How Many Years Until a Yangmei (Chinese Bayberry) Tree Bears Fruit? A Detailed Explanation of the Bearing Timeline

The yangmei (Chinese bayberry) tree is produced across most of China, growing in mountain slopes or valley forests at altitudes of 125-1500 m. It is a famous fruit of Jiangnan in China. Do you know how many years it takes before a yangmei tree can bear fruit? Below, the editor of Qiannong Net introduces to everyone exactly how many years a yangmei tree needs to be planted before it can bear fruit!

How many years until a yangmei tree bears fruit?

If a grafted yangmei tree seedling is cultivated properly, it will generally bear fruit in 4-5 years, and enter the full-bearing period after 8 years. The flowering period of the yangmei is April, and the fruit ripens in June-July.

Reasons why a yangmei tree does not bear fruit

1. Insufficient light: the crowns of large trees around the yangmei tree are too large and block the sunlight, so the yangmei tree cannot get sufficient light.

2. Soil too fertile: the yangmei tree will only grow taller vertically, not grow leaves laterally, and this is also unfavorable for bearing fruit.

3. Variable climate: snow, torrential rain and cold air come one after another, and spring is the key season for yangmei growth, so a variable climate also affects the growth and fruiting of the yangmei tree to a certain extent.

4. The fruiting age has not yet been reached.

5. There is no male pollinator tree. 

Methods for dealing with a yangmei tree that does not bear fruit

1. Spray the crown with paclobutrazol: from the end of July to the end of September, spray the crown with paclobutrazol at 200×10 to the power of negative 6 to 500×10 to the power of negative 6; the concentration depends on the variety and tree vigor. For example, for thick leaves and strong, vigorous tree vigor, the concentration should be relatively higher. Spray in the current year, and it can be put into production the following year. The effect lasts 2-4 years; after the effect disappears, it can be used continuously. You can also apply 0.5 grams of paclobutrazol per square meter to the soil according to the projected crown area.

2. Pruning and suppressing shoots: in spring, prune according to the principle of “control the top and promote the bottom, control the outside and promote the inside, thin out large branches, keep more small twigs”, or “open a skylight” to promote ventilation and light penetration in the crown and promote flowering and fruiting. When autumn shoots stop growing, you can pull branches with ropes, hang medicine bottles, or prop branches with sticks to open up the crown, increase the opening angle of large branches, and moderate tree vigor. From early August to mid-to-late October during flower bud differentiation, use a knife to make 1-2 ring cuts on the trunk and branches at 1-1.5 m from the crown to promote flowering and fruit set. The ring-cut branches should account for 1/2-2/3 of the whole tree. In spring from February to March or in autumn from early September to mid-October, the orchard should also be deeply plowed to cut roots.

3. Plant male yangmei trees for pollination: in production, it is required that for every 60-90 yangmei trees there should be no fewer than 2 male (male) yangmei trees.

4. Fertilization and mounding soil: mainly use decomposed pig and cattle pen manure, composted fertilizer and screened garbage fertilizer, applied 3 times a year: the 1st time in late February, the 2nd time in mid-to-late May, and the 3rd time in early August. For each large tree, apply 15-30 kg of garbage soil fertilizer plus 40-50 kg of mixed soil manure. Mound soil once a year. Use 200-250 kg per tree.

5. Prevention and control of pests and diseases: the yangmei has relatively strong disease resistance, but when scale insects, bagworms, etc. appear on the tree, pesticides should also be sprayed during the larval stage for control. The leaves are easily infected by leaf spot disease, and 0.5% Bordeaux mixture should be sprayed for control. Although gall disease on the trunk and branches occurs relatively rarely, it should also be controlled. After removing the diseased spots, brush the wounds with 1:6-10 strong alkaline water for disinfection.