Can Pomelo Be Grown in the North? Key Growing Conditions Explained

SummaryPomelo cannot be grown in the north, because pomelo needs to grow in a warm and humid environment with deep, fertile soil and abundant water, while the temperatures in northern China are relatively low and unsuitable for pomelo growth. If pomelo is grown in the north, even if the sapling survives, it will not bear fruit.

The north has cold temperatures, while pomelo likes to grow in a warm and humid environment. The soil for growing pomelo must be deep and fertile, and the water must be nutrient-rich with an abundant supply. Therefore, pomelo cannot be grown in the north. If pomelo is grown in the north, even if the sapling survives, it will not bear fruit.

Pomelo Growing Techniques

1. Planting

1. Density: Pomelo trees grow relatively fast and have very large canopies. Generally, grafted trees reach full fruiting age in 6-7 years. When planting, the density should be appropriate. If planting on slopes above 20 degrees, the density is best controlled at 45 trees/mu; if planting on gentle slopes below 10 degrees, the density is best controlled at 35 trees/mu.

2. Time: The best time to plant pomelo trees is when there is more rainfall in spring and autumn. Generally, late February to late April or mid-August to mid-October can be chosen. If conditions permit, pomelo can also be planted at other times except during the low-temperature winter period and the summer drought period.

3. Density: The best spacing between plants and rows for planting pomelo is 4×4m or 4×5m, and the density is best controlled at 40 trees/mu. If the seedlings are shorter, the planting density can be appropriately increased, and it is best controlled at 50-60 trees/mu.

4. Method: First dig a pit 1m square, apply sufficient organic fertilizer and an appropriate amount of phosphate fertilizer into the pit as base fertilizer, then pile soil 20-30cm higher than the ground, then gently place the pomelo seedling into the pit, plant it using loose, crumbled soil, then use your hands to press the fine soil around the root ball firmly. The graft union should be exposed above the ground. After planting, tidy the planting basin so that it is 20cm higher than the ground, then irrigate with sufficient water to settle the roots.

2. Soil Cultivation

1. Deep plowing: Deeply plow the soil in the orchard, expanding the area year by year. During the young tree stage of pomelo, a ring-shaped trench can be dug around the outer planting area, and deep plowing can be carried out year by year. In mature pomelo orchards, strip-shaped deep trenches 70cm wide and 50cm deep can be dug around the outer edge of the canopy, and green manure and other organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers can be buried in layers into the trenches. Deep plowing can also be carried out alternately every other year, in alternate rows, or for each tree each year.

2. Planting green manure on a large scale: In summer, covering the ground with planted green manure can prevent erosion by rainwater, lower soil layer temperature, increase air humidity, and also inhibit weed growth. It can also increase the organic matter content in the soil to a certain extent and enhance soil fertility. If legumes or vegetables are planted at intervals in the orchard, economic returns can also be increased. After harvest, their stems and residual branches and leaves can be covered and turned into the soil to improve the soil.

3. Intertillage and earthing up: Weed at the same time as intertillage. Carry out intertillage 3-4 times each year. Generally, after harvesting the fruit in winter, and in summer or autumn, carry out one intertillage each in combination with sowing and intercropping. The depth of intertillage should be controlled at about 10-15cm. If combined with intercropping and sowing, the depth can be appropriately increased a little. The closer to the trunk, the shallower the depth, so as to avoid damaging the large roots of the fruit tree.

Earthing up is best carried out before the dry season or after picking the fruit in winter. If the orchard is on gently sloping land, generally earthing up once every 3-4 years is enough. If the slope is relatively steep and the area is prone to erosion, then it is best to earth up once every other year.

3. Fertilization

The roots of young pomelo trees are relatively tender, so more fertilizer should be applied during planting, following the principle of small amounts applied frequently. Generally, fertilizer can be applied 5-6 times each year. Fruit-bearing trees only need about 4 fertilizations each year.

1. Base fertilizer: Also called restorative fertilizer, generally applied before and after picking the fruit. The amount applied should account for half of the whole year. Mainly apply slower-acting fertilizers such as green manure, compost, barnyard manure, and cake fertilizer, and also apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer in combination.

2. Pre-flowering fertilizer: Also called bud-promoting fertilizer, applied in February-March. Mainly apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. Human and livestock manure can be applied, and urea can also be appropriately applied in combination.

3. Fruit-stabilizing fertilizer: About half a month before the June fruit drop, apply some quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer. decomposed human and livestock manure can also be applied, and a 1% calcium superphosphate extract can be sprayed.

4. Fruit-strengthening fertilizer: Mostly applied in mid-to-late June. Mainly apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer and phosphate and potassium fertilizer.

4. Irrigation and Drainage

The leaves of pomelo trees are green all year round. Their annual shoot growth is relatively large, the fruit-bearing period is long, and both the leaves and fruit are relatively large, so they require sufficient water. When growing pomelo, the orchard must be irrigated regularly to ensure the water needed for tree growth. The amount of irrigation water depends on the growth condition of the pomelo tree.

Pomelo trees need sufficient water throughout the year to maintain growth, especially during spring bud germination, flowering, and the peak period of fruit growth, when the water requirement is even higher. If the growing area experiences spring drought and summer drought, the orchard should be irrigated in time. If the terrain is low-lying, the groundwater level is high, or the season has abundant rainfall, the water in the orchard should be drained in time. Regularly check the drainage system in the orchard. If problems are found, correct them in time to ensure the orchard drains smoothly.

5. Training and Pruning

Pomelo trees grow relatively fast, and the trees are relatively tall and large. During the young tree stage, as long as fertilizer and water are sufficient, their apical dominance is also very strong, the shoots grow straight, the tree form has an obvious trunk, and there are many new shoots on the tree that are also very vigorous. After fruiting, the branches droop because of the weight of the fruit, and the branches bend downward. At this time, the tree shape becomes umbrella-shaped, and sunlight cannot easily penetrate into the interior of the canopy, which causes poor branch growth and small fruit. Generally, the fruiting mother branches of pomelo trees are all inside the canopy and are biennial leafless branches.

In combination with the growth and fruiting characteristics of pomelo trees, it is best to prune the fruit trees during the growing process. The “modified central leader form” and the natural “open-center form” are suitable. Generally, the trunk height should be controlled at 40-60cm, the spacing between main branches should be controlled at 30-40cm, and a total of 5-6 main branches should be cultivated.

When pruning pomelo trees, the main principle is “heavy at the top, light on the four sides, heavy on the outer periphery, light in the interior.” Thin out where branches and leaves are dense around the canopy, heavily prune the branches at the top, and lightly prune the branches inside the fruit tree, so that there is sufficient sunlight inside the canopy and the yield and quality of the fruit are improved.

Generally, the relatively slender leafless branches on 3-4-year-old lateral branches inside the canopy are relatively good fruiting mother branches and must not be pruned. For lateral branches on the outer periphery of the canopy that are too long or disrupt the tree shape and affect the balance of tree vigor, they should be thinned and cut back to achieve ventilation and light penetration.