Betel Nut Seedling Planting Methods and a Detailed Explanation of Seedling Quantity per Mu

When is the best time to plant betel nut trees, and in which months does betel nut planting have a high survival rate? What are the row spacing and plant spacing for betel nut planting, and how many betel nut seedlings are generally needed per mu? How are betel nut seedlings planted?

1. Site Selection for a Betel Nut Plantation

Betel nut likes moisture, but it is not tolerant of drought, nor of waterlogging. Therefore, the betel nut planting site should be chosen in a place with abundant rainfall and good drainage and irrigation conditions. Betel nut in Hainan is mainly distributed in the mountainous areas of the east, center and south with abundant rainfall. The betel nut planting site should be chosen in a valley with hills or tall trees on the south and west sides that can provide shade, so as to avoid direct exposure to the sun. In addition, Hainan is prone to typhoon strikes, and betel nut usually planted in valleys can be protected by the surrounding hills and forest trees. Betel nut plantations reclaimed in open and flat areas need to have windbreak forests established to protect the betel nut from typhoon strikes.

The Farming Helper Planting Network suggests that the air quality, irrigation water source quality and soil environment of the betel nut plantation site should comply with the relevant national regulations. Choose a leeward and sunny site with deep soil. Betel nut likes slightly acidic to neutral sandy loam rich in humus, and subsoil of red soil or yellow soil is most ideal. It is generally planted on hillside valleys below 300 meters above sea level, by river ditches, in front of and behind houses, at the edge of fields and beside land. If planting in a place where strong winds are common or typhoons must pass through, plant fast-growing tall tree species on the southwest side of the betel nut permanent planting plantation, which can both break the wind and, after the trees mature, prevent sunscald from occurring.

2. Leveling of the Betel Nut Plantation Site

After choosing the site, cut the vegetation and clear weeds before the rainy season. On mountain land with a slope exceeding 15°, dig ring-shaped terraces along the contour lines, 1.5 meters wide and inclined inward at about 15°, and mostly cultivate on terraced land. Growing grass between trees on hillside land is conducive to preserving fertilizer and water and preventing soil erosion. In plain areas, large-scale cultivation is mostly done by ridging, which is conducive to irrigation and drainage. Land preparation on flat ground requires clean weeding and reserved windbreak forests. For land preparation in low-lying wet areas, first make beds, then dig ditches for drainage.

3. Selection of Betel Nut Seedlings

For betel nut permanent planting seedlings, choose robust seedlings with thick stems, having 2~3 nodes (those with more than three nodes are not easy to survive after planting), 5~6 dark green leaves, and a height of 60~100 cm for permanent planting. When lifting seedlings from a seedling bed, they must be taken with soil to damage the roots as little as possible. For seedlings raised in plastic bags, the bag must be torn open at the time of permanent planting.

4. Planting Time for Betel Nut Seedlings

The betel nut planting season should fully take into account factors such as temperature, rainfall and solar radiation intensity. Excessive solar radiation or excessively high temperature may scorch betel nut seedlings. The amount of rainfall after betel nut planting determines whether irrigation is needed and how much manpower and material resources are invested, and these all determine the survival rate of betel nut seedlings. In Hainan, the most suitable season for betel nut planting is March~April or September~October, because the temperature and solar radiation intensity during this period are relatively moderate, and the rainfall is also relatively abundant.

5. Row Spacing and Plant Spacing for Betel Nut Planting

Betel nut planting patterns can be square, triangular or plum-blossom shaped; it can be planted with equal row spacing, or in large and small rows, and large-and-small-row planting facilitates mechanical operations. No matter which pattern is adopted, when planting betel nut it is best to arrange straight rows from north to south and tilt slightly toward the west, which can reduce the chance of being scorched by the sun.

The plant spacing and row spacing for betel nut planting vary with terrain and soil fertility. Because mountain and slope land have a high degree of gradient, appropriately reducing the plant spacing and row spacing will not affect the distribution of light. In the main betel nut production areas of Hainan Province, the plant spacing and row spacing for betel nut planting generally vary between 1.5mX1.5m and 3.0mX3.0m. If the plant spacing and row spacing for betel nut planting are too large, the utilization rate of land and other resources will be relatively low; when planted too densely, the betel nut root system may be concentrated more in the lower layer of the soil, which is not conducive to the absorption of soil nutrients and instead leads to reduced yield.

6. Transplanting and Permanent Planting Methods for Betel Nut Seedlings

4~6 months before the permanent planting of betel nut seedlings, and at the latest 1~2 months before, dig the holes well, with a row spacing of 2.5~3.0 meters and a plant spacing of 2.0~2.5 meters; the holes are 80 cm square and 90 cm deep, and 1500~1650 plants are permanently planted per hectare (1 hectare/15 mu). When digging the holes, care should be taken to pile the topsoil and subsoil separately so that the soil weathers for a period.

When permanently planting betel nut seedlings, choose a cloudy day and backfill the holes with topsoil, applying 5~10 kg of decomposed stable manure per hole. Use seedlings with soil or plastic bag seedlings for permanent planting. Place the seedling in the center of the hole, cover with soil up to the root zone about 15 cm above the ground, and compact the soil. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and cover the roots with rice straw to reduce water evaporation. If plastic bag seedlings are used, the bag must be removed before planting. If the light is strong during the planting season, after permanent planting cut off half of the already unfolded leaves; for those whose heart leaves have not yet unfolded, insert small trees for shade to avoid sunscald, and it is also better to have shade within 2~3 years after planting. After permanent planting, you can plant sesbania, tephrosia and the like around the holes to provide shade and green manure. Water appropriately every day, and only after they survive and grow new leaves can the watering frequency be reduced.

7. Planting Depth for Betel Nut Seedlings

The betel nut planting depth depends on the soil type and the height of the groundwater table. Deep planting is generally considered to provide the root system with fixation and a larger space for extension. If the permanent planting depth is insufficient, the root system will be exposed and soil will need to be mounded up. Therefore, it is recommended to plant deep in soil with good irrigation conditions, while shallow planting is suitable in compacted soil and places with a high groundwater table. Research shows that, in red soil with good irrigation conditions, a planting depth of 90 cm is more beneficial to betel nut growth than 30 cm or 60 cm, and can also enable betel nut to flower earlier and achieve high yield.