The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Wax Apple
Wax apple, also known as bell fruit, lotus mist, and lian wu, is a tree plant of the genus Syzygium in the Myrtaceae family. In Taiwan, China it is hailed as the “King of Fruits” and sells well in the fruit market, deeply favored by consumers. Besides being used as a fruit, it is also used in landscaping. Its lush trees, green branches and leaves, and abundant fruits have become a beautiful scenic line beautifying the environment. Let us take a look at the cultivation techniques of wax apple below!
Growth Habits of Wax Apple
The wax apple originates from Malaysia and India. It was introduced to Taiwan, China in the 17th century, and after the 1930s it was successively introduced and cultivated in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Yunnan, but the cultivation amount is still relatively small. It has strong adaptability, grows easily and vigorously, prefers warmth and fears cold, and likes moist and fertile soil. It has low requirements for soil conditions, and in cultivation it is sufficient to do proper pruning and trimming. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruits mature from May to June.
Propagation Techniques of Wax Apple
Wax apple is mainly propagated by air layering, carried out during the high-temperature and humid rainy season from May to September each year. Select a well-developed branch about 3 cm in diameter, first perform a ring-barking about 3 cm long at the base, then wrap a mud ball mixed with moist soil and straw around the ring-barked area and its upper and lower edges, then wrap it with transparent adhesive tape, and tie the upper and lower ends tightly with nylon rope. After about 1 month, new roots grow out at the upper end of the ring-barked area. After about 3 months, many new roots have grown; cut below the rooted part, and it becomes an independent seedling. First plant it temporarily in the nursery to continue cultivation, and plant it in the field in the spring of the following year.
Cultivation Techniques of Wax Apple
1. Planting time: The planting period of wax apple is generally better in spring and autumn. It should not be too late, and planting should be avoided during high temperatures, excessively low temperatures, or the dry season. From March to May, with sufficient rainwater and relatively mild light, it is very suitable for wax apple root activity and bud sprouting, and the planting survival rate is high. From August to October, the climatic conditions are still suitable for planting wax apple on hillside land, and are still suitable for wax apple rooting and bud sprouting, but high-temperature and dry weather is likely to occur during this period, so shade and drought prevention work for planted seedlings should be done well.
2. Planting density: Wax apple grows fast and has a long lifespan. The planting density should be comprehensively considered and decided through specific analysis according to the variety, terrain, soil and climatic conditions. In the early stage, dense planting can be adopted, planting at a row spacing of 4×4 m, that is, 40 plants per mu, to ensure early-stage yield. After the wax apple enters the full production period and the orchard begins to become shaded, thinning can then be carried out, retaining about 20 plants per mu, to ensure the quality and yield of wax apple.
3. Planting method: Before planting wax apple, spread fine soil on the hole where the base fertilizer has been applied, to prevent the seedling roots from contacting the base fertilizer and causing root rot, which would affect the survival rate. Slightly pile the center of the planting site into a small mound, spread the seedling roots around the small mound, then hold the seedling upright with your hands, pile on soil, and gently press with your foot, so that the seedling roots fully contact the soil without pressing the soil too firmly. After planting, water the root-setting water in time, and appropriately thin out some branches and leaves. Within one month after planting, check the survival of the seedlings in time, and replant dead seedlings.
4. Shaping and pruning: Wax apple should adopt the natural round-headed shaping method. After planting, keep one trunk, cut off the upper end at 60 cm above the ground, and keep 3 to 4 new branches to grow naturally and become main branches. Every year after fruit harvest, thin the branches, removing diseased and insect-damaged branches, dead branches, overly dense branches and leggy branches, etc. After pruning, protect the wounds in time, apply the grease “wound-healing antiseptic film” to seal the wounds, prevent cracking and pathogen invasion.
5. Fertilizer and water management: Wax apple grows fast and has a high fertilizer demand. For 1- to 4-year-old trees, quick-acting fertilizers are generally mainly used, with more nitrogen and potassium fertilizers applied in the early stage. Dig ring-shaped trenches at the drip line of the canopy for fertilization. Do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer during the flower bud differentiation period. The fertilization amount in the flowering and fruiting period from March to April and at the end of fruit harvest in July is each 25% of the annual total, the fertilization amount from September to October accounts for 50% of the annual total, and after the small fruit stage, apply heavy phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Manage water scientifically: from September to October, keep the orchard dry to facilitate flower bud differentiation; at other times, keep the soil moist to prevent flower and fruit drop.
6. Flower and fruit management: Wax apple has a relatively large number of flowers and a relatively large fruit set. First thin out the flower spikes at the branch ends. Keep 1 to 2 pairs of flower spikes on large branches. Thin out overly dense flower spikes. When the flower spikes are about 2 cm, bagging can be carried out, which can improve fruit quality and also prevent damage by fruit flies. To adapt to market demand, treatments such as flower forcing can be carried out to make wax apple shift from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. A commonly used method is ring-cutting and applying the cationic activator “Flower Promotion King No. 2”, to make the growth function transform into reproductive function, promote flowering and preserve fruits, without damaging tree vigor.
7. Cold prevention measures: In addition to strengthening fertilizer management to make the tree vigor strong and applying more potassium fertilizer to enhance cold resistance, wax apple can be sprayed weekly from December with a 100,000 to 200,000-fold dilution of 98% sodium naphthaleneacetate (SNA) and gibberellin (GA3), and one day before and after the cold wave strikes, spray once more each time with a high concentration 40,000 to 50,000-fold dilution of 98% sodium naphthaleneacetate. If frost occurs, spray groundwater in the deep night or the next morning to wash away the accumulated frost on the leaf surface.
8. Pest and disease control: Wax apple is particularly sensitive to pesticides, so highly toxic and extremely toxic pesticides should not be used. The main diseases are anthracnose and fruit rot, and the main pests are fruit flies, scarab beetles and scale insects. Low-toxicity and high-efficiency pesticides such as mancozeb, carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl and fenvalerate can be used together with New High Lipid Film for control, which can both enhance the pesticide effect and reduce the pesticide application amount.