Detailed Guide to the Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods of the "Big Five-Star" Loquat
The Big Five-Star loquat is a new variety of loquat, named for the large, deep five-star shape at its navel end. It generally comes into full production 4 years after planting and is very popular in the market. It is currently being planted in many regions, so what are the cultivation techniques for the Big Five-Star loquat?
1. Site selection and land preparation
The loquat is a subtropical evergreen fruit tree with fairly strong cold resistance. The Big Five-Star loquat can be planted in areas with an annual average temperature above 12°C-15°C, winter temperatures not below 6°C, and annual rainfall above 1000 mm. At the same time, choose a location with convenient transportation to establish the orchard. The loquat has strong adaptability to soil, but deep, fertile, slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 6-6.5 is still the best.
2. Planting
(1) Planting time: In most areas of the south, planting can be done from September to March of the following year.
(2) Preparation before planting: Before planting, be sure to soak the seedlings in a 500-fold dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl for 15-30 minutes, soaking up to more than 10 cm above the graft union. Remove the seedlings and let them dry in the shade for 2 hours before planting. Plant with a mud slurry dip. When planting, cut off 1/2-2/3 of all leaves, and cut off all tender shoots. After planting, spray water on the leaves 3-4 times a day.
(3) Planting density: Plant at a spacing of 2×3 m between plants and rows, with 111 plants per mu. Spread the root system evenly, keep the roots more than 20 cm away from the base fertilizer, press in fine soil layer by layer, cover up to the root crown of the seedling, and make the root crown 10-20 cm above the ground. Water thoroughly with enough water to settle the roots, using 20-25 kg of water per plant. After thorough watering, cover with a layer of fine soil, and cover the tree with plastic film for 1 sq m. After planting, spray the whole plant with a 800-fold dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl.
3. Management techniques after planting
(1) Training and pruning: After planting, when the terminal bud and lateral buds emerge, let the terminal bud grow naturally upward, and select and keep 4 lateral buds as the first tier of main branches, extending in 4 directions. Bamboo poles can be used to fix them so that they form a 70-degree angle with the central leader. Select and keep the third and fourth tiers of main branches in the same way, then cut off the central leader. Except for allowing the terminal buds of the main branches to grow freely, all other lateral branches and water sprouts on the back are twisted in mid-July, and ring-cut to promote flowering. During the training period, 1-3 year old young trees are generally not pruned. However, overly dense branches should be appropriately thinned in the 2nd-3rd year after planting; mature trees are pruned once each in spring and summer. During spring pruning in February-March, combined with fruit thinning, mainly remove weak branches, densely growing branches and water sprouts. Summer pruning is carried out after fruit harvest, mainly removing densely growing branches, slender weak branches, and diseased and pest-infested branches. For overly tall plants, retract the central leader. Also retract some branches that have spread outward, so as to maintain a distance of 0.8-1 m between rows and prevent excessive crossing between plants. Keep the canopy height at about 2.5 m.
(2) Fertilizer and water management: For young trees, apply light fertilizer frequently. Apply the first fertilizer from survival after planting to budbreak, mainly quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer plus quick-acting phosphate fertilizer and dilute liquid manure. After that, apply fertilizer once every 1 month until October. Mature loquat orchards are fertilized 3 times a year: the 1st is the spring shoot fertilizer, applied in early to mid-February, with 30 kg urea, 15 kg superphosphate, 30 kg potassium sulfate, and about 1000 kg human and livestock manure per 667 sq m; the 2nd is the summer shoot fertilizer, applied after fruit harvest, with 100 kg urea, 30 kg superphosphate, and 2000-3000 kg organic fertilizer per mu; the 3rd is the autumn fertilizer, applied in September-October, mainly with slow-release fertilizer, applying 10 kg urea and 1000-1500 kg organic fertilizer per mu. In the rainy spring period, pay attention to drainage, and in the dry summer and autumn period, pay attention to irrigation to resist drought. Do a good job in flower preservation and fruit promotion, fruit bagging, and pest and disease control.