Detailed Explanation of Seed Sowing and Seedling Raising Methods and Technical Points for Osmanthus Trees
How to sow seeds and raise seedlings of osmanthus trees? Please advise. Osmanthus is generally propagated by cuttings, while single-trunk osmanthus is mostly propagated by sowing. The following is an introduction: 1. Seed collection. Osmanthus flowers from September to October, and the fruit matures from late March to late April of the following year. When the fruit enters the maturity stage and the peel gradually changes from green to purple-black, it can be collected...
How to sow seeds and raise seedlings of osmanthus trees? Please advise
Osmanthus is generally propagated by cuttings, while single-trunk osmanthus is mostly propagated by sowing. The following is an introduction:
1. Seed collection. Osmanthus flowers from September to October, and the fruit matures from late March to late April of the following year. When the fruit enters the maturity stage and the peel gradually changes from green to purple-black, it can be collected. The collected fruit is piled and fermented for about 3 days. After the peel softens, it is soaked in water and rubbed and washed to remove the peel and pulp, obtaining clean seeds, which are slightly dried and stored in moist sand. Because osmanthus seeds have an after-ripening period, they generally need to be stratified in moist sand to promote germination for 8 months before they can germinate.
2. Seedling raising. The common method is sowing and seedling raising. Sowing and seedling raising can produce a large number of osmanthus seedling plants, suitable for use as street trees. Sowing commonly uses wide-row drilling, with a row spacing of 20 to 25 cm and a width of 10 to 12 cm, sowing 20 kg per mu, and producing 25,000 to 30,000 osmanthus seedlings per mu. Before sowing, the seed hilum should face one side, cover with 1 to 2 cm of fine soil, then cover with a thin layer of rice straw, and spray water until the soil is thoroughly wet, to prevent soil crusting and reduce water evaporation. After the seeds germinate and emerge from the soil, remove the straw in time and place it between the rows, which can both keep the soil moist and prevent weeds from growing.
3. Maintenance techniques. (1) Intertillage and weeding. Focus on loosening the soil and weeding within a tree disc with a diameter of 1 m centered on the main trunk. After irrigation or rainfall, carry out intertillage and soil loosening to prevent soil crusting.
(2) Watering and drainage. Watering of osmanthus is mainly within one month after new planting and in the summer of the planting year. Newly planted osmanthus must be watered thoroughly, and if conditions permit, water should be sprayed on the tree canopy to maintain a certain air humidity. Osmanthus is not tolerant of waterlogging. Drain waterlogging in time or transplant waterlogged plants, and add a certain amount of sand when planting, which can promote new root growth.
(3) Reasonable fertilization. Fertilization should follow the principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently, mainly with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, and medium and large seedlings should be fertilized three to four times a year. In early spring, apply organic fertilizer within the tree disc to promote spring shoot growth. In the early stage of winter, apply inorganic fertilizer or garbage miscellaneous fertilizer. During this period, fertilization can be applied once or twice according to the growth condition of the osmanthus. For newly transplanted osmanthus, topdressing should not be too early. The base fertilizer in the transplanting pit should be mixed evenly with the soil before covering with soil.
(4) Shaping and pruning. ① Bud removal. When sprouting, remove useless buds on the lower part of the main trunk. ② Branch thinning. Maintain a certain clear trunk height and cut off useless branches. Generally, after the osmanthus is mature, the clear trunk height is about 1.5 m. ③ Heading back. Cut off the overgrown top branches so that the height of the osmanthus is maintained at about 3.5 m, with a crown width of 2.5 to 3 m.
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