What conditions are needed to grow chempedak? Read this article to find out
Chempedak is a popular tropical fruit and a well-known specialty of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and other places, with a small amount of cultivation in Hainan, Fujian, Guangxi and other places in China. So what are the conditions for growing chempedak?
1. Growing conditions
1. Temperature: The average annual temperature suitable for chempedak growth is only 27 to 31 degrees, and it can withstand short periods of low temperature, so it can be grown in Taiwan, China, Hainan and other places in China. Temperature is extremely significantly correlated with chempedak growth, indicating that air temperature is an important factor affecting chempedak growth. When the average temperature is below 20°C, chempedak grows slowly; when the temperature is 21-28°C, it grows faster; when the temperature is 29-30°C, the growth reaches its extreme value. In the high-temperature season with a monthly average temperature of 29-30°C, the plants grow fastest.
2. Site selection: The soil, climate and other conditions of the orchard should be suitable for chempedak growth. The slope should be below 25°, the soil should have good permeability, organic matter content above 1%, and pH 5.3-6.8. However, sandy soil has poor water and fertilizer retention, which is not conducive to chempedak growth and results in high production costs, so it is generally not suitable for growing chempedak.
3. Shelterbelt: A shelterbelt should be established around the chempedak orchard. The tree species used for the shelterbelt should be relatively fast-growing, wind-resistant species such as Congo eucalyptus No. 12, horsetail casuarina, Hainan May tea, (Calophyllum inophyllum), (Homalium hainanense) and (Bischofia polycarpa). These tree species do not share the same major pests and diseases with chempedak.
2. Growing techniques
1. Planting time: After the young shoots of the seedlings have matured, orchards with poor irrigation conditions should plant on rainy and cloudy days, mainly in spring and autumn. In Hainan, China, orchards with good irrigation conditions can plant all year round.
2. Planting method: The planting hole is 80 cm long × 80 cm wide × 60 cm deep. When digging the hole, keep the topsoil and subsoil separate. When backfilling, mix in organic fertilizers such as straw, human and livestock manure and urine, and green manure, as well as calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer or superphosphate. Apply 30-40 kg of organic fertilizer, 1-2 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 0.5-1 kg of lime per hole. Place green manure, straw and lime in the lower layer of the planting hole, human and livestock manure and urine, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer or superphosphate in the middle layer, and topsoil in the upper layer of the planting hole. Complete the planting hole preparation work 1 month before planting. When planting, make a tree disc about 1 m in diameter around the seedling, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and cover to retain moisture and suppress weed growth.
3. Fertilization: Temperature is extremely significantly correlated with chempedak growth, indicating that air temperature is an important factor affecting chempedak growth. Among these, when the monthly average temperature is below 20°C, chempedak grows slowly; when the temperature is 21-28°C, it grows faster; when the temperature is 29-30°C, the growth reaches its extreme value. In the high-temperature season with a monthly average temperature of 29-30°C, the plants grow fastest and the growth amount is the largest, and the fertilization amount during this period should account for more than 50% of the annual fertilization amount. For young trees, apply 30-50 kg of 50% decomposed human and livestock manure and urine plus 300-500 g of compound fertilizer per tree 1 year after planting. For fruiting trees, the fertilization amount should be appropriately increased each year according to the fruit yield.
4. Water: When drought occurs during the new shoot emergence period, flower bud emergence period, flowering period and fruit development period of chempedak, appropriate irrigation is needed, and the irrigation amount should be enough to soak through the main root distribution layer. During the period of controlling shoots to promote flowering in chempedak, water should be controlled so that chempedak is under moderate drought conditions, which is conducive to flower bud differentiation. Long periods of water accumulation will affect chempedak growth. Therefore, in rainy seasons or when the orchard has standing water, drainage should be carried out in time.
The conditions for growing chempedak are relatively demanding, and there is only a small amount of cultivation in China, with a relatively high selling price in inland areas. If the local temperature is too low, growing chempedak requires caution.