How to Propagate Finger Citron? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Propagation Methods

Finger citron is a plant that grows in the subtropics. It likes a warm and humid growing environment. Finger citron is both a Chinese medicinal herb and an ornamental plant, but it usually appears before people in the form of traditional Chinese medicine, because its appearance is very strange. Some people also use it as an ornamental plant, and the number of people growing finger citron has been increasing in recent years. So below, Shuai Shuai will introduce to everyone how finger citron is propagated!

There are many propagation methods for finger citron, including cuttings, grafting and other propagation methods, so below they will be explained one by one.

1. Cutting Propagation

1. Preparation for Cuttings

First, select several good branches with relatively good growth and few pests and diseases, cut off the leaves and the tender shoot tips of the branches, and keep only simple cuttings. The survival rate of cutting propagation is generally above 90 percent, and the seedlings can also grow relatively well.

2. Land Preparation

The seedbed for planting should choose sandy soil with thick soil. Choosing this kind of soil is very helpful for taking out seedlings later. First increase the fertility of the land; splashing manure water from humans and livestock is also acceptable, and then the next step is to make the beds.

3. Planting Season

Choose the planting season in February or March, or in August or September in autumn. Cutting in autumn is the best, but if autumn is chosen, the cuttings can take root in the same year, and by the next year they will sprout.

4. Cutting

When cutting, the first thing to do is open horizontal ditches on the beds, keeping the distance between ditches at about 25 cm, then after calculating the plant spacing, insert them directly into the ditches. Note that they absolutely must not be inserted upside down. After inserting, press the soil firmly.

5. Seedling Stage Management

After inserting, water regularly, then do a good job of shading. When there is a lot of rain, drain water in time, do a good job of weeding, and after about one year of cultivation they can be transplanted.

2. Grafting Propagation

1. Cultivation

Grafting can use the approach grafting method or the side cleft grafting method. The specific steps of the two methods can be searched online. During cultivation, it should be determined according to the age of the tree and whether its growth is good or poor. In the first three years, fertilization uses quick-acting organic fertilizer. After entering the full fruiting stage, topdressing can be done three times a year, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer or compound fertilizer can be applied during the young fruit stage and the fruit harvesting stage.

2. Land Preparation and Field Planting

Field planting can be carried out in spring and autumn. Because the temperature will rise again in February, it is relatively good for the germination of new buds. First deal with the drainage ditches around the area, then dig holes according to a plant and row spacing of 3 m. After the holes are dug, carry out field planting on each hole.

3. Field Management

Intertillage and weeding should be carried out every year. Topdressing is done in three applications. First is spring fertilizer, applying topdressing once before finger citron buds appear, then topdressing around the summer solstice, and the last topdressing in October to November. Winter topdressing is the most important.

4. Clearing the Orchard

Because there are a great many fallen leaves and residual branches in winter, we should sweep and clean them. Diseased branches and diseased leaves should be cleaned up frequently to ensure there is no re-infection from the source of disease.

The above is how finger citron is propagated. The editor suggests everyone choose cutting propagation, because compared with grafting, the survival rate of cutting propagation is much higher, and field management is also somewhat more convenient. I hope this article can help everyone. To learn more information related to finger citron, please continue to follow Qinong Net!