Is it scientifically sound to mix Chinese fir and bamboo?

There are not many problems with mixing Chinese fir and moso bamboo from the perspective of root system. Chinese fir is a deep taproot plant that can absorb fertilizer from the bottom layer, while moso bamboo is a shallow horizontal root plant that absorbs fertilizer from the top layer of soil.

However, there are one or two points of mutual attack, both of which are evergreen plants, competing for sunlight.

It takes about 5 years or more for a Chinese fir seedling to grow to 6 meters tall, while a bamboo shoot can grow to 6 meters tall in just a few months. If the planting density is too high, it will greatly affect the growth of Chinese fir seedlings in mixed planting.

Based on our 30 to 40 years of afforestation practice, we have concluded that mixed planting of Chinese fir and moso bamboo is feasible, but we must consider the overlap in planting time and terrain to ensure scientific growth and mutual benefit.

Is it scientifically sound to mix Chinese fir and bamboo?

Mountainous terrain is flat

1. When planting Chinese fir seedlings, generally about 150 seedlings per acre are used. The number of mother bamboo plants planted in the middle rows should be only about 30. If there are too many, the bamboo will sprout shoots after three years and will affect the Chinese fir trees that have not yet grown to 6 meters tall in the fourth year. They will compete for sunlight and inhibit the growth of large areas of Chinese fir trees.

2. Generally, planting them simultaneously is not as effective as planting more than 30 mother bamboo stalks per acre three to five years after the initial planting of the fir trees in a more open area. This way, the mother bamboo will produce a large number of shoots after three years, by which time the fir trees will be roughly level with the bamboo, sharing sunlight on parallel lines. The bamboo shoots will also grow into straighter bamboo. While the bamboo may vary in thickness, the smaller bamboo stalks can be thinned out after three years for profit. Thereafter, the bamboo can be thinned out annually to harvest the smaller shoots for profit.

We can consider first planting the bamboo in layers, and then the bamboo will naturally spread into the Chinese fir forest in different directions.

The mountain is relatively steep

One approach is to first intercrop the bamboo in layers, allowing it to naturally spread into the fir forest in different directions. However, prioritizing bamboo profits to fill the young forest will not generate any real profit.

Plant bamboo first in the valley (don't plant fir seedlings). Start planting fir seedlings when the bamboo is more than six meters above the valley floor. Generally, bamboo will naturally bend at the top when it reaches six meters. It will not affect the sunlight of the fir seedlings at a vertical height of six meters. Even if the bamboo grows rapidly and then bends, it will temporarily force the fir seedlings to grow rapidly (organisms will also grow rapidly in the struggle).

Then, plant another layer of bamboo at vertical intervals of six meters or more. This layer of bamboo should be sparse to prevent excessive growth. If the bamboo tips droop, it will affect both the cedar seedlings below and the cedar seedlings planted above. This layer needs to be thinned frequently to avoid affecting the sunlight of the cedar seedlings above and below.

Generally, after five or six years, the mixed-layered fir and bamboo forests will thrive. Both the bamboo and the fir will grow vigorously.

After fifteen years, moso bamboo will gradually lose its value. Large quantities of moso bamboo can be cut down. Alternatively, mother moso bamboo can be selectively kept for seed production.

Twenty years later, when there are many cedar trees available for felling and sale, and after each cedar tree is felled, the bamboo will recover and flourish again. This mixed-layer planting method yields significant long-term benefits.

After the fir trees are felled once, the bamboo will recover and flourish again.

Is it scientifically reasonable to intercrop Chinese fir and bamboo? There are examples of Chinese fir and bamboo intercropping in nature, so theoretically it is feasible. However, Chen Changwen from Zhongmu.com recently discovered that bamboo will eventually devour Chinese fir when intercropped with Chinese fir. Let's hear Chen Changwen's analysis.

Is it scientifically sound to intercrop Chinese fir and bamboo? There are examples of natural intercropping of Chinese fir and bamboo, so theoretically, it is feasible.

In the underground "battle," bamboo emerged victorious.

The phrase "no place to stand" is often used to describe the hardship of the poor's survival, and it is equally applicable to describe cedar trees growing in a mixed cedar-bamboo grove.

Both Chinese fir and bamboo are shallow-rooted plants, but the roots of Chinese fir are slightly deeper than those of bamboo, unlike bamboo rhizomes which can grow exposed. However, their growth space is primarily within the top 30-60 cm of soil (deeper in areas with deeper soil), so the root system of Chinese fir and bamboo engages in an underground "battle."

Underground, bamboo rhizomes are virtually indestructible; they can penetrate exposed rocks and embed themselves in the soil behind them. Naturally growing bamboo, without human intervention, will eventually be "suffocated" by its own profuse rhizomes, so breaking the rhizomes is also a method for increasing bamboo yield.

Faced with such a powerful opponent, the root system of the cedar tree was naturally "utterly defeated".

In the battle for space, bamboo emerged victorious.

In the underground "battle," bamboo emerged victorious.

On the ground, the competition between fir and bamboo is also fierce. Both fir and bamboo are apical plants, and when they encounter other plants competing for sunlight, they will try their best to grow taller. This is also a strategy to promote the growth of fir trees by mixing fir and bamboo. However, in the face of the tallest bamboo, fir trees are also "defeated".

According to records, moso bamboo can reach a height of up to 30 meters, which is far beyond the reach of fir trees. Not long ago, I inspected a mixed forest of fir and bamboo in a forest farm. The moso bamboo at the bottom of the valley was more than 20 meters deep, and the fir trees in the mixed forest were completely suppressed and on the verge of death.

In the contest of space, bamboo has the upper hand once again.

In individual "battles," bamboo emerges victorious.

In a mixed fir and bamboo forest, comparing the strength of individual fir and bamboo trees, although both fir and bamboo were forced down to only a few branches at the top, Chen Changwen from Zhongmu.com struck the fir and bamboo trees respectively. The bamboo remained as solid as a rock, while the fir appeared weak and vulnerable. In the mixed fir and bamboo forest, the fir was completely defeated.

In conclusion, while the mixed planting of Chinese fir and bamboo is theoretically very promising, the reality is quite different. In mixed Chinese fir and bamboo stands, bamboo will dominate.