How much does a four-season lemon tree sapling cost? Planting methods, timing and years to fruit

Lemon, also known as ningmeng fruit, foreign lemon, motherwort fruit and motherwort seed, is a plant of the genus Citrus in the family Rutaceae. So how much does its sapling cost? What are the planting methods? When is the best time to plant? How many years until it fruits? According to Hainan lemon grower Brother Li, a lemon takes 7-8 years from planting a small sapling to bearing fruit, while potted lemons, if not managed properly, often only bloom without setting fruit or set little fruit, or even fail to bloom at all. The price of saplings is usually around 2-6 yuan.

When is the best time to plant a lemon tree?

Lemon trees like warmth, tolerate shade, are not cold-hardy, and also fear heat, making them suitable for cultivation in subtropical regions with warm winters and cool summers. The suitable annual average temperature is 17-19°C, the annual effective accumulated temperature (≥10°C) is above 5500°C, the average January temperature is 6-8°C, and the extreme minimum temperature is above -3°C. Annual rainfall is above 1000 mm, and annual sunshine hours are above 1000 hours. They are suitable for planting on warm, deep-soil, well-drained gentle slopes, and the most suitable soil pH for lemons is between 5.5 and 7.0. The plants grow relatively fast, reaching 3-6 m in height, and have a high fertilizer requirement; they send out new shoots, bloom and set fruit multiple times a year, and yields often vary greatly depending on how well they are managed.

What are the planting methods for lemon trees?

Graft propagation:

1. Cut grafting: cut grafting is mostly used in spring. Grafting works better when the sap begins to flow. In the Sichuan and Chongqing areas, grafting can be done in the half month before and after the Rain Water solar term, and in Guangdong the survival rate is high when grafting is done within 40 days after the Start of Spring solar term. In years with low temperatures, the grafting time can be postponed to May. Cut grafting is simple to perform, sprouts quickly and grows rapidly, and can reach the standard for leaving the nursery in the same year, with field planting possible in autumn or the following spring.

2. Side grafting: side grafting is generally used for autumn grafting and can be carried out from after the Rain Water solar term to early November. Side grafting has a relatively high survival rate, and if it fails the first time, it can be re-grafted 2-3 times. The scion is cut in the same way as for cut grafting. At about 10 cm above the ground, choose a smooth surface and make a vertical cut from top to bottom, about 2 cm long, with the cutting depth kept at a level that does not damage or only slightly damages the xylem. After opening the cut, insert the scion immediately and bind and seal the joint tightly from bottom to top with plastic film strips.

3. Bud grafting: bud grafting can be divided into two types, small-bud cut grafting and small-bud side grafting. Small-bud cut grafting is mainly done in spring, and small-bud side grafting is mainly done in autumn. Bud grafting is fast, highly efficient, and makes only a small wound on the rootstock that heals easily. When cutting the bud, hold the scion upside down in the left hand, hold the knife in the right hand with the blade flat, and cut from 1 cm below the bud up to 0.5 cm above the bud, so that the bud carries a slight amount of xylem; then use the knife to make a vertical downward cut on the scion and remove the bud piece.

Orchard establishment and field planting:

1. Building an orchard on flat land: to build a lemon orchard using paddy fields, high furrows should be made along the slope to drain water and dry the field. After the soil turns white the following year, mark the planting points according to the row and plant spacing, and build mound-shaped earth mounds 40-50 cm high, with a base diameter of about 1 m.

2. Building an orchard on sloping land: for orchards on sloping land, methods such as building contour terraces, contour ditches or fish-scale pits can be used to improve soil fertility and conserve soil and water. Contour terraces are suitable for slopes of 100-25 degrees, contour ditches are suitable for slopes of 6-100 degrees with deep soil, and fish-scale pits are suitable for steep slopes and complex terrain where building level terraces or contour ditches is difficult.

3. Lemon field planting: planting density is generally 3×4 m, with 55 plants per mu being appropriate. Planting is usually done in spring and autumn, and autumn transplanting should be carried out in September-October. Before planting, dig planting holes (trenches) measuring 60×60×60 cm, and apply 30-50 kg of organic fertilizer and 0.5-1 kg of superphosphate per hole, or more than 20 kg of decomposed human and livestock manure water; mix the fertilizer evenly with the soil and cover with soil to form a planting mound 20 cm above the ground surface. At planting time, remove the grafting film from the seedling, trim damaged roots, and cut off overly long main roots and tender late-autumn shoots. Make a small hole on the planting mound, place the seedling in it, and while covering with soil, arrange the roots, gently lift the root system, and press the soil lightly so that the roots and soil are in close contact. The planting depth should be consistent with the mud line from the nursery period, with the root crown exposed above the ground. Water thoroughly to settle the roots, then cover with rice straw, straw stalks, green manure or plastic film to keep warm and retain moisture.

4. Post-planting management: seedlings generally take about half a month after field planting to survive. During this half month, water frequently and do not apply additional fertilizer. After survival, check frequently to ensure the soil is moist but not waterlogged, promoting root and new shoot growth. Only after a small amount of new shoots have grown can clear manure water be applied.

Young tree management:

1. Soil management: every winter slack season, in combination with shallow plowing and earthing up, dig 1-2 fertilization holes 40-60 cm long and 60-80 cm deep outward from the canopy drip line, and apply 100 kg/sq m of compost (or barnyard manure), mixing it evenly with the soil. This helps cultivate well-developed absorbing roots in young trees and enhances the tree's ability to absorb nutrients.

2. Fertilizer and water management: young trees are generally fertilized 5-10 times a year, following the principle of frequent light applications. The fertilizer types are mainly quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, combined with phosphate fertilizer, potassium fertilizer and human and livestock manure. For planted seedlings, from the sprouting of spring shoots in March to the emergence period of autumn shoots in September, apply 30% concentration decomposed human and livestock manure water once a month. For one-year-old lemon young trees, usually 80 g of nitrogen, 40 g of phosphorus and 30 g of potassium are applied per year, increasing by about 10 g each year thereafter. For 2-4 year old young trees, fertilization is concentrated before each flush of tender shoots emerges. Fertilize 5-6 times a year, and carry out 3-4 foliar fertilizer sprays during the tender shoot period.

3. Young tree shaping: the trunk of a lemon is set at a height of about 40-50 cm. When the grafted seedling sends out spring shoots, or after summer shoots mature, pinch off the growing tip at a plump bud on a branch about 40 cm above the ground to encourage 4-6 new shoots to emerge at 25-40 cm and form branches. If shoot emergence is not ideal and few branches form, buds can be removed 1-2 times to encourage new shoots from the main trunk. After the shoots mature, select and keep one strong branch from the upper part as the first main branch, leave it 20-25 cm long, cut back the tip portion, and keep the rest as auxiliary nurturing branches.

Potted planting:

1. Repotting and soil replacement: potted lemons must be repotted and given fresh soil from March to April in spring. If the pot is too small, replace it with a suitable pot; if the pot is still suitable, keep the original pot and replace the soil with new soil. Base fertilizer should be applied when repotting and changing the soil.

2. Spring pruning: carry out spring pruning together with repotting in spring, cutting away inner canopy branches, dead branches and fallen leaves, diseased and pest-damaged roots and leaves, and leggy branches, to help the plant bear fruit.

3. Reasonable fertilization: before the lemon plant blooms and after it sets fruit, additional fertilizer should be applied multiple times, with a multi-element flower fertilizer once a month and a flower nutrient solution sprayed once every half month, ensuring the fruit is not prone to dropping and is large and brightly colored.

4. Prevent leaf drop: leaf drop affects lemon fruiting. To avoid leaf drop, in daily management, avoid watering that suddenly increases or decreases.

5. Shade at noon: after the lemon plant blooms and before it sets fruit, when the noon temperature exceeds 30°C, it should be shaded for about 3 hours; otherwise normal flower formation is affected and fruit set is also hindered.

6. Artificial pollination: artificial pollination is an important measure for setting more fruit. Pollination is best done promptly after the petals have opened, and doing this work around 9 a.m. each day gives better results.

7. Pest and disease control: summer and autumn are seasons with frequent pests and diseases, so control should be carried out. In pest and disease control, prevention should be valued more than treatment. Spray flower medicine once every half month, at around 9 a.m. and around 4 p.m.; do not spray under the strong midday sun to prevent pesticide damage.