How to grow black locust seedlings? Detailed explanation of the seedling-raising techniques for the landscaping tree black locust

Black locust, also known as false acacia, is relatively drought-tolerant and can grow normally on dry sunny slopes and sandy land in North China and Northwest China. It is a good tree species in North China and Northwest China for timber, soil and water conservation, windbreak and sand fixation, and "four-side" greening. The seedling-raising techniques for black locust are introduced here: black locust is generally propagated from seed. 1. Seed treatment. Black locust seeds contain varying numbers of hard seeds, which should be treated by gradually increasing the temperature and soaking the seeds multiple times, that is, first soak the seeds in 60°C water, let them cool naturally, leave them for 24 hours, then remove the swollen seeds; for the unswollen seeds, soak them again in 80°C water, then cool them, cover the removed swollen seeds with wet gunny sacks or straw mats, and keep them covered to promote germination. After 1.5-2 days, the seeds can be sown once they begin to sprout. 2. Sowing. The sowing period is from late March to early April. Apply organic fertilizer such as barnyard manure at 3000-5000 kg per mu, sow in drills with a row spacing of 40 cm, cover with soil 1-1.5 cm deep, and sow about 4 kg per mu. 3. Seedling tending and management. It is advisable to thin the seedlings early and finalize the stand late. Generally, thin the seedlings 2-3 times, and finalize the stand when the seedlings are 15 cm tall, with a plant spacing of 10-12 cm, about 10,000 plants per mu. The root system requires good aeration, so do not water too much; follow the principle of not watering unless there is drought. A small amount of phosphate fertilizer can be applied during the rapid growth period. 4. Pest and disease control. The main pests and diseases of black locust are root maggots and damping-off. When root maggots occur, use 700-1000 times diluted trichlorfon and pour it into shallow trenches opened near the seedling rows to inhibit their activity. To prevent damping-off, control irrigation and strengthen loosening of the soil. Under normal growth conditions, once the ground diameter of one-year-old seedlings reaches an average of 1.2 cm, they can be lifted from the nursery for afforestation.