Eucalyptus Planting Techniques and Cultivation Management Methods
The farming website has compiled the key cultivation points for eucalyptus, listed below for readers to reference and learn from. 1. Selection of eucalyptus forest land: The afforestation land should be chosen on hills, platforms, plains and lower slopes of low mountains with deep, loose soil, good drainage, relatively high fertility, a slope of less than 25°, and convenient transportation. In addition, eucalyptus has specific requirements for meteorological factors; generally the low temperature should not exceed -5°C, otherwise it is prone to frost damage.
The farming website has compiled the key cultivation points for eucalyptus, listed below for readers to reference and learn from.1. Selection of eucalyptus forest land:
The afforestation land should be chosen on hills, platforms, plains and lower slopes of low mountains with deep, loose soil, good drainage, relatively high fertility, a slope of less than 25°, and convenient transportation. In addition, eucalyptus has specific requirements for meteorological factors; generally the low temperature should not exceed -5°C, otherwise it is prone to frost damage.
2. Clearing of forest land before planting:
Before site preparation for afforestation, grass should be cut and the land burned for clearing, the forest land should be cleared, and stumps of weeds and shrubs and Miscanthus floridulus clumps should be dug out. When burning, attention should be paid to fire prevention and soil and water conservation. After burning, the land should be prepared and holes dug promptly to reduce the loss of ash. Forest land clearing is best completed before July-September of the year preceding afforestation.
3. Eliminating termites in the forest land:
In September-October of the year before afforestation, apply termite-killing agent, placing 225-400 packets per hectare, evenly distributed in a "" (triangle) pattern across the afforestation land, with a somewhat larger amount placed around the edges of the afforestation land. At each placement point, dig a small pit 10-15 cm deep, spread a thin layer of dry grass, place 1-2 packets of the pesticide in their bags, then cover with soil and press firm. The control effect is best when applied on afforestation land that has not yet been prepared. Site preparation should be carried out 1 month after placing the pesticide. If control is not carried out in time before afforestation, the termite-killing agent can also be applied in April of the afforestation year, but carbofuran must be applied to the root zone at planting for protection.
4. Base fertilizer for eucalyptus:
Applying base fertilizer is an important measure for establishing high-yield eucalyptus forests. Because the soil in Fujian Province is generally deficient in phosphorus, a long-acting calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer should be chosen as the base fertilizer, applied about one month before afforestation when backfilling topsoil, with 500 g applied per planting hole.
5. Eucalyptus planting density:
According to density trials and survey analysis, the most suitable afforestation density for eucalyptus is 1650-1800 trees/hm2 (110-120 trees/mu). To make full use of eucalyptus's growth characteristic of favoring side light, a wide-row, narrow-plant configuration is used for spacing, generally with planting holes arranged at 2×3 m.
6. Eucalyptus planting methods and precautions:
(1) To ensure the survival rate of seedlings, it is advocated to raise seedlings on site and plant them on site, so as to avoid damage to seedlings caused by long-distance transport.
(2) Afforestation season: It is best to carry out planting on cloudy days or light rainy days after rain in February-March.
(3) Lifting and transporting seedlings: First-grade seedlings should be selected for planting on the mountain. On the night before loading and transport, spray 0.3% compound fertilizer to wet the containers thoroughly; after arriving at the afforestation site, place them in a shady place. Container seedlings should be soaked or watered thoroughly before being taken up the mountain for planting. Seedlings not used up on the same day should be placed in a shade shed and watered to maintain moisture.
(4) Planting and setting out: When planting, remove the container or plastic film bag. Before tearing the bag, press down firmly on the container with both hands. The bag should be completely torn off and removed; do not tear only the bottom without tearing the sides. When backfilling soil at planting, press firmly from all sides inward; do not press vertically downward, to prevent damaging the container soil.
When planting, be careful not to plant the seedling on top of the base fertilizer, so as to avoid the young seedling roots contacting fertilizer and affecting survival. Next, when planting, also pay attention to spreading the roots and pressing firm, so that the young seedling roots can closely combine with the soil. The planting depth is generally about 2 cm deeper than the original root depth; taller seedlings should be planted appropriately deeper. Do not let the roots curl or hang empty, which would affect survival.
7. Pest control measures for eucalyptus:
The roots and stems of eucalyptus seedlings are tender, and termites, crickets, cutworms and others can all harm them. This is especially serious within 3 months after afforestation. Whether pest control is carried out often becomes the key to the success or failure of afforestation. If pest control is neglected, an entire small sub-compartment may be ruined.
Control methods: First, burning for clearing and removing debris must be thorough; when backfilling topsoil, remove grass roots, especially the roots of Dicranopteris pedata, and pick out all grass roots to cut off the termites' food source. Second, apply carbofuran at the same time as planting (generally not overnight), applying one-third to one-half tablespoon per plant (about 5 g). When applying, pay attention to placing it tightly around the root stem; a wide scattering range actually gives poorer results. Third, according to the termites' activity season, apply termite-killing agent before or after afforestation.
8. Routine management of eucalyptus:
(1) Young forest tending
In the summer and autumn of the afforestation year, weed and loosen the soil 1-2 times, and expand the holes in connected strips, digging to a depth of 30 cm with a strip width of 1.0 m. In the early spring of the following year, carry out weed clearing and soil loosening once more, but take care not to pile weeds at the root stem of the eucalyptus, so as to reduce termite damage.
In the first three months to half a year after afforestation, eucalyptus seedlings are not yet able to compete with weeds and are covered by weeds. Especially for Spring Festival planting, the first two months are precisely the season of vigorous weed growth, so weeding should be carried out promptly once, and by August-September, before the weed seeds mature, weed and loosen the soil once more. In the second year, timely tending should also be carried out 1-2 times, mainly expanding holes, loosening soil and weeding. After two years of tending and management, the young forest can close its canopy.
(2) Topdressing
Timely topdressing is crucial to stand growth. It should be carried out 1-2 months after planting (when seedling height is about 0.7-1.0 m), applying compound fertilizer and urea at 50 g each per plant (it can also be broadcast on rainy days, 50 g each per plant); in July-August apply compound fertilizer and urea at 100 g each per plant; in the early spring of the second year, in combination with hoeing weeds and loosening soil, topdress once more, applying urea and compound fertilizer at 100 g each per hole.
When fertilizing, note the following points: First, fertilize according to site conditions, that is, fertilize according to the forest land soil's nutrient, moisture, texture, air, pH and other characteristics as well as topographic conditions, and remove all weeds before each fertilization. Second, when fertilizing, open a ditch on the rear slope side of the hole and bury the fertilizer deeply, to reduce fertilizer loss. Third, fertilize after rain to accelerate fertilizer dissolution and reduce fertilizer leaching loss. Fourth, poor sites such as ridge tops and the middle and upper parts of slopes should receive more fertilizer, while fertile places such as ditch edges and valleys should receive less.
(3) Tending and thinning
If the cultivation goal is a short-rotation industrial raw material forest, then because of the high management intensity and short technical maturity period, tending and thinning are not needed, but diseased trees and wind-broken trees that appear should be cut and removed promptly. If cultivating large-diameter timber, 1-2 tending thinnings can be arranged, that is, thinning to 70 trees/mu 3-4 years after afforestation, until final cutting after 6-7 years; or carrying out a second thinning and retaining 30-40 trees/mu to cultivate large-diameter timber.
9. Eucalyptus sprout cultivation:
1. Season for sprout regeneration: Eucalyptus can sprout when cut in any season. The best season for sprout regeneration is winter and spring along the southeast coast. Stumps cut in the summer-autumn rainy season have a somewhat lower sprouting rate, and the sprouts grow poorly. Therefore, winter cutting for sprouting is advocated.
2. Sorting sprouts: Timely sorting of sprouts is the key to sprout regeneration. The first sorting of sprouts should be carried out 3-6 months after clear cutting, when the sprouts are 1.5-2 m tall. Because at this time the differentiation between strong and weak is obvious, the method of removing the weak and keeping the strong can be adopted, leaving 3-4 sprouts per stump. After 1-1.5 years of cultivation, carry out a second sorting, finally leaving 1-2 fast-growing, thick sprouts on the southeast side of the stump. When sorting sprouts, density surveys should be combined, and it is suitable to retain 1800-1950 trees per hectare.
3. Tending and fertilizing: To promote rapid growth of sprout forests, earlier canopy closure and higher yields, tending and fertilization should be strengthened. Cutting sites are generally rather compacted, so after cutting and once forest land clearing is completed, the soil should be loosened and tended; this can both loosen the soil and improve aeration, and reduce surface water evaporation, benefiting stump sprouting and forest growth. The second soil loosening and tending in the second year can be combined with fixed-stem selection. Fertilization is best carried out after cutting and before sprouting, using ditch application, applying 1-1.5 kg per plant of phosphate fertilizer or nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer (200-300 kg per hectare); urea can also be applied. If conditions permit, it is best to mix it with organic fertilizer. The best fertilization season is April-July, because during this period the sprouts grow most rapidly, need the most nutrients and absorb them fastest, so fertilization can achieve marked results.
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