How to plant catalpa ovata seeds
Today, I will provide a detailed introduction on how to plant catalpa ovata seeds and the planting methods and precautions for green plants and flowers for netizens. Next, the editor will introduce.
Catalpa ovata belongs to the Celastraceae Celastrus genus, is a deciduous small tree, also known as white catalpa, daybreak and night close. It is native to the eastern, central, and northern regions of China. The tree can grow to a height of 8 meters, with an ovate or round crown, gray-brown bark, vertically deep cracks, thin and long branches, nearly tetragonal, green. The leaves are opposite, ovate to ovate-oblong, acuminate at the apex, rounded at the base, with fine锯齿 edges. The compound umbel is axillary, bearing 3-7 light yellow-green flowers. The fruit is an inverted cone shape, with 4 shallow cracks at the top. The seeds have an orange-red false seed coat. The flowering period is May to June, and the fruiting period is August to September. Catalpa ovata is a temperate tree species with strong adaptability to climate, loves light, is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, slightly shade-tolerant, also moisture-tolerant, has strong resistance, and is not strict about soil requirements. It is a deep-rooted plant with strong suckering ability, slow growth, and is suitable for pruning, making it a good ornamental tree species for gardens and widely used in landscaping and factory mining area greening.
The breeding of catalpa ovata can be divided into two methods: seeding and cutting, and here is a brief introduction to these two breeding methods.
Seeding Propagation
1. Seed Collection and Treatment: The fruit of catalpa ovata matures in October, and the best time for seed collection is mid to late October. Generally, choose strong mother trees that grow fast, bear fruit early, have good quality, and are free from diseases and pests. After picking the fruit, dry it in the sun, then place it in a shaded place to dry for 3-6 days after the fruit skin cracks. Turn the fruit to separate the seeds from the fruit skin. The seeds selected by this method have an orange-red false seed coat, which is prone to mildew and deterioration, affecting seed storage and germination. Soak the seeds in water for 3-5 days, changing the water 1-2 times a day, until the seed coat softens, then rub with hands to remove the false seed coat, obtaining pure seeds, dry them for a few days, and store them in a well-ventilated place. In mid-February, soak the seeds in 30°C warm water for 24 hours, then mix the seeds with river sand at a 1:3 ratio and stratify them in a shaded place, covered with straw to keep moist. In mid-March, after the soil thaws, place the seeds in a sunny and windward position and add water appropriately to increase temperature and promote germination. When 1/3 of the seeds show white, they can be sown.
2. Selection of Seedling Raising Site: Generally, flat bed seedling raising is used, choosing flat terrain with loose soil, good drainage, convenient irrigation, and fertile sandy loam soil rich in organic matter.
3. Land Preparation and Fertilization: Choose a good seedling raising site and deeply turn the soil at the end of the previous autumn. During land preparation, apply 6000-8000 kg of organic fertilizer per hectare to improve the soil's physical and chemical properties and eliminate some harmful pests. Prepare the land for bed making in mid-March, make beds 1 meter wide, water thoroughly, and then rake flat and fine.
4. Sowing and Seedling Management: The best sowing time is from late March to mid to late April. Sow early. Catalpa ovata generally uses wide-strip sowing, opening a furrow 3-5 cm deep and 6-7 cm wide with a plow, with a row spacing of 20-25 cm. Then evenly spread the seeds in the furrow and cover them with about 1 cm of soil. Generally, about 120-150 kg of seeds are sown per hectare. Seedlings emerge about 20 days after sowing. When the seedlings are 3-5 cm tall, thin and keep the seedlings with a spacing of 5-7 cm, promptly loosen the soil and remove weeds. From the emergence of true leaves to the rapid growth of seedlings, control water appropriately and "settle" the seedlings. After settling, water 2-3 times, adjusting the irrigation amount based on rainfall. Reduce the number of waterings in the later growth stage to prevent the seedlings from becoming too lush in the fall. Stop watering and fertilizing in September. Apply nitrogen fertilizer in the early growth stage to promote seedling growth, and apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in the later stage to promote lignification. Generally, the annual seedlings can grow to a height of 85-100 cm.
Cutting Propagation
Cutting is generally carried out from late March to early April, preferably early, usually before the soil thaws and axillary buds start to sprout.
1. Cutting Collection: Collect cuttings during the dormant period from autumn leaf fall to spring sap flow, choosing strong, well-lignified branches free from disease.
2. Cutting Storage: Cut the collected cuttings into about 15 cm long, choose a shady place with high ground and good drainage, dig a trench 1 meter wide and 60-80 cm deep, place a 5 cm thick layer of wet sand at the bottom, bundle the cuttings in a certain quantity and place them in layers in the trench, finally fill with wet sand and cover with soil to form a ridged shape.
3. Cutting: Soak the cuttings in running water for 6-8 days before cutting until obvious irregular lumps appear at the cut ends to improve the survival rate of the cuttings. After land preparation and fertilization, use a cutting tool to make a hole, insert the cutting into the hole, fill the soil and press down. The cutting depth is generally 2/3 of the length of the cutting, with a row spacing of 40 cm and a plant spacing of about 20 cm. Water thoroughly after cutting.
4. Management after Cutting: To maintain sufficient soil moisture, cover the seedbed with plastic film after cutting, seal the edges, and set up a shading net above to avoid direct sunlight. Generally, roots start to grow after about 3 weeks, and after rooting, gradually remove the covers. In the seedling stage, water with a small amount of water to slowly渗透 the seedbed, generally watering every 3-5 days. After 40 days of cutting, you can apply some fast-acting fertilizers to promote the healthy growth of the seedlings. From April to September, promptly loosen the soil and remove weeds, shallow for young seedlings and deep for older seedlings, stopping soil loosening and weeding before lignification.
Cultivation Techniques
1. Water and Fertilizer Management
Water and fertilizer management should be strengthened in the first 3 years after planting. Water thoroughly once a month from April to October and promptly loosen the soil to retain moisture. During the rainy season, determine the amount of watering based on rainfall, and if there is heavy rain, drain the water in time to prevent root rot. Before the soil freezes in the fall, water thoroughly to prevent freezing, and water promptly in the spring before the soil thaws. Water once a month from April to October in the first two years, and in the third year, in addition to watering to prevent freezing and thawing, water thoroughly in April, June, and September. From the fourth year onwards, mainly water to prevent freezing and thawing, and the plant can grow with natural rainfall.
Catalpa ovata is a tree that loves fertilizer. When planting, apply enough decomposed and fermented cow and horse manure as a base fertilizer. Generally, apply urea once in mid-May, a phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer in mid-July, and only apply cow and horse manure with the freezing water in the fall. In the second year, apply a compound fertilizer once in mid-to-late June and apply farm manure in the fall. From the third year onwards, apply farm manure only in the fall.
2. Pruning and Shaping
Pruning of catalpa ovata is generally carried out from winter to early spring before germination. When pruning young trees, pay attention to highlighting the main stem, removing competitive buds in the lower part each spring and summer, selecting 3-4 strong, evenly distributed branches not on the same track as the main branches, and thinning the lower branches during the dormant period in winter and spring to maintain the height of the main stem. Do not remove too many buds at once, thinning them gradually to avoid affecting the normal growth of the seedlings. When the main stem reaches a certain length, cut it to promote the growth of lateral branches. When the lateral branches reach a certain length, cut them to promote the growth of secondary lateral branches. After 3-4 years of cultivation, the basic tree shape can be formed. In subsequent maintenance, focus on thinning redundant branches, diseased branches, and dry branches to maintain a beautiful tree shape and keep the tree crown ventilated and well-lit.
3. Disease and Pest Control
Catalpa ovata has few diseases and is mainly affected by the star尺蛾 and cabbage moth, which often damage the leaves in spring and summer.
The star尺蛾 is distributed in most parts of China, with three generations per year in the North China region, overwintering as pupae in the soil, and the eggs are in clumps. Adults are phototactic, and larvae have a false death reflex. During routine cultivation and management, cut branches with eggs during shaping and thinning, strengthen soil loosening, fertilization, and spraying protective agents to improve the growth environment of catalpa ovata plants. Catalpa ovata is very sensitive to chemical pesticides. During the larval stage, you can use Bt emulsion 500 times or 25% diflubenzuron suspension 7000 times to control young larvae. You can also install black lights to kill adults and manually remove egg blocks.
The cabbage moth is distributed in most parts of China, with 2-3 generations per year in the North China region, overwintering as pupae in the soil, with a habit of hiding during the day and coming out at night, and a strong phototactic nature. The spring and autumn seasons are the severe periods of damage. If it occurs, use black lights and sugar-acid solutions to kill adults and use Bt emulsion 500 times to control during the larval stage.
The above is a comprehensive method for how to plant catalpa ovata seeds, planting methods, and precautions. I hope it can solve your problems with green plants.