A Detailed Explanation of Mandarin Orange Planting Techniques and Management Methods

Planting Mandarin Oranges: Soil Management

Deep plowing and hole expansion should be done well to mature the soil. It is forbidden to plant tall-stemmed plants such as corn and wheat in the orchard. Good work should be done in reasonable intercropping and tillage and weeding in the orchard. The soil is required to have a deep soil layer (60 cm) and be fertile; the soil pH value should be 5.5-7.0; the orchard terrain slope should be less than 25 degrees. When planning the orchard site, there should be necessary roads, irrigation and drainage, water storage and ancillary building facilities. In specific planning, it should be as concentrated and contiguous as possible, and the orchard should be built in places with good transportation and water source conditions.

Planting Mandarin Oranges: Fertilizer and Water Management

Water: Irrigate when the soil is dry, and drain when there is water accumulation. Shaping and pruning 1. Principles. Adapt to local conditions, prune according to the tree, promote and suppress appropriately, provide ventilation and light transmission, and achieve three-dimensional fruiting.

Fertilization principles: The various nutrient element needs of blood oranges should be fully met. It is advocated to apply more organic fertilizer, reasonably apply inorganic fertilizer and formula fertilizer. And guide fertilization according to leaf analysis results, orchard soil analysis results, blood orange phenological periods, etc.

Fertilization methods: Mainly soil fertilization, combined with foliar fertilization. Methods such as ring trench application, strip trench application, hole application and spreading fertilizer on the soil surface are used.

Fertilization for young trees: Apply frequently and lightly, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, combined with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Apply fertilizer 5-6 times during the spring, summer and autumn shoot sprouting periods, (March, May, June, July, September, December, each time applying 0.4 jin of ammonium bicarbonate or 0.2 jin of urea per plant. For 1-3 year old young trees, apply 100-400 g of pure nitrogen per plant per year. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is preferably 1.0:(0.4-0.5):1.0. For adult trees, apply four good fertilizations, namely sprouting fertilizer, fruit preservation fertilizer, fruit strengthening fertilizer and fruit harvesting fertilizer. The fertilization amount is generally 2-3 jin of chemical fertilizer and one load of manure water for sprouting fertilizer; 1-2 jin of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer + 1 jin of chemical fertilizer for fruit preservation fertilizer; 1-2 jin of chemical fertilizer + 1-2 jin of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer for fruit strengthening fertilizer; fruit harvesting fertilizer (base fertilizer) is mainly organic fertilizer, with 50-100 jin of organic fertilizer + 1-2 jin of chemical fertilizer applied per plant.

Planting Mandarin Oranges: Orchard Planning

Digging planting holes in soil: Set distances with lines, dig planting holes, with each hole 80 cm deep and 80 cm wide, then press green manure 50 cm deep, and backfill soil 40 cm high for planting; ridge planting in fields: Open beds at 8 m with trenches (trench width 60-80 cm, depth 40-60 cm), with 2 ridges per bed (ridge width 1.5 m, ridge center spacing 4 m, ridge height 20-30 cm). When planting, moderately prune the root system of the seedlings and place them in the center of the planting hole, spread the roots, hold them upright, and while filling with soil, gently lift the seedlings upward and firm the soil so that the roots are in close contact with the soil. Water thoroughly to settle the roots, make a 1 m tree disc around the seedlings, and cover with chaff.

Planting Mandarin Oranges: Shaping and Pruning

Pruning

(1) Young trees: Mainly light pruning. After selecting the central extension branch and the extension branches of each main branch and secondary main branch, moderately or even severely cut them back, and adjust the growth balance among the main branches by the degree of cutting back and the direction of the cutting bud. In addition to appropriately thinning overly dense branch groups, the inner canopy branches and weaker shoots in the middle and lower parts of the canopy should generally be retained.

(2) Initial fruiting period: Continue to select and cut back extension branches at all levels of the framework, remove summer shoots, and promote healthy autumn shoots. In autumn, use flower-promoting measures such as ring cutting, root cutting and water control for vigorously growing trees.

(3) Full fruiting period: Timely retract fruiting branch groups, flower-dropping fruiting branch groups and declining branch groups, and cut off light-blocking branches, dead branches and diseased and pest-infested branches.

Shaping

Trunk height 20-40 cm, main branches (3-4 branches) distributed in a well-arranged manner on the trunk, trunk branching angle 30°-50°, with 2-3 secondary main branches retained on each main branch. Generally after the third main branch is formed, the central trunk is cut off and twisted to one side as a fruiting branch group.

Planting Mandarin Oranges: Harvesting

Determine the harvest period according to the maturity of the citrus fruit, use, market demand, etc. It is not suitable to harvest fruit on rainy days or when the dew on the fruit surface has not dried. Harvesters should wear gloves, use round-headed fruit scissors to cut the fruit together with the fruit stalk, then trim the fruit stem flat, and handle it gently. Pick the fruit in the order from outside to inside and from top to bottom. All containers for holding fruit are required to have smooth inner walls, and the harvested fruit should be promptly transported to the packing house or storage warehouse. Avoid sun exposure and rain.