A Detailed Guide to Harvesting and Growing Staghorn Sumac Seeds

Staghorn sumac, also known as deerhorn sumac, is native to Europe and America and belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, genus Rhus; it is a deciduous small tree. Staghorn sumac is mainly planted in southern Northeast China, North China and northern Northwest China. It has a graceful shape, with green leaves in spring and summer that turn red after autumn, and large stands of it look like a vast sea of fire, a truly spectacular sight with high landscape value. So how are staghorn sumac seeds harvested? What seedling-growing methods are there? Let's take a look together below.

1. How are staghorn sumac seeds harvested?

The fruiting period of staghorn sumac is usually in early September in autumn. After the fruit ripens, select mother trees with good growth for picking. Take the seeds out of the fruit, and after collecting them carry out a series of operations such as air-drying and fine selection. Finally, place the dried seeds in a dry, cool place and store them with ventilation to avoid dampness and mildew. Before sowing, you must also prevent pests and diseases caused by insect and rodent feeding, to ensure the quality of the seeds.

Before sowing, the seeds need a series of careful treatments, because staghorn sumac seeds are small, and the seed coat has red needle-like hairs and is hard and waxy, so sprouts find it very difficult to break through, which lowers the germination rate.

2. What seedling-growing methods are there for staghorn sumac?

1. Land preparation

For a nursery site suitable for staghorn sumac seedlings to survive, preparing the land in early to mid-March is most appropriate; it needs deep plowing and fine harrowing, and weeds must be hoed out to avoid loss of nutrients. To ensure the soil is fertile, sufficient base fertilizer must be applied during land preparation: about 3t of decomposed organic fertilizer and 30-50kg of compound fertilizer.

2. Sowing and growing seedlings

Generally, staghorn sumac nursery beds are mainly low beds, 10-15cm below the path, oriented north-south to favor sunlight, 1.2m wide, with length not specifically stipulated and determined by the terrain. From late March to early April, the temperature and humidity are suitable, which favors sowing. Before sowing, the seedbed needs to be given enough bottom water to ensure humidity. After the water seeps deep into the seedbed, use a 30cm row spacing as the standard and open furrows along a line. Prepare 6-7kg per mu of seed-sand, stir it evenly and then broadcast it sparsely, to prevent the seed density from being too high or too low and lowering the seedling emergence rate. After sowing, gently press and cover with a layer of level, thin soil 1.5-2cm deep, and cover with plastic film, which warms and retains moisture for the seeds. To prevent the seedlings from drowning, drainage ditches must also be opened around the seedbed. It is especially important to note that before the seeds germinate their water requirement is already sufficient; watering again will cause the seeds to drown and rot. Usually after 2-3 weeks, the seedlings have basically all emerged.

3. Thinning and final singling of seedlings

The planting density of staghorn sumac seedlings needs to be moderately increased, because their main and lateral stems often lean to one side, and without corresponding support the seedlings will topple and die. When the seedlings grow 2-3 true leaves, carry out the first thinning; when the seedlings grow until the leaves overlap each other, carry out the second thinning, following the principle of keeping the good and removing the weak, removing seedlings that are poorly developed, affected by pests or diseases, mechanically damaged, or too densely packed, and keeping the superior ones. Inspect the seedlings visually at a plant spacing of 7-8cm; if the spacing is too large or too small, replanting is needed, and to avoid the seedlings dying of drought from lack of water, it is best to do this on a cloudy day or in the evening.

The above is an introduction to staghorn sumac. Staghorn sumac is easy to propagate, and the propagation types are usually divided into 3 kinds: seed propagation, root-sucker propagation and root-burying propagation, among which seed propagation is widely used in production because of its low chance of pests and diseases. Besides its ornamental value, the leaves, fruit, bark, seeds and wood of staghorn sumac all have very wide uses.

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