How to Grow Mandarin Oranges? A Detailed Guide to Planting Techniques and Precautions

The mandarin orange is a type of citrus fruit. Unlike ordinary oranges, the mandarin orange is smaller in size and has a better taste, being very sweet and juicy, which is why it is deeply loved by consumers. Many people are now growing mandarin oranges, but before planting, one should not act blindly; first, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of its planting techniques.

How to Grow Mandarin Oranges

1. Planting time: The principle is to plant after the previous flush has matured and before the new flush buds out. The year is generally divided into 3 periods:

1. Autumn planting: September-November, after the autumn flush has matured. If irrigation is available, this is the best planting period, as there is ample time for the plant to recover and grow after planting. In mountainous areas with severe autumn drought and early cold-dew winds, autumn planting should be done early rather than late, preferably with field planting before mid-October.

2. Winter planting: January-February, before the spring flush buds out or just begins to sprout. After Major Cold, the weather gradually warms up, and new roots grow quickly after planting, giving a high survival rate. The disadvantage is that the spring flush in that year emerges unevenly.

3. Spring planting: April-May, after the spring flush has matured. At this time, rainfall is plentiful and the climate is mild, so plants easily survive after planting and grow quickly. For areas with no irrigation in autumn and winter, spring planting is preferable.

2. Planting method: When planting seedlings, two people should work together, cover the root crown with fine soil and press it down gently. Water thoroughly to settle the roots so that the root mass fits closely with the soil, then shape the soil into a copper-plate form so that water does not overflow when watering, and afterward cover the soil mound with a layer of Dicranopteris fern or weeds to retain moisture.

Mandarin Orange Planting Techniques and Precautions

1. Planting techniques:

1. Dig planting holes. The size of the planting hole for mandarin oranges is 0.5×0.5×0.5 m in length, width, and depth. When digging the hole, pile the topsoil and subsoil separately. When backfilling, put 10 jin of farmyard manure, 5 jin of weeds, 1 jin of phosphate fertilizer, and 0.5 jin of lime into each hole. When backfilling, mix the farmyard manure, phosphate fertilizer, lime, and topsoil evenly and backfill them in layers with the weeds. The backfilled soil should be 30 cm above the hole surface and shaped into a fruit plate; on slopes, horizontal terraces should be made. The planting spacing is 2.5×3 m, with 80 plants per mu.

2. Seedling field planting. For mandarin orange field planting, the planting depth should be level with the original position of the seedling. Before planting, slurry the roots first; the root system should spread out naturally and be compacted. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots and cover with 10 cm of weeds or plastic film to keep warm and moist. For the first three days, water must be applied every night, then every other day. After one week, depending on the weather, water once every 7 days, 10 days, or half a month until the rainy season arrives.

2. Precautions:

When planning the orchard site, there should be necessary roads, drainage and irrigation, water storage, and ancillary building facilities. In specific planning, try as much as possible to concentrate the orchard in contiguous blocks and establish it in places with good transportation and water source conditions.

Fertilization Management After Planting Mandarin Oranges

For young tree management, fertilizer and water management should be the focus, promoting root growth and early and rapid shoot development so as to form a canopy as soon as possible. Forty days after field planting, new roots begin to grow, and decomposed manure water diluted 2—3 times can be applied, once every 10-15 days, 5-10 jin per plant. As the young trees grow, gradually increase the concentration and amount of manure water, and appropriately add urea dissolved in manure water for application. Starting from the second year of planting, the number of fertilizer applications can be reduced, while increasing the amount of manure water and chemical fertilizer each time, applying 30 jin of manure water and about 3 liang of urea each time. By September, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer and manure water, and apply potassium fertilizer once, with 0.5 jin of potassium chloride per plant, to promote flower bud differentiation.

What to Do About Fruit Drop in Mandarin Oranges

1. If the fruit tree has pests, causing mandarin orange fruit drop, it is necessary to buy insecticide and spray the tree body; before spraying, refer to the drug instructions and spray according to the specified amount.

2. When spraying insecticide, spray the entire fruit tree evenly, and also spray the leaves, trunk, and the soil around the fruit tree. PS: Before spraying pesticide, take proper personal safety protection measures.

3. If the fruit tree lacks nutrition and cannot absorb enough nutrients to support too many fruits, fruit drop will occur. In that case, targeted fertilization is needed, and fertilizers applied to the soil can be purchased.

4. You can also buy some liquid fertilizers and sprays for preventing fruit drop; spraying these anti-fruit-drop sprays can effectively reduce fruit drop.

5. If the fruit tree has too many branches and they are dense, pests are likely to breed, and the tree also lacks nutrition and cannot provide enough growth nutrients to the fruit. The mandarin orange tree should be pruned, and some weak and non-vigorous branches should be cut off and discarded.

6. Insufficient or excessive water can also cause fruit drop, so when watering, ensure an appropriate amount; do not water too much or too little.

Before planting mandarin oranges, a suitable time must be chosen, and generally spring, autumn, and winter are the most common planting seasons. After planting, management needs to be strengthened, especially paying attention to the amount of fertilizer. If fruit drop occurs, do not panic; find the cause and then solve the problem at its root.