A Detailed Guide to the Ripening and Market Season of Loquat and Its Cultivation and Management Techniques

There is a fruit called loquat because its leaves are shaped like the musical instrument pipa, and its fruit can be eaten fresh while its leaves can be used to make loquat paste. It is grown in most parts of our country, so when does loquat generally ripen and go on the market? What are the cultivation and management techniques?

1. The basics of loquat

1. Loquat is an evergreen small tree native to southeastern China, also known as luju, luzhi, jinwan, yangguo, jiaozi and so on, and it is also cultivated in Japan, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and other regions.

2. The loquat tree is usually three to five meters tall, with large and long leaves that are very thick and covered with fuzz; the upper side of the leaf is glossy dark green, while the underside is grayish brown and fuzzy. It produces white flowers from October to December each year, and in May and June of the following year it bears white or orange spherical or oblong fruits.

3. Loquat leaves can be used to make loquat paste (the old leaves are used; the new leaves are toxic), and the loquat fruit is sweet when eaten fresh. In addition to being eaten fresh, loquat fruit is also a very good choice for making canned goods or brewing loquat wine.

2. When does loquat generally ripen and go on the market?

Loquat generally ripens in May and June, but because our country is vast and spans a relatively large range of latitudes, the time when loquat goes on the market in different regions also differs slightly.

1. Loquat on the market in March: Fujian Yunxiao loquat and Yunnan Mengzi loquat;

2. Loquat on the market in April: Fujian Putian loquat and Sichuan Longquan loquat;

3. Loquat on the market in May: Jiangsu Dongting loquat, Anhui Santan loquat, Zhejiang Tangqi loquat and Shanghai Qingpu loquat;

4. In addition, “Baiyu” white sand loquat goes on the market in large quantities after May 20, and after June 5 is the ripening period of the late-maturing variety “Guanyu” white sand loquat.

The above is the approximate time when loquat ripens and goes on the market in the main loquat-producing regions, so friends who like to eat it must not miss the fresh crop when it comes on the market.

3. What are the cultivation and management techniques for loquat?

There are more than three hundred loquat varieties in our country, so when planting loquat you should choose according to the local soil, climate and environment.

1. For loquat planting, it is best to choose level, long-cultivated high-yield dry land with deep, loose, fertile soil rich in organic matter, with a soil pH of about 6.0 being most suitable. There must be a water source for irrigation near the planting site, because the orchard must be able to be irrigated from November each year to May of the following year. In addition, the planting site must also have convenient transportation and transport, and land that is low-lying and prone to waterlogging should not be chosen.

2. When buying loquat seedlings, you must choose a nursery base or company that is professional and legitimate and has lawful and compliant certificates and procedures. When selecting seedlings, choose those with a well-developed root system, thick leaves, good growth and a length of thirty to forty cm.

3. The planting distance for young seedlings should be controlled at about two to two point five meters, which is beneficial to later growth. The planting holes should be dug as deep and large as possible, and after planting, the seedling should be held upright before the soil is covered.

4. When planting young loquat trees, they can be watered twice a week. After they survive and take shape, there is no need to water them specially. Fertilization must be completed within one week after fruit harvest, and irrigation should be done in time; doing so helps the roots absorb nutrients and promotes the sprouting of summer shoots. Young seedlings after planting should be fertilized 3 times each year. During the spring bud-breaking stage of the loquat tree, farmyard manure and nitrogen fertilizer can be used; in summer when the loquat tree grows vigorously, phosphate fertilizer combined with manure water can be used; in late autumn, some farmyard manure can be used to ensure that the loquat tree has enough nutrients to overwinter. In addition, loquat growers with irrigation conditions should plant in February and March, while those without irrigation conditions should plant in mid-June (the beginning of the rainy season).

5. Pruning of loquat trees can be done in spring, summer and autumn. Spring pruning is before new shoots sprout, summer pruning is after fruit harvest, and autumn pruning is done at the stage when flower buds first appear.

6. During the growth of loquat, attention should be paid to attacks by pests and diseases such as the pear leaf blister mite, the yellow hairy caterpillar and leaf spot disease. It is best to take preventive measures in advance. If diseased branches and leaves are found, spray them with pesticide in time, or remove them in time.

Finally, everyone is reminded that when applying pesticides to prevent and control pests and diseases, the fruit ripening period should be avoided to prevent pesticide contamination. The above are some cultivation and management techniques for loquat, and I hope they can help the many growers.