Key Points of Eucommia ulmoides Cultivation Techniques and Planting Management Methods
This article introducesEucommia ulmoides'scultivation techniques, including three aspects: site selection and land preparation, planting methods, and field management, as follows:
I. Site Selection and Land Preparation
Select a sunny gentle slope with deep, loose and fertile soil, acidic to slightly alkaline soil, and good drainage. Deeply plow the soil, rake it level, and dig holes at a spacing of 2-2.5 m × 3 m, 30 cm deep and 80 cm square. Apply 2.5 kg of farmyard manure, 0.2 kg of cake fertilizer, 0.2 kg of bone meal or superphosphate, and burnt soil ash, etc. into each hole, mix well with the hole soil, and set aside for planting. For the seedbed, break up the soil finely, rake it level, and make wide beds 1.2 m wide.
II. Planting Methods
Propagation can be done by seeds, cuttings, layering, and grafting. In production, seed propagation is the main method.
（1）Seed Propagation It is advisable to select fresh, plump, yellow-brown glossy seeds and sow them in winter from November to December or in spring from February to March when the monthly average temperature reaches above 10°C. Generally, warm regions are suitable for winter sowing, while cold regions can sow in autumn or spring to meet the low-temperature conditions required for seed germination. Seeds should not be dried, so it is best to sow them while fresh. If spring sowing is needed, the seeds should be stratified after collection, with a seed-to-moist-sand ratio of 1:10. Alternatively, before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water at 20°C for 2-3 days, changing the water 1-2 times a day. After the seeds swell, take them out, dry them slightly, and sow, which can increase the germination rate. Drill sowing, with a row spacing of 20-25 cm, using 8-10 kg of seeds per mu. After sowing, cover with grass and keep the soil moist to facilitate seed germination. After the seedlings emerge, remove the covering grass on cloudy days. Each mu can produce 30,000-40,000 seedlings.
（2）Softwood Cutting Propagation At the turn of spring and summer, cut one-year-old softwood branches into 5-6 cm long cuttings, insert them into the seedbed to a depth of 2-3 cm. At a soil temperature of 21-25°C, roots can form after 15-30 days. If the cuttings are treated with 50 mg/kg naphthaleneacetic acid for 24 hours, the survival rate of the cuttings can reach over 80%.
（3）Root Cutting PropagationWhen seedlings are lifted from the nursery, prune the seedling roots, take roots with a diameter of 1-2 cm, cut them into 10-15 cm long root segments, and carry out cuttings. The thicker end should be slightly exposed above the ground. New shoots can sprout below the cut surface, and the seedling formation rate can reach over 95%.
（4）Layering PropagationIn spring, select strong branches and press them into the soil to a depth of 15 cm. When the tillering shoots grow to 7-10 cm high, mound soil and firm it. After 15-30 days, new roots can develop at the base of the tillering shoots. Dig them up in late autumn or the following spring, separate the tillering shoots one by one, and they can be planted out.
（5）Grafting Propagation Use two-year-old seedlings as rootstock, select one-year-old branches from superior mother trees as scions, and cleft-graft them onto the rootstock in early spring. The survival rate can reach over 90%.
III. Field Management
（1）Seedling Stage Management After the seeds germinate, pay attention to cultivating and weeding, watering, and fertilizing. Seedlings are sensitive to strong sunlight and should be properly shaded. In the dry season, spray irrigation should be carried out in time to prevent drought, and in the rainy season, attention should be paid to preventing waterlogging. Combine cultivating and weeding with topdressing 4-5 times, applying 1-1.5 kg of urea per mu each time, or 3,000-4,000 kg of decomposed dilute manure. If the trunk of a seedling is crooked, the entire aboveground part can be removed along the ground in early spring to promote new branches, from which one strong, vigorous, straight new branch is selected as the new trunk, and all the rest are removed.
（2）Planting Out When 1-2-year-old seedlings are over 1 m tall, they can be planted out after leaf fall until before bud break the following spring. According to the above row and plant spacing, plant 1 seedling per hole. Young trees grow slowly, so tending should be strengthened. Cultivating and weeding should be carried out every spring and summer, combined with fertilization. In autumn or the following spring, basal branches should be removed in time, and crossing and overly dense branches should be pruned. Adult trees should also be topdressed as appropriate. In northern regions, stop fertilizing in August to avoid excessive late growth that reduces cold resistance.
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