The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Star Apple
Star apple, also known as star apple, milk fruit, etc., is a tropical fruit tree of the genus Chrysophyllum in the family Sapotaceae. Its flesh is fine and smooth with a mild sweet taste. Besides being cultivated as a fruit tree, it is also very suitable as an ornamental garden tree or shade tree. In Cuba, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, the United States Hawaii and Florida and other places, it is often grown as an ornamental tree. Now let us take a look at the cultivation techniques of star apple!
Growth Habits of Star Apple
Star apple is native to tropical America or the West Indies, and is cultivated in many tropical regions. In China, it is distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Taiwan, China, Fujian, Yunnan and other provinces. It generally buds and blooms in July and August, with a flowering period from August to November, a fruiting period from November to April of the following year, and a ripening period from April to May. It can grow normally and flower and fruit in sandy soil with a pH value of 6 to 7, organic matter content <1, average annual temperature of 2O to 22°C, average annual relative humidity of 7O to 8O, extreme winter low temperature of 3 to 5°C, and average annual rainfall of 1400 to 1600 mm. In winter, the plants suffer only mild cold damage, have few pests and diseases, are drought-tolerant, and have relatively strong wind resistance, giving them economic cultivation value.
Cultivation Value of Star Apple
1. Ornamental value: Because its leaves are dark green and glossy on the upper surface and golden on the underside, star apple is often jokingly called a “two-faced” plant and has considerable ornamental value. Its fruit is greenish-white, about the size of a yangmei, ripens in winter, and has a long fruiting period, making it a landscape tree that offers both foliage and fruit viewing and has great garden ornamental value. It is very suitable for cultivation in scenic areas, parks, courtyards and as a street tree in cities.
2. Economic role: Star apple is a unique tropical fruit with tender flesh and a mild taste. It can be eaten fresh directly, or processed into juice, or eaten as dried fruit. Its production can bring substantial economic income to local areas, and it is a specialty fruit with high economic value.
3. Nutritional value: Star apple is a tropical fruit with high nutritional value. This fruit contains a large amount of sugar and carbohydrates, as well as various vitamins and amino acids. After people eat it, it can accelerate the metabolism and regeneration of tissue cells and is very helpful for improving health. In addition, the vitamins in star apple can be directly absorbed by skin cells and can nourish and whiten the skin.
Cultivation Techniques of Star Apple
1. Propagation techniques: Star apple can be propagated by seeds, layering, cuttings, grafting and other methods. Seedlings need 5 to 7 years to bear fruit, while layered and grafted seedlings can bear fruit 2 to 3 years after planting. The plant height of layered and grafted seedlings can be controlled within 3 m, so dwarfed cultivation should be adopted in production.
2. Planting method: For planting star apple, choose gentle sloping land with loose, fertile soil, slightly acidic to neutral pH, and good drainage. The plant and row spacing depends on the purpose of cultivation and use. For economic cultivation, it is 4×5 m, while for ornamental cultivation it can reach more than 10 m. The planting hole is 1×1×0.8 m, and 25 to 3O kg of farmyard manure is placed in each hole as base fertilizer. Generally, planting is done during the rainy season, and enough water is poured after planting to settle the roots.
3. Fertilizer and water management: Young star apple trees are given nitrogen fertilizer twice per year, 100 to 120 g each time. Bearing trees are given 1 to 1.5 kg of compound fertilizer per tree each year, applied in May and September respectively, which helps promote shoot growth and flowering and protect and plump the fruit. In winter, 15 to 2O kg of organic fertilizer is applied per tree. Water regularly once a week, and pay attention to preventing waterlogging during the rainy season.
4. Pruning and training: Star apple branches low on the trunk, and has many dense branches, so attention should be paid to pruning and training. For young trees, first form 3 to 5 main branches, and then gradually train them into an open-center tree shape year by year. Diseased and pest-damaged branches and excess branches should be cut off in time to increase the fruit-setting rate.
5. Fruit period management: To prevent damage by fruit flies and birds, bag the fruit starting from the young fruit stage. The fruit can be harvested once it colors, but fruit on the same tree ripens at different times, so it must be harvested in batches. When harvesting, cut at the stalk to avoid mechanical damage to the fruit that would shorten the shelf life of fresh fruit. After harvest, the fruit softens after ripening, and its quality and flavor are excellent.
6. Pest and disease control: Pests and diseases on star apple are relatively mild. Common ones include fruit flies and fruit-boring insects damaging the fruit, and scale insects damaging the leaves. Measures such as fruit bagging combined with pruning and thinning branches to let in light can achieve relatively good control results.