Latest Flower-Promoting Measures and Methods for Shatang Mandarin: A Detailed Guide

As the saying goes, flowers come first and fruit follows; only when the flowers bloom well can the fruit set well, and many growers of Shatang mandarin adopt flower-promoting practices during production to increase yield and quality. So how should Shatang mandarin be encouraged to flower? Let's take a look.

1. Chemical flower promotion

Chemical flower promotion is a fairly common method. It mainly works by spraying paclobutrazol to inhibit the growth of Shatang mandarin branches and trunks, but the timing of the spray must be well controlled. Generally, it is sprayed after the autumn shoots have matured, and a second spray is applied 20-30 days later; this is a safe and effective method.

2. Root cutting to promote flowering

For paddy fields or orchards with shallow root systems, root cutting is carried out after fruit harvest or in December, by hoeing the soil around the canopy to cut the roots. For young trees and vigorous trees, hoe to a depth of 4-5 cun, while middle-aged fruiting trees should be hoed shallowly. Most of the surface roots must be cut, and they should be exposed to the sun until the leaf color slightly fades to green before the treatment is effective. Root cutting is also a relatively safe flower-promoting method, and the effect is even better when combined with waterlogging.

3. Ringing or tying with iron wire

For vigorous trees with deep-growing taproots, ringing is suitable for flower promotion. Ringing is carried out in mid-to-late December; young trees can be ringed on the main trunk, while for large trees it is better to ring the main branches. Weak trees should not be ringed. About 1 week after ringing, the canopy can be seen to fade in color. If a deep-rooted rootstock still has dark green leaves that have not faded by mid-to-late January, a second ringing can be done. If leaf drop occurs after ringing, water promptly, and water and fertilize early in spring to strengthen shoots and flowers. After ringing, pesticides with strong irritant effects such as lime sulfur mixture and pine-tar mixture must not be sprayed. As for tying with iron wire, No. 14-16 iron wire is used to bind the trunk or branches so that 2/3 of the wire sinks into the bark without damaging the xylem. Depending on tree age, the main trunk or branches can be tied, and after 1 month the wire is removed according to the change in leaf color.

4. Bending and twisting branches

For young fruiting trees, especially vigorous trees entering production for the first time, upright strong branches are more likely to appear. To encourage such branches to flower and fruit, besides ringing, branch bending and twisting can also be used. The method is: after the autumn shoots have matured, use rice straw or plastic bags to pull the leggy branches into a bend, and when the leaf color fades from dark green to light green, the binding can be removed. Twisting, on the other hand, is done by twisting the branch once at its base with the hand, injuring the bark and xylem, until the leaf color turns light green.

  The above are the flower-promoting measures and methods for Shatang mandarin. We hope they help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.