Propagation method of Lagerstroemia speciosa

Lagerstroemia indica has graceful posture, smooth trunk, bright colors and long flowering period. Summer and autumn are sustainable 100 days. It is a good ornamental, which can be used to beautify courtyards, parks and green spaces, and can also be used for potted plants. Lagerstroemia indica likes sunshine, is slightly tolerant to shade, drought and waterlogging, and is strong in pruning. It grows well on calcareous soil and has strong cold resistance. Lagerstroemia indica can be propagated by sowing, cutting, layering, dividing plants, grafting and other methods. Hardwood cutting and softwood cutting can be used.

Hardwood cutting is generally carried out in the middle and late March to early April before the branches germinate. Select stout annual branches, cut them into cuttings with a length of15cm, and insert them into a loose and well-drained sandy loam seedbed, and the cuttings are deep enough to expose the top buds of the cuttings. After insertion, it is filled with water and covered with plastic film to keep moisture and heat. When the seedlings grow to 15-20 cm, you can remove the film, put on the sunshade net and water them in time. The branches can grow to about 60-80 cm in that year.

Softwood cutting is carried out in July and August, when the new branches grow vigorously and have the most vitality. Select semi-lignified branches and cut them into cuttings of 8 ~ LOCM length, leaving 2 ~ 3 leaves at the top. The cutting depth is 3 ~ 4cm. After inserting, you can water it and shade it with a shade shed. Generally, it can take root in about 20 days. Remove the film, keep the sunshade net, and then water it in time. Branches can grow to about 60-80 cm in that year, and the survival rate is very good. There are several varieties of Lagerstroemia indica, such as Yin Wei, whose flowers are white; Cuiwei, the flowers are blue-purple and lavender; Red, pink, crimson, etc. ; The author grafted several annual or biennial branches with different colors on the same tree, and the survival rate was over 98%.

The specific method is: from late February to early March, before the branches of Lagerstroemia indica sprout. When grafting, the well-developed seedlings are selected as rootstocks, and the branches of the required color are used as scions, and the splitting method is adopted. First, the top of the rootstock near the peripheral part is split longitudinally with a knife about 5-8 cm deep, and then the scions of more than two buds with a length of 5-8 cm are cut into wedges and inserted into the split part of the rootstock to align with the cambium. Then wrap the whole spike with plastic film to expose the bud head. This method is used to graft branches of different colors on the same rootstock in layers to form multi-color trees. After 2-3 months of grafting, the membrane can be loosened. At this time, the length of the ear head can reach 50-80 cm. Branches should be cut short in time to avoid being broken by the wind and can be cultivated into thick branches. The survival rate of plants cultivated in this way is very good.