Key Technical Points for Winter Management of Persimmon Orchards

In winter, the management work of a persimmon orchard has three key points, namely increasing fertilizer, pruning, and cleaning the orchard.

Increasing fertilizer and improving the soil

The persimmon tree is a deep-rooted tree species, and only by expanding the planting holes, improving the soil, and applying more fertilizer can the tree grow vigorously. Bearing persimmon trees should have their holes expanded and soil improved in winter, with holes 1-1.5 m long, 0.4 m wide, and 0.4-0.5 m deep. When backfilling with topsoil, apply 100-150 kg of farmyard manure per tree, or 50 kg of dried pig or cattle manure, or 100-150 kg of mushroom soil, or 1-1.5 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, etc., mix evenly with the topsoil, and fill it into the lower layer. Level the surface of the hole with topsoil from the orchard. Deep digging to improve the soil can also be used, that is, spreading organic fertilizer evenly at the drip line of the canopy, and then deep digging 20 cm at the fibrous root zone.

Pruning branches

For mature bearing trees with tall canopies or crossing, shading branches, moderate renewal pruning should be carried out after leaf fall in winter, mainly using heading cuts, combining thinning and renewal, cutting out dense branches, crossing branches, water sprouts, and diseased or dead branches, so as to promote reasonable branch distribution and prune into a sound tree form.

Winter orchard cleaning

Winter pruning should thoroughly remove diseased fruit, diseased calyxes, dead branches, and fallen leaves, and eliminate overwintering sources of pests and diseases. For persimmon trees seriously harmed by scale insects, from leaf fall in winter to before sprouting in spring, spray 95% mineral oil emulsion (Jiemanling) at 150 times dilution or 5 degrees Baume lime sulfur mixture for control.