Zhique (Bitter Orange) Seeds: Latest Prices and a Detailed Guide to Planting Methods

Zhique is a medicinal herb listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. Its medicinal source is the dried immature fruit of the Rutaceae plant bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) and its cultivated varieties. It is produced in many parts of China, with the products from Hunan and Jiangxi being the best. As a medicine it has the effects of regulating qi and relieving fullness, and moving stagnation to reduce distension. Let us take a look together below at the price of Zhique seeds and its planting methods!

How much is a jin of Zhique seeds?

The price of Zhique seeds is about 35 to 45 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin and the market. The common original plants of Zhique include bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) and Yuanjiang Zhique. They grow quickly, have low management requirements, strong sprouting ability and tolerate pruning well. They are best grown in warm climates with plenty of sunshine and rainfall, in well-drained sandy or gravelly loam, and are mostly planted beside woods and roads, in front of and behind houses, or on hillsides. In production, they are mostly propagated by sowing, grafting and layering.

What varieties of Zhique are there?

1. Lvyi Zhique: Lvyi Zhique is the nearly ripe fruit of the plant trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata). It is semi-spherical, with an orange-brown or green-yellow outer skin. One side of the fruit's top has an obvious remnant of the style base. It has a fragrant odor, and the juice sacs taste slightly sour and bitter. It is produced in Fujian, Shaanxi and other places.

2. Suancheng Zhique: Suancheng Zhique is the nearly ripe fruit of the plant bitter orange (Citrus aurantium). The surface is green-brown or green-brown in color, and one side of the top has a remnant of the style base. It has a fragrant odor, and the juice sacs taste bitter and then sour. It is produced in Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places.

3. Xiangyuan Zhique: Xiangyuan Zhique is the nearly ripe fruit of the plant citron (Citrus wilsonii). Its appearance is similar to Suancheng Zhique, with a brown or reddish-brown surface. It has a fragrant odor, and the juice sacs taste sour and then bitter. It is produced in Sichuan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places.

4. Daidaihua Zhique: Daidaihua Zhique is the nearly ripe fruit of the plant bitter orange (Citrus aurantium var. amara). It is usually cut horizontally into two, forming a semi-spherical shape, with a green-yellow or orange-yellow surface and a brownish-yellow cross-section. It has a fragrant odor, and the juice sacs taste bitter and then sour. It is produced in Jiangsu.

Sowing methods for Zhique

1. Seed collection: Zhique seeds are collected around the winter solstice. When keeping seed trees, fruits from strong, pest-free mature trees should be selected as seed sources. Peel off the skin and pulp of the harvested fruits, dry the surface moisture of the seeds in the shade or in the sun, mix them with sand and store them in a pit.

2. Sowing time: Choose loose sandy loam soil for the Zhique seedling plot. Carry out autumn plowing the year before, prepare the land into beds, and apply plenty of base fertilizer. Sowing is usually carried out during the Yushui (Rain Water) and Chunfen (Spring Equinox) periods.

3. Sowing method: Zhique seedling raising generally uses drilling. Sow 1 row or 3 rows per bed, with a row spacing of 20 to 27 cm. Sow evenly, then cover with soil and press lightly so that the seeds combine with the soil.

4. Post-sowing management: After sowing Zhique, some thatch or rice straw can be spread over the bed and water must be sprinkled frequently to keep the seedbed at a suitable moisture level. After the seedlings grow leaves, thin out the dense ones and fill in the gaps where seedlings are missing. In the autumn of the same year, thinning and transplanting can be carried out.

Planting methods for Zhique

1. Site selection and fertilization: After Zhique seedlings have grown for 3 years, choose well-drained sandy fertile soil around fields and gardens for planting (generally mostly planted around orange orchards). Dig holes at a plant spacing of 5 to 6 m. When digging the holes, keep the topsoil and subsoil separate, and apply fertile mud or other slow-release fertilizer as base fertilizer.

2. Transplanting method: When planting Zhique, the roots should be spread out so that the roots contact the soil. In dry land, plant slightly deeper, then scatter the more fertile topsoil into the hole. When half of the soil has been filled back, gently lift the seedling so the root system spreads out and combines with the soil. After filling in the subsoil, tamp it firmly and water.

3. Earthing up and topdressing: From September to November each year, earth up Zhique according to tree size: 1000 kg for large trees and 500 kg for small trees. In February of the second year, open up the earthing. Fertilize once in early spring and once in early autumn. In early spring use relatively thin liquid manure, and in autumn use compost, lake grass or other slow-release fertilizers.

4. Pruning and training: Pruning of Zhique branches is carried out twice a year, once before flowering and once after fruit harvest. Remove branch forks, superfluous branches, branches that do not receive sunlight, and suckers. In short, the principle is to prune so that the crown is open and sparse.

5. Harvesting and processing: Zhique is best picked around Dashu (Major Heat). Choose green, not yet ripe fruits, cut them horizontally into halves on a sunny day, and lay them out piece by piece. When drying, keep the pulp facing upward, and be sure not to let them touch ash or water. After drying until half dry, turn them over and dry the skin until fully dry.

Pest and disease control for Zhique

1. Citrus canker

[Damage] Leaves, twigs and fruits can all be affected. In the south it generally begins to occur from the end of March to early October, with peak occurrence from May to July. Young trees are more susceptible than old trees.

[Control] In winter or before the onset of the disease in early spring, prune off diseased branches and leaves and burn them on site. Before spring buds sprout, begin spraying 1:2:200 Bordeaux mixture once every 15 days, for a total of 5 to 6 sprays, and also control the citrus leafminer.

2. Citrus scab

[Damage] It harms young and tender tissues such as leaves, fruits and new shoots. It is generally severe from late May to mid-June, and tender leaves are the most susceptible.

[Control] Prune off diseased branches and leaves and burn them in a centralized manner. Strengthen cultivation and management. When spring buds sprout and when flowers fall, spray 0.8:1:100 Bordeaux mixture once each time, or spray 50% Tuijunling (thiram) 500 times liquid.

3. Sooty mold

[Damage] When the disease occurs, dark brown very thin mold spots grow on leaves, fruits and twigs, eventually forming a velvety black mold layer. This affects photosynthesis, and diseased trees gradually weaken, bloom less, bear small fruits, have poor quality and rot easily.

[Control] Actively eliminate the breeding conditions for scale insects, whiteflies and aphids. Prune appropriately to facilitate ventilation and light penetration and strengthen tree vigor.

4. Longhorn beetles

[Damage] The larvae bore into branches, trunks and even roots. In severe cases they bore out tunnels, causing whole branches or the entire plant to die, and even destroying the orchard.

[Control] Pay attention to catching and killing the insects and destroying the eggs. According to the size of the bore hole, use medicinal cotton dipped in 40% dimethoate emulsion or 90% trichlorfon liquid and insert it into the bore hole, then seal all hole openings with mud to suffocate and kill them.

5. Scale insects

[Damage] Adults, nymphs and larvae suck sap on branches and leaves, causing branches and leaves to turn yellow and leading to branch dieback, leaf drop and fruit drop, and even causing branches and the whole tree to die.

[Control] In winter and spring, prune and trim, cut off infested branches, and carry them out of the orchard to burn. In mid-June, spray tea-seed cake and pine tar alkali mixture every half month. In summer add water at 10 to 15 times, and in spring and winter add water at 8 to 10 times before spraying.

6. Citrus leafminer

[Damage] It harms summer and autumn shoots.

[Control] In winter and spring, clean the orchard, sweep up fallen leaves, pick off damaged leaves and kill overwintering pupae. During the peak occurrence period, spray 25% phosmet at 800 times or 50% phosphamidon at 1000 times liquid to protect the shoots.