Key Points of Softwood Cutting Propagation Techniques for Golden Privet

Golden privet (Ligustrum × vicaryi) is a small shrub of the genus Ligustrum in the family Oleaceae. Its young leaves are golden yellow, while the older leaves are green and glossy. It has strong adaptability and requires only extensive management, making it a commonly used tree species in landscaping today. A brief introduction to the softwood cutting propagation techniques for golden privet is given below.

1. Site selection and land preparation: Choose a loose, fertile, flat plot with good drainage. Apply 125 kg of superphosphate per mu, deep plow 15 cm, then break up the soil and rake it level, and make raised beds 1.2 m wide with ditches 20 cm deep.

2. Cutting selection: First, select good mother trees. Generally speaking, the older the tree, the more difficult rooting becomes. Therefore, cuttings should be collected from young mother branches, and it is best to use semi-lignified branches of the current year to increase the survival rate. After collection, the cuttings should be placed in a cool, damp place or wrapped well in moist material to prevent water loss, and cut into cuttings. Do this by collecting, cutting, and inserting them in sequence. The cutting length should preferably be 5 to 20 cm, with 2 to 3 leaves retained. The upper end of the cutting should be cut flat 2 cm above the bud, and the lower end should be cut into a slanted incision. Cutting methods include single-bud cutting, double-bud cutting, and multi-bud cutting. Single-bud cutting: cut the cutting into one bud node, keep leaves on the upper bud, and remove leaves from the lower bud; double-bud cutting: cut the cutting into two bud nodes, keep leaves on the two upper buds, and remove leaves from the lower bud; multi-bud cutting: cut the cutting into three bud nodes, keep leaves on the three buds of the two upper bud nodes, and remove leaves from the lower bud.

3. Cutting method: Softwood cuttings should be taken when new shoot growth is slow, that is, from June to September, and preferably during the rainy season. This is because the high air humidity during the rainy season is favorable for rooting of the cuttings. Single-bud cuttings should generally be inserted to one-half the length of the branch, while double-bud and multi-bud cuttings should be inserted up to the upper leaves. Do not insert them too deeply. The density should be such that the cuttings do not press against each other and the base of the cuttings can be seen when viewed from above.

4. Strengthen management: Softwood cuttings require relatively high air humidity and suitable substrate moisture content, and appropriate shading is very necessary. Excessive sunlight will raise the temperature of the cutting bed and lower the humidity, which is not conducive to the survival of the cuttings. Reed curtains, bamboo curtains, or shade nets can be used for shading, generally at a shading intensity of about 70%. The temperature of the seedbed substrate should be kept within the range of 22°C to 28°C. Under this temperature condition, the cuttings root most easily.