How to manage goji berry seedlings? These key points you need to know

Goji berryThe entire seedling stage lasts about one year. Everyone should pay attention to the following management tasks. Let's first look at what needs to be done in spring and summer.

Breaking the film: After the seedlings survive, the first thing we need to do is break the film. For cuttings, simply use your hand to poke through the film at the cutting site. For seed-grown seedlings, use a hard branch to poke through the film at the spot where buds are about to emerge. This prevents the high temperatures from scorching the young seedlings. After that, we do not need to remove the plastic film; let it continue to raise the ground temperature. When the hot season arrives, the plastic film will have degraded and rotted into the soil.

We previously applied sufficient base fertilizer, so during the 4-6 month growing period, not much management work is needed; just let the seedlings grow naturally. However, by July, when the seedlings have reached a certain height, a series of management tasks should be carried out.

Weeding and loosening the soil: When the seedlings reach about 30 cm in height, carry out the first loosening of the soil and weeding, to prevent the weeds from outgrowing the young seedlings. Weeding should follow the principle of weeding early and weeding thoroughly. Loosen the soil in conjunction with weeding. During this period, we weed and loosen the soil 2-3 times.

Bud removal: When side branches grow from the base of the young seedlings, we should promptly remove these side branches to prevent them from competing for soil and nutrients and hindering the growth of the main branch. You can simply remove the tender buds by hand; for slightly older young branches, it is best to cut them off with pruning shears.

Fertilizing: To help the goji berry seedlings grow better, in mid-to-late May, we apply fertilizer once to promote root growth. It is best to use phosphorus fertilizer as the main component and nitrogen fertilizer as a supplement. Apply 10 kg of diammonium phosphate and 5 kg of urea per mu. Mix the fertilizers evenly and broadcast them around the plants.

Irrigation: Irrigate after fertilizing. Both flood irrigation and watering can be used; irrigating thoroughly is best, to meet the growth needs during the hot season. Use good water and fertilizer conditions to promote seedling growth. From summer to before winter, irrigation should be carried out 4-5 times.

By September and October, in a well-managed seedling bed, the seedlings have grown to over 60 cm tall and have become large seedlings with vigorous branches. This means we have entered the autumn and winter seasons. At this time, what management tasks do we need to carry out?

Weeding: There are also many weeds during this period, so manual weeding must be carried out once. Weeding should be shallow. Weed thoroughly to prevent weeds from robbing fertilizer and spreading pests and diseases. After weeding, we also need to prune the branches once.

Pruning: Too many branches will hinder the growth of the main trunk branch, so pruning should be carried out. When pruning, choose one robust branch as the main trunk and cut off all the rest. This ensures the main trunk is thick and strong, and uniform from top to bottom. For seedlings that have reached 60 cm in height, the main trunk branch should be cut off. This is also called pinching, to control the height of seedling growth. Train them into large seedlings with a first layer of side branches, extra-grade seedling stock.

After pruning, to ensure the nutrient supply for the seedlings, we need to apply fertilizer once, mainly nitrogen fertilizer with phosphorus fertilizer as a supplement. Broadcast the two mixed fertilizers around the plants. Generally, apply 15 kg of urea and 5 kg of phosphorus fertilizer per mu.

Pest and disease control: Pest and disease control during the goji berry seedling stage focuses on prevention. Mainly use 2000-2500 times diluted Jieman solution and 1000-1500 times diluted 10% imidacloprid. Around mid-October, spray once every seven days, spraying 3 times consecutively, to control aphids, gall mites and rust mites.

Overwintering of seedlings: The leaves of goji berry seedlings in the nursery turn yellow in late autumn, and after frost the leaves fall off, but no special management is needed; they can overwinter naturally in the nursery. Wait until the following spring to lift the seedlings for planting.