How to Grow Osmanthus fragrans 'Jingui'? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods

Osmanthus is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers, an excellent garden tree that combines ornamental, medicinal and culinary uses. As early as more than 2,500 years ago, China already had records of the osmanthus tree. The Classic of Mountains and Seas·Classic of the Southern Mountains mentions that “Mount Zhaoyao abounds in osmanthus.” The Classic of Mountains and Seas·Classic of the Western Mountains mentions that “Mount Gaotu abounds in osmanthus trees.” Qu Yuan's Nine Songs also has the line “We raise the Northern Dipper to pour osmanthus wine; the magnolia carriage is decked with osmanthus banners.” Here we will introduce the cultivation methods for Jingui, one of the osmanthus varieties.

Through long-term cultivation, natural hybridization and artificial selection, osmanthus has produced many cultivated varieties. In China there are mainly four cultivar groups: the Sijigui cultivar group, the Dangui cultivar group, the Jingui cultivar group and the Yingui cultivar group. Among them, Jingui has the highest ornamental value of all osmanthus and was widely cultivated as early as ancient times. Today it is widely distributed in the southern regions of China.

Jingui has strong adaptability and is relatively shade-tolerant. The main cultivation methods are as follows:

1. Soil: Choose a sunny site with deep soil, rich in humus, with good permeability and convenient drainage, and use acidic sandy loam as the cultivation bed.

2. Transplanting: It is best to transplant when the sap has not yet begun to flow or has just begun to flow, generally from early February to early March. When lifting the seedlings, keep as many roots as possible and damage as few roots as possible.

3. Watering: If heavy rain causes water to accumulate in the nursery bed, dig ditches to drain it. In drought, water to combat the drought.

4. Fertilizing: When planting osmanthus, apply sufficient base fertilizer and topdress reasonably. In addition to the base fertilizer, topdress three more times a year, 0.1-0.3 kg each time.

5. Pruning: Properly thin out excessively dense outer branches, and cut off water sprouts and diseased or pest-infested branches to improve the plant's ventilation and light penetration.

6. Disease control: Osmanthus brown spot, osmanthus blight and osmanthus anthracnose are common leaf diseases of osmanthus. After disease appears, apply chemical sprays for treatment as early as possible.

These are the key points to note in cultivating Jingui. Jingui generally blooms in autumn, with flowers ranging from lemon yellow to pale golden yellow, and a very rich fragrance that carries for miles. Friends who love osmanthus must be patient when planting it; when the flowering season comes, you can enjoy the osmanthus under the moon, with fragrant blossoms and fat crabs.