When is the best time to plant jujube saplings for a high survival rate?
SummaryJujube saplings can be planted in spring or autumn. They can be planted in any area where the average temperature in January is not lower than minus 8°C. For planting, a sandy loam plot with relatively flat terrain, good drainage and irrigation, and fertile soil should be chosen as the nursery, and it must not be planted on land that has previously grown the same crop.
1. When to plant jujube saplings
The planting period for jujube saplings can be divided into autumn planting and spring planting. As long as there is no severe cold in winter and the average temperature in January is not lower than minus 8°C, planting can be carried out. When planting is done after the jujube trees shed their leaves and before the soil freezes, in jujube-growing areas south of the Yangtze River in China, winters are relatively warm and the soil is relatively moist, so the wounds on the jujube root system can heal in the same year of planting.
2. Jujube planting methods
1. Site selection and land preparation
The nursery land should generally be chosen as a sandy loam plot with relatively flat terrain, relatively good drainage and irrigation conditions, and fertile soil, and the nursery land must not be planted on land that has previously grown the same crop.
After selecting the nursery, apply sufficient base fertilizer and deep plow, then build irrigation and drainage pipes according to the direction of the water source. In arid areas, low beds are suitable for planting, while in areas with more rain, high beds are suitable for planting.
2. Seedling selection and planting
Root-sucker seedlings need to be strictly selected. Seedlings free of diseases and pests such as crazy top disease and scale insects should be chosen for returning to the nursery. The root collar diameter is best at 0.4-0.6cm. If the root collar is too thin or too thick, the seedling emergence rate after returning to the nursery is relatively low and the growth amount is not high.
After selecting the root-sucker seedlings, prune them by cutting off parallel branches, branch forks, and overly long roots. Keep about 35cm of new shoot on each plant, and the rest can be cut off. Then classify them according to the size of the seedlings, and heel them in.
3. Digging trenches and reasonable close planting
After preparing the land, dig a long vertical trench. The trench length is determined by the specific nursery land. The trench width is 30cm, the trench depth is 20cm, and the spacing between trenches is 60-70cm. Take out the heeled-in root-sucker seedlings and plant them in the trench, with a plant spacing of 30cm, planting about 3000-4000 plants per mu.
Because jujube trees have secondary branches and a relatively large branching angle, and because root-sucker seedlings grow relatively fast, the planting density should not be too high. If it exceeds 4000 plants, it will lead to poor plant growth, crowded branches and leaves, and trigger the occurrence of diseases. After planting, the soil needs to be firmed, tamped, and irrigated.
4. Later management
After the seedlings are planted, they can be cut back to the ground. Cut off the aboveground part 2-3cm from the ground. After the basal buds sprout, keep 1 strong growing bud and erase all the other buds. Then carry out intertillage, weeding, fertilization, pest and disease control, and so on according to conventional seedling cultivation methods.
Generally, after 1 year of returning to the nursery, the seedlings can grow to about 1m, will grow more new roots, and can then be lifted from the nursery for planting.