How to propagate Hovenia dulcis

1. Seed propagation

1. Collection and storage of seeds. For seed propagation, you must choose healthy, pest-free, and 20-year-old Hovenia dulcis trees for seed collection. The operation is generally done in autumn after the fruits are ripe. There are basically two methods: natural and artificial. The manual method is to use a seed collecting tool, or simply pick up the seeds that have fallen on the ground. After the seeds are collected, they need to be dried in the sun for a while. When the outer shell of the seeds has cracked completely, you can take out the seeds and then store them in clean sand with a relative humidity of 40%-50% for later use.

2. Seed processing. Before sowing, treat the seeds of Hovenia dulcis with a mixture of 20% edible alkali solution and clean sand, then wash them with clean water and soak them in clean water for later use.

3. Sowing. The seedbed for sowing should be made of sandy soil with good fertility, and remember to apply fertilizer after sowing the seeds. The sowing is done in ridges with a row spacing of 50 cm. Three or four seeds are sown at intervals of 5 to 7 cm. After the seeds are sown, they should be covered with 3 to 4 cm of fine soil.

4. Management after sowing. Before the seeds of Hovenia dulcis germinate, they must be kept moist and protected from direct sunlight. There is no need to loosen the soil before the seedlings are 10 cm tall, but after the seedlings are over 20 cm tall, you must loosen the soil and add 2-3 additional fertilizers.

2. Cutting propagation

The cutting propagation of Hovenia dulcis is generally carried out from March to May. Cut a small section of Hovenia dulcis branch with a length of 15 to 20 cm with mature leaves and strong leaf buds, cut the lower incision of the branch into an inclined surface, and smooth the incision for later use. The first thing is to use tools to make holes in the cultivation ground with a spacing of 5 to 8 cm. Then insert the prepared branches that need to be cut into the air with a depth of 4 to 6 cm. After compacting the soil, it needs to be watered once. After that, it is enough to water it once every 10 days, but it needs to be watered thoroughly, so that the survival rate of cuttings can reach more than 80%.

The above are the two most common propagation methods of Hovenia dulcis. Friends who have a yard might as well plant one!