Are prickly or thornless Sichuan pepper trees better? A detailed guide to cultivation methods

Sichuan pepper trees are grown in many parts of China, usually bearing fruit in August and September. Sichuan pepper can be added to food to enhance the numbing fragrance, and it also has certain medicinal value. There are many varieties of Sichuan pepper trees, so are Sichuan pepper trees prickly or thornless better? How to cultivate them?

I. Are prickly or thornless Sichuan pepper trees better?

(1) Characteristics of prickly Sichuan pepper

1. Prickly Sichuan pepper is a mature variety on the market, and the techniques for seedling raising, planting, grafting, flower retention and fruit retention are all relatively mature.

2. Prickly Sichuan pepper has better yield and better quality, and is also relatively popular on the market. A neighbor in our hometown grows Sichuan pepper trees and has both prickly and thornless varieties. According to him, the prickly variety yields 20% more than the thornless variety, and the taste of prickly Sichuan pepper is more numbing than thornless Sichuan pepper. More people on the market prefer prickly Sichuan pepper.

1. The only shortcoming is that prickly Sichuan pepper is not easy to harvest, the harvesting is slower, the workload is greater, and the labor cost is relatively higher.

(2) Characteristics of thornless Sichuan pepper

1. Compared with prickly Sichuan pepper, the cultivation techniques for thornless Sichuan pepper are not mature, and it has not been widely promoted for planting on the market.

2. The reasons it is not promoted for planting also include relatively lower yield, relatively lower quality, and low market popularity.

3. Its only advantage is that it is convenient to harvest, harvesting is fast at maturity, and the labor cost for harvesting is relatively lower.

II. How to cultivate Sichuan pepper trees?

1. Seedbed selection: Sichuan pepper requires sufficient sunlight from the seedling stage onward. The seedbed site should preferably be a sandy soil that is sheltered from the wind, facing the sun, with deep and fertile soil and good drainage. Before sowing, prepare the land carefully, break up the clods, and make it loose on top and firm below. Along with deep plowing and land preparation, apply 4000-5000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 8-10 kg of urea, 30-40 kg of superphosphate, 50 kg of plant ash or 10-15 kg of potassium sulfate per mu. On the basis of careful land preparation, make beds 1-1.2 m wide and 6-10 m long.

2. Seedling stage management: When Sichuan pepper is raised in autumn, the seeds take a long time to emerge, and seedlings emerge earlier than with spring sowing. Therefore, in arid areas or where the seedbed soil is heavy and sticky, plastic film or wheat straw mulch can be used after sowing. When dry, water can be sprayed, but do not flood irrigate. Keep the seedbed soil moist at all times.

3. Fertilizer and water management: Sichuan pepper has a well-developed root system and a strong ability to conserve soil and water. Therefore, in arid areas there should be moisture-preserving measures, and supplementing with necessary base fertilizer and a small amount of foliar fertilizer can meet the fertilizer and water needs of Sichuan pepper. Generally, after autumn and during spring plowing, apply organic fertilizers such as barnyard manure and compost once each. The amount of fertilizer applied depends on the tree age and the amount of fruit produced, generally more than 20 kg per tree. Foliar topdressing starts at the flowering stage, about once a month, sprayed in the early morning or evening, for a total of 2-3 times.

4. Training and pruning: Pruning Sichuan pepper is best done in late autumn. When pruning, excess branches at the base can be removed, leaving 3-5 main branches, and the training is completed after 4-5 years. Finally, remove the central branch and open up the center.

5. Pest and disease control: There are many species of insect pests of Sichuan pepper in China, such as scarab beetles, Sichuan pepper flea beetles, Sichuan pepper swallowtail butterflies, Sichuan pepper nettle caterpillars, bagworms, black cicadas, Sichuan pepper aphids, Sichuan pepper scale insects, Sichuan pepper red spider mites, Sichuan pepper gall midges, Sichuan pepper tiger longhorn beetles, etc. In actual production, it is necessary to actively prevent the occurrence of these pests and diseases.

6. Harvesting: At present, the picking method is still manual fruit picking, and branches must not be broken off with leaves. Except for those used as seed, they should not be exposed to strong sun. Generally, in good weather, they can be dried in one to two days. During the drying process, remove impurities. Put the dried Sichuan pepper (do not separate the seeds) into a jar or plastic bag, seal it well, and it can be stored for a long time.

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