What are the propagation methods for potted fragrant wood (Pistacia weinmannifolia)?
Because the scent given off by fragrant wood itself keeps flies and mosquitoes “at a distance”, it can also be grown as a potted ornamental for the home. However, during interviews, reporters found that in the Kunming nursery market in Yunnan Province, Guangzhou fragrant wood is in short supply and fetching high prices. Potted fragrant wood with a crown width of 20 cm to 25 cm sells for as much as 13 yuan to 18 yuan, yet the total quantity in the entire Dounan nursery market is less than 1000 plants.
Artificially cultivated fragrant wood seedlings are mainly grown from seed, and can also be propagated by cuttings.
Fragrant wood can be propagated by cuttings in both spring and autumn. During the tree's dormant period, select 1-year-old vigorous branches from a mature mother tree, cut them into cuttings 1O to l5 cm long, with the upper cut 1 to 1.5 cm from a bud and the lower cut 0.3 to 0.5 cm from a bud. For the cutting medium, choose a rooting substrate with good permeability, medium water-holding capacity, and a neutral or slightly acidic pH. Before cutting, the medium must be sterilized. Soak the base of the cuttings in ABT rooting powder solution (use according to the instructions). The soaking time is 12 to 24 hours. Open a trench and bury them, inserting the cuttings about 2/3 into the soil. After insertion, cover with plastic film to raise air humidity; careful management is needed before rooting, and rooting begins after about 45 days.
1. Seed propagation. The seed maturity period of fragrant wood is very close to its shedding period; once mature, the seeds fall off at the touch of wind or rain, making them hard to collect, or they are pecked and eaten by birds and animals. When the seeds begin to show signs of maturity, promptly collect them from the tree. Fragrant wood seeds are wrapped in juicy flesh and are prone to contamination and mold; the collected seeds must be processed immediately: pile the fruits to ferment, mash the fruit skin, wash them in water, remove the seeds and discard the debris, then dry them in the shade and store them in a ventilated, dry place.
2. Sowing season. Both spring and autumn are suitable; generally, the germination rate of autumn sowing is higher than that of spring sowing. Before sowing, soak the carefully selected seeds in warm water at an initial temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius for 24 hours; once the seeds absorb water and swell, remove them and place them under warm, moist conditions to sprout. Generally, the seeding rate is 6 kg per mu.
3. Notes on seedling management. Fragrant wood seedlings have three fears: first, they fear waterlogging. The soil should be kept as dry and loose as possible, and generally not watered or watered as little as possible. Second, they fear shade. During the seedling stage, thin the seedlings in time to increase light penetration and ventilation. Third, they fear fertilizer damage. Fragrant wood is relatively sensitive to fertilizer, so seedlings should be fertilized as little as possible or not at all, to avoid excessive fertility causing seedling burn or leggy growth.
4. Cutting propagation. Both spring and autumn are suitable for cuttings. During the tree's dormant period, select 1-year-old vigorous branches from a mature mother tree, cut them into cuttings 1O to l5 cm long, with the upper cut 1 to 1.5 cm from a bud and the lower cut O.3 to O.5 cm from a bud. For the cutting medium, choose a rooting substrate with good permeability, medium water-holding capacity, and a neutral or slightly acidic pH. Before cutting, the medium must be sterilized. Soak the base of the cuttings in ABT rooting powder solution (use according to the instructions). The soaking time is 12 to 24 hours. Open a trench and bury them, inserting the cuttings about 2/3 into the soil. After insertion, cover with plastic film to raise air humidity; careful management is needed before rooting, and rooting begins after about 45 days.