Latest Longan Planting Techniques and Management Methods Tutorial

Longan is a tropical fruit of the south, belonging to the same family as lychee, but there are also many differences, so planting and management will also differ. Longan planting requires certain environmental conditions, and management is mainly about creating the most suitable environment for its growth. Among these, longan has strict temperature requirements and cannot be frozen, so the cultivation areas are limited, and the focus of management must also revolve around temperature. Now let's take a look at how to operate and carry out management.

1. Building the Orchard

For the orchard, choose small hills and gentle slopes, preferably a sunny slope, where growth is good. Just avoid wind exposure. The soil should be loose and deep, slightly acidic. Generally, soil requirements are not strict, and it can be planted in many types of soil, commonly red soil and yellow soil. Planting on gentle slopes drains better than on flat land. There should be no other planted varieties around the orchard to avoid cross-pollination.

2. Seed Treatment

Completely remove the flesh from the seeds, wash them clean in clear water, and then soak them for 2 to 3 days. After the seeds absorb water and swell, they will gradually break through the seed coat. After that, change the water every day and soak for a week. Once all the seeds have split, the seeds can be placed in seedling soil for raising seedlings and waiting for germination. It is necessary to spray water daily to keep them moist.

3. Planting

When the seeds germinate, emerge, and grow to about 1 m, they can be transplanted. Be careful not to raise the seedlings too densely; leave room for growth. Dig holes for planting, and transplanting with a soil ball is best. The soil ball should be one quarter of the seedling height in diameter, and then the hole should be dug twice the size of the soil ball, half a meter deep. Apply fertilizer at the bottom and mix it with the subsoil, plant, cover with soil, press firmly, and finally water and cover with topsoil.

4. Pruning

For young trees, cut back and set the trunk at about 60 cm above the ground to promote new branches. For the new branches, mainly keep 4 to 5 robust ones as the main trunk, then remove some small and weak branches. After growing to about 2 m, pinch the tips to control growth and continue keeping branches. After that, pinch the tips at each level of retained branches, and they can be renewed at any time. However, the main trunk buds must be removed at any time, and excess upper buds should be removed. For adult trees, in spring it is necessary to promote new shoots, keep strong shoots, remove excess leaf buds, and avoid excessive growth. In summer, control the shoots and keep a small number of strong shoots. Early autumn shoots can be kept, while late autumn shoots should be removed. In winter, clean the orchard and prune dead branches and diseased leaves.

5. Fertilizer and Water

Young trees are mainly given nitrogen fertilizer to grow the plant, combined with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, to promote the root system and strengthen the trunk. For adult fruiting trees, the main spring base fertilizer is farmyard manure at more than 1000 jin per mu, with less chemical fertilizer. Fertilize at the flowering stage, and topdress multiple times during the fruiting stage, with appropriate amounts, so as not to cause fertilizer damage. Young trees grow vigorously and their roots absorb well, so watering can be done according to soil moisture. For adult trees, watering should be done according to stages: once a month in the early stage, less watering and rain avoidance during the flowering stage, and watering once every one to two weeks during the fruiting stage.

When planting and managing longan, attention should be paid to fertilizer and water management, the cultivation of young trees, and the management of adult trees. Planting and seedling raising are the prerequisite, and planting and maintenance are the key.