350 m.
4. Temperature: Eucalyptus is not suitable for planting where the annual extreme temperature is below -5°C.
Eucalyptus Field Planting Techniques
Common eucalyptus tree species planting density (plant spacing × row spacing): Eucalyptus camaldulensis clone 1.5 m × 3 m, 148 plants per mu; Eucalyptus dunnii, Eucalyptus saligna 2 m × 3 m, 117 plants per mu or 3 m × 3 m, 89 plants per mu.
The best month for eucalyptus field planting is February to June each year. Eucalyptus planted during this period has a high survival rate and vigorous forest growth.