The Latest Shatian Pomelo Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

The Shatian pomelo originated in Shatian Township, Rong County, Guangxi, and was later successfully introduced and cultivated in our province. The Shatian pomelo has large fruit, excellent quality, good storability, easy transport, and broad market prospects. In addition to the domestic market, it is also highly competitive internationally. To achieve high yield, high quality and low consumption in planting Shatian pomelo, the following main tasks should be done well:

Shatian Pomelo Planting Techniques

1. Site selection and land preparation

The Shatian pomelo is an evergreen fruit tree with a tall canopy and a well-developed root system. It grows well in loose, fertile, moist soil with good aeration. Therefore, when planting Shatian pomelo, red loam or sandy gravel soil with deep soil layers, fertile soil and good air permeability should be selected. For hilly land, slopes of 30 degrees or less are generally suitable; terraced fields should be built on south-facing or southeast-facing hillsides for planting. Alluvial soil in mountain hollows is ideal, and riverside or streamside alluvial zones with convenient drainage and irrigation are the most suitable for establishing an orchard.

Before planting, planning should be done first, adopting trenching or digging large holes, and applying sufficient base fertilizer so that the trees grow and develop quickly. For flat land, hole planting is generally used, digging large holes 1×1×1m in length×width×depth; for hilly land, trenching is suitable, digging trenches 1—1.5m wide and 1m deep along contour lines. After the trenches and holes have been exposed to the sun for one week, fill them with soil, and when backfilling, layer in grass material and decomposed farmyard manure. That is, put green manure at the bottom layer, decomposed pig and cattle pen manure in the middle layer, and cover the surface layer with finer, more fertile soil. After the trenches and holes are filled level, set out planting mounds 1m wide and 0.3m high at fixed points, ready for planting.

2. Planting methods

Good seedlings should be selected when planting. It is advisable to select grafted seedlings of the soft-branch Shatian pomelo variety that bears many fruits, has good quality, high and stable yield, and is free of pests and diseases. The graft union should be exposed above the soil surface. Planting time should be when the branches and shoots are fully mature, generally spring planting from February to April is better. Planting spacing should vary according to different terrain and soil quality. Because hilly land is relatively lean but has better ventilation and light penetration, it can be planted more densely, with 30—40 trees per mu; for fertile contiguous flat land, it is better to plant more sparsely, about 20 trees per mu.

Since self-pollination of Shatian pomelo is not as good as cross-pollination, in order to improve the fruit-setting rate and increase pomelo yield, about 10% sour pomelo or crystal pomelo should be planted in a planned way as pollinator trees at planting time. When planting, care should be taken that the root system does not come into contact with fertilizer, the backfilled soil should be slightly compacted, the tree disc should be covered with grass mulch, and enough water should be poured to settle the roots, so as to prevent drought and preserve moisture.

Management of Young Shatian Pomelo Trees

The young stage of Shatian pomelo refers to the period from field planting to the first fruiting.

1. Watering and fertilizing: After Shatian pomelo is planted, if there is a drought, water should be applied every day to keep the soil moist and promote survival; on rainy days, attention should be paid to draining accumulated water to prevent root rot. New roots begin to emerge 15—20 days after planting, and decomposed human manure and urine should begin to be applied, with 3—4kg of human manure and urine added to each load of water, 1—2 times per month. The fertilizer concentration should gradually increase as the tree grows larger. During the new shoot period, the method of one shoot with two fertilizations should be adopted, that is, applying fertilizer once 10—15 days before shoot emergence and once at the leaf-expansion stage after the new shoot emerges. Fertilization in spring, summer and autumn should be shallow, such as disc application or shallow trench application. Winter fertilizer and heavier fertilizer should be applied deeply and in layers. In short, because young trees are small and the root absorption capacity is relatively weak, fertilization should follow the principle of “frequent application and irrigation application,” ensuring 1—2 heavy fertilizations (mainly quick-acting water fertilizer) before each shoot and during the growth period, so as to promote robust and full branches and shoots and form a high-yielding canopy as early as possible.

2. Bud removal and shoot control to cultivate a high-yielding canopy. After planting and survival, the first task is to do well in trunk training. When the trunk of the pomelo tree reaches 40—45cm high from the ground, cut off the top to promote new shoots. Keep 2—3 new shoots at the top in different directions and evenly distributed as main branches. At the second flush, cultivate 3 secondary main branches on each main branch; at the third flush, cultivate side branch groups on the secondary main branches. Each branch shoot should be 15—20cm long; for those with insufficient angle, wires can be used for shaping. Young trees can produce 3—4 flushes per year, namely spring shoots (around Yushui), summer shoots (around Xiaoman), autumn shoots (after Dashu), and late autumn shoots (from Bailu to Qiufen). Before each flush, in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, attention should also be paid to removing buds and controlling shoots, removing scattered ones and keeping uniform ones, to promote many, neat and robust new shoots. During the shoot-growing period, pest and disease control should be done well to protect the shoots, laying a good foundation for early fruiting and high yield.

3. Deep plowing to improve soil, expanding planting holes year by year. It is generally required to complete deep plowing of the whole orchard within 3—4 years after planting. Each deep plowing must incorporate green manure or decomposed organic fertilizer to achieve the purpose of increasing fertility and improving soil, creating good conditions for root growth, and enabling the pomelo trees to be long-lived and high-yielding. Deep plowing should be carried out after each new shoot matures. The trenches (holes) dug should have outlets to prevent prolonged rain from accumulating water and causing root rot.

4. Intertillage, weeding and mulching. Through intertillage, the soil is made loose, soil moisture and air are regulated, and fertilizer decomposition is promoted. In spring and summer, intertillage is mainly for weeding and should be shallow. In autumn and winter, intertillage after rain can reduce water evaporation and improve drought resistance. In places with many weeds, grass can be used as mulch all year round to help preserve moisture, prevent drought and prevent erosion.