How is lychee grafting done? Detailed explanation of key technical points

Lychee is a very ancient fruit, and even in ancient times there appeared many poetic lines showing people's love for lychee. People today also praise its taste endlessly. Since this fruit is so deeply loved by everyone, do we know how it is grown? Keep reading with the editor!

Lychee grafting methods

Splice grafting method: When grafting, cut off the rootstock at 10 to 20 cm above the ground, smooth the cut surface, choose a smooth side, and cut upward from bottom to top with a knife, about 3 to 4 cm long, with the depth reaching the xylem without damaging the wood. For the scion, take 1- to 2-year-old branches with plump, strong buds, cut downward from top to bottom at the lower end of the branch, with the cut wound surface basically the same size as the cut surface of the rootstock, and leave 2 to 3 buds before cutting off. After the scion is cut, immediately fit the cut surface of the scion against the cut surface of the rootstock. The cambium of the scion must be aligned with the cambium of the rootstock, bind and fix with plastic tape, and cover with a small plastic bag to retain moisture. 20 to 40 days after grafting, the scions will sprout one after another. When the new shoots grow to 2 to 3 cm, promptly remove the top seal of the bag so that the new shoots can grow normally. After the scion buds grow to unfold leaves and turn green, remove the bag. After the first flush of the scion has matured and the second flush has already sprouted, remove the binding tape to facilitate normal growth of the grafted seedling.

Precautions after lychee grafting

1. Ant prevention. After lychee grafting, the waterproof film wrapping the scion often accumulates a layer of water droplets. Ants very much like to bite through the film to absorb the water droplets, which can easily cause the scion to lose water or be infected and rot by pathogens washed by rain, reducing the survival rate. After grafting, you can draw a circle around the tree base with a miraculous medicinal pen, or tie a cloth strip soaked in dichlorvos pesticide around the tree base to prevent ants from damaging the waterproof film and scion. In addition, spreading lime powder around the tree roots, or brushing lime water on the trunk 50 cm above the ground, can also stop ants from climbing the tree.

2. Rootstock control. That is, control the growth of adventitious buds on the rootstock. Most adventitious buds or new shoots growing below the graft union should be removed promptly, leaving only 1-2 shoots as “water-pumping shoots.” After the scion sprouts, these water-pumping shoots can be removed.

3. Check survival and replant graft. 15 to 30 days after grafting, the survival rate of the scions can be checked. If the scion turns brown or loses water and dries up, it indicates that the grafting was unsuccessful. If the survival rate is too low, supplementary grafting can be carried out promptly. If there is not enough time or the supplementary grafting period is missed, supplementary grafting can be done in the next grafting season.

4. Wind protection and support. When storms come, branches and leaves can be appropriately pruned, or bamboo poles can be used to support and firmly tie the rootstock-scion union to prevent tearing of the graft union.

5. Unbinding. For buds that cannot penetrate the film, promptly pick them open. Plastic film strips wrapped around the union for fixation or also serving a sealing function should be cut open from the side and removed after the new shoots mature. If a plastic bag or plastic film tube is added for sealing during grafting, after the scion buds germinate, cut through the top of the bag so that the new shoots grow smoothly.

Methods for preserving flowers and fruits of lychee trees

1. Fertilize before flowering. From late February to late March, apply already decomposed organic fertilizer. Apply 50 to 75 kg of human and livestock manure per tree, or apply 3 to 4 kg of decomposed oil cake plus 1 to 1.5 kg of phosphate fertilizer in advance. From 10 days before flowering to 10 days before flowering, apply an additional 0.5 to 0.75 kg of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer per tree.

2. During the flowering and young fruit stages, apply foliar topdressing with quick-acting N, P, K plus trace elements plus plant growth hormones plus pesticides in combination. At the full bloom stage of female flowers: spray the tree canopy with 0.05% to 0.1% borax plus 0.1% magnesium sulfate plus 10% sugar solution pollen water. From 3 to 5 days after the female flowers finish, that is, the young fruit setting stage, spray the tree canopy with 0.2% monopotassium phosphate plus SPPM2.4D or 3OPPM anti-drop agent plus SOPPM gibberellin plus 600 to 800 times trichlorfon solution. 20 days after the female flowers finish, spray the tree canopy with 0.2% monopotassium phosphate plus 0.3% urea plus 30PP anti-drop agent plus 30 to 50 PPM gibberellin. When lychee young fruits begin to grow a long seed coat until the flesh covers two-thirds of the seed, about 40 days after the female flowers finish, spray the tree canopy with 0.5 to 0.8% urea plus 0.3% monopotassium phosphate plus 30 to 50 PPM gibberellin. About 20 days before harvest, if there are pests, add pesticide while doing foliar topdressing to control insects, and spray the tree canopy with 0.4% monopotassium phosphate plus 800 times trichlorfon or 2000 to 3000 times deltamethrin.

Precautions for pruning lychee trees

Lychee is a fruit tree that likes light. When an adult lychee orchard closes its canopy, the tree canopy becomes shaded, affecting ventilation and light transmission. Crossing branches, overly dense branches, shaded branches, thin and weak branches, and dead branches from pests and diseases should be pruned so that the branches are evenly distributed, the upper and lower layers of the canopy are ventilated and receive light, and photosynthetic efficiency is increased. Pruning is usually carried out after fruit harvest.

After reading the article recommended by the editor, have you already learned how to graft lychee? If cultivated well, lychee can be considered a high-yield fruit. During the fresh lychee market season, its sales are also very considerable, and the canned products made from it are also deeply loved by people. This is actually a good entrepreneurial project!