Latest Technical Key Points for Pitaya Flowering Period Management

The flowering period of pitaya is relatively long, with blooming possible from May to October, and its flowering capacity is strong, so once it enters the flowering period, nutrient consumption is relatively high and nutritional demand is relatively high. At this time, management directly affects yield. So how should pitaya be managed during the flowering period? Follow the editor to learn about it.

1. Reasonable flower thinning

Pitaya produces an extremely large number of flowers. On average, each branch produces 2.7 flower buds per flowering season. Generally, keeping 2 or more flowers on one branch is enough, and it is best to keep one flower. Three days after pollination, the extra flowers above can be removed. This is because pitaya flower buds also consume nutrients. If they are not thinned in time or are thinned too late, then the larger the flower buds grow, the more nutrients they consume, and the greater the impact on later fruit growth and ripening. As for whether to choose the top or the bottom when keeping flowers, this depends on the actual situation, because in some orchards the branches are close to the ground. If flowers are kept at the bottom, first, weeds are difficult to manage, which is not conducive to fruit growth, and rainwater will also splash onto the fruit, and weeds will contaminate the fruit surface. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the fruit at the top.

2. Artificial assisted pollination

Although pitaya can self-pollinate, cross-pollination has a higher fruit-setting rate, and the fruit is large and delicious. Therefore, artificial assisted pollination can be adopted in production to improve the fruit-setting rate and yield quality. In the evening or in the morning when the flowers are open, use a brush to dip some pollen from the stamens and anthers of one flower and dab it onto the stigma of another flower. In this way, pollination can be completed.

3. Prevent fruit cracking

The pitaya fruiting period coincides with the high-temperature season. At this time, the temperature is high and humidity is low, and the fruit grows quickly, making fruit cracking very likely to occur, so special attention should be paid in management. First, do a good job of moisture retention on the bed surface. Rice straw or crop stalks can be used for mulching to retain moisture, trying to keep the soil moisture content uniform and reducing the occurrence of a sudden rise in soil moisture content caused by sudden heavy rain, which can cause the fruit to split due to absorbing too much water.

4. Fertilization

⟦NL>Flowering and fruiting is the period of greatest fertilizer demand throughout the entire growth period of pitaya. It is recommended to choose water-soluble fertilizer, which not only has high nutrient content, but can also be suitable for foliar spraying, drip irrigation, and flushing application, and can also be used together with traditional compound fertilizer to supplement the deficiencies in the fertilizer. In addition to providing crops with macroelements, it can also supplement balanced trace elements and provide crops with balanced nutrients. It can improve various resistances of the plant, promote root growth and development and flower bud differentiation, and promote the fruit to mature and come to market as soon as possible.

The above is an introduction to the key points of pitaya flowering period management. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.