How to Cultivate Michelia chapensis Dandy Seeds
Today, the editor will introduce how to cultivate Michelia chapensis Dandy seeds and the planting techniques related to flower cultivation. Let's proceed with the introduction.
Michelia chapensis Dandy, also known as Jinglie Michelia, Southern White兰花, and Large-Leaf Michelia, is an evergreen tree belonging to the Magnoliaceae family and Michelia genus. It has a straight trunk, beautiful crown shape, elegant flower fragrance, and lush throughout the seasons. It is widely used as street trees, courtyard shade trees, and landscape trees, especially suitable as a configuration species for landscape forests, highly favored by the landscape greening department. Michelia chapensis Dandy also has characteristics such as a straight stem shape, straight wood grain, low density, small drying shrinkage differences, easy drying, no warping, no cracking, and rapid growth, meeting the cultivation goals of timber forests. It is an ideal alternative species for coniferous tree plantations such as马尾松 and cedar. However, due to long-term predatory use of Michelia chapensis Dandy natural forests, the natural forest resources of Michelia chapensis Dandy in the southern forest areas have been severely damaged, and the natural forest resources of Michelia chapensis Dandy are now increasingly scarce. Therefore, speeding up the afforestation of Michelia chapensis Dandy and promoting the development of its industrial raw material forests is of great practical significance for adjusting the species structure of artificial forests in the south. The author summarizes the afforestation techniques of Michelia chapensis Dandy as follows.
1. Biological and Ecological Characteristics
Michelia chapensis Dandy is an evergreen tree, 15-30m high, with a diameter of up to 1m; the bark is grayish-white to gray-brown and smooth. Apart from the young buds and nodes being covered with grayish-brown pubescence, the leaves are thin and leathery, obovate or oblong-obovate, acuminate or subacuminate at the apex, with petioles 1.5-2.5cm long and no stipule scars. The perianth segments are 6.2 in each wheel; the pistil group has a peduncle 7mm long. The aggregate fruit is about 10cm long, oblong or ovate, flat and slightly oblique, with sparse and inconspicuous lenticels. The seeds are ovate or oblong-ovate. The flowering period is 3 months, and the fruiting period is 7-8 months. Michelia chapensis Dandy has a wide distribution range in China, horizontally extending from the mountains of southeastern Guizhou to the hilly areas of Yifeng, Jiangxi, in the evergreen broad-leaved forests, north to the flat areas of Pingtingpu in Hunan to Huaiji, Guangdong, including Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and other places. It covers the latitude range of 25°55' to 28°42'N and the longitude range of 107°14' to 114°47'E, stretching vertically for 4.37 and laterally for 7.33 degrees. Its natural distribution is densest in the Nanling region, which is the central distribution area. Due to the impact of human deforestation, Michelia chapensis Dandy is now mostly scattered and discontinuous, with small communities still found in Zixing, Liling, Yifeng, Jiangxi, and Shaowu, Fujian, while in other areas, it is mostly scattered or in small clusters.
In Fujian, Michelia chapensis Dandy is mainly distributed in the northern region, with a large natural forest in Shaowu. It naturally grows in "V"-shaped valleys and areas with high humidity and good water and fertilizer conditions near small streams. The soil of its distribution is mostly mountainous yellow-red soil developed from granite, sandstone, and other parent materials, with a relatively thin soil layer but high organic matter content. It is mostly scattered in the evergreen broad-leaved forests of valleys at altitudes of 350-450m in northern Fujian. Fund Project: Fujian Forestry Department Science and Technology Extension Project "Promotion of Native Broad-Leaved Tree Species such as Betula luminifera, Davidia involucrata, etc. (Minlin 2004 Science 10).
2. Seed Collection Techniques
There are significant differences in the yield of fruit and seeds from Michelia chapensis Dandy mother trees of different ages. Studies have shown that the seed yield of Michelia chapensis Dandy mother trees is highest at 29 years old, followed by 41 years old, and the lowest at 18 years old. The seed quality of 29-year-old mother trees is the best, with a seed weight of 64.26 kg, indoor germination rate of 86.79%, and field germination rate of 83.49%, all higher than those of 18-year-old and 41-year-old Michelia chapensis Dandy mother trees. Under normal conditions, an average mother tree can produce 16-19 kg of paniculate fruits, about 8 kg of fruits can produce 1 kg of seeds with shells, and the seed yield per mother tree is 2-2.5 kg. Michelia chapensis Dandy seeds have very small embryos, high water content, and a dormancy period; they can easily lose viability during the drying process. If not processed in time, not only will the germination be delayed, but the germination rate will also be low. Since the seeds have a fragrant smell and oil, rodent infestation must be prevented during storage.
How to Cultivate Michelia chapensis Dandy Seeds
Michelia chapensis Dandy seeds should be collected from mother trees about 30 years old, which are strong and free of diseases and pests. The fruits mature in the same year, with the fruit maturation period in early October. It is advisable to collect them around October every year. If the seeds are collected prematurely before maturity, the seed maturity is poor, and the germination rate is very low. Due to the favorable market conditions for Michelia chapensis Dandy in recent years, many forest farmers are worried that their seeds will be collected by others, so they start collecting before the seeds mature, resulting in seeds with greenish-yellow skin that will not germinate. Therefore, Michelia chapensis Dandy seeds must be collected when the aggregate fruit shells change from green to light yellow to deep brown, which is when the seeds are about to mature. This starts in early October, observing the seed morphology every 3-5 days to grasp the maturity period and collect the seeds in time. The maturity period of Michelia chapensis Dandy seeds varies with different site conditions (altitude, aspect, etc.). In the low mountain areas of Shaowu, Fujian, at an altitude of 500m with sufficient sunlight, the seed maturity period is around October 10th, while in the mid-mountain areas above 500m, the seed maturity period is delayed by 5-10 days, and the seeds in sunny slopes mature earlier, while those in shady valleys or humid environments mature later.
3. Seedling Raising Techniques
Michelia chapensis Dandy can be propagated by seed sowing and asexual cutting. In areas with a secure seed supply, seed sowing can be used. The key technique for raising Michelia chapensis Dandy seedlings is to collect the seeds immediately after maturity. To reduce seed waste and raise large seedlings, it is advisable to sow densely in the winter of December and transplant seedlings with soil in March, 15-30 days after they emerge. The transplanting spacing is 10cmx22cm, with a density of 45 seedlings per square meter, producing 225,000 seedlings per hectare. These key measures not only reduce seed waste but also raise large seedlings, basically solving the seed sowing technology problem that restricts Michelia chapensis Dandy afforestation and providing sufficient seedlings for large-scale Michelia chapensis Dandy afforestation in southern forest areas. In areas with a difficult seed supply, asexual cutting can be used. The key technique for asexual cutting of Michelia chapensis Dandy is to select the tips and middle sections of the current year's seedlings and perform winter cutting, followed by transplantation after the roots have formed in the spring. In mid-November, cut 10cm long branches, remove 2/3 of the leaves, dip them in plant rooting hormone slurry, and plant them in sandy loam seedbeds in winter with a spacing of 4cmx5cm, with 25 cuttings per row. In mid-March, all rooted cuttings are transplanted to the field, with a spacing of 10cmx22cm and a transplanting depth of half the height of the seedlings, producing 225,000 seedlings per hectare.
4. Afforestation Techniques
Michelia chapensis Dandy has strict requirements for the forest land. It grows better on the shady slopes with deep, moist, and fertile soil. Therefore, artificial afforestation of Michelia chapensis Dandy should choose good forest land. Michelia chapensis Dandy seedlings are large in size and have a well-developed root system, so artificial afforestation can use 60cmx40cmx40cm pit-shaped land preparation. Depending on different management objectives, Michelia chapensis Dandy can be planted using seedling planting and sprout regeneration. Seedling planting should be carefully prepared, with a planting density of 2000-3000 seedlings per hectare. Considering the shade-tolerant characteristics of young Michelia chapensis Dandy forests, the planting density can be slightly increased. Before planting, the branches and leaves of the seedlings should be pruned to reduce moisture loss. Planting should be done on cloudy or light rainy days, with the roots dipped in mud, planted deeply, compacted, straightened, and planted more than 4cm above the root collar. The survival rate of Michelia chapensis Dandy planting is generally 80%-90% or higher. On logging and burned sites, the strong sprouting ability of Michelia chapensis Dandy can be utilized for afforestation and natural regeneration through closure and sprouting, allowing it to regenerate into a forest or promote natural regeneration artificially. The tending of young Michelia chapensis Dandy forests is crucial for their growth. Before the young forest closes, tending should be strengthened, with soil loosening and weeding twice a year for the first 3 years after planting, and removing excess sprouts in time. In the 4th and 5th years after planting, grass should be cut once a year. If not tended in the 4th and 5th years, it will severely affect the growth of young trees, so tending for Michelia chapensis Dandy should last for 5 years. After the forest has closed, appropriate pruning and thinning should be carried out based on the growth condition of the trees to promote trunk growth.
The above sharing on how to cultivate Michelia chapensis Dandy seeds and the specific planting techniques of Michelia seeds, if it can bring you help, remember to visit the Green Plant Enthusiast website often!