Detailed Explanation of Key Cultivation Techniques for Citrus Seedlings

Citrus has a long history of cultivation in China, with numerous varieties and widespread planting, and market sales have always been good. At present, many farmers are still growing it, so what are the cultivation techniques for citrus seedlings?

1. Orchard establishment

Citrus has strong adaptability to soil, and various soils can be planted after improvement. When establishing an orchard on mountainous land, follow the principle of “capping” the mountaintop, “putting boots” on the mountain foot, and “growing fruit” on the mountainside, that is, without destroying the natural forest belt and vegetation on the mountaintop, and leaving a forest area at the mountain foot to protect the fruit-growing area on the mountainside. This can effectively ensure the balance of the natural ecology.

2. Field planting

The seedlings for field planting citrus seedlings should be virus-free, disease-free healthy nutritional cup seedlings, and grafted seedlings on trifoliate orange rootstock are recommended. The planting rows and plant spacing should be determined according to the terrain. Large beds can be made for double-row planting, with a plant spacing of 3 m × 3 m or a plant spacing of 2.5 m × 3 m, and a ditch spacing of 6 m; the planting pit specification is preferably 60 cm × 60 cm × 40 cm, and 74~88 plants can be planted per mu. Citrus planted before the Spring Festival can achieve 3~5 flushes of shoots. Citrus planted in autumn from September to November can achieve 4~6 flushes of shoots the following year.

3. Water and fertilizer

For newly planted citrus seedlings, organic fertilizer must be applied sufficiently and well, thoroughly improving the soil and laying a good foundation to ensure two flushes of shoots the following spring. While applying sufficient base fertilizer, apply 5~10 kg of bio-organic fertilizer per plant at the bottom of the planting pit and mix it evenly with the soil to form a funnel-shaped layout. After planting the seedlings, at a distance of 40~50 cm from the trunk, spread 0.5 kg of various bio-organic-inorganic special fertilizers such as Letu Fu'an, spreading one circle, and cover with 3~5 cm thick soil. After planting, water each plant thoroughly with settling water.

4. Trunk setting

After the planted young seedlings produce 1-2 flushes of new shoots, the main trunk can be set according to the tree condition. For densely planted fruit trees, the main trunk is set at 25-30 cm, and for sparsely planted fruit trees, the main trunk is set at 30-40 cm for dense planting; after setting the main trunk, leave 3-4 branches as main branches.

5. Pruning

Branches at all levels (levels 2-5) should be pruned strictly according to the branch retention principle of “keep three out of five, keep two out of three”. After the shoots mature, select the relatively long and vigorous ones for topping to promote new shoots. Short branches and weak branches should not be pruned and should be kept as inner-canopy branches.

6. Flower and fruit preservation

From flowering to the end of the flowering period, shake off opened petals in time to prevent the petals from rotting and sticking to young fruit on rainy days, which helps the young fruit turn green, improves the fruit-setting rate, and can also reduce the occurrence of gray mold. If disaster weather such as “dry hot wind” or “late spring cold” is encountered during the full flowering period or the end of the flowering period, plant growth regulators should be used to preserve flowers and fruit.

7. Pest and disease control

There are many types of pests and diseases during the flowering period and young fruit period, so pest and disease prevention and control work must be done well. Pests and diseases include anthracnose, scab, canker, flower bud midge, Asian citrus psyllid, leafminer, aphids, red spider mites, thrips, etc., and can be controlled by spraying lime sulfur mixture or pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and thiamethoxam.

The cultivation of citrus seedlings has a direct impact on the amount of fruit produced later. Therefore, during the cultivation process, everyone needs to manage them scientifically according to their growth habits.