Latest Loquat Seedling Prices and Detailed Planting Methods

Loquat, also known as reed orange, golden ball, reed branch, etc., is an evergreen small tree of the genus Eriobotrya in the Rosaceae family. Unlike most fruit trees, it blooms in autumn or early winter, and its fruit ripens from spring to early summer, earlier than other fruits, so it is called “the one among fruit trees that alone possesses the qi of all four seasons”. It has extremely high cultivation value. Let us take a look at loquat seedling prices and planting methods below!

How much does a loquat seedling cost?

Note: The price of loquat seedlings varies greatly depending on variety, specification, place of origin and purchase quantity. Common cultivated varieties include Jiefangzhong, Luoyangqing, Changhong No. 3, Wanwuxing, Huangwuxing, Dawuxing, etc.

What varieties of loquat seedlings are there?

1. Jiefangzhong: Jiefangzhong is a famous variety with extra-large fruit, averaging 61.04 grams. However, due to poor early fruiting, it bears fruit four years after planting, is prone to fruit cracking and sunscald, and especially has a rather bland and sour flavor, with quality clearly inferior to Dawuxing.

2. Luoyangqing: Luoyangqing is a famous variety with an average fruit weight of 32.0 grams and good high-yield performance, but the fruit is highly acidic, the fruit shape is rather small, the appearance is poor, and its commercial performance is poor. It can be developed in moderate amounts as a processing variety.

3. Wanwuxing: Wanwuxing is extremely high-yielding. The fruit is oval or nearly round, with an average fruit weight of 65.3 grams. The skin is orange-red, the bloom is medium-thick, and it is bright and attractive. The flesh is orange-red, extremely thick, fine and tender, with especially abundant juice and a rich, sweet flavor.

4. Huangwuxing: Huangwuxing was newly bred. Its sweetness is slightly higher than that of Dawuxing. The five-pointed star at the calyx depression of the fruit is smaller, and its other traits are basically the same as those of Dawuxing.

5. Dawuxing: Dawuxing has extra-large fruit, good early fruiting performance, extremely high yield, a rich and sweet flavor, high sugar content, and top-grade quality. It has strong stress resistance, wide adaptability, easy management, few pests and diseases, and low production cost. It is suitable for vigorous development in all loquat-producing areas in the south.

Propagation methods for loquat seedlings

1. Seed collection: Loquat generally needs seven or eight years before it flowers and bears fruit. The fruiting of the mother tree shows obvious alternate bearing. The seed ripening period is from late October to mid-November. During this period, collection should be carried out promptly. If collected too late, the fruit is easily eaten by animals and cannot be gathered.

2. Seed treatment: After the loquat is collected, pile and ferment it for 3 to 5 days. After the peel softens, mix with sand and rub off the flesh, wash the seeds clean with water and dry them. Mix the seeds and sand evenly at a ratio of 1:3 and store them in stratification. The thousand-seed weight is about 800 grams, and the seeding rate per mu is 30 to 35 kilograms.

3. Site selection and land preparation: The loquat nursery site should preferably be sunny, well-drained sandy loam. Before sowing, the nursery land needs to be deeply dug and disinfected with 3% quicklime. The bed surface should be fine and level, with stones and weeds removed, and the side ditches and walkways should be dug straight.

4. Sowing time: Loquat is generally sown in early March. Sowing can be done by dibbling or drilling. For dibbling, the spacing between plants and rows is 10×25 cm; for drilling, the row spacing is 30 cm, and the sowing furrow depth is 8 to 10 cm.

5. Sowing method: When sowing loquat, first place decomposed cake fertilizer at the bottom of the furrow, then put a 5-cm-thick layer of loess to cover the base fertilizer before sowing. After sowing, cover with another 2-cm-thick layer of loess, and finally cover with a layer of rice straw to retain moisture. It sprouts and emerges in about 40 days.

Planting methods for loquat seedlings

1. Orchard establishment and planting: Loquat has strong adaptability to soil, but deep, fertile, loose, breathable, slightly acidic sandy loam with a pH of about 6-6.5 is best. Select strong seedlings with a good root system, thick stems, and a height of about 30-40 cm for planting.

2. Soil and fertilizer management: Young loquat orchards should be given light and frequent applications, 4-5 times per year, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus. Adult trees only need to be fertilized 3 times per year: the first time mainly with quick-acting fertilizer, the second time with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer, and the third time mainly with slow-release fertilizer.

3. Training and pruning: After planting, select 3 evenly distributed branches from the first round of side branches as the first tier of main branches, and select another two branches as auxiliary branches. Thin out dense branches, cut off diseased and pest-infested branches, crossing branches and overlapping branches, shorten leafless branches, and cut back drooping and weak branches.

4. Flower and fruit management

① Flower promotion measures: Strengthen fertilizer and water management during the juvenile stage of the loquat tree, and take reasonable flower promotion measures during the second year of growth.

② Flower and fruit thinning: Thin less on strong trees and more on weak trees; thin out weak ones and keep strong ones; thin out late ones and keep early ones; remove upper ones and keep lower ones; remove outer ones and keep inner ones.

③ Fruit bagging: Within 1 month after the loquat tree blooms, put 2-3 leaves into a paper bag, and spray once comprehensively with thiophanate-methyl and pyrethroid pesticides.

④ Fruit harvesting: Hold the fruit stalk and carefully cut it off. Do not rub off the fuzz on the fruit surface or bruise the fruit. After harvesting, place them in fruit baskets with soft padding and pack them individually.

5. Pest and disease control: During winter orchard management, cut off diseased and pest-infested branches and burn them centrally, scrape off disease spots and cracks on branches and trunks, and apply limewater to the trunks to reduce overwintering sources of pests and diseases. Strengthen management to improve resistance to pests and diseases.