The Latest Akebia Fruit Planting Techniques and Method Tutorial
Akebia fruit is the fruit of Akebia trifoliata (three-leaf akebia) in the genus Akebia of the family Lardizabalaceae. It is also known as ox kidney fruit, dog kidney fruit, August cracker, September cracker, and so on. It gets its name because the fruit ripens and splits open in August. It is a pollution-free green food, known as the “earth banana,” and is now listed by relevant departments as a key development project, with extremely high cultivation value. Let us take a look at akebia fruit planting techniques below!
Growth Habits of Akebia Fruit
Akebia fruit prefers shady and moist conditions and is relatively cold-tolerant. It often grows in grassy areas under forests on low-altitude hillsides. It grows well in slightly acidic yellow soil rich in humus and can also adapt to neutral soil. Its stems and vines often creep along the ground. Associated communities and main companion plants include Chinese tulip tree, Benthamidia japonica, lacquer tree, large-leaved lindera, Stachyurus, Viburnum fordiae, Holboellia latifolia, Decaisnea insignis, and Staphylea holocarpa. It is distributed in Guizhou and Hunan. Among these, it is most abundant in Tongren, Guizhou, and the Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan. The fruit ripens and splits open in the eighth lunar month. Wild resources are abundant in mountain foothills, valleys, and forest-edge shrub thickets in Suoxiyu, Yangjiajie, and other areas.
Propagation Techniques for Akebia Fruit
1. Seed propagation: When the fruit of akebia fruit matures in September to October, pick the fruit, eat the flesh, keep the seeds, and sow them in autumn in a timely manner. First rub and wash the seeds with alkaline water, rinse them clean with clear water, drain the water, and dry them in the sun. Around the eleventh lunar month, store them in sand for 50 to 70 days. In early February of the following spring, sow them promptly in a prepared seedbed. Seed propagation is simple and easy, but the seedlings produced bear fruit late, generally only after 3 years. It is generally not used in production.
2. Layering propagation: The vines and stems of akebia fruit have strong sprouting ability. Select 1- to 2-year-old branches and vines and bury them in soil. They can take root after 1 month and can be propagated in all four seasons. Generally, they can bloom and bear fruit in the second year after planting.
3. Root division propagation: Root division propagation of akebia fruit is carried out before sprouting in early spring. For a clump with multiple plants, divide it into multiple plants by hand from the root part. Without cutting off the branches and vines, they can bear fruit in the same year they are planted.
4. Cutting propagation: Akebia fruit can be propagated by cuttings in all four seasons. Select robust, pest- and disease-free 1- to 2-year-old branches and vines, cut them into 10 cm long cuttings, and insert them into a prepared seedbed. Pay attention to waterlogging, shading, and drought prevention. If conditions permit, the branch vines can be soaked in ABT No. 2 rooting powder before cutting, increasing the survival rate to 100%.
Seedling Stage Management of Akebia Fruit
1. Planting time: Plant according to the root growth of seedlings obtained by different propagation methods. After planting, water thoroughly. The field planting time for cutting seedlings and layering seedlings should be in spring and winter. Spring planting should be before sprouting, and winter planting should be after leaf fall. For cutting and layering propagation seedlings, lifting and transplanting can be carried out in December or early March of the following year. Seed-grown seedlings can be transplanted in all four seasons.
2. Planting techniques: At 15 to 20 cm from the vertical projection of the trellis line, dig planting holes 30 to 40 cm in diameter and 25 to 30 cm deep. Mix the excavated soil with decomposed farmyard manure and backfill half of it into the hole. Build a steamed-bun-shaped mound of soil at the bottom of the hole, place the seedling in the hole, spread out the root system, and then backfill the remaining soil. The plant spacing and row spacing should be 90×130 cm for planting. Do not plant randomly; it must be standardized.
3. Seedling management: If cutting propagation is used, after the cutting sprouts, since it has not yet rooted, it cannot absorb water and mainly relies on the water supply within the cutting itself. At this time, shading and watering should be done well to prevent the cutting from drying out due to leaf water evaporation. Especially in southern China, a period of high temperature often occurs between April and May, which is the stage with the highest mortality of cuttings. At this time, spraying can be used to achieve the purpose of cooling and moisturizing. For layering propagation, external conditions generally have no obvious effect on it, and management at the seedling stage is relatively simple. Sexual propagation mainly uses seed seedlings, which is mainly carried out in greenhouses. Management during the seedling period is relatively simple; regular watering is sufficient, and the operation is very simple. However, in high-temperature seasons, attention should be paid to ventilation and air permeability to prevent seedling burn caused by excessively high temperatures.
4. Young seedling management: For seed-grown seedlings, management at the young seedling stage mainly consists of weeding. After seed propagation, cutting propagation, or layering propagation, a small amount of base fertilizer should be applied in the planting hole when transplanting, but the base fertilizer should be mixed evenly with the soil to prevent fertilizer from being too concentrated and affecting rooting of cuttings and growth of young roots. After planting, it enters the young seedling stage. This is a period of rapid growth for akebia fruit, with relatively high water and fertilizer requirements. At this time, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied before sprouting, mainly farmyard manure, along with compound fertilizer, mainly nitrogen fertilizer and potassium fertilizer.
Field Management of Akebia Fruit
1. Reasonable fertilization: Carry this out before sprouting in early March and during the middle growth period of the plants from June to July (fruit expansion period). Generally, after planting, for the first topdressing, apply quick-acting nitrogen and potassium fertilizer on both sides of each plant, within 30 cm of the plant. Use a hoe or shovel to open shallow furrows, scatter the fertilizer into the furrows, and immediately water lightly to send the fertilizer with water. Apply quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizer as topdressing.
2. Reasonable irrigation: When akebia fruit shows water shortage, artificial irrigation should be carried out. Before the summer rainy season arrives, the drainage ditches of the akebia fruit planting site should be cleaned in a timely manner, and water accumulation should be drained promptly.
3. Intertillage and weeding: Within the range of akebia fruit plants in the planting site, keep the soil loose and free of miscellaneous plants. The suitable depth for intertillage and weeding is 10 to 15 cm. Manual methods are generally used for weeding; herbicides must not be used. According to the growth patterns of field weeds, carry out one weeding before akebia fruit sprouts. Weeds must be removed whenever seen; never allow weeds to cover the seedlings. Hand pulling should be used. After two weeks, use a hoe combined with intertillage to weed again. At other times, weed according to weed growth conditions as appropriate. Generally, weed once in mid-May and once in early July to keep the bed surface free of weeds.
4. Trellising and pruning: Fix the vines and stems of akebia fruit to the trellis with palm leaves. Keep 2 to 4 fixed main vines per plant. Like grapes and other fruit trees, regular tree management is required. Shaping differs according to the trellis type, while pruning is mainly thinning. Pruning is mainly thinning. Fruit-bearing branches mainly bear fruit on terminal flower buds. Winter pruning can be carried out from 2 to 3 weeks after leaf fall until before the start of bleeding the following year, but it is best to finish pruning by mid-February. When pruning, the cut should be 2 to 3 cm from the bud eye, and no side branches should be left within 30 cm above the ground on the trellis surface.
5. Pest and disease control: For the control of pests harmful to Akebia trifoliata, the main measures are proper winter orchard cleanup to eliminate overwintering pupae and eggs, timely spraying of pesticides in orchards to control pests, or manual capture. Integrated biological control can also be used. Particular attention should be paid to pesticide application in spring to prevent damage to young branches and vines by red-body leafhoppers, aphids, hairy caterpillars, white cottony scale insects, red spiders, and others. Physical and chemical control methods can also be used, but they must be selected within the range permitted by GAP.
6. Harvesting and leaving stumps: Choose sunny days for harvesting, after the morning dew has disappeared. Harvest with branch shears or sharp tools. When harvesting, cut about 20 cm above the base of the stem, but do not damage the mother plant base and roots. That is, leave the stump as the basis for propagation the following year. After harvesting, the mother plant of akebia fruit will grow a large number of new shoots from the base the following year. After selection, keep 2 to 3 of these new shoots and fix them to the trellis, and they can become new plants.