Detailed Explanation of the Key Techniques for Cutting Propagation of Japanese Euonymus
Japanese euonymus (Euonymus japonicus) stays evergreen all year round and has strong adaptability, making it one of the indispensable evergreen tree species for urban greening in northern China. In recent years, using full-light mist propagation technology for softwood cuttings, the survival rate can reach over 95%.
I. Propagation facilities and cutting bed: Build a seedbed about 20 cm high and cm wide with bricks and cement, filled with an 18 cm thick substrate, with the lower layer of the substrate being 5-8 cm thick coarse sand and the upper layer fine sand. Install water pipes at a height of 50 cm above the bed surface, with a centrifugal or four-way sprinkler head installed every 1.5 m on the pipes for misting. Before cutting, disinfect the seedbed with a 0.3% potassium permanganate solution.
II. Material collection and processing: Cutting can be done from June to October. Cutting collection and trimming: From the middle, upper and outer parts of the Japanese euonymus crown, cut healthy, pest-free, semi-lignified softwood shoots of the current year. After collection, place them indoors or in a cool place, then cut them into 7-10 cm long cuttings with a flat top and slanted bottom. Keep 2 leaves on the upper part of the cutting and remove the rest to reduce water evaporation, and remove overly tender shoot tips.
III. Cutting and cutting bed management: Use cuttings immediately after cutting. Before cutting, they can be quickly dipped in a naphthalene acetic acid solution, or directly inserted. The insertion depth is 2/3 of the cutting length, and the cutting density is 60-70 plants/m2. After cutting, spray the substrate thoroughly with an 800-1000 times carbendazim solution for disinfection. After the seedbed is full, spray immediately. On sunny days, spray twice daily in the morning and afternoon, and once every half hour at noon. In hot summer, increase the spraying frequency as needed to lower the temperature.
One week after cutting, callus tissue begins to form, and in about 20 days, 90% have developed new roots. After rooting, reduce the spraying frequency to prevent root rot, and add a foliar spray of 0.2%-0.3% urea or compound fertilizer solution for foliar feeding to promote vigorous growth of the cuttings.
One month after cutting, gradually open and remove the plastic film to let the plants gradually adapt to the open-field environment. After one month, when the new roots have increased lignification, they can be transplanted. When transplanting, try to keep the root system intact and water immediately after planting to ensure transplant survival. With this method, Japanese euonymus seedlings can be propagated by cutting 3 times a year, greatly shortening the propagation cycle and improving seedling quality.
Huinong Academy has more related agricultural technology knowledge. Keep following Huinong Academy for answers to your planting questions.
Technique for Rapid Autumn Propagation of Japanese Euonymus
Japanese euonymus is an evergreen shrub of the Celastraceae family, with dark green and glossy leaves. It is often used as a hedge in landscaping, and the demand for greening increases year by year. Because most of North China has drought and high temperatures in spring and summer and severe cold in winter, it is not conducive to the propagation of Japanese euonymus. The author has repeatedly tested rapid autumn propagation techniques over many years, achieving autumn propagation, spring transplanting the following year, and producing commercial seedlings in one year, creating relatively good economic benefits. The experience is described as follows:
I. Cutting time: It is suitable from the end of August to early October, preferably in mid-to-late September. At this time, new shoots have stopped growing, branches contain more nutrients, tissue meristematic ability is strong, soil temperature and air humidity are suitable, and post-cutting management is simple, making rooting easy.
II. Cutting bed preparation: It is best to use fallow land that has been deep-plowed in summer as the seedbed. Make a flat bed 120 cm wide, with a 30 cm path, and 6 to 7 m long. Build a semicircular shade shed 1.8 m above the bed surface with a light transmittance of 50%-70%.
III. Cutting collection and pruning: Collect one-year-old branches from vigorous, pest-free plants, wrap them in wet burlap, and transport them back for processing. Cut the collected euonymus branches into 10-15 cm long cuttings, retaining 2 leaves on the upper part and removing the rest. Cut the top end into a flat mouth and the base into a slanted face.
IV. Cutting: Before cutting, water the seedbed thoroughly. While the seedbed is moist, insert the lower 2/3 of the cuttings into the seedbed at a spacing of 3×5 cm. After inserting, water thoroughly again and cover with a shade net.
V. Post-cutting management
1. Watering: Water once every 3 to 5 days, and keep the seedbed moist regularly. In early October, most seedlings begin to root, and the watering frequency gradually decreases.
2. Film covering: In late October, remove the original shade net, water thoroughly once for overwintering, and replace with overwintering film. Before heavy snow freezes, press the edges of the plastic film firmly with soil to keep warm. Because the underground temperature of the seedbed is relatively higher and the surface temperature is relatively lower, the cuttings grow few or no shoots in winter, promoting root development. At the same time, do a good job of weeding and watering inside the shed so the seedlings can overwinter safely.
3. Early spring management: In early March, when the temperature rises, water promptly to promote green-up. With watering, apply 5 to 10 kg of urea per mu. In mid-March, remove the plastic film, clear weeds, and strengthen comprehensive management.
VI. Seedling transplanting
1. Transplanting time is generally in late March and early April, with a relatively high survival rate.
2. Transplant beds: In a nursery field that has been deep-plowed and prepared, make transplant beds 1.5 m wide (including the bed ridge) and about 10 m long. Along the long side, open ditches 10 cm deep every 30 cm, and place seedlings at a plant spacing of 15 to 20 cm. Cover with soil while watering the root-setting water. After transplanting, water thoroughly and keep moist.
3. Fine management: The transplanted seedlings are relatively small, so careful management is needed. Water, loosen soil, and weed at the right times to promote rapid growth. When the seedlings reach 20 cm tall, pinch the growing tips to encourage more branching.
Rapid Propagation Technique for Japanese Euonymus
Rapid propagation technique for Japanese euonymus.
- Propagation -
1. Cutting time
The traditional cutting period in the north is mostly from late October to early November, that is, dormant-season cutting. Because the cutting season is late and the temperature is low, roots cannot form in the same year, and transplanting must wait until roots form the following spring. The transplanting time is accordingly delayed, resulting in a short growth period and small growth increment in the year of transplanting. The seedlings can only become ready for sale after growing in the nursery until the spring and autumn of the fourth year, that is, from cutting propagation to leaving the nursery takes 2.5-3 years.
To propagate rapidly and shorten the propagation cycle, we changed the cutting time, that is, to carry it out during the growing season (May to early October is acceptable). Those cut from May to August can be transplanted in the same year, and those cut from August to early October can be transplanted early the following spring after the soil thaws, extending the growing period in the year of transplanting. The growth increment of the seedlings is large, laying the foundation for rapid seedling formation. In short, the practice of early cutting, early transplanting, and early leaving the nursery shortens the time required by traditional dormant-season cutting propagation by half a year to one and a half years. The whole process of growing-season cutting propagation takes about one and a half to two years. In addition, because propagation can be carried out in batches and stages from May to early October, it eases the shortage of seedling supply and demand and can basically ensure year-round supply of seedlings.
2. Key points of cutting technique
Lay out the seedbed in a high, dry place, 1.2-1.5 m wide, with the length depending on the site and the number of seedlings needed. After leveling and removing debris, spread clean river sand about 20 cm thick on top, and spray the sand bed thoroughly with a 0.3% potassium permanganate solution for disinfection. The cuttings used for growing-season cutting should be vigorous and pest-free, using branches at least semi-lignified, cut into 10-15 cm lengths, remove the middle and lower leaves, and retain vigorous mature leaves in the middle and upper parts. Soak the base of the trimmed cuttings in a 100 mg/kg indolebutyric acid solution for 4-6 hours, or quickly dip them in a 500 mg/kg indolebutyric acid solution to promote rooting. Use a thin bamboo stick or steel bar to make holes in the prepared sand bed at a spacing of 4-5 cm, then insert the treated cuttings into the holes to a depth of 1/2-1/3 of the cutting length. Press the sand around the cuttings firmly by hand so that the two are in close contact, facilitating later water uptake. After cutting is completed, water or spray the sand bed thoroughly, then build a plastic-film arched shed over it, and shade the top of the film with bamboo curtains, reed curtains, shade nets, or similar materials.
3. Post-cutting management
After cutting, maintain the air humidity inside the arched shed at about 80%-90%. The sand moisture should be such that it forms a ball when held in the hand and disperses at a touch, with a water content of about 60-80%. Control the temperature below 35°C, with 25-30°C being suitable. After about 30-40 days, when the cuttings have rooted relatively completely and fully, gradually ventilate and remove the shading materials to harden the seedlings. After about 10-15 days, transplanting can be carried out.
- Transplanting -
It is best to carry out seedling transplanting on cloudy days or before rainy days. Seedlings that have not undergone long-term storage and transport may be transplanted bare-rooted without a soil ball, at a density of 20×25 cm. After transplanting, water thoroughly immediately. The second and third waterings are crucial to seedling survival, especially for transplanting in high-temperature summer. Depending on the weather and soil moisture, the second watering can be done within 3-7 days after the first watering.
- Key points of growing-season cultivation -
1. Strengthen fertilizer and water management
When transplanting seedlings, apply an appropriate amount of decomposed organic fertilizer in combination with land preparation. If conditions do not allow, apply crushed straw. Apply about 7 kg of urea per 666.7 sq m. During the growing season, topdress with 8 kg of urea, 3 kg of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, etc. Fertilization should be combined with watering. After September, control heavy watering and stop applying nitrogen fertilizer to promote fullness and vigor of the seedlings and prevent late-season excessive vegetative growth, which can cause branch dieback in winter and spring. Before the soil freezes, water thoroughly for freeze protection in preparation for overwintering. Before spring germination, water thoroughly to promote spring shoot growth. In addition, to benefit seedling growth, water-saving and drought-resistant cultivation can be carried out on the soil. Fertilizer and water management during seedling growth should follow the principle of promoting early and controlling later.
2. Pruning
Commercial seedlings are required to have both a certain height (generally more than 60 cm) and a certain number of branches (generally 5-7 relatively long branches per plant) and a certain crown width, so reasonable shaping and pruning during the seedling stage must be strengthened. After transplanting, pinch the growing tips of plants with fewer than 4 branches to promote lateral buds to sprout into long branches; for branches that grow too long and too vigorously in spring and summer, remove the tips and pinch at any time to balance the growth vigor of the branches of the whole plant; after entering September, pinch the tips of branches that have not capped and stopped growing to control elongation growth, promote branch fullness, and improve the nutritional accumulation level of the whole plant, which is beneficial for overwintering freeze protection and germination, branching, and leaf expansion the following spring; before growth begins in spring, cut back plants with fewer than 4 long branches to stimulate lateral buds to sprout and grow into long branches.