What are the fertilizer and water requirements of golden berry during its growing period
The golden berry (Solanum mammosum) is native to the Americas, and has now been introduced and cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan in China; because its fruit is beautiful in shape, it is mostly grown for ornamental purposes.What are the fertilizer and water requirements of golden berry during its growing period?Let us take a look together below.
1. What are the fertilizer and water requirements of golden berry during its growing period?
When potting or repotting golden berry, apply sufficient base fertilizer; 50 grams of hoof and horn shavings can be placed in each pot. Apply more nitrogen fertilizer during the seedling stage, with 1 application of liquid fertilizer every half month. After flowering and fruit setting, mainly use phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, or spray a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaves, so that the fruit becomes plump and strong and the seeds are full.
Golden berry is a plant that relatively prefers water and fertilizer, so the management of fertilizer and water must be done well when cultivating it. During the growth stage of golden berry, topdressing should be carried out about once every 15 days. During the plant's bud stage, the main fertilizers used are potassium and phosphorus fertilizers; only such fertilizers can give the plant sufficient nutrients, thereby increasing the chances of flowering and fruiting.
2. Cultivation methods of golden berry
1. Planting time
The best planting time for golden berry is from April to May. If you get potted seedlings, plant them as soon as possible if you are worried about late frost. When planting is delayed, the fruit will drop without developing firm coloration. When planting in the garden, mix the dug-out soil and compost into the soil to create a good drainage environment. The distance between posts is between 30 and 50 cm. In the case of potted plants, use culture soil for commercial vegetables, or use akadama, leaf mold, and sphagnum moss (acidity adjusted) (at a ratio of 5:3:2) compost.
2. Temperature: Golden berry prefers warmth and is not cold-tolerant; it needs to overwinter indoors and should be kept at 10°C to 25°C. The suitable growth temperature is 20°C to 30°C; growth is slow at 5°C to 10°C, stops below 5°C, and it suffers cold damage below 0°C. In summer it can endure high temperatures of around 35°C, but these should not last too long.
3. Light: It prefers abundant sunlight and avoids long-term shading; it is most suitable for growing under strong light. If light is insufficient, the plant will grow leggy and the leaves will turn yellow and fall off.
4. Water: Golden berry prefers moisture and avoids drought and waterlogging. In summer, water once or twice a day to prevent the leaves from falling due to excessive dryness, which affects growth. If the soil is too wet during the flowering period, flowers tend to drop and the fruit-setting rate decreases. During the fruit ripening period, the soil should be moist to prevent the fruit from drying and turning yellow without luster. Under high temperature and dryness, it is prone to the phenomenon of flowering without fruiting.
5. Dwarfing and fruit thinning: To fully dwarf a tall plant, remove the terminal bud when its stems and branches grow to 50 cm high, so that the plant no longer grows taller and the side buds grow. When the side buds reach an appropriate height, spray with paclobutrazol to inhibit height and promote flowering, until the fruit ripens. After fruiting, if the plant has too many fruits, set up supports to prevent breaking and lodging. Fruit can be appropriately thinned without affecting the ornamental effect to ensure the fruits are large.
6. Pests and diseases: Leaf spot and anthracnose often occur and cause damage; spray with 1,000 times dilution of 10% antibacterial agent 401 acetic acid solution. Pests include aphids and whiteflies; spray to kill them with 1,000 times dilution of 2.5% derris extract emulsifiable concentrate. Golden berry has relatively few pests and diseases during the growth period, with occasional damage from viral disease and red spider mites, which can be controlled with 70% thiophanate-methyl and 40% omethoate respectively.