Detailed Explanation of Key Cultivation Techniques for Newly Established Citrus Orchards

1. Orchard establishment should be of high quality and started early. The key points are digging the trenches well and applying sufficient basal fertilizer, passing the first hurdle of orchard establishment well. Dig continuous trenches 1 m wide and 0.6 m deep along the contour lines, fill each mu with 2500--30000 kg of green manure, and apply an appropriate amount of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer; next: for low-lying land and paddy fields, drainage ditches should be dug well, with the main drainage ditch more than 0.80 m deep, to reduce field humidity and lessen pest and disease damage. Orchard establishment should begin promptly after the autumn harvest to ensure enough time for the green manure and soil to decompose fully; field-grown seedlings are best planted before late October (mid-March in spring), while container seedlings should be planted earlier, before October (after March in spring); planting time should be early rather than late.

2. Seedling transport distance should be short and quality should be excellent. If seedlings are transported over a long distance and the transport time is long, the root system is severely damaged and the survival rate after planting is low; in addition, variety purity cannot be guaranteed, and the risk of carrying quarantine pests and diseases is also high. It is recommended that each village organize villagers to buy seedlings within the local district; buying seedlings in epidemic areas is strictly prohibited. If seedlings really must be purchased from other places, they should be bought from nearby locations, and the seedlings should have the complete “three certificates”; during transport, seedlings should not be stacked in too many layers, and the roots should not be packed too tightly, to prevent root scorching and avoid affecting the survival rate after planting.

3. Post-planting management should be diligent. Within half a year after planting, the task is to ensure survival, with the key point being water management; suitable soil moisture must be maintained, and the first month after planting is especially critical. To ensure survival, it is recommended to coat the roots with mud slurry when lifting the seedlings, plant them in the field promptly, water thoroughly the first time after planting, cover the tree basin with grass after watering, and then water every 5-7 days; after one month, the watering interval can be appropriately extended, but suitable soil moisture for root growth must be maintained. After the spring shoots mature the following year, apply fertilizer once a month, applying thin fertilizer frequently; the fertilizer type should mainly be NPK compound fertilizer, applied in shallow furrows, with the amount gradually increasing from less to more. Prune the tree as little as possible and retain more branches and leaves, and carry out prevention and control well according to the occurrence of pests and diseases.