Why must post-harvest management keep pace when growing bayberry?

The nutritional status of the bayberry plant directly affects its yield, quality and tree vigor. To achieve a high yield and bountiful harvest of bayberry the following year, overcome the alternate bearing phenomenon, and make the bayberry tree produce good autumn shoots, the following management measures should be promptly carried out after the bayberry plant finishes fruiting:

Scientific fertilization: The autumn shoots that sprout in the current year are the effective fruit-bearing mother branches of the bayberry plant the following year, so within 15-20 days after harvest, autumn shoot fertilizer should be applied. The amount of fertilizer applied depends on the tree vigor and the amount of fruit produced. Generally, for a tree with a per-tree yield of more than 50 kg, apply 40-50 kg of organic fertilizer and 1 kg of phosphate fertilizer mixed with 0.5 kg of urea per tree, and after fertilizing, cover the soil surface with 20-25 kg of rice straw. A furrow application method is generally used, digging a 30-40 cm deep furrow at the drip line of the canopy to apply the fertilizer. Never apply the fertilizer inside the tree basin, so as to avoid losing its effectiveness. Reasonable pruning: While fertilizing the bayberry tree, reasonable pruning of the branches can be combined with it, removing diseased and pest-infested branches, weak branches, dead branches and shaded branches, and appropriately opening skylights, so that the canopy is well ventilated and lets light through, more autumn shoots are produced, the quality of the autumn shoots is improved, and the extent of alternate-year fruiting is reduced. Clearing fallen leaves: After the bayberry tree finishes fruiting, the orchard-cleaning work should be done immediately, sweeping up the fallen leaves of the fruit trees and burying them deep in the soil. In this way, first, the soil can be loosened and moisture retained to nourish the trees, and second, the damage from diseases and pests can be reduced. Disease and pest control: For leaf spot disease, after harvest, spray with 0.1-0.5 degree Bordeaux mixture, or 1000-times carbendazim or chlorothalonil solution for control, spraying once every week for 3 consecutive sprays. Caterpillars generally hatch and cause damage in an environment above 20°C. When only a small number occur, manual catching can be adopted, or lanterns used to trap and kill them; when a large number occur, pesticides such as fenpropathrin or lambda-cyhalothrin can be sprayed to kill them.