How to Grow Mangosteen? Detailed Explanation of Planting Methods and Technical Key Points
Mangosteen should be planted on semi-hillside slopes, gentle slopes and flat land with good natural barriers and a slope of less than 20 degrees, with clay loam and loam as the preferred soil. Before planting, planting holes need to be dug 1 month in advance, and sufficient base fertilizer applied. Then choose a suitable time for planting; after planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and carry out shade and fertilizer-water management well.
1. Site Selection
It should be planted on semi-hillside slopes, gentle slopes and flat land with good natural barriers and a slope of less than 20 degrees. The soil should preferably be clay loam and loam with deep soil layers, loose texture, good drainage, good aeration and rich organic matter. It cannot adapt to calcareous soil, sandy alluvial soil or sandy soil with low humus content.
2. Planting
Planting holes need to be dug 1 month in advance, generally 60 cm × 60 cm × 60 cm, with a plant-to-row spacing of 4 m × 6 m. Apply 15 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 0.5 kg of calcium-magnesium phosphate fertilizer to each planting hole. The planting time is generally from May to November, and an afternoon on a cloudy day is better. Place the mangosteen seedling into the hole, backfill with soil and press it firm with your feet, then water thoroughly to settle the roots.
3. Shading
Mangosteen requires a low-light environment in its early growth stage, and a shade level of 40%-75% is most suitable. Stakes can be driven around the mangosteen, with wooden sticks or bamboo poles used as support material, and then a shade net with a light transmittance (shading level) of 90% fixed onto the square frame to build a square shade shed to block sunlight.
4. Fertilizer and Water
In the first year during the dry season, urea water fertilizer needs to be applied once, which can be done together with watering, applying 100 ml per plant at a concentration of 2%. At the beginning of the rainy season, apply organic fertilizer plus calcium-magnesium phosphate fertilizer once, applying 10 kg of organic fertilizer and 0.25 kg of calcium-magnesium phosphate fertilizer per tree. During the rainy season, apply fertilizer 2-4 times, using a ternary compound fertilizer with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 15:15:15, applying 0.2 kg per tree.