Cultivation methods and maintenance matters of old wintersweet piles

Cultivation method of old wintersweet pile

The main methods of propagating old wintersweet stumps are layering and division, but they can also be grafted, sown and propagated by cuttings.

1. Layering: High pressure is generally carried out in a unified pot from February to March, and the plant is cut off from the mother plant in November. Layering is carried out in the spring and the plant is cut off and transplanted in November.

2. Division: It should be carried out after the leaves fall in October to November, with 1-3 stems per clump. Some thin liquid fertilizer can be applied in the autumn of the following year.

3. Grafting: Use wild species or seedlings of Chimonanthus praecox and Chimonanthus chinensis as rootstocks in spring. Grafting can be done in spring and summer, with May being the most suitable time.

4. Sowing: Harvest wintersweet seeds in August and September, store dry until April of the following year for sowing. They can be soaked in warm water in advance to make them easier to germinate. Seedlings do not show good traits and are generally only used as rootstocks. Seedlings grow slowly and only produce suckers after two to three years. They can only be used as rootstocks for grafting after five to six years. They are far less convenient and quick than division.

Pruning old wintersweet

Wintersweet has a strong germination ability and can be heavily pruned. The flower proverb "Wintersweet has no shortage of branches" means this. It is generally pruned from March to June, and the branches that grow later are left for flowering and reproduction. After the flowers bloom, they must be pruned in time, leaving each branch only 15 to 20 cm long. This will make the branches that sprout in the following spring grow thicker.

In addition, dead branches and dense branches should be cut off, and only 2-3 buds should be left on weak branches, and the rest should be cut off to promote new branches to bloom. Root sprouts should be cut off early to facilitate the concentration of nutrients to form flower buds. They can also be used for layering reproduction.

Pots for old wintersweet

When choosing a flowerpot for wintersweet, you should consider the overall combination. It is more suitable to use a purple clay pot for planting. If it is an old wintersweet stump, it is best to use a deeper trough pot or a crabapple pot. If it is a young wintersweet seedling, a garden pot, a square pot, or a hexagonal pot are all fine. This way, the overall look will be more elegant, and it will have more ornamental value after shaping.

Precautions for maintenance of old wintersweet piles

Wintersweet likes sunlight, is slightly shade-tolerant, drought-tolerant, and relatively cold-resistant. It grows in fertile, well-drained sandy loam. It is mostly transplanted in winter and spring and must be brought with it into a soil ball. Wintersweet requires more fertilizer. Apply base fertilizer once in early spring or winter each year. Use manure or stable manure. It is best to water it again after fertilizing. Use bone meal and cake fertilizer to soak in water and decompose. Apply liquid fertilizer once every half a month from May to September.