How to Grow Waxberry Trees: Latest Planting Techniques and Method Tutorial
The waxberry tree is a fruit tree native to China, and its fruit has a unique flavor and is rich in nutrients, making it highly favored by consumers. In today's world, where dietary therapy and health are valued, the waxberry has attracted even more attention due to its good medicinal value. The waxberry tree is a treasure from top to bottom; its roots, trunk, branches, leaves, fruit, and seeds all have very high value for use. The seeds contain 40% oil and can be refined into high-grade vegetable oil. The leaves can be used to extract essence for making high-grade perfume. The bark of the roots and branches is rich in tannins and can be used to make dyes, while the wood is dense in texture and can be used for fine woodworking.
Growth Habits of the Waxberry
The waxberry prefers acidic soil. It originated in the hillside or valley forests at an altitude of 125-1500 m in China's temperate and subtropical humid climate, and is mainly distributed south of the Yangtze River Basin and north of Hainan Island, that is, between 20 degrees and 31 degrees north latitude, similar to the distribution of citrus, loquat, tea plants, and moso bamboo, but its cold resistance is stronger than that of citrus and loquat.
The Impact of Terrain on the Waxberry
Because mountain types differ, they have different effects on the growth of the waxberry.
1. Piedmont slope zones: In the main production areas, waxberries are most numerous in piedmont zones. Because the terrain is relatively low and the soil moisture content is high, the flavor of the waxberry fruit is slightly thinner.
2. Mountain valley zones: This type of soil layer is deep and fertile, and the waxberry fruit is large in size and excellent in quality.
3. Steep hillside zones: This type of soil is relatively thin, and can achieve large fruit and delicious flavor, but the yield is on the low side.
Introduction to Waxberry Varieties
1. Dongkui: Dongkui waxberry originated in Huangyan, Zhejiang, and is famous for its exceptionally large fruit. Its main characteristics: the fruit is not perfectly round, with an average single fruit weight of 20-25 g, the fruit color is purple-red, the flesh columns are relatively thick, the soluble solids content is 13.5%, its sugar content is 10.5%, its juice content is 74%, and its acid content is only 1.35%, far superior to other waxberries.
2. Wandao waxberry: Because its ripening period is 15-20 days later than that of other varieties, it is called Wandao waxberry. Wandao waxberry originated in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, and is one of the excellent varieties of Zhejiang waxberry. Its main characteristics: the fruit is spherical, with an average single fruit weight of 11.2 g, purple-black in color, delicate in flesh, sweet and sour and tasty, juicy and fragrant, and the flesh columns and pit separate easily; the edible rate is 94%-96%, and the soluble solids content is 12.6%. The fruit ripens at the end of June. Wandao waxberry shows no obvious alternate bearing, has excellent quality, and can be planted in appropriate amounts.
3. Daye Xidi waxberry: Produced in Wu County, Jiangsu. Its main characteristics: the fruit is round, with an average single fruit weight of 15 g, the flesh is purple-red, soft, and juicy, and the soluble solids content is 10%. The fruit ripens in late June. After ripening, this variety does not drop fruit easily, is relatively storage-tolerant, and is high-yielding but has alternate bearing, so it can be planted in small amounts.
4. Xiaoye Xidi waxberry: Xiaoye Xidi originated in Dongshan, Dongting, Wu County, Jiangsu, as well as Liyang, Changshu, Wuxi, and other places. The tree crown is tall and upright, the branches are slender, and there are many branchlets; the leaves are lanceolate, entire or with slight fine teeth at the apex, slightly recurved at the apex, and narrowly cuneate at the base. The fruit is medium to large, oblate, with an average single fruit weight of 10.5 g. The flesh columns are round and closely arranged, the fruit surface is relatively smooth, and when fully ripe the fruit surface is dark purple-red; the flesh is relatively thick, the texture is relatively firm, the flavor is richly sweet, and the quality is first-rate, with a soluble solids content of 12.1%. It ripens from the end of June to early July. The tree vigor is relatively strong, the fruit-setting rate is high, and it is high-yielding and high-quality; it does not drop fruit easily before harvest, is relatively tolerant of storage and transport, and shows alternate bearing.
5. Zaoji Mimei: This is an early-maturing seedling variety selected from the Biqi waxberry by the Horticulture Institute of the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other units. It ripens in early to mid-June, more than 10 days earlier than ordinary Biqi. The tree vigor is moderate, the leaves are relatively small, and both sides are slightly upward. The fruit is oblate, and when fully ripe the fruit surface is dark purple-red and glossy; the single fruit weight is about 9 g, the soluble solids content is 12.4%, the edible rate is 93.1%, the taste is sweet and sour, and the quality is excellent. This variety enters the fruiting stage relatively early and has strong stress resistance. Its flowering period is about 20 days earlier than usual, avoiding the harm of "falling yellow sand," which is one of the reasons for this variety's high fruit-setting rate and stable yield.
6. Wanji Mimei: Wanji Mimei is a new high-quality late-maturing waxberry variety selected by the Horticulture Research Institute of the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences from the main cultivated variety Biqi. This variety matures more than 5 days later than Biqi, has excellent quality for both fresh eating and processing, has good high-yield performance, and has stable traits. In January 2003, it passed the achievement appraisal organized by the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province. In Yuyao, Zhejiang, this variety flowers from April 4-15 and the fruit ripens from July 5-10. It has good high-yield performance: the yield of a 4-year-old plant can reach 5.7 kg, and the yield of a 6-year-old plant can reach 36 kg, increasing yield by more than 15% compared with Biqi. The fruit is dark purple-red, and the fruit surface has no waxberry flower, making it glossy and beautiful. The sweetness is rich, the taste is good, the flesh is dense, and the storage and transport performance is good. The average single fruit reaches more than 12.5 g, and the quality for both fresh eating and processing is excellent; the edible rate of the fruit reaches 95.6%, and the soluble solids content reaches 13.7%, with a maximum of 15.7%. Every year, 30-40% of spring shoots and summer shoots do not bear fruit and become reserve fruiting branches for the next year, so the yield is stable and alternate bearing is not obvious.
7. Crystal waxberry: Also called “Baisha waxberry,” its color is crystal-clear like jade, the fruit is round and large, and its taste is fresh, lively, mellow, and sweet. However, this kind of waxberry tree is not easy to cultivate; from seedling raising and forest formation to large-scale fruiting, it takes 20 years.
8. Datanmei: Datanmei originated in Hangzhou, Yuyao, and other places. The tree vigor is medium, the tree crown is not very uniform, and the branches are slender. The leaves are thick and large but sparse, oblong or broadly obovate-lanceolate, with slightly wavy edges. The fruit is large, round or oblate, with a flat or slightly concave base, weighing about 14 g; the fruit stalk is extremely short, the flesh columns vary in length, with pointed tips or blunt tips bearing points, and the fruit surface is rough and uneven, deep red with a black tinge. The flesh is soft, juicy, contains 9.9% soluble solids, has a rich flavor, is moderately sweet and sour, and is excellent in quality. It ripens in early July, and the fruit has relatively poor storage performance, while disease resistance and drought resistance are relatively weak.