How
to Grow Paulownia Commercially
Site Selection
Paulownia
can be planted where minimum temperatures are
above –10F, While Paulownia will grow in zone 5 for
landscape trees, we only recommend Zones 6 and above
for timber production.
Soil
Type – Sandy or Loamy are best. Light clay soils may be prepared
with organic soil amendments and deep cultivation. Heavy clay
soils are not recommended for timber. Land
with a rocky impervious layer should also be avoided.
Paulownia
do not like to grow in standing water. Avoid low-lying or
wetland. The water table should be at least 4 feet or more
below the surface. The land should be free draining.
Altitude
– Under 2,200 feet is recommended for commercial planting.
Higher elevations tend to have greater temperature fluctuations,
unless they are in a protective micro-climate.
Site
Preparation
As
with any planting, the more you can loosen the soil, the greater
your success. Digging deep allows the new roots to penetrate
more easily. You may use a planting bar, shovel, trowel, bulb
planter or tiller. A tractor with a disk, ripper or chisel
plough can be much more efficient and productive. A chisel
plough can be used for deep (2’6” to 3’) sub soiling if needed.
Cleared
land is easier to maintain, but some growers have established
Paulownia on wooded cut-over areas. If competing vegetation
can be controlled, plantings will be a success*.
Competing
vegetation should be eliminated within 2 feet of each
tree for at least the first two years. A great labor saving
device is a small biodegradable weed mat. These are inexpensive
and eliminate the need for hand weeding or intricate spraying.
Weed
Control – Roundup can be used up to 8-10 weeks prior to planting.
Grasses and weeds should be eliminated before planting. They
compete against the tree and take nutrients and moisture away, slowing
initial growth. Once planted, care should be taken not to
allow herbicide spray to drift on to the young trees before
they have had a chance to develop a hardened bark.
Seedlings
delivered to you will be 6 to 10 inches tall. Keep them in
a partially shaded, protected area for 3 to 5 days before planting. This lets
them get over any shock from shipping and allows the bark
to harden. Make sure they have water.
Seedlings
should be planted with fertilizer. A tablet one inch below
the root ball works well (Agriform 20-10-5). Plant the seedling
at the same depth as it was in the container. The top of the
root ball should be 1” – 2” below ground level. Press down
on soil and water after planting. You want to remove any air
pockets.
As
with any new seedling, you want to water them if dry periods
of 7 to 10 days are experienced (summer planting requires
more frequent watering during the initial weeks). This care
is important particularly in the first 3 months. As the tree
ages, it becomes drought hardy.
Maintaining
Your Site
Paulownia
needs to be closely managed in the first two growing seasons.
We
recommend mowing Paulownia fields several times each year.
Weeds next to the trees also need to be controlled. Eventually
the trees will pull nutrients from deep in the ground and
form a canopy. This reduction in sunlight coming through will
make the grasses easier to maintain and eliminate the need
for weeding. Some growers who use their land for hunting or
livestock, plant clover in their Paulownia fields.
We
recommend fertilizing with 10-10-10 or even chicken manure
during the first few years. Eventually the trees will develop
a self-supporting nutrient cycle. Deep roots pull nutrients
from far underground, and then the leaves enrich the surface
soil in autumn. Fertilizing is recommended in the spring and
no later than July 15.
A
tree that gets off to good start will be able to add greater
mass as it ages.
You
want to grow saplings with at least 10 feet of trunk height,
in one season. This will be the butt log and the most valuable
timber. By pruning off young branches, this premium log will
be free of knots and flaws.
The
reason that we go for this spectacular growth is because at
the end of each growing season the top growth bud goes dormant.
When it begins to grow again in the spring, the new growth
will have a slight kink in it where the second years growth
starts.
It
is common for Paulownia growers to “coppice” (cut down at
ground level) trees that do not reach a 10-foot butt log the
first year.
While this may seem odd, it makes little difference over the
life of the tree. The next spring, the tree will utilize the
mature root structure to shoot up quickly and straight. We
see some trees reach 20 feet of new growth in one season after
coppicing.
Trees
planted in the summer or fall will have a reduced height due
to a shorter growing season. They typically need to be coppiced
before the following spring. They will grow more rapidly
and straight with a mature root system.
When
to Plant
Paulownia
can be planted throughout the year as long as the seedling
is mature and the climate is mild.
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