Detailed Explanation of the Latest Key Points on Plum Cultivation Techniques

Plums taste sweet and sour, and the flavor is quite good, so many people on the market like to eat plums. But if you want to increase plum yields, there are still many things to pay attention to. Let's take a look together with the editor below, and we hope it will be helpful to fruit growers.

Orchard Establishment

Slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5 is most suitable, and slightly alkaline or neutral soil is also acceptable. Planting 3330 plants/hectare (3 m X 1 m) and 4995 plants/hectare (2 m X 1 m) is relatively suitable. In the south, planting in October to December is best, but planting can be done from September to early March of the following year. When planting, pollinator trees should be included or multiple varieties should be mixed; pollinator varieties can be planted at 9-10%~20% of the main variety.

Training and Pruning

1. For V-shaped training, in the year of planting, leave 40-50 cm for heading back to set the trunk, select 2 new shoots extending toward the inter-row and perpendicular to the row direction as permanent main branches, and insert 2 bamboo poles diagonally (forming a V shape) to fix them. Make the new shoots form a 45 degree angle with the ground, and the two main branches form a 90 degree angle. Other branches and shoots should be pinched and twisted when 20-30 cm long, so that they bear fruit the following year. In the second year, cultivate fruiting branch groups on the two main branches.

2. Pruning uses long shoots and thinning to promote the formation of short branches. Plum short fruiting branches are very easy to form, but weaken after several years, so proper short pruning is needed for renewal. For vigorous shoots growing from the middle and lower parts of old and weakened trees, branch bending or appropriate heading back can be done.

Soil and Fertilizer Management

1. Fertilization: apply fertilizer once a month from after germination to July, mainly with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, combined with organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer. Apply base fertilizer once in September to October, mainly organic fertilizer, with phosphate fertilizer added. For adult trees (after 3 years in densely planted orchards), the application ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer is 10:8:10. High-yield orchards (yield above 50 tons/hectare) should apply pure nitrogen 450 kg/hectare, phosphorus pentoxide 300 kg/hectare, and pure potassium 450 kg/hectare. Adult orchards are fertilized 3 times per year, namely 1 base fertilizer application and 2 topdressing applications. Base fertilizer is best applied in September to October before leaf fall, accounting for 60% of the annual total, mainly organic fertilizer, applying human and livestock manure water (manure:water = 1:4) 30-45 tons/hectare, and superphosphate 900 kg/hectare. Topdressing is applied in 2 applications. The first is applied before germination (late February), accounting for about 15% of the annual total, applying human and livestock manure water 22.5 tons/hectare, urea 300 kg/hectare, and potassium sulfate 150 kg/hectare; the second topdressing is applied in mid-to-late May during the young fruit swelling stage, accounting for 25% of the annual total, applying pig and chicken manure water 30 tons/hectare, urea 450 kg/hectare, superphosphate 300 kg/hectare, and potassium sulfate 300 kg/hectare.

2. Soil management: orchards that have not been improved must be expanded and deeply turned with green manure buried year by year after planting, while also carrying out reasonable irrigation, mulching, and intertillage. From March to September, use straw to cover the tree; pay attention to drainage during the rainy season, expand holes and press green manure in autumn, and carry out one intertillage throughout the orchard after winter pruning.

Flower and Fruit Management

At full bloom, spray 30-50 mg/L gibberellin + 0.3% borax + 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate + 0.2% urea. During the peak growth period of new shoots, in late April and early May, spray the leaves with 1000 mg/L of 15% paclobutrazol solution or 200 times fruit tree growth regulator (PBO); in late June and early July, spray 800-1000 mg/L of 15% paclobutrazol or 200 times PBO. Increase the application of organic fertilizer, and increase potassium fertilizer during the fruit swelling stage. Thin fruit after the first physiological fruit drop, and it is suitable to control the yield at about 60 tons/hectare. Foliar application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can be carried out together with pesticide spraying, and 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 0.3% urea, and trace element fertilizers can be added.

Common Pests and Diseases

Common diseases include bacterial shot hole disease, red spot disease, and scab disease. The main pests include plum fruit sawfly, peach fruit borer, and scale insects.

From this it can be seen that growing plums is not a simple matter. It also requires certain techniques, and in the planting industry certain techniques must be mastered to greatly increase cultivation yields. Therefore, no matter which industry it is, only by advancing with the times can it develop better and go further.