A Complete Guide to Mandarin Orange Planting Techniques and Management Methods

The mandarin orange is a type of citrus, containing a variety of nutrients. Regular consumption can regulate qi and strengthen the spleen, dry dampness and resolve phlegm, and its planting prospects are very broad. So what are the mandarin orange planting techniques?

1. Site selection and land preparation

When planting mandarin oranges, try to choose gentle-slope mountain land with a soil layer more than 1m deep, an altitude below 400m, a slope of <25°, shelter from the wind and facing the sun, and relatively rich vegetation, or level land with fertile and loose soil, a groundwater level below 1.5m, and good drainage and aeration. After selecting the site, plow the soil deeply, and add 0.5kg of calcium-magnesium phosphate fertilizer and farmyard manure, mix evenly, and set aside for planting.

2. Seedling selection and planting

(1) Seedling selection: Choose improved, strong seedlings with well-developed root systems, thick branches, no pests or diseases, and well-healed graft unions.

(2) Planting time: Planting can be done in spring or autumn. Spring planting is best carried out in February to March before sprouting; autumn planting is best carried out in early to mid-October, and planting is not suitable when autumn drought is severe.

(3) Planting method: Straighten out the seedling root system, place it into the hole at a row spacing of 3.5*4.5 m or 4*5 m, hold it upright, and while filling with soil, shake the seedling; before firming the soil, gently lift the seedling once, taking care to expose the graft union, then cover with a layer of loose soil, and make a tree basin about 1m in diameter that is slightly lower in the middle and slightly higher around the edges, and finally water thoroughly to settle the roots.

3. Field management techniques

(1) Water management: Within half a month after planting, water the tree basin to keep it moist and cover it with rice straw; the mulch should be about 10cm away from the trunk, with a thickness of 10-20cm as appropriate. During high-temperature and drought seasons, attention should be paid to storing water for drought resistance; if there is prolonged rainfall, open ditches in time for drainage.

(2) Fertilizer management: After planting, from dilute to concentrated, apply thin decomposed manure twice a month, or a 300-fold solution of Sea Elf biostimulant (root application type). From early September to mid-November, dig long strip trenches at the outer edge of the planting hole to deeply turn and improve the soil, and bury green manure, calcium-magnesium phosphate fertilizer, etc. In the second year, change the trench-digging position and gradually expand outward year by year. For young trees entering the second year, 10-15 days before the spring, summer, and autumn shoots sprout, apply 1 shoot-promoting fertilizer each time, and during each new shoot growth period apply 1 shoot-strengthening fertilizer as a top dressing, which can be applied as a 300-fold solution of Sea Elf biostimulant (root application type) + balanced compound fertilizer; afterward, appropriately increase the fertilization amount as the tree age increases. For fruit-bearing trees, apply sprouting fertilizer 7-10 days before sprouting, mainly with quick-acting nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, combined with a drenching application of Sea Elf biostimulant; apply fruit-strengthening fertilizer in early to mid-July, mainly with potassium fertilizer, combined with nitrogen fertilizer; apply post-harvest fertilizer before and after harvesting, mainly with organic fertilizer, combined with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and pay attention to supplementing medium and trace element fertilizers.

(3) Training and pruning: For young trees in the first year after planting, mainly light pruning should be used, leaving the trunk at a height of 40-45cm and cutting it short. After new shoots sprout, select 3-4 new shoots with strong growth vigor, even distribution, and wide growth angles as main branches to train. When the main branches grow to about 30cm, pinch off the tips, train 2-3 secondary main branches per main branch to form the tree crown framework, and gradually train side branches, branch groups, etc.

(4) Flower thinning and fruit removal: For trees with a large number of flowers and relatively weak tree vigor, 2-3 foliar fertilizer applications can be carried out to promote flower and fruit retention, usually by spraying gibberellin + Sea Elf biostimulant (foliar type) + boron fertilizer when 3/4 of the flowers have faded and at the early fruit stage. For trees with excessive flowers and fruits, after physiological fruit drop stops and until August, artificial fruit thinning should be carried out in 2-3 sessions, mainly removing deformed fruits, diseased and insect-damaged fruits, densely set fruits, and overly large or small fruits, so as to regulate the alternate bearing phenomenon and balance tree vigor.

(5) Pest and disease control: The main diseases of mandarin oranges include huanglongbing, anthracnose, scab, and black spot disease, and the main pests include red spider mites, rust mites, scale insects, and leafminers. Control should be carried out according to differences in the timing and occurrence of pests and diseases.

4. Timely harvesting

Harvesting can be done in early to mid-November. It is best to pick on sunny or dry days after the dew has dried, harvesting in batches and picking ripe ones first. When harvesting, pick from the outside inward and from the bottom upward. The harvested fruits should not be exposed to direct sunlight or piled in the open overnight.