A Detailed Guide to Selecting and Growing Prunus padus var. pubescens (Mountain Peach Bird Cherry) Seeds

Prunus padus var. pubescens, also called variegated-leaf bird cherry, is widely distributed across Northeast China. It is not demanding about soil and is fairly adaptable, and every part of the plant can be used medicinally, giving it high value. So how do you select Prunus padus var. pubescens seeds? What seedling-growing methods are there? In the article below, the editor will explain them in detail for everyone.

1. How do you select Prunus padus var. pubescens seeds?

Choose purple-leaf bird cherry seeds of the best quality that are plump and fresh. The best seeds for planting are those of Prunus padus var. pubescens that have wide adaptability, strong heat and cold resistance, and can thrive in acidic soil as well as grow in sandy soil.

2. Seedling-growing methods for Prunus padus var. pubescens seeds

1. Seed collection

Select a mother tree with a large yield and robust growth as the seed tree. In early August, when the fruit turns from green to blue-black, it can be collected. After the collected fruit is piled up and softened, rub and wash it, rinse it in clean water to remove the skin and flesh, and spread the resulting pits in a ventilated place to dry, yielding clean seeds.

2. Site selection and land preparation

Choose a loam or sandy loam plot with fertile soil, drainage and irrigation access, and convenient transportation as the seedling plot. In autumn, deep-plow the land to a depth of 25-30cm, and along with the deep plowing apply 2m3 of rotted farmyard manure per mu (667 sq m), then rotary-till to break up the soil.

3. Sowing

Sow from late April to early May. Use ridge planting; if soil moisture is poor, water thoroughly first, sow in a single row along the ridge, cover with 1.5cm of soil, and press to conserve moisture. Sow 10g per linear meter. Keep the sowing layer of soil moist; seedlings begin to emerge 7-10 days after sowing.

4. Field management

(1) Cultivation and weeding

In the sowing year, seedlings are weak competitors against weeds, so cultivate and weed promptly to increase soil permeability; weeding should be done early and while the weeds are small. Depending on conditions, loosen the soil and weed 4-5 times a year, to a loosening depth of 2-3cm. When there are many grassy weeds, chemical herbicides such as quizalofop-p-ethyl, haloxyfop, and fluazifop are more thorough for weed control.

(2) Thinning and transplanting

To ensure seedlings have enough nutritional space to grow, thin once in late June. Thin where dense and fill where sparse, remove small ones and keep large ones, and keep the distribution even, leaving 30-40 seedlings per linear meter. The robust seedlings removed can be transplanted for cultivation; lift and transplant them at once, and when transplanting cut off 1-2 lower leaves of the young seedling to help it survive, then water thoroughly after transplanting.

5. Growing large landscaping seedlings

As a landscaping nursery stock, Prunus padus var. pubescens is generally grown into large seedlings.

6. Later management

Loosening soil and weeding. In the year of planting, loosen the soil and weed promptly. In the second and third years after planting, also pay attention to weed control. Pruning. Starting from the second year after planting, prune the seedlings every year; do spring pruning before the seedlings break dormancy, cutting off all side branches below 2.5m on the trunk, with smooth cuts, without injuring the trunk and leaving scars that affect the ornamental value of the seedling. Thinning. After several years of cultivation, when the seedlings lack growing space, thin them by removing every other plant; the removed seedlings can be used directly for landscaping or moved elsewhere to continue growing into large seedlings.

Alright, that is about all the content the editor wanted to share with everyone today. When selecting Prunus padus var. pubescens seeds, you should still try to choose purple-leaf bird cherry seeds of the best quality that are plump and fresh. In addition, the detailed seedling-growing methods have also been explained to everyone, so you can draw on them as appropriate!

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