[Reporter Cai Zhangsheng / Hsinchu Report] The Plum Garden at National Tsing Hua University is an important landmark commemorating the spirit of former president Mei Yiqi. However, the garden's old plum trees are facing a life-threatening crisis due to a disease known as "sunburn disease" or branch and stem rot. With a generous donation from Tsing Hua alumnus and Chairman of the Shengwei Investment Holding Group, Tsai Chaoyang, the university has partnered with the Taiwan Old Tree Rescue Association to launch the "Plum Garden Medical Conservation and Cultivation Project." This project will utilize water-jet soil perforation technology to help the old plum trees regain vitality.

National Tsing Hua University President Kao Wei-yuan stated that the entire school, including faculty, staff, and alumni, regards the Plum Garden as an important and sacred landmark. Therefore, maintaining the ecology and landscape of the Plum Garden is the university's top priority. After extensive discussions with professional teams and observing the positive results of initial treatment demonstrations, Tsing Hua University will immediately implement the Plum Garden Revitalization Project, hoping to see the plums bloom again next year, with vibrant flowers adorning the trees.

Tsing Hua University Director of General Affairs Zhang Xiangguang pointed out that the Plum Garden currently has 299 plum trees, of which 201 are 60-year-old "old" plum trees, primarily of the green plum variety. Although the university has been diligently maintaining them annually, including watering, branch thinning, applying organic fertilizer, and controlling pests and diseases, the ancient plum trees have still suffered from issues such as stem decay, dry tops, and poor bud growth in recent years. The university has decided to launch a four-year Plum Garden Conservation Plan. The first phase will focus on providing emergency treatment for the ailing old plum trees, followed by efforts to improve soil conditions, rebuild the tree structure, and enhance growth vitality, ultimately improving the overall landscape of the garden.

Liu Dongqi, Executive Director of the Old Tree Rescue Association, diagnosed that the rot in the old plum trees is not simply due to aging or pathogen infestation but is caused by soil hardening, which creates physiological barriers. Investigation through soil probing revealed that the topsoil to a depth of about 60 cm is too hard, preventing the roots from developing properly and absorbing water. This leads to the withering of branch tips, poor leaf growth, and an inability of broken branches to heal. The association plans to use the "water-jet soil perforation" technology to create multiple air channels up to one meter deep around the ancient plum trees, activating the surface soil, adding soil loosening materials, and injecting organic probiotic fertilizers into the holes to help the root systems of the old plum trees develop healthily.

Liu Dongqi stated that with soil improvement and proper care, it is expected that by next spring, the plum trees' health will improve, with increased leaf volume, stronger branches, and larger flowers, reviving the vitality of the trees. The Old Tree Rescue Association conducted a demonstration treatment on two plum trees last December, and this year, these trees exhibited better vitality, with a longer blooming period compared to other plum trees.

The first president of Tsing Hua University, Mei Yiqi, passed away in 1962 and was laid to rest in a memorial garden created by faculty and students on campus, surrounded by plum trees, which became today's Plum Garden. Each year in February, when the plum blossoms bloom, the Plum Garden attracts a large number of visitors, becoming one of the most distinctive plum blossom viewing spots in Hsinchu City.

(News source: Liberty Times Net, February 24, 2025)