A Detailed Guide to Lemon Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

The lemon is a fruit grown in the south. Lemons like warmth and shade, need plenty of water during growth, and do not have very high demands on soil fertility. Growing lemons requires mastering certain techniques to help them adapt better to the environment and achieve higher yields.

Lemon Cultivation Techniques

1. Orchard establishment on flat land: When using paddy fields to establish a lemon orchard, high furrows should be made along the slope for drainage and field drying. After the soil has dried white the following year, mark out the planting points according to the row and plant spacing, and build steamed-bun-shaped mounds 40-50 cm high, with the base of each planting mound about 1 m in diameter.

2. Orchard establishment on sloping land: For orchards on sloping land, methods such as building contour terraces, contour trenches, or fish-scale pits can be used to improve soil fertility and conserve soil and water. Contour terraces are suitable for slopes of 100-25 degrees, contour trenches are suitable for slopes of 6-100 degrees with deep soil, and fish-scale pits are suitable for steep slopes and complex terrain where building level terraces or contour trenches is relatively difficult.

3. Lemon planting: Planting density - generally 3×4 m, with 55 plants per mu being appropriate. Planting is usually done in spring and autumn, and autumn transplanting should be carried out in September to October. Before planting, dig planting holes (trenches) measuring 60×60×60 cm. Apply 30-50 kg of organic fertilizer and 0.5-1 kg of superphosphate per hole, or more than 20 kg of decomposed human and livestock manure water. Mix the fertilizer thoroughly with the soil, then cover with soil to form a planting mound 20 cm above the ground surface. At planting, remove the grafting film from the seedlings, trim damaged roots, and cut off overly long main roots and tender late-autumn shoots. Make a small hollow on the planting mound, place the seedling in it, and while covering with soil, arrange the roots, gently lift the seedling's root system, and lightly press the soil so that the roots are in close contact with the soil. The planting depth should be consistent with the mud mark from the nursery period, with the root crown exposed above the ground. Water thoroughly to settle the roots, and cover with rice straw, straw stalks, green manure, or plastic film to keep warm and retain moisture.

4. Post-planting management: After planting, the seedlings take about half a month to survive. During this half month, water frequently and do not apply fertilizer. After survival, check frequently to ensure the soil is moist but not waterlogged, promoting root and new shoot growth. Only after a small number of new shoots have emerged may diluted manure water be applied.

The Growing Environment for Lemons

Lemons prefer warmth, tolerate shade, are not cold-resistant, and also fear heat. Therefore, they are suitable for cultivation in subtropical regions with warm winters and cool summers. Areas with warm winters and small annual temperature differences, with an annual average temperature of 17-19°C, a cumulative effective annual temperature above 10°C of 5200-6500°C, an average January temperature of 6-8°C, an extreme low temperature above -3°C, annual rainfall of 1200-1500 mm, and annual sunshine hours greater than 1200 hours are all suitable for cultivation. In areas with an annual average temperature below 17°C, or with short periods of -5°C low temperatures and periodic freeze damage, open-field commercial cultivation is not suitable. There are no strict requirements for soil or terrain; flat land and hilly slopes are both suitable for cultivation, but the best is slightly acidic soil with deep, loose layers, rich in organic matter, strong moisture and fertilizer retention, good drainage, a low groundwater table, and a pH value of 5.5-6.5.

Methods of Watering and Fertilizing

Lemons need a fair amount of water during growth and development, but too much water easily causes root rot. Generally speaking, spring is the period for shoot growth and leaf expansion, bud formation, and flowering, so watering should be moderate. Summer has strong light and high temperatures, so more water is needed. However, it should be timely and moderate, otherwise fruit drop may occur. Autumn is the period for autumn shoot growth and rapid fruit expansion, so sufficient water is essential. Late autumn and winter are the flower bud differentiation period, when the pot soil should be on the dry side. Lemons rather like fertilizer. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer when potting and repotting, the principle of frequent application of dilute fertilizer should be followed during the growing period. The number of fertilizer applications and the amount applied must be determined according to growth vigor and phenological stage. For liquid fertilizer, fully fermented cake fertilizer water is good, with a cake-to-water ratio of 1:200. In the north, where the soil tends to be alkaline, ferrous sulfate can be added to the fertilizer solution to make a slightly acidic nutrient solution.

Where Are Lemons Produced

Lemons originated in India, and it is said also in southwestern China and northern Myanmar. Cultivation began relatively late in China and the number cultivated is not large either. They are distributed across the provinces (autonomous regions) south of the Yangtze River. Taiwan, China is a major lemon-producing area in China, and then Sichuan has the most cultivation. Anyue County, Ziyang City, Sichuan Province, is the hometown of Chinese lemons and is the only county in the country with a commercial lemon production base. Other production areas are mainly in Fujian, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and other places. Because the economic benefits of cultivating lemons are relatively high, they have now been introduced to some provinces and cities south of the Yellow River.

As the uses of lemons continue to be explored, demand for lemons shows sustained and stable growth, and the economic benefits of growing lemons are also constantly increasing. In addition to some areas that originally grew lemons, more and more places have begun to grow lemons, and even the north, which is not very suitable for lemon growth, is creating environments to cultivate lemons.