How to Grow Paulownia
- 1). Prepare a planting site for the paulownia seeds before they ripen. Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil. Test the soil using a soil testing kit to determine the pH. Paulownia trees prefer soil with a pH between 6.5 and 8.0. If your soil does not meet these parameters, you will need to amend prior to sowing.
- 2). Break up the soil with a pitchfork and amend if necessary. Add lime for soil with a pH below 6.5 or peat moss for a pH above 8.0. Add the required amendment per label instructions.
- 3). Collect the ripe paulownia seeds during the fall. The seed capsules of the paulownia tree will burst open in the fall, exposing thousands of winged seeds. Seeds are ripe once they turn brown.
- 4). Deposit three to four seeds into the soil at a depth of 1/8 inch, immediately after collection. Pat the soil on top of the seeds to remove air pockets. Water-in the seeds, moistening the soil to a 1-inch depth using a garden hose. Keep the soil moist up until the first winter frost. Refrain from watering in the winter, especially if the ground is snow-covered. Resume watering at the 1-inch depth after the spring thaw.
- 5). Cover the planting site with a piece of 10-by-10-inch screening. Secure each corner of the screening with a heavy stone. The screening will protect paulownia seeds from hungry wildlife.
- 6). Apply a layer of mulch over the screening to shield the seeds from the winter frost. A 3- to 4-inch layer of straw or pine bark should suffice. Mulch will also improve drainage and reduce weed growth around the young paulownia seedling in the spring.
- 7). Push the mulch to the side and remove the screening once the paulownia seedlings emerge in the spring. Remove the weakest seedlings and discard, leaving the healthiest one to grow in the soil.
- 8). Feed the paulownia seedling a diet of 30-10-10 fertilizer. Follow the label instructions for allocation amounts and frequency. Paulownia seedlings appreciate fertilizing throughout the growing season, with the fertilizer sprayed directly on its foliage and roots.
