Ginkgo Cutting Propagation Methods and Techniques Explained in Detail

Ginkgo is a fairly common nursery plant with many uses. The common propagation methods for ginkgo are cuttings, division, grafting and sowing. Here we introduce the fairly common cutting propagation method for you.

Ginkgo

Cutting propagation Cutting propagation can be divided into hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings. Hardwood cuttings are suitable for propagating seedlings for large-scale landscaping, while softwood cuttings are suitable for propagating small numbers of seedlings for households or garden units. Hardwood cuttings are generally taken in spring from March to April, from stock plants in a finished nursery or by selecting high-quality 1- to 2-year-old branches from large trees, cut into 15 cm to 20 cm long cuttings, with the upper cut made smooth and round and the lower cut shaped like a horse's ear. After cutting, tie every 50 cuttings into a bundle, rinse them clean with fresh water, then soak them for 1 hour in 100 ppm ABT rooting powder, and insert them into fine yellow sand or loose seedbed soil. After planting, water thoroughly and keep the soil moist; roots will form in about 40 days. After they survive, carry out normal management, and they can be transplanted in the spring of the second year. Softwood cuttings are taken from late May to mid-June, cutting shoots from around the root zone of the ginkgo or from branches that have not yet become woody (the cuttings are about 2 cm long, with 2 leaves retained). After inserting them into a container, place it in diffused light and change the water about every 3 days until callus tissue grows, then they can be transplanted into yellow sand or seedbed soil. However, around midday on sunny days they must be shaded, and the leaf surface should be misted 2 to 3 times. Once they survive, move on to normal management.

How to propagate ginkgo by cuttings

The time for ginkgo cutting propagation

Ginkgo can be propagated by cuttings in both spring and autumn.

For cuttings in spring, you can choose tender branches of the current year. Generally, choose newly sprouted branches on the ginkgo plant, and once they have grown to a length suitable for cuttings, take them off and use them for cuttings.

If taking cuttings in autumn, you can choose mature branches of the current year. At this time, the newly grown branches of the year have basically developed fully, so you can choose branches of a suitable length as cuttings.

Selection of cuttings for ginkgo cutting propagation

When growing ginkgo, you need to choose branches with terminal buds for cuttings. Generally, cut them into branches with 3-5 nodes, with a length between 10-15 cm.

Ginkgo cuttings root rather slowly, so you can dip the part of the cutting that is to root in rooting powder to increase the survival rate of the cuttings.

Ginkgo cutting method

Put an appropriate amount of soil in the cutting container, but do not fill it too full; generally 6-8 parts full is enough. Keep the soil moist. After inserting the cuttings into the soil, place them in a semi-shaded spot for care, which is good for root growth.

Generally, with autumn cuttings, after about 4 weeks you can see adventitious roots growing from the base of the cuttings, and ginkgo cuttings that were soaked in rooting agent beforehand have more new roots and also a higher survival rate.

For ginkgo propagated by cuttings in spring, the surviving plants can be moved into round pots with a diameter of 7.5 cm. For ginkgo propagated by cuttings in autumn, transplanting can be done in the spring of the following year before new leaves sprout.

Introduction to the four major propagation methods of ginkgo trees

Image: Ginkgo grafting method

[Common question] What propagation methods are there for ginkgo trees?

[Expert answer]

1. Propagation by sowing

After harvesting the seeds in autumn, remove the outer seed coat, dry the seeds with the mesocarp still attached, and they can be sown in winter of the same year or in spring of the following year (if sown in spring, they must first be stratified with sand to promote germination). When sowing, place the seed embryo horizontally in the sowing furrow, then cover with 3-4 cm of soil and press firm. The seedlings can grow to 15-25 cm tall in the same year, and after leaf fall in autumn they can be transplanted. It must be noted that propagation by sowing requires establishing a dedicated nursery. The nursery should be chosen in a place with higher terrain, good drainage, sufficient water sources and convenient irrigation, and at the same time it must be carefully cultivated, with the ground leveled, sufficient base fertilizer applied, and attention paid to controlling underground pests. The sowing quantity depends on the size of the ginkgo nuts; generally about 25 kg is sown per 667 sq m, which can produce 15,000-20,000 seedlings. The sowing row spacing is 20-30 cm and the plant spacing is 10 cm; either bed sowing or furrow sowing is acceptable. When opening furrows for sowing, first water the bottom, then place the ginkgo nuts on their sides in the furrow. If they have already sprouted, place the sprout tip downward, then cover with about 3 cm of soil, and then cover with a layer of plastic film to maintain moisture and temperature. When the embryo emerges from the soil, ventilate appropriately and gradually uncover the film. After June, shading should be carried out where conditions permit. In the first year the ginkgo seedlings are tender and weak, so it is not suitable to apply excessive chemical fertilizer; master the principle of light and dilute fertilizer application. If heavy rain occurs, drain water promptly and loosen the soil at the right time.

2. Propagation by tillering

The roots of large trees easily produce large numbers of suckers. If allowed to grow naturally for many years, they can form the ginkgo garden landscape known as "embracing a child in the bosom." If the root suckers are cut off to propagate seedlings, it not only saves seeds but also grows quickly and flowers and fruits earlier.

Tillering propagation can use two methods: one is to use the original root suckers and cut them off for propagation. The second is to dig a trench to cut the roots and stimulate new suckers for propagation.

Using the original root suckers and cutting them off for propagation is the simplest method. Every year in July and August, first carry out ring-barking at the base of the root sucker stem, then mound soil over it. After more than 1 month, new roots will emerge from the ring-barked area, and in the spring of the second year they can be cut off from the mother plant and directly planted in place. To dig a trench and cut the roots to stimulate new suckers, do this in autumn. At that time, in a suitable place near a large ginkgo tree, dig a ring-shaped trench 50 cm deep and 50 cm wide, cut the lateral roots, then fill it back with soil mixed with fertilizer, and after 1 year of growth they can be cut off to form new seedlings. Small seedlings propagated from tillers can be directly planted in place without further cultivation in the nursery. Therefore, although it is called tiller seedling raising, it is in fact tiller planting in place.

3. Cutting propagation

(1) Hardwood cuttings Generally, from March to April in spring, cut vigorous, well-developed 1- or 2-year-old branches from the mother plant, cut them into cuttings 10-15 cm long, and insert them into fine yellow sand or loose soil. After planting, water thoroughly and keep the soil moist; roots will form in about 40 d. After they survive, carry out normal management. They can be transplanted in the spring of the second year. This method is suitable for large-scale landscaping seedling propagation, etc.

(2) Softwood cuttings In early July, take semi-lignified branches of the current year, cut them into cuttings with two buds per section or three buds per section, soak them in 100 mg/kg ABT rooting powder, then insert them into an air-permeable sandy soil seedbed. Pay attention to shading and maintain air humidity, and after roots develop, transplant with soil attached.

4. Grafting propagation

Grafting propagation is the main propagation method in ginkgo cultivation. It can advance fruiting and make the plant dwarfed, full and high-yielding.

Grafting is generally carried out from mid-March to early April using methods such as side branch grafting, bark grafting or cut grafting. Scions are mostly selected from 20- to 30-year-old plants with strong growth and vigorous fruiting. Generally, branches 3-4 years old with about 4 short shoots are selected as scions, and each plant is generally grafted with 3-5 branches. After grafting, fruiting begins in 5-8 years.

[Editor's comments] Ginkgo can be propagated by many methods. The most commonly used are mainly sowing for seedlings, cutting for seedlings and division propagation, and it can also be propagated by grafting. These four methods are the most common ways to propagate ginkgo. You can also adopt the method of horizontal planting to propagate seedlings from seedlings to speed up seedling propagation, and using laboratory tissue culture is also a way to promote propagation.