How Can a Pomelo Tree Bear Fruit? A Detailed Guide to Planting and Management Techniques

SummaryIf a pomelo tree only blooms but does not bear fruit, you can use the ring-barking method when the tree is blooming, so that nutrients are concentrated on the flowers and fruit, promoting fruit set. You can also carry out hand pollination to increase the fruit set rate and fruit quality. If the pomelo tree does not bloom, resulting in no fruit, you can prune away the weak branches that consume nutrients, check for diseases and pests, and loosen the soil and apply fertilizer.

Generally, a seedling pomelo tree will begin to bear fruit after 8-10 years, while a grafted pomelo tree will bear fruit after 4-5 years. One to two years after the first fruit, it enters the full fruiting period. A 5-7 year old grafted tree can yield 15-50kg per tree, and an 8-10 year old grafted tree can yield 50-100kg per tree.

Pomelo tree does not bloom

If the planted pomelo tree does not bloom, then you need to prune and bend the branches of the tree, remove the weak branches that consume nutrients, then check whether the tree has pests or diseases, and finally loosen the soil and apply fertilizer. It is best not to apply fertilizer only directly beneath the pomelo tree; spread fertilizer over the several square meters around the planted tree to ensure sufficient nutrients.

Pomelo tree only blooms but does not bear fruit

If the pomelo tree produces many flowers but no fruit, carry out ring-barking on the pomelo tree when it blooms, and then carry out hand pollination, and the pomelo tree will then set fruit.

1. Ring-barking: Use a small knife to cut a ring around the bark of the tree trunk, or make one to two spiral cuts, so that nutrients are concentrated on the flowers and fruit of the tree. When ring-barking, be careful not to cut too deep, so as not to damage the xylem. Generally, the tree can heal in about 10 days.

2. Hand pollination: Pomelo trees pollinated by cross-pollination between different plants have a higher fruit set rate and the fruit is sweeter. Although a pomelo tree can set fruit through self-pollination, the fruit set rate is relatively low and the fruit tastes poor, so growers now choose hand pollination to increase the fruit set rate and fruit quality.

Fertilization methods for planting pomelo

1. Fruit-preserving fertilizer

Pomelo trees produce a relatively large amount of spring shoots, and a large amount of nutrients is consumed during flowering. Generally, when young fruit forms in May-June, if nutrients are insufficient, fruit drop will occur. For trees with many flowers or old trees, during the first physiological fruit drop, apply a quick-acting fruit-preserving compound fertilizer to the pomelo tree, and use it together with rotted farmyard manure, to stabilize the fruit.

When topdressing, it is best to choose potassium fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer, and also combine them with a certain amount of nitrogen fertilizer and magnesium fertilizer. For pomelo trees in an on-year, apply a larger amount of topdressing; for pomelo trees in an off-year, apply less or none, to avoid causing excessive shoot growth and increasing fruit drop. The amount of topdressing should account for 5-10% of the total annual fertilizer application.

2. Fertilizer for swelling fruit and promoting shoots

After the physiological fruit drop period of the pomelo ends, the fruit will rapidly expand, and the ability of the roots to absorb nutrients increases. At this time, early autumn shoots will sprout, so sufficient nutrients must be ensured.

In early to mid-July, apply rotted organic fertilizer to the tree to promote fruit expansion and make the early autumn shoots full, preparing a sufficient nutrient foundation for flower bud differentiation. The amount of this topdressing should account for about 30% of the total annual fertilizer application.

3. Fertilizer after fruit harvest

Apply fertilizer 7-10 days before picking the fruit, or apply it after picking the fruit; either is fine. This promotes recovery of tree vigor, helps the leaves on the tree overwinter smoothly, promotes flower bud differentiation, and reduces the phenomenon of alternating bearing.

Mainly apply organic fertilizer, combined with calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate and bone meal. When fertilizing, pay attention to applying heavily and early. If it is an early-maturing variety, fertilize promptly after picking the fruit; if it is a late-maturing variety, fertilize before picking the fruit. For older pomelo trees, fertilize promptly and multiple times; for younger pomelo trees, apply less fertilizer to suppress excessive flower bud formation. The amount of fertilizer applied should account for 40-45% of the total annual fertilizer application.