Cultivation methods of loquat planting (high-yield planting technology and management points of loquat trees)

Loquat is one of many fruits, which is loved by consumers because of its unique taste and has a broad market prospect. However, most loquat varieties in the south are not good, small and taste bad, so how can we grow them to get high benefits?

Garden Selection

Loquat likes moist air, plenty of water, and sufficient but not too strong sunlight . The garden should be located on a gentle slope facing south or southeast, and the north slope is also suitable in areas without frost damage.

If planting on flat ground, you must prevent waterlogging and root rot. Before planting, you must build mounds or dig deep trenches to ensure good drainage.

Loquat is not very picky about the soil and can generally grow and bear fruit normally. It prefers gravel soil with a deep, loose, fertile, and rich organic matter content.

Planting loquat tree seedlings

There are two main methods of growing loquat: sowing seedlings and grafting seedlings. The sowing seedling method is simple, but the fruiting is delayed after planting and the variability is large.

① Planting distance

The row spacing for loquat planting is generally 3 meters × 3.5 meters, with 64 plants planted per mu. Sparse planting is recommended on flat land, with row spacing of 3 meters × 4 meters, with 56 plants planted per mu.

② Planting time

Loquat can be planted in spring and autumn. It is better to plant it in spring before the spring shoots sprout, that is, from December to February of the following year. It can also be planted in March-April after the spring shoots are full and before the summer shoots sprout.

If it is a mountainous area lacking water, it is better to plant in spring. Autumn planting is generally in October.

③Cultivation method

2-3 months before planting, dig a planting hole with a depth of 60 cm, a width of 80 cm at the mouth and a width of 70 cm at the bottom. Cut off some leaves and tender branches before planting the seedlings to reduce evaporation. Pour enough water to establish roots, and cover with a layer of fine soil after the water seeps down.

(1) Bottom layer : At the same time, we can pile the topsoil and subsoil separately. A layer of green manure and straw is added to the bottom layer of each planting pit.

(2) Middle layer : For each hole in the middle layer, mix the topsoil with 30 kg of farmyard manure and 0.7 kg of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and fill the hole evenly. Then fill the original bottom soil back. The backfilling work must be completed 2 months before planting to allow the base fertilizer to fully decompose and the backfill soil to settle. After 2 months of backfilling, choose a cloudy day or a sunny day after rain to plant.

(3) Planting layer : The planting layer should be made of mature soil. The transplanted seedlings should have more fibrous roots and attached soil to facilitate survival. The roots should not come into contact with fertilizers. The seeds should not be planted too deep. It is best to cover the soil to the root neck. The soil should be compacted, a mound should be built, and the tree pit should be trimmed.

Water and fertilizer management

① Water management

Loquats should not have waterlogging in the garden, especially during the fruit ripening period. Too much rain can easily cause the fruit to crack or rot, so drainage should be carried out in time .

If it is too dry or the sun is too strong, the fruit will easily get burned. At this time, water should be irrigated or sprayed.

Moderate drought in summer is conducive to flower bud differentiation. However, drought in autumn and winter can easily cause leaf fall, affect tree vigor, reduce flower spikes, and bloom early. Attention should be paid to irrigation or covering the tree tray to keep moisture.

② Fertilization

Loquat has lush leaves and abundant flowers, grows all year round, and the growth peaks of the roots and branches alternate.

Generally, the root system grows about 2 weeks earlier than the branch and has 3 to 4 growth peaks a year, requiring a large amount of fertilizer. We should fertilize according to the growth characteristics of the root system and branch .

(1) Amount and method of fertilization during the juvenile stage

Young orchards should adopt the principle of thin and frequent fertilization, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus , to promote the nutritional growth of branches and shoots and rapidly expand the crown.

Fertilize once after planting until the buds are 2 to 3 cm tall, with 4 to 11 grams of urea, 6 grams of diammonium phosphate, and 4 to 6 kilograms of decomposed human feces and urine per plant. Fertilize once every 15 to 20 days to promote the growth of spring and summer shoots.

After applying fertilizer 4 times, stop applying fertilizer and control water to promote flower bud differentiation. Apply fertilizer again from September to November.

In the second year, topdress once in February, March, May, September and November, with 50g of urea and 6-12kg of decomposed human feces and urine applied per plant each time. In February and November, 100g of superphosphate was applied, and 60g of potassium sulfate was applied in March.

In the third year, fertilize four times , once in early March, late May, late September, and late November, with 70 grams of urea and 8-15 kilograms of decomposed human feces and urine applied to each plant each time. Apply 65 grams of potassium sulfate in early March and 110 grams of superphosphate in late November.

(2) Amount and method of fertilization during adulthood

The branches of loquat have four peak growth periods a year, mainly in spring, summer and autumn , while summer and spring shoots are the main fruiting branches.

Therefore, cultivating excellent summer and spring shoots is the key to high yield. Therefore, for mature orchards (after 3 years), fertilization 3 times a year is sufficient.

Apply spring shoot fertilizer once: Apply in early to mid-February . At this time, the root system is at a peak of growth, which is convenient for nutrient absorption. Fertilization can promote spring shoots and increase fruit size.

The second application of summer shoot fertilizer: Apply after fruit harvesting from mid-May to early June (apply before fruit harvesting for late-maturing varieties). This is the second growth peak of the root system, mainly promoting summer shoots and flower bud differentiation in July and August.

The third application of autumn fertilizer (pre-flowering fertilizer ) is mostly from September to early October, applied after heading to before flowering, mainly to promote good flowering, improve fruit setting, and increase cold resistance and wintering ability.

Flower and fruit thinning

Loquat has many flowers and fruits. Thinning the flowers and fruits can reduce nutrient consumption and adjust the ratio of nutrient branches to flower spike branches, which is conducive to high yields every year, larger fruits, improved fruit quality, and consistent maturity period .

①Sparse flowers

The best time to thin the flower spikes of loquat is when the flower spikes are clearly visible but have not yet bloomed. If the flowers are thinned too early, they are prone to forming a second spike and need to be thinned again. In areas with frost damage in winter, it can be done together with fruit thinning in spring .

The number and method of thinning flower spikes : varies according to the age, vigor and variety of the tree. First, thin out the flower spikes with few leaves, poor development, and pests, according to the principle of removing the outer and keeping the inner, removing the late and keeping the early, and removing the weak and keeping the strong.

Generally, young and weak trees should be thinned more, while strong trees and trees in full fruiting period should be thinned less. If there are 4 ears on a branch, thin 1-2 ears, and if there are 5 ears, thin 2 ears. Large-fruited varieties should be thinned more appropriately.

In addition, more flower spikes should be kept on the central branches that head early, and fewer flower spikes should be kept on the extension branches that head late, so that the fruit ripening period is consistent.

②Fruit thinning

The time for loquat fruit thinning should usually be when the inflorescence has fallen and the young fruit is the size of a broad bean . In areas with frost damage, it is appropriate to do so when the frozen fruit can be identified.

Fruit thinning method and quantity : First thin out some of the excess fruit clusters, then thin out the fruit kernels, and also thin out the fruit that is diseased and insect-infested, frost-damaged, deformed, small, and too dense.

The number of fruits to be kept per ear depends on the variety, tree age, growth, and number of leaves. Keep more fruits on vigorous trees, strong branches, and fruiting branches with many leaves, and fewer or none on weaker branches. Generally, keep 7 to 8 fruits on large ears, 4 to 5 on small ears, and reduce the number by 1/3 for large-fruit varieties .

In addition, pay attention to selecting young fruits of the same size and in the middle of the bunch. The fruits should not be crowded, and the branches should not touch each other. Try to keep the fruits hidden in the leaves to prevent sunburn and facilitate bagging and harvesting.