When is the best time to plant wintersweet?

Wintersweet, a deciduous shrub belonging to the genus Chimonanthus of the family Chimonaceae, is also known as golden plum, wax flower, and wintersweet flower. This plant blooms before it grows leaves. The flowering period lasts from November to March of the following year, and the fruits ripen in July and August. So when is the best time to plant wintersweet?

1. The propagation method of wintersweet

Grafting propagation: Cutting grafting is the main method, but approach grafting and bud grafting can also be used. Usually, mountain wax plum or wax plum seedlings of lower quality are used as rootstocks , and grafting methods include cut grafting, cleft grafting, approach grafting, belly grafting, subcutaneous grafting, etc.

Propagation by division: usually carried out after leaf fall in autumn and before budding in spring. At the end of the previous year, the branches of the wintersweet to be divided should be topped 20-30 cm above the ground. When dividing the plants, dig the soil around the mother plant, split 2-3 stems in each clump with a knife, and move them out to plant elsewhere. Leave 2-3 thick and strong stems in the original place, and plant the wintersweet seedlings with a plant spacing of 60 cm × 50 cm. After 2-3 years of cultivation, it can be transplanted to the nursery or propagated by division again.

Seed propagation: Harvest the mature and yellow fruits in July and August, take out the seeds and dry them for storage, and sow them in the spring of the following year. Soak in 60℃ warm water for 12-24 hours before sowing. Before sowing, prepare the nursery land first, sow in spots or in furrows, and cover the soil with a thickness of 4-5 cm. Pay attention to watering and weeding, and apply light fertilizer every 20-30 days; pay attention to drainage and waterlogging prevention during the seedling stage. After 3-4 years of cultivation, the seedlings can be used as rootstocks.

Layering propagation: both high pressure and low pressure are possible. Low-pressure propagation is carried out by selecting 1-3 year old branches in early spring. Bend the wintersweet branches 180 degrees, bury the arc part in the soil, press a stone on it, and keep the soil moist to facilitate rooting. After rooting, cut off the mother plant from the bottom of the roots and plant it separately. High-pressure propagation is to select 2-4 year old branches on the tree crown, ring peel the bark, wrap the wound with fertilizer mud, and wrap the outside with plastic film to keep it moist. The high pressure time is generally carried out in early spring from February to March. When white roots can be seen growing in August to September, the layering strip is sawed off 3-5 cm below the ball and transplanted immediately.

2. Preparation of culture soil

Generally, loose and fertile soil is used, compost or prepared culture soil is added to the bottom of the pot, and then appropriate amounts of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added. The culture soil is generally made of 30% compost, 10% sand and 60% garden soil.

3. Put it in the basin

First place broken tiles at the bottom of the flowerpot, and then fill it with potting soil. Choose large seedlings with soil balls and plant them in pots in winter and spring. Place the wintersweet plant upright in the center of the pot with the roots stretched out. Fill the pot with soil to halfway point, lift and shake it gently to compact the soil. Do not plant too deep, just keep the roots level with the rim of the pot. Water thoroughly after planting. After planting, keep it in a shaded environment for about a week. After the root system recovers, move it to a sunny place and manage it according to normal methods.

4. Water and Fertilizer Management

After the wintersweet is potted, it should be watered thoroughly twice in a row and then placed in a sunny place for cultivation. Wintersweet is afraid of waterlogging. Too much water will damage the roots and cause leaves to fall, affecting bud formation. In summer, water the plants once every afternoon. On rainy days, turn the pots upside down and drain the accumulated water in time. Reduce watering in autumn, and also during the flowering and leaf expansion periods. Do not water until the soil in the pot is dry after the leaves fall. Before June, when the branches of the wintersweet begin to grow, apply decomposed human manure or fermented oil cake water once every 10 days or so, with a fertilizer-water ratio of 1:3. After June, the branches grow slowly until they stop growing. Spray 1-2 times with 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and avoid applying concentrated or dry fertilizers.

5. Daily Management

The flower buds of wintersweet are formed on the new branches of the year. In order to produce more flowers, pruning can be used to promote the growth of more branches. Potted plum blossoms should be both thinned out and pruned back. Buds should be thinned out before flowering, and potted plum blossoms should be repotted once every spring after flowering. Put it in a cool place after the leaves fall in autumn, and put it in a sunny and warm place about twenty days before the Spring Festival. It can bloom during the Spring Festival at a temperature of 5-10℃. Repot it every two years, or you can transplant it into the ground after the wintersweet flowers wither, and then put it in a pot for viewing after buds form.

6. Pruning of Wintersweet

When the branches grow to a certain length, leave 4-5 buds and pinch them off. After flowering, heavy pruning is usually done after flowering. The main and side branches that have bloomed should be thinned out appropriately, and the side branches on the main branches should be shortened after leaving 2-3 buds. After autumn, the short branches with flower buds should be shortened appropriately, and the long branches with leaf buds should be cut off the upper part after leaving 5-6 leaf buds. Generally, 3-5 main branches are left on a plant, alternating long and short, tall and short, and sparse and dense.

In summary, wintersweet is highly drought-resistant and afraid of waterlogging, so it is not suitable to be planted in low-lying areas. It has strong growth potential, vigorous branching, and new sprouts easily grow from the rhizome. Wintersweet is resistant to pruning and easy to shape.