Detailed Explanation of Podocarpus Sowing Propagation and Potted Management Techniques
Propagation mostly uses sowing and cuttings.
Sowing
Podocarpus seeds should not be stored for long; they should be sown immediately after collection, or stratified in sand in a cool place and sown in March of the following year. Before sowing, loosen the soil, rake it level, firm it, and water it. After the water has seeped down, scatter the seeds. After collection, first soak the seeds in water for 4-5 days, and once they have fully absorbed water and swollen, sow them at a row spacing of 20 cm and a plant spacing of 10 cm. Cover with fine soil 1—2cm thick. After sowing, cover with grass to retain moisture, keep the seedbed moist, and set up a shade frame. The seedlings emerge in 8-10 days; after emergence, remove the covering grass and shade immediately, never exposing them to direct sun. After emergence, cultivate and weed, and take care to protect against freezing after winter begins; they can be transplanted after one year.
Cuttings
Done in the 3 seasons of spring, summer and autumn, and the cuttings must have nodes. Spring cuttings are done in early March, selecting the tender, not-yet-matured and hardened part of healthy 1-year-old shoots as cuttings. Summer cuttings are done in June; break off the tender branches, and to ensure survival, it is best to cut and insert the cuttings immediately (in the morning). When inserting, remove the lower needles (half the length of the cutting), loosen the soil, rake it level, make beds, water, and at any time use an iron rake to work it into mud, then insert the branches into the soil to a depth of 5—6cm. Water once after insertion. Spray water once a day after insertion. Autumn cuttings are done in July—August, using semi-lignified tender branches as cuttings. Regardless of spring, summer or autumn cuttings, the seedbed must have a shade frame, and the shade can only be removed after September; when overwintering, cover with 3—4cm of horse manure or grass manure for cold protection. After the cuttings survive, do not rush to pot them up; it is best to continue caring for them in the sand bed for 6-8 months, and when the seedlings reach 5-8 cm, apply a dilute fertilizer once a week, applying 1% compound fertilizer to the soil and spraying 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves to strengthen the seedlings. Once a relatively well-developed new root system has been grown, pot them up the following spring. At this time spring returns to the earth and all things revive, so the transplant survival rate is very high.
Cultivation Management
The growth habit of Podocarpus is that it likes warmth and sunlight, but it grows best in semi-shade, humid environments and in loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil, and it is slightly cold-tolerant. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, large-leaf Podocarpus can overwinter in the open ground, while small-leaf and rice-leaf Podocarpus need to overwinter in a sunny, wind-sheltered spot. Otherwise they are easily frozen to death or their leaves are frostbitten. Transplanting is most suitable in March of spring. When transplanting, small seedlings need to keep their native soil, and large seedlings need a soil ball; they can also be potted. For courtyard planting, apply fertilizer once a year; potted Podocarpus should not use a large pot, and fertilizer should not be applied too much, so as to avoid excessive growth. Every few days, spray water on the tree once to wash the branches and leaves and keep the potting soil at half moisture. Potted plants displayed indoors should be moved outdoors every 3—4 days to get some sunlight; if kept indoors for too long, the leaves will turn yellow and even fall off. Potted plants overwintering in a greenhouse should be moved out when the outdoor temperature is stable at 10°C; in summer they should not be exposed to strong sun under high temperatures and need to be placed in semi-shade. After being brought indoors in winter, watering should be controlled. After leveling the ground, scatter 0.5% carbofuran and 50% carbendazim wettable powder to disinfect the soil and eliminate underground pests and diseases.
Potted Key Points:
① Prepare the cutting soil: Put the prepared growing medium into a seedling pot, and after exposure to sunlight and drying, every so often turn it with a trowel and water once (either 10 days or 1 month is fine). Over time the potting soil becomes both loose and well-settled, with good fertilizer and water retention, very suitable for the growth of general species with fine, weak roots.
② Do not damage roots when transplanting: Before planting, first loosen the potting soil with a small trowel, and scoop out one third of the growing medium for later use. Then take out the Podocarpus cutting seedling, gently shake off excess sandy soil, place the intact root system together with the plant into the pot, add part of the growing medium scooped from the original pot and water to set it upright, then spray water so that the soil and roots settle and bind smoothly, maintaining a good granular structure. This is exactly the key step for the plant's initial survival after planting.
③ Light fertilizer and frequent care: After the cutting seedlings are transplanted and potted, use a watering can for daily watering, and after 30 days apply one dilute fertilizer solution. Usually, through inspection and patrolling, problems are discovered and the amount of fertilizer and water supplied is flexibly controlled. In general, apply more to strong seedlings and less or none to weak seedlings. They should be placed in a spot with good light and ventilation to provide the plants with a good growing ecological environment, so as to achieve the goal of one plant surviving for every one planted.
How to grow potted Podocarpus and the propagation methods of Podocarpus
Podocarpus is also called Luohanshan, money pine, Luohan cypress, etc. It is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Podocarpus in the family Podocarpaceae, with extremely high potted ornamental value. Its tree posture is verdant and elegant, ancient and vigorous, and its leaf color is fresh green in all four seasons, giving a sense of strength and purity. If combined with rocks to create an eagle-claw-embracing-rock posture, it is even more antique and unique. Now let us take a look at how to grow potted Podocarpus!
The Growth Habits of Podocarpus
Podocarpus is produced in China's Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces and regions, and is cultivated in courtyards as an ornamental tree; wild trees are very few. It likes a warm and humid climate, has weak cold tolerance, strong shade tolerance, and likes well-drained, moist sandy loam. It has strong adaptability to soil and can even survive on saline-alkali soil. It has relatively strong resistance to various polluting gases such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen oxides, and strong resistance to pests and diseases.
Propagation Methods of Podocarpus
1. Sowing: Podocarpus seeds are best sown as soon as collected and cannot be stored through the summer. Before sowing, soak the seeds for several days, and once the seeds have fully absorbed water and swollen, sow them in rows or in spots. The sowing depth should be just enough to cover the seeds. After sowing, cover with grass to retain moisture and spray water once a day. If sown in the open ground, in the southwestern region they also need to be covered with grass for winter protection. In other regions they all need to be sown in pots and moved into a low-temperature greenhouse to overwinter. The seedlings emerge in 8 to 10 days; after emergence, remove the covering grass and shade immediately, never exposing them to direct sun.
2. Layering: Podocarpus layering propagation is best done around the Jingzhe solar term in spring. Select a branch near the ground that is slightly smaller than a chopstick, and on the side of the base near the ground, use a small knife to make a diagonal cut halfway through the branch. Insert a prepared one-inch-long bamboo strip horizontally into the cut, and insert a small wooden stick beside it to support the branch. Gently tie it with a plastic band, then cover the cut with loose soil, press it gently, and cover with dry grass to keep it moist. After 3 months, the branch will root at the cut.
3. Cuttings
① Tender branch cuttings: Podocarpus tender branch cuttings are done in the first half of the year from mid-to-late May to early July, and in the second half of the year from mid-to-late August to mid-to-late September. Cuttings made in the first half of the year should be protected against high-temperature scorching and disease, while cuttings made in the second half of the year should be protected against cold and freezing in the middle and later stages. The time to remove the shade net is late November, and in drought years this can be delayed to late December.
② Hardwood cuttings: Hardwood cuttings refer to cutting fully lignified, robust branches from the previous year during the dormant stage in early spring from February to March, before the sap begins to flow, and inserting them as cuttings. For early spring hardwood cuttings, attention must be paid to raising the soil temperature and controlling the air temperature inside the frame.
How to grow potted Podocarpus?
1. Soil: Podocarpus likes well-drained, moist sandy loam, has strong adaptability to soil, and can even survive on saline-alkali soil. Cultivation requires a slightly acidic growing medium rich in humus, loose and fertile, and well-drained. In alkaline soil the leaves turn yellow and growth is slow. It has a long lifespan, reaching several hundred years, even over a thousand years.
2. Transplanting: Podocarpus transplanting is best in spring from March to April. Small seedlings need to keep soil, and large seedlings need a soil ball; they can also be potted. After planting, water thoroughly, and keep the soil moist during the growing period. In the hot midsummer season, place it in semi-shade for care, and apply fertilizer once every 2 months. In winter, potted plants need protection against cold; the pot can be buried in the soil, and watering should be reduced.
3. Watering: Podocarpus is not a plant of the pine family and is not drought-tolerant. On the contrary, Podocarpus tolerates shade and moisture, and during the growing period it should be watered frequently, but it should not become waterlogged. In the Shunde area, on sunny summer days, water frequently, generally once in the morning and once in the evening, and also frequently spray water on the leaves so that the leaf color stays fresh green and growth is good. Summer rainfall is usually also plentiful, and Podocarpus is not tolerant of waterlogging, so care should be taken to prevent prolonged standing water.
4. Sunlight: Podocarpus is a neutral-to-shade-tolerant tree species. It can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in a more shaded environment. Although summer temperatures are high and sunlight is strong, because large Podocarpus trees benefit from high temperature and strong light for maintaining their tree posture and leaf shape, there is no need to shade large Podocarpus trees in summer. However, because Podocarpus seedlings have tender tissues, they should not be exposed to strong light for long periods; it is recommended to place them under tree shade for care.
5. Temperature: For potted plants in northern regions, move them outdoors when the outdoor temperature is stable at around 10°C, and place them in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot outdoors for care; after summer begins, move them to semi-shade. When the winter temperature does not drop to 5°C, they should be brought indoors, and after being brought indoors, watering should be controlled; as long as it does not freeze, they can overwinter safely.
6. Fertilizing: Podocarpus likes fertilizer and should be given dilute fertilizer frequently, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented by phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. An appropriate amount of black alum can be added and fermented into alum fertilizer water. In spring, when repotting, apply sufficient base fertilizer. During the growing season, apply some dilute alum fertilizer water, and often apply 0.1% urea and 3% leftover beer, which can make the leaves thick and verdant. During the growing period, fertilize once every 1-2 months, and fertilizing can be done together with watering (water-to-fertilizer ratio of 9:1).
7. Shaping: Podocarpus has whorled branches. According to the established momentum of the trunk, cut off messy branches and retain 2-3 branches at suitable positions. Bind the branches with metal wire so that the main branches droop slightly. Its sprouting ability is not strong. Prune once each in June and July every year, and usually focus on pinching (generally pinch after the small branches have lignified).
8. Pests and diseases: The main diseases of Podocarpus are leaf spot and anthracnose, which can be sprayed with 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 500 times dilution. The pests of Podocarpus mainly include scale insects, red spiders and bagworms, which can be killed by spraying with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1500 times dilution.
Morphological Characteristics of Podocarpus, Propagation Methods and Uses of Podocarpus
Podocarpus is a type of pine, also known as Luohanshan, evergreen Luohanshan, Tushan, money pine, Xianbai, Luohan cypress, Jiangnan cypress. It is an evergreen tree that can reach 18 m tall and is usually pruned to keep it low. The leaves are alternate and arranged in a spiral. It is also dioecious. The seed receptacle is larger than the seed and turns red when mature; together with the green seed, it looks like a bald monk wearing a red monk's robe, hence the name Luohan pine. Podocarpus is commonly found in southern China, including the Hong Kong, China area. Because potted Podocarpus is ornamental, and its wood is used for construction, medicine and carving, its value is very high. Therefore, this has led to many incidents of Hong Kong, China Podocarpus being illegally logged by illegal immigrants from the mainland.
Morphological Characteristics of Podocarpus
Branches
Podocarpus (the original variety) is a tree up to 20 m tall and up to 60 cm in diameter at breast height; the bark is gray or grayish brown, shallowly longitudinally fissured, and flakes off in thin sheets; the branches spread out or slant outward and are relatively dense.
Leaves
The leaves of Podocarpus are spirally arranged, linear-lanceolate, slightly curved, 7-12 cm long and 7-10 mm wide, with a pointed apex and a wedge-shaped base; the upper surface is dark green and glossy, with the midrib markedly raised, while the lower surface is whitish, grayish green or pale green, with the midrib slightly raised.
Flowers
The male strobili of Podocarpus are spike-like and axillary, often 3-5 clustered on a very short common peduncle, 3-5 cm long, with several triangular bracts at the base; the female strobili are solitary in the leaf axils, stalked, with a few bracts at the base.
Seeds
The seeds of Podocarpus are ovoid, about 1 cm in diameter, with a rounded apex; when mature, the fleshy aril is purplish black and covered with a white bloom, and the fleshy seed receptacle is cylindrical, red or purplish red, with a stalk 1-1.5 cm long.
The flowering period is April-May, and the seeds mature in August-September.
Ecological Habits of Podocarpus
Podocarpus likes a warm and humid climate, has weak cold tolerance, and is grown in pots for ornament in North China; it has strong shade tolerance; it likes well-drained, moist sandy loam and has strong adaptability to soil, and can even survive on saline-alkali soil; it has relatively strong resistance to various polluting gases such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen oxides; and it has strong resistance to pests and diseases.
Cultivation Techniques of Podocarpus
It likes a warm, humid and semi-shaded environment, has slightly poor cold tolerance, fears waterlogging and direct strong light, and requires fertile, well-drained sandy loam. Transplanting is best in spring from March to April. Small seedlings need to keep soil, and large seedlings need a soil ball; they can also be potted. After planting, water thoroughly. During the growing period, keep the soil moist. In the hot midsummer season, place it in semi-shade for care. Apply fertilizer once every 2 months. In winter, potted plants need protection against cold; the pot can be buried in the soil, and watering should be reduced.
Management Key Points
Light
Podocarpus is a neutral-to-shade-tolerant tree species. It can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in a more shaded environment. Although summer temperatures are high and sunlight is strong, because large Podocarpus trees benefit from high temperature and strong light for maintaining their tree posture and leaf shape, there is no need to shade large Podocarpus trees in summer. However, because Podocarpus seedlings have tender tissues, they should not be exposed to strong light for long periods; it is recommended to place them under tree shade for care.
Watering
Podocarpus is not a plant of the pine family and is not drought-tolerant. On the contrary, Podocarpus tolerates shade and moisture, and during the growing period it should be watered frequently, but it should not become waterlogged. In the Shunde area, on sunny summer days, water frequently, generally once in the morning and once in the evening, and also frequently spray water on the leaves so that the leaf color stays fresh green and growth is good. Summer rainfall is usually also plentiful, and Podocarpus is not tolerant of waterlogging, so care should be taken to prevent prolonged standing water.
Fertilizing
Podocarpus likes fertilizer and should be given dilute fertilizer frequently, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and an appropriate amount of black alum can be added and fermented into alum fertilizer water. During the growing period, fertilize once every 1-2 months, and fertilizing can be done together with watering (water-to-fertilizer ratio of 9:1). For large-area planted Podocarpus, a half-ring trench application method can be used, applying 300-500 grams of quick-soluble compound fertilizer each time. For potted plants, spray water fertilizer containing 0.5%-1.0% compound fertilizer or dilute cake liquid fertilizer each time.
Propagation Methods of Podocarpus
Podocarpus is commonly propagated by sowing and cuttings. For sowing, sow immediately after collecting seeds in August, and they germinate in about 10 days. For cuttings, do them in spring and autumn; select dormant branches in spring and semi-lignified tender branches in autumn, 12-15 cm long, and insert them into a seedbed of half sand and half soil, rooting in about 50-60 days.
Tender Branch Cuttings
Tender branch cuttings refer to the cutting method of using semi-mature branches of the current year as cuttings during the seedling growth season. It is mainly suitable for evergreen and semi-evergreen woody flowers, such as camellia, azalea, golden-leaf privet, osmanthus, Podocarpus, red-leaf photinia, yew, pittosporum, Chinese rose, cedar, cypress species, etc. For individual deciduous trees that are difficult to root, such as ginkgo, the tender branch cutting method is also suitable. The specific operation method of tender branch cuttings is: in the season of vigorous seedling growth, cut semi-lignified branches of the current year, take 2 to 4 nodes (one leaf or one pair of leaves is one node) as a section, each section about 10 cm long, retain 1 to 2 leaves on the upper part, and remove 1 to 2 leaves from the lower part. For tree species with large leaves such as camellia, osmanthus and photinia, the leaves can be cut off by 1/2, then cut or trim the lower end of the cutting into a slanted opening, then tie the cuttings in bundles of several dozen with string, and finally evenly coat the cuttings with mud slurry made from clean loess plus fungicide, rooting agent and water. After the mud slurry is slightly dry, they can be inserted into the prepared seedbed. Tender branch cuttings require the seedbed soil to be fine, loose and level, while removing weeds and other impurities, and the soil should be sprayed, disinfected and sterilized against insects. The insertion depth is about 5 cm. After insertion, sprinkle thoroughly with water, and after the water droplets on the cutting leaves dry, immediately spray the seedbed once more with pesticide to sterilize and kill insects, then insert bamboo arches, cover with plastic film, and then insert some more bamboo arches, covering the bamboo arches with a black shade net. Both the film and the shade net must be fixed well. The bamboo arches supporting the shade net should be 15 cm to 20 cm higher than the bamboo arches supporting the film, to prevent the heat of the shade net from transferring into the film and scalding the seedlings. At this point, the cutting work is all completed.
After cutting is finished, the seedbed must also be frequently inspected and cared for, checking whether the film and shade net covering the seedbed have been bitten through by insects or rats, or blown open by wind. About every 15 days, uncover the film and shade net to inspect once, and spray pesticide to sterilize and kill insects, then cover the film and shade net again. If the seedbed soil is found to be dry, sprinkle some water before spraying pesticide, and spray the pesticide after the water on the leaves has dried. Generally, after uncovering the film and spraying pesticide 2 to 3 times, the cuttings have already rooted and survived, after which pesticide can be applied once every 1 to 2 months. After the cuttings survive, removing the film can be considered. Before formally removing the film, choose a cloudy and rainy day, first uncover the film at one or both ends of the seedbed for ventilation and hardening for several days, then remove all the film. After the film is removed, the shade net should still be kept on. For seedlings cut in the first half of the year, the shade net must remain covered until late autumn before it can be removed, because the tender seedlings cannot withstand strong sunlight. It is particularly worth mentioning that golden-leaf privet and Jinsen privet are seedlings prone to disease, and the film should be removed in time. Generally, about 20 days after insertion, when about 90% have rooted, hardening and film removal can begin. Immediately after removing the film, spray a fungicide once to prevent disease, spraying once every 7 to 10 days, for 3 to 4 consecutive sprays.
Tender branch cuttings are generally done in the first half of the year from mid-to-late May to early July, and in the second half of the year from mid-to-late August to mid-to-late September. Cuttings made in the first half of the year should be protected against high-temperature scorching and disease. Cuttings made in the second half of the year should be protected against cold and freezing in the middle and later stages. The time to remove the shade net is late November, and in drought years this can be delayed to late December.
Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood cuttings refer to the method of cutting fully lignified, robust branches from the previous year during the dormant stage in early spring from February to March, before the sap begins to flow, and inserting them as cuttings. This method is mainly suitable for deciduous trees such as crape myrtle, hibiscus, grape, poplar, willow, etc. A few evergreen trees can also use hardwood cuttings, such as oleander. For early spring hardwood cuttings, attention must be paid to raising the soil temperature and controlling the air temperature inside the frame. In short, whether tender branch cuttings or hardwood cuttings, the disinfection of cuttings and soil must be done solidly, and the seedbed temperature, humidity and light must be well regulated. In addition, to improve the survival rate of seedling cuttings, some measures to promote rooting should also be appropriately taken.
The Uses and Purposes of Podocarpus
Economic Value
The wood of Podocarpus is fine and uniform and easy to process. It can be used for furniture, utensils, stationery and farm tools, etc.
Although Podocarpus is native to China, due to historical reasons, there are very few large Podocarpus trees old enough, and the number of large-specification Podocarpus landscaping seedlings is also extremely limited. As a slow-growing tree species, Podocarpus itself cannot be rapidly replicated, and the existing quantity is far from meeting the needs of courtyard greening and high-end residential landscapes. Especially large-specification, beautifully shaped Podocarpus is even harder to find. It is understood that on the market, engineering seedlings with a diameter at breast height of more than 10 cm mainly rely on imports.
In Guangdong, China, household consumption is the main part. It is understood that in Guangdong, households have become the main force in Podocarpus consumption, with a purchase proportion of about 30%, favoring mid-to-high-end products, followed by landscaping units at about 20%, enterprises and institutions at about 20%, collectors at about 15%, and other uses at about 15%.
Podocarpus has an elegant and upright charm, with a majestic and vigorous proud momentum of its own. In addition, it fits the meanings of "longevity" and "keeping wealth and auspiciousness" in Chinese culture, so owners pursuing high-grade courtyard beautification often like to plant one or two Podocarpus trees, adding a finishing touch to creating their own "garden-style story."
The Flower Language of Podocarpus
Podocarpus flower language: youth, vitality, health, longevity, good luck, and wealth attraction.
After reading the above introduction to the propagation methods and uses of Podocarpus, do you have a better understanding of the propagation methods of Podocarpus? If you want to know more about Podocarpus, please continue to follow us.