How Much Do Cypress Seeds Cost? A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods
Cypress is an excellent landscaping tree species, a general term for evergreen trees of the Cupressaceae family, including Platycladus, Juniperus, Chamaecyparis, and other genera. It is now widely cultivated as an ornamental tree and is extremely widely distributed in China, from Inner Mongolia and Jilin in the north to Guangdong and northern Guangxi in the south, covering almost the entire country. Let's take a look together below at cypress seed prices and planting methods!
How much does a jin of cypress seeds cost?
The price of cypress seeds is about 50-70 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin, and market conditions. Cypress seeds are ovate, slightly pointed at the top, rounded at the base, grayish-brown to purplish-brown, with slight 3 ridges, wingless or with extremely narrow wings. They usually mature around October to November, are sun-dried and stored, strictly protected from moisture, and can be kept for about 2 years. In spring, soak the seeds in warm water at 50-55°C for about 1 hour before sowing, and they will germinate in about 2 weeks.
How are cypress seeds collected?
1. Seed collection time: For cypress, select 20-50 year old trees as mother trees. The seed maturation period is around October to November. When the cone scales change from green to yellow-green and the cone scales crack slightly, seeds should be collected immediately.
2. Collection method: After the cypress cones mature, promptly clear away the miscellaneous shrubs and stones under the crown. Usually the knocking-down method is used for seed collection. After the cones are knocked down, simply gather them with a broom.
3. Seed cleaning: After the cypress cones are brought back, sun-dry them on the ground for 3-5 days. When the cone scales crack open, lightly tap the cone scales and the seeds will fall out. Then remove the cone scales, impurities, and empty grains, and store after drying in the shade.
How are cypress seeds planted?
1. Land preparation and fertilization: For cypress seedling beds, choose flat terrain with good drainage and relatively fertile sandy loam or light loam. At the same time, combine with deep plowing in autumn, apply 2500-5000 kg of farmyard manure per mu, turn the manure into the soil, and then rake and level the ground.
2. Seed disinfection: Cypress seeds have many empty grains. First perform water selection and remove the floating empty grains, then soak the seeds in 0.3-0.5% copper sulfate solution for 1-2 hours or in 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 2 hours for seed disinfection, and then carry out seed germination.
3. Germination treatment: After disinfecting cypress seeds, soak them in warm water at 45°C for 24 hours, then remove them and spread them out to dry on a mat in a sheltered, sunny place. Turn and air them frequently, rinse with warm water 1-2 times a day, and after 5-6 days, when 1/3 of the seeds have split open, they can be sown.
4. Sowing time: Because of climate differences in different regions, the sowing time for cypress seeds also varies, but sowing should be done early at the appropriate time according to local weather conditions. For example, in North China it is mid to late March, in the Northwest it is late March to early April, while in the Northeast mid to late April is best.
5. Seed sowing: Before sowing cypress seeds, irrigate thoroughly with bottom water, then use a hand-pushed seeding roller or manually open furrows for drilling. When sowing, the furrow depth should be consistent and the seeds should be distributed evenly. After sowing, cover with soil promptly. In arid and windy sandy areas, if conditions permit, cover with grass after covering with soil.
6. Seedling stage management: Cypress seeds generally begin to germinate and emerge about 10 days after sowing, with the peak emergence period at about 20 days. The nursery germination rate can reach 70-80%. To help the seeds germinate and emerge, the soil in the seed layer is often kept moist.
7. Seedling transplanting: Cypress seedlings are mostly ready to leave the nursery after two years and are transplanted the following spring. Sometimes, in order to cultivate large landscaping seedlings, 2-3 transplantings are still needed to develop large seedlings with well-developed root systems, balanced growth, and elegant crown shapes before leaving the nursery for planting.