A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Key Technical Points for Alsophila spinulosa

 Alsophila spinulosa (scientific name: Alsophila spinulosa (Wall. ex Hook.) R. M. Tryon), also known as snake wood, is a fern in the family Cyatheaceae and the genus Alsophila, and is praised as the "king of ferns." Alsophila spinulosa is a fern that can grow into a large tree, also called the "tree fern." Its stem is upright and hollow, like a brush pot, and its leaves are arranged spirally at the top of the stem. It is the only woody fern discovered so far, is extremely precious, and can be called a national treasure. It has been listed by many countries as a first-class protected endangered plant and is known as a "living fossil." Alsophila spinulosa is an ancient fern that can be made into handicrafts and used in traditional Chinese medicine, and it is also a very good ornamental garden tree.

   Cultivation techniques for Alsophila spinulosa

1. Seed collection: During the spore maturation period, choose cloudy weather, cut off the small leaflets on both sides of the lateral branches from the mother tree, dry the leaflets in the sun, separate the spores from the leaflets, then put the leaflets and spores into a sieve to sift out the spore grains and black-yellow powder, and store the black-yellow powder and spore grains together for later use;

2. Sowing time: Sow when the ground temperature is above 10°C; 20-25°C is the best sowing period;

3. Sowing method: Use manual broadcasting; when broadcasting, keep it as low as possible, and do not broadcast too high, too fast, or too heavily, as this will affect the growth and development of the spore grains;

4. Soil selection: Choose moist, semi-sunny, semi-shady, light-permeable, wind-sheltered mountain yellow loam soil, make beds 4 chi wide, dig drainage ditches around the beds, deeply dig and level the bed surface, and carry out routine sterilization and disinfection; when direct sowing in woodland, simply remove weeds and broadcast;

5. Fertilization:

    a. Organic fertilizer: apply fermented pig, cattle, and sheep manure twice a year, 20 to 50 kg per tree.

    b. Inorganic chemical fertilizer: can be applied every year except winter. Apply compound fertilizer once every two months, 0.1 to 1 kg each time depending on tree size. First remove a layer of the leaf mold covering the tree basin, sprinkle on the chemical fertilizer, then cover it back with the leaf mold and water thoroughly. 

 6. Mid-term management: In order to make Alsophila spinulosa grow quickly, in addition to frequently spraying water on the tree basin and trunk to maintain moisture, the pinnate main leaves should also be pruned. After 10 to 12 main leaves have grown, the excess old and residual leaves should be cut off from bottom to top. In this way, 2 to 3 main leaves can grow each day, potted plants can grow 10 to 15 cm in height each year, and ground-planted ones can grow more than 15 cm.