Cultivation Management and Pest and Disease Control Techniques for the African Tulip Tree

The African tulip tree is an exceptionally beautiful plant, and many places want to introduce it for ornamental landscaping applications. Today, the editors at Huinong Network bring you the propagation and pest and disease control cultivation techniques for the African tulip tree.

1 Growth Performance

1.1 Botanical Characteristics

Evergreen tree, 12-20 m tall, with a straight trunk and greenish or light brown bark; the tree form is layered, overall tower-shaped or umbrella-shaped. Leaves are large, palmate, with 3-9 lobes, the lobes again pinnately parted, leathery. It flowers in spring and summer, with a flowering period from April to July; the inflorescence is paniculate, and the flowers are shaped like small bell-shaped bells or small wine bottles, abundant and bright red. The fruit is a pod, with reddish-brown, nearly woody valves, containing 3-5 seeds; the fruiting period is September to October. The seeds have a membranous wing, with a seed length of 10.42 mm and a width of 6.57 mm, and a thousand-seed weight of 257.6 g.

1.2 Growth Habits

It prefers high temperatures and strong light, with an optimum growth temperature of 23-30°C. The African tulip tree requires relatively high temperatures to flower; in northern South China, due to the lower temperatures, it does not flower or flowers only sparingly. It is suitable for growing in deep, fertile, well-drained soil, and also adapts to sandy soil; it dislikes prolonged waterlogging. It grows quickly, with two-year-old seedlings reaching up to 2 m in height, and it is easy to transplant.

1.3 Seedling-stage Growth Performance

After sowing the African tulip tree, the seeds emerge successively from 10 days to 2 months. The root system of the seedlings grows quickly; 20 days after sowing, 3 leaves have emerged and the root system has already reached 4-6 cm. When 3 leaves have grown, the seedlings should be transplanted in a timely manner.

Seedling-stage growth is relatively fast. One-year-old seedlings average 60.83 cm in height, and two-year-old seedlings average 88.83 cm in height. After two-year-old seedlings are planted in the ground for 5 months, the seedling height can reach 165 cm, with a crown spread of 79 cm x 92 cm and a ground diameter of 31.5 mm.

1.4 Growth Performance of Large Trees

The African tulip tree has been introduced and cultivated in places such as the South China Botanical Garden, Yuntai Garden, and Liuxi River in Conghua, Guangzhou. In Yuntai Garden, it is used as a landscape tree, planted singly or in groups at landscape focal points and garden path corners. Most plants grow well, with an average tree height of up to 12 m, an average clear bole height of 4.5 m, an average DBH of 22 cm, and an average crown spread of 4.6 m x 4.4 m. By August, fruit had already set, with a small amount of flowering. Pest damage is relatively severe. It is strongly heliotropic; branches and leaves are lush in sunny spots, and there are no branches or leaves in shaded spots. In the South China Botanical Garden, where it is planted in groups at garden path corners, the average tree height is up to 6 m, the average clear bole height is 2.5 m, the average DBH is 13.7 cm, and the average crown spread is 3.0 m x 2.7 m; the plants have relatively severe pests and diseases and poor growth.

2 Propagation Techniques

2.1 Propagation Methods

The African tulip tree can be propagated by seed sowing. Fruits are harvested from September to October. The seed germination rate is high, and sowing seeds harvested in the same season is better. Grafting also easily survives, and grafted plants flower much earlier than seedling plants.

2.2 Seedbed Preparation

Propagation is done in two stages: first, small sprouts are raised on a sand bed, and then they are moved into nutrient bags for further cultivation. The sand bed is made into raised beds 1.0-1.2 m wide and 20-25 cm high, which is beneficial for seed germination and seedling transplanting. The seedbed can be disinfected with 50% carbendazim at 800 times dilution for soil sterilization, with thorough watering of the soil being appropriate.

2.3 Seed Treatment

African tulip tree seeds are cold-stored at 5-8°C for 1 month, then soaked in clean water for 24 h; the seeds germinate quickly and the germination rate is high. During soaking, remove the floating seeds, then disinfect with 50% carbendazim at 800 times dilution for 10 min, rinse with clean water, put into mesh bags, and after drying the surface moisture of the seeds, they can be sown.

2.4 Sowing

Broadcast sowing is generally used. Spread the seeds evenly on the seedbed, then cover with fine sand or peat soil after sowing; shallow sowing is appropriate, to the extent that the seeds are no longer visible. Then build a shade net over the bed surface and water to maintain moisture. Disinfect once every 3 d with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 800 times dilution or 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 1,000 times dilution.

2.5 Seedling Transplanting

20 d after sowing, when the seedlings have grown 3 pairs of true leaves and the seedling height is 5-7 cm, move the seedlings into nutrient bags on a cloudy day or in the afternoon of a sunny day. Water thoroughly before transplanting so that moist soil adheres to the root mass and the roots are not injured. The nutrient soil formula is yellow subsoil plus a small amount of river sand; a complete-element compound fertilizer or organic fertilizer may also be applied to supplement soil fertility. Lift and plant as you go; after transplanting, water promptly and cover with a shade net. The African tulip tree is a typical tropical tree species, fond of sun and moisture; water daily to keep the seedbed moist. About every 10 d, spray 0.2% urea once to promote seedling growth [3-4].

3 Cultivation Management

3.1 Cultivation

Clear all weeds and debris thoroughly, and prepare the site in pits, with a specification of 50 cm x 50 cm x 40 cm; dig pits at a row spacing of 3 m x 3 m. Apply 2 kg of fully decomposed organic fertilizer or 0.25 kg of compound fertilizer per pit as a base fertilizer, and mix the base fertilizer evenly with the subsoil. Choose the rainy season for planting. When planting nutrient-bag seedlings, gently press the soil ball by hand, remove the plastic film bag and try to keep the soil ball intact, place the seedling in the pit, and before covering with soil, first apply soil-insect killer on the surface of the seedling soil ball, about 3 g per plant, then cover with soil and press firmly by hand from the outside inward; the covering soil should be 3 cm higher than the seedling soil ball.

That is all for today's content. If you think it is not bad, welcome to continue following Huinong Network!

Pests and Diseases of the African Tulip Tree and Their Control

Diseases of the African Tulip Tree and Their Control

Damping-off

This disease mainly occurs under conditions of abundant spring rainfall, and both seedlings and mature plants are harmed. Symptoms manifest as dark brown lesions at the diseased site, and in severe cases, entire patches die.

Control Methods

Promptly detect and remove diseased plants to reduce sources of contamination and prevent the spread of the disease.

Before transplanting, the soil needs to be disinfected. You can mix 70% quintozene with fine soil at a ratio of about 1:30 and spread it on the seedbed soil. Use disease-free new soil for transplanting, and fully decomposed fertilizer must be used; fresh farmyard manure cannot be used.

For spring-planted seedlings, about one week later, spray 75% chlorothalonil at 1,000 times dilution or 70% thiophanate-methyl at 1,000 times dilution, and thereafter spray about every ten days, alternating the products.

Insect Pests of the African Tulip Tree and Their Control

Main Insect Pests

Control Methods

For the control of aphids, spray 3-5 degrees Baumé lime-sulfur mixture or 5% diesel emulsifier before budding to kill overwintering adults and eggs. After flower fall, a second spray can be applied, and the third spray is carried out in autumn.

The larvae of cutworms and scarab beetles are underground pests. Their control requires strengthened management; do not apply undecomposed organic fertilizer. In winter, plowing is needed to turn overwintering larvae out onto the soil surface so they freeze to death. In addition, at a rate of 2 kg per mu, apply 3% carbofuran granules in furrows 10-20 cm deep in the soil.

For geometrid and noctuid larvae, spray 50% methamidophos at 1,500 times dilution.

African Tulip Tree

Introduction to the African Tulip Tree

Chinese name: African tulip tree

Other names: Fountain Tree, Fire Flower, Flame Tree.

Latin scientific name: Spathodea campanulata Beauv.

Family and genus: Bignoniaceae, Spathodea

Place of origin and distribution: Africa

The African tulip tree is the national tree of the Republic of Gabon. Its flowering period is between winter and spring. The flowers are large and cup-shaped, the tree is about 10 m tall, the flowers are about 10-12 cm long, and the crown spread is relatively large. It is often used as a shade tree or street tree, and is also suitable for planting in parks, communities, tourist areas, and other places. Look closely, and the edge of the deep red petals has a ring of golden yellow markings, exceptionally gorgeous.