A Detailed Guide to Ponkan Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Ponkan, surely many friends are very familiar with it. In recent years it has been a very popular fruit on the market, especially during the Spring Festival, when Ponkan sales reach their highest peak. Actually, Ponkan is also called tankan; its fruit has a relatively thick peel, but it can be peeled very easily, and the fruit flavor is even more refreshing and sweet. So today let us learn about Ponkan cultivation techniques.

I. Site Selection and Orchard Establishment

The choice of orchard site should be made according to the conditions of different planting locations. The main production areas of Ponkan in China include Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, as well as Sichuan and Jiangxi. In general, the soil requirements are deep soil layers, loose soil texture, rich organic matter and sufficient nutrients, and moderate soil acidity and alkalinity, or slightly acidic is also acceptable. It is best to choose and build the orchard on land with a slight slope to facilitate drainage. For convenient irrigation, it is best to be close to a water source. Finally, for convenient transportation and sales of Ponkan, it is best for the orchard to be near convenient transportation.

II. Planting Techniques

The times for planting Ponkan are September and November each year, as well as February and March each year. The planting density is generally set according to a row spacing of 3.5 m and a plant spacing of about 2.3 m, and about fifty to sixty plants can generally be planted per mu. Before planting, planting holes should be dug, with the hole width and depth both about 85 cm. After the planting holes are dug, pour soil fertilizer about 30 to 40 cm thick into the holes, then sprinkle about 15 cm of fine soil into the holes, and finally planting can be carried out. It should be noted that when planting, the seedlings should be held upright, the ground should be compacted, and sufficient watering for settling the roots should be applied.

III. Main Pest and Disease Control

For citrus orchards with severe insect pests, in order to reduce the amount of eggs laid by pests and the base number of overwintering pests, the tree canopy should be sprayed with a 150-fold solution of crystal rosin soda mixture, or a self-made 10-15 fold rosin soda mixture for orchard cleaning; while for citrus orchards with severe diseases, orchard cleaning should be carried out with 1.0-1.5° Baumé lime sulfur mixture to eliminate overwintering sources of disease