Kiri tree supply

Paulownia can be grown from seed, or cloned by vegetative propagation or tissue culture. The advantage of cloning is that it proviudes a guarantee that the small tree will grow up to be exaclty like the parent tree. Hence desirable attributes like fast growth, small branch diameter, stem straightness, wood quality etc can be assured. 

The first step in cloning is to select the best variety. Helathy disease-free material from the parent tree is then grown in laboratory culture. It is initially grown for several months and repeatedly sub-cultured to ensure that the plant material is 100% disinfested from any pathogens, bacteria or fungi.

< tissues in hand>

When the material is shown to be pure, it can then be put into multiplication phase. The formula for the growing medium is very specific; it must have exacltly the right balance of nutrients and hormones, and this is often slightly different for each clone. Each micro-cutting will grow enough in one month to produce another 2 to 4 plants, so in the best case, one cutting could produce 4^11 (ie 1x4x4x4x4…) in one year, or 4.2 million trees !

<flasks in lab>

The requirement for skilled labour and an expensive laboratory, and above all maintenance of large numbers of mother stock, mean that tissue culture production is justifiable mainly where large annual production numbers and/or regular turn-out are required.

About 6 weeks prior to delivery, the plants are removed from the laboratory and transferred to small pots which are grown in a very gentle controlled environment for the first 1-2 weeks. When they have hardened they are transferred to an ordianry greenhouse for about 3-4 weeks, then sprayed for insects and fungi before being removed for export packaging. Plants can also be exported at the tissue phase in flasks; however this is only advisable if the receiver is highly experienced and has suitable nursery facilities.

<marix covers>

For export they are packed in sterile moist material and kept cool during transit. They will survive like this for a few days only.

<export box>

When the plants arrive in the receiving country, they must be grown for another 3-4 weeks in a 700-1000 ml pot in a nursery (see below) before they are ready for planting. A simple outdoor facility with clean water, wind protection and a suitable loose potting mix is all that is required.

It is also perfectly feasible to export Kiri cuttings to most countries. Australia has strict quarantine export regulations and the plants are inspected to ensure they are free of disease and soil before being granted a Phytosanitary certificate. Producing cuttings requires more land and maintenance time, but can be done without need for highly skilled labour or capital equipment. The production is highly seasonal, ie it must be done at a certain time of year. Also the multiplication of cuttings is not as rapid as tissue; one initial plant can produce about 50 new plants ready for export in 12 months. So, for example to produce 4 million Kiri trees would require having 80,000 plants in a mother-stock production bed 12 months prior to the delivery. Here is an example of such a bed 3 weeks after planting.

<production bed>

The plants are dug up during their winter dormant phase and processed into cuttings. Simple facilities are suitable but the work has to be carefully managed to ensure high quality for export. 

<cutting bench>

The cleaned plant cuttings are packed in sterile moist material and can survive for several weeks if kept cool . 

<bagged cuttings>

Cuttings are started by growing in a simple greenhouse for 1-2 weeks then transferred to larger pots and will be ready for planting in 3-4 weeks.

<greenhouse photo>
<nursery beds>

I have succesfully produced and delivered hundreds of thousands of Kiri trees like this for domestic and international growers.