What are the key points of bayberry tree management techniques?

Only by managing fruit trees rationally can you cultivate excellent fruit. When growing bayberry, care is needed in many aspects. What are the key points of bayberry management techniques?

Key points of bayberry management techniques

1. Fertilization

Proper fertilization of bayberry is the key to high yield and good quality. If the timing of fertilization is not properly controlled, excessive vegetative growth of bayberry trees is the main reason why young and middle-aged trees fail to bear fruit. The structure of the fertilizer also affects the flowering and fruiting of bayberry.

Bayberry fertilization aims at high yield, stable yield, good quality and high efficiency. The fertilization principle is to increase potassium, reduce nitrogen and control phosphorus. Generally, fertilize 2-3 times a year.

Apply fertilizer 3 times a year: the 1st time is in February-March before bud break, mainly potassium fertilizer, combined with nitrogen fertilizer, and add 50g of Lihang water-soluble fertilizer per tree to meet the nutrient needs of spring shoot growth, flowering and fruit growth and development of bayberry; the 2nd time is the fruit-strengthening fertilizer applied in mid-May, mainly quick-acting potassium fertilizer, to supplement the nutrient needs of fruit growth and development and improve fruit quality; the 3rd time is in June-July after fruit harvest, mainly organic fertilizer, supplemented by quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, to timely replenish tree nutrients. The 3 times account for about 30%, 30% and 40% respectively. For those fertilizing twice a year: apply the 1st fertilizer before bud break, accounting for about 40% of the amount, and the 2nd after fruit harvest, accounting for about

2. Training and pruning

(1) For normal fruiting trees that have not been trained, prune the upper canopy branches by “removing strong and keeping weak”, and prune the lower ones by “removing weak and keeping strong”;

(2) For normal fruiting trees that have already been trained, simply cut off diseased and pest-damaged branches, dead branches, residual branches, weak branches, crossing branches, densely growing branches, overlapping branches, etc.;

(3) For young bayberry trees, adopt the method of letting them grow first and then training them, and begin training and pruning from the 3rd year;

(4) After training and pruning, promptly clear the cut branches and leaves out of the orchard to reduce overwintering eggs and pathogens.

3. Flower thinning and fruit thinning

(1) Shortening fruiting branches to thin flowers: generally in February to mid-March, for on-year trees with excessive flower bud differentiation, evenly shorten 1/5-2/5 of the fruiting branches across the whole tree, and thin out slender and densely growing fruiting branches, while applying 0.5-1.0 kg of quick-acting nitrogen such as urea per tree to promote the growth of vegetative branches.

(2) Manual fruit thinning: fruit thinning is one of the most effective and simplest means to overcome alternate bearing. For manual fruit thinning, keep 3 of every 6 fruiting branches and thin out the other 3, generally keeping 2 fruits per fruiting branch. For large fruits, keep 1-3 fruits according to the specific situation, and for small fruits keep 4-6 fruits. Also keep fewer on the upper part of the canopy and more on the middle and lower parts, to promote summer shoot growth and the formation of fruiting branches.

3. Harvesting

Bayberry fruits generally mature from early June to early July. After ripening, the fruits rot and drop very easily, so they must be picked in time. When harvesting, it is best to do so in stages and batches, picking the red ones and leaving the rest. The best harvest time is early morning or evening, when the temperature is low and losses are smaller. It is not suitable to harvest on rainy days or just after rain clears, otherwise the fruits contain too much water and rot easily.

4. Later-stage management

After harvesting, in addition to replenishing fertilizer, the orchard should also be cleaned up. Sweep up fallen leaves of the fruit trees and bury them deeply in the soil. This loosens the soil and retains moisture to nourish the trees, and also reduces pest and disease damage. After clearing the orchard and pruning, spray the leaves once with a mixed solution of 1000 times dichlorvos and 800 times thiophanate-methyl. During the period of new shoot emergence, spray the leaves once each with a mixed solution of 1000 times imidacloprid and 600 times carbendazim when the spring shoots just begin to sprout, when the new shoots just unfold their leaves, and when the new shoots just turn green.

The above are only a few small points about bayberry management. If you have specific questions, you still need to consult the relevant experts.