The genus Cinnamomum

160 Nguyen Kim Dao
Table 6.1 Main norms of planting cassia cinnamon in Vietnam
No. Norms Unit Per ha of forest
A. Technique
1 Sowing area m 2 40–50
2 Transplanting area m 2 450–500
3 Ratio of standard trees % trees 80%
4 Ratio of reserve trees for % 20%
inter-crop
5 Time to nurse seedlings month 12–24
6 Number of standard trees/1kg trees 1500
seeds
7 Method to treat the vegetation cutting
8 Method to prepare soil by hoeing
9 Dimension of holes for growing cm 40 40 40
10 Dimension of trees for growing cm H: 20–30
D: 0,8–1
11 Seedling density trees 3300
B. Material
12 Seed kg 2.5
13 Seedling for growing trees 4950
14 Fertilizer
Phosphorus kg 300
Manure kg 700
Nitrogenous kg 20
Potassium kg 50
15 Insectisides
Basudin, Wofatox kg 50
Powdered lime 666 kg 100
16 Material for making greenhouse kg 200
In China, cassia cinnamon is grown more like the Sri Lankan cinnamon. Here the
plants are coppiced four to five years after planting, and regularly thereafter. In such
cases plants are maintained as thick bushes and are retained in the field for a considerable
period of time. This difference in harvesting makes the final products from China
and Vietnam very much different in quality and appearance.
Sowing and nursing
Trees for raising seedlings must be strong, with thick, sweet smelling bark. Seeds are
collected in July–August, are put in water, and only seeds that sink are used for sowing.
Before sowing, seeds are to be kept in warm water (30–35 °C) with 1% permanganate
for six to eight hours. They are then taken out and kept in shade in humid sand in
multi-layers: one layer of 8–10 cm thick sand is intercalated with one layer of seeds, and
three such sand layers are usually made. Seeds are left for seven to ten days and receive
occasional sprinklings of water. When seeds germinate the sprouts are transplanted to
nursery beds or polybags. Alternatively direct seeding in polybags can also be employed.
Preparation of soil: Land is ploughed 30–40 days before sowing seeds, adding powdered
lime at the rate of 0.2 kg/m 2 . The soil is plouged for a second time followed by