How to Manage Longan Seedlings? Latest Technical Methods Tutorial
The seedling stage of longan lasts a long time, generally continuing for several years. Management during this period becomes a very important issue, and it will greatly affect the subsequent growth and yield. So if you want to grow longan well, how do we need to manage it at this stage?
1. Watering Issues
As a fruit that leans toward the tropics, the longan tree itself has a relatively high demand for water, and during the seedling stage even more attention must be paid to the issue of irrigation and drainage. The root system of longan is mostly concentrated at the bottom of the soil, so each watering needs to be relatively large in amount, because you have to wait for the water to sink down. If there is too little, the water will be gone before it sinks down near the root system, which is not good for its absorption. In spring and autumn, generally 1-2 times a month is basically enough to ensure its water demand, because there will be natural rainfall. During high temperatures and drought, increase it to once or twice a week. A hot and humid environment will make the seedlings grow faster.
2. How to Apply Additional Fertilizer
Since the seedling stage lasts several years, the additional fertilizer each year must also change accordingly. In the first few months, use light fertilizer and apply it lightly. Generally, start applying additional fertilizer at the time of the second new flush. In the early stage, farm manure is best, but it must be treated and fermented, so that it is less likely to rot and damage the root system. Before applying farm manure as additional fertilizer, it is best to mix in some water to reduce the concentration. Only after at least half a year should chemical fertilizer begin to be used for additional fertilizer. At this time, its root system foundation is relatively solid, so chemical fertilizer can then be used to speed up its growth. Chemical fertilizer is applied according to the needs of each stage. Generally, after about 3-4 years, additional fertilizer can be applied as for a mature tree.
3. Turning the Soil and Weeding
The root system of longan seedlings is relatively weak, and their demand for air cannot easily be satisfied, which will affect growth to a certain extent. This can only be solved by improving the permeability of the soil, so the soil must be deeply turned regularly. When turning the soil, be careful not to damage its root system. At this time, some fertilizer can also be appropriately mixed in, carrying out soil turning and additional fertilization together. A few times a year is enough, depending on the compactness of the soil. Weeding is not because of fear that weeds will compete with longan seedlings for nutrients; at most, it can hinder their growth at the beginning. Later, weeding is mainly to prevent the soil from becoming compacted because of it and preventing airflow from hindering root development.
4. Disaster Prevention
Finally, there is prevention in terms of disasters. Longan is a fruit tree with relatively common pests and diseases, because its growing environment easily induces these things. Disease prevention generally should begin when the temperature slowly rises. The first wave of temperature increase is when diseases are most likely to appear, while sustained high-temperature weather is the peak period for disease occurrence. These two times require focused prevention. The appearance of pests is mostly concentrated in the fruiting period. After the longan tree bears fruit, insects are very good at hiding, so everyone should take pest control measures in advance. In terms of natural disasters, attention should be paid to cold protection and heavy rain weather, and it is best to be prepared.
The above are some management techniques for longan seedlings. The seedling stage lasts 3-4 years, but the full fruiting period changes noticeably because of each stage. With good management it may last more than ten years, while with neglect it may fall into a low period after just a few years. The impact on returns becomes more obvious the later it goes.