Loquat Seedling Planting Techniques and the Latest Cultivation Method Tutorial

The loquat is native to southeastern China and is named for its leaves, which resemble the pipa instrument. Its main propagation methods are sowing and grafting. Grafted loquat seedlings can bear fruit after two years, while those grown from seed generally begin bearing fruit in the third year and enter full fruiting at 8 to 10 years. Now let us take a look at the planting techniques for loquat seedlings!

Loquat Seedling Planting Conditions

1. Temperature: The loquat is native to the subtropics and requires relatively high temperatures. It can grow normally where the annual average temperature is above 12°C, but for commercial cultivation the annual average temperature should be 15-17°C, with no severe cold weather. The loquat blooms in late winter and early spring, and low temperatures in winter and spring will affect its flowering and fruiting.

2. Soil: For loquat planting, it is best to choose level, high-yielding dry land that has been cultivated for years, with deep, loose, fertile soil rich in organic matter. A soil pH of 6.0 is most suitable. When choosing a site, water sources must be considered to ensure the orchard can be irrigated from November each year to May of the following year, and transportation should be convenient. Land that is low-lying and prone to waterlogging should not be used. Before planting, deep plow the soil more than 30 cm.

Loquat Seedling Propagation Techniques

1. Seedbed selection: The nursery site should be chosen on sandy soil in a shaded, wind-sheltered spot, with loose soil, rich in organic matter, of medium fertility, and with good fertilizer and water retention. Half a month before sowing (early to mid-May), apply an appropriate amount of decomposed compost, farmyard manure, or pig manure, or broadcast 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. Then plow the soil, harrow it fine, level it, and make beds. Each bed should be 1.2 m wide, with a 30 cm furrow. Where there are underground pests, the soil should be disinfected with carbofuran before land preparation to kill the underground pests.

2. Seed selection: Loquat seeds have no dormancy period. Before sowing, the loquat pits should be sorted, removing smaller and abnormally developed loquat seeds. Select large, plump loquat seeds, wash them clean, dry them, and they are ready for sowing.

3. Sowing method: The sowing period is from late May to early June. There are two sowing methods: broadcasting or drilling (drilling is generally used). For drilling, the row spacing is 20-25 cm and the plant spacing is 10-12 cm. Depending on the seed germination rate, sow 1-3 seeds per hole. Press lightly when sowing, pressing the seeds half into the soil, then scatter a thin layer of fine ashy soil, just enough that the loquat seeds are no longer visible. If sown too deep, they will have difficulty emerging and may also rot; if too shallow, they will not take root. After sowing, immediately water the seedbed thoroughly, and cover the soil surface thinly with moisture-retaining materials such as rice straw or fresh pigpen straw, so as to keep the soil surface from crusting and help the seedlings emerge.

4. Post-sowing management: Before the young seedlings emerge, the seedbed should be kept at a certain humidity, neither too dry nor too wet. After the seedlings emerge, remove the covering straw. Because loquat seedlings like shade, their leaves are easily scorched by strong sunlight. Therefore, before the seedlings emerge after sowing, a shade shed should be set up with shade netting, with the shade shed 50-60 cm high. After the seedlings come up evenly, promptly thin out weak, overly dense, and diseased seedlings, leaving one strong seedling according to the plant spacing. When the seedlings have grown 3-4 true leaves, they can be watered with diluted human waste or compound fertilizer once every half month, and weeds should be removed promptly. When the seedlings reach 20 cm in height, remove the top 1-2 tender leaves to encourage the lower stem to thicken, and at the same time do a good job of pest and disease control. The shade netting should be removed at the end of August and the beginning of September. In the spring of the second year, when the rootstock seedlings reach a diameter of more than 0.6 cm, they can be grafted; those that do not meet the standard can be transplanted and cultivated further until grafting the following year.

Loquat Seedling Planting Techniques

1. Orchard site selection: First, choose a place with convenient transportation to establish the orchard. The loquat is highly adaptable to soil, but deep, fertile, loose, and breathable slightly acidic sandy loam with a pH of about 6-6.5 is still best. However, on slightly alkaline soil (such as the slightly alkaline stony soil in mountainous areas, pH=7.5-7.8), it still grows normally without yellowing, showing good resistance. This characteristic is clearly superior to that of fruit trees such as pear, peach, plum, and citrus.

2. Soil improvement: Because the loquat's root system is shallow and has weak spreading ability (generally not extending beyond the tree canopy's drip line), and it has poor wind resistance, we must deep plow the soil to improve it, or bury green manure in trenches or large holes, and plant the seedlings on the trenches or large holes (where the soil layer is less than 50 cm, blasting should be used to improve the soil). After that, every year expand the holes outward, deep plow, and bury green manure to improve soil aeration and fertility, draw the roots deeper into the soil, enhance root growth, expand the distribution of the root mass, make the plant grow robustly, and increase wind resistance. For flat land or clay soil, a through ditch 40 cm wide and 50-60 cm deep should be opened every 2 rows for drainage.

3. Seedling planting

① Planting time: In most areas of the south, the loquat has warm winters, and it can be planted from September to March of the following year. Planting during the autumn rainy season in September-October is best. It can also be planted when there is spring rain in February-March.

② Seedling treatment: When planting at a short distance, loquat seedlings can be lifted without soil, but it is best to water thoroughly before digging so as to dig out the whole root, and it is best to transport them with moisture retained. For long-distance planting, this method is superior to using soil-ball seedlings.

③ Planting density: For dwarf, dense, early-fruiting orchards, planting can be done at spacings such as 1×3 m (222 plants planted) and 2×3 m (111 plants per mu).

④ Planting method: Dig the holes one month before planting, and apply sufficient base fertilizer in the holes to decompose in advance. When planting, spread the root system evenly and fill the roots with fine mud so that all roots are fully in contact with the fine mud, with just enough to cover the root crown, exposing the graft union. The bed surface for planting should be 20-30 cm higher than the surrounding ground. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots, watering 20-25 kg per plant (specifically depending on soil moisture). It must be watered sufficiently and thoroughly; this is the key to improving seedling survival rate. After the water has soaked into the soil, cover a 1 sq m area of the tree disk with plastic film, but be sure to seal the edges of the film tightly so as to truly maintain soil moisture and raise soil temperature. After planting, pay attention to inspection and water when the soil is dry.