How to cultivate Cornus officinalis? Latest cultivation techniques and methods tutorial

Cornus officinalis, also known as medicinal jujube, cornus flesh, and jujube peel. It belongs to the genus Cornus in the family Cornaceae. It is mainly produced in Zhejiang. It is distributed in Anhui, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Sichuan and other provinces. It is relatively concentrated in the Funiu Mountain area, Tianmu Mountain area, and Qinling Mountains. Its vertical distribution range is 250-1300 m, but growth and development are best at altitudes between 600 and 900 m. The fruit flesh contains 16 kinds of amino acids, and in addition, it contains large amounts of elements essential to the human body. It also contains relatively strong physiologically active components such as saponin protosugar, polysaccharides, malic acid, tartaric acid, phenolics, resin, tannins, and vitamins A and C. Its taste is sour and astringent, and it has effects such as nourishing, strengthening the stomach, promoting urination, tonifying the liver and kidneys, and replenishing qi and blood. It mainly treats conditions such as high blood pressure, soreness and pain of the waist and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, impotence and spermatorrhea, and excessive menstruation.

Plant characteristics

1. Plant characteristics: It is a deciduous tree or small tree, with a tree height of 3-10 m. The leaves are dark green, simple, opposite, ovate or elliptical, 4-12 cm long and 2-6 cm wide, with acuminate apex and cuneate base; the leaf surface is sparsely hairy, while the underside is densely hairy. There are 6-8 pairs of lateral veins. The flowers are bisexual, yellow, in umbel-like inflorescences; each inflorescence consists of 20-30 florets, the umbels are axillary, opening before the leaves, and the flowers are yellow. The drupe is elliptical and dark red when ripe.

2. Brief introduction to varieties: There are Cornus officinalis and Cornus chinensis. Medicinal cultivation is mainly Cornus officinalis. Although there are currently no cultivars, investigations show that economic traits within the species vary significantly, making it easy to breed new cultivars.

Biological characteristics

1. Requirements for growth and development

Fertile soil, deep soil layers, and well-drained loam and sandy soil. Cornus officinalis can overwinter safely in the Beijing area, and mature trees can also overwinter safely in the central and southern Shanxi areas.

2. Requirements for environmental conditions

① Climate: Suitable in areas with an annual average temperature of 8-17.5°C, strong cold resistance, tolerance to brief low temperatures of -18°C, and annual rainfall of 600-1500 mm.

② Terrain: Mostly distributed on shady slopes, semi-shady slopes, and valleys and lower slopes of sunny slopes. It is more commonly cultivated in low mountains at altitudes of 250-800 m.

Propagation methods

1. Sexual propagation

① Seed collection: In autumn when the fruit is ripe, select large, strong fruits, remove the flesh, and wash clean. Because the seed coat is thick and hard, germination must be promoted before sowing.

② Seed treatment. Place the seeds in a 1%-2% lye solution and rub by hand for 3-5 minutes, then add boiling water to scald them, stirring while pouring the boiling water until the seeds are submerged. Let cool for a while, then rub again for 3-5 minutes, afterward soak in cold water for 24 hours, then remove the seeds and spread them on a cement surface to sun for 8 hours. Repeat this for 3 days. When 90% of the seed shells have cracked, mix wet sand and seeds at a ratio of 4:1 and store them in sand.

③ Sowing and raising seedlings. Around the Spring Equinox, pick out the seeds that have already cracked and sprouted and sow them. Before sowing, open shallow furrows about 5 cm deep on the seedbed at a row spacing of 25 cm, evenly scatter the seeds into the furrows, and cover with 3-4 cm of soil. Keep the soil moist; seedlings can emerge in 40-50 days. For 15 hectares, 750-1050 kg of seeds are needed. When the seedlings have 2 true leaves, thin them to a spacing of 7 cm, remove weeds, cultivate in early June, water once before winter, and earth up around the seedling roots so they can overwinter safely.

④ Transplanting. In the second spring, when the seedlings are 60 cm tall, they can be transplanted. Transplanting before shoot growth is best. It is suitable to plant 450-750 plants per hectare; for plots with intercropping, about 300 plants per hectare. After planting, carry out timely maintenance and management. Meeting the requirements for water, fertilizer, light, air, and heat is an important measure to ensure high and stable yields.

2. Asexual propagation

Asexually propagated plants can bear fruit 6-8 years earlier and maintain the characteristics of superior mother trees. Select mother plants with large fruit, abundant fruit, thick flesh, and high peel yield. In low-temperature areas, attention should be paid to selecting late-flowering individual plants so that the flowering period avoids low-temperature and rainy weather.

① Layering propagation. After harvesting fruit in autumn or before the ground thaws and buds sprout, bend 2-3-year-old branches near the ground down to the ground, bury the part cut to 1/3 of the woody stem into soil already treated with decomposed manure, cover with 15 cm of sandy loam, and leave the branch tip exposed above ground. Water frequently. In the second winter or third spring after layering, dig open the soil around the rooted layered part, cut the connection with the mother plant, and plant the rooted seedlings elsewhere.

② Cutting propagation. In mid-to-late May, cut branches from superior plants into 15-20 cm lengths, retain 2-4 leaves on the upper part of the cuttings, and insert them into a seedbed made of mixed humus soil and fine sand, with row spacing and plant spacing of 20 cm × 8 cm, at a depth of 12-16 cm, then cover with 12-16 cm of soil and firm it. Water thoroughly, cover with agricultural film, maintain an air temperature of 26-30°C and relative humidity of 60%-80%, and set up a shade shed above with 25% light transmittance; in mid-June adjust the light transmittance to 10% to avoid strong light exposure. Remove the shade shed before overwintering and water thoroughly. The next year, loosen the soil and pull weeds appropriately, strengthen water and fertilizer management, and lift the seedlings for planting in late autumn and early winter or in early spring of the following year.