Key Techniques for Improving Quality and Increasing Yield of Dongkui Waxberry (Part 1)
Key Techniques for Improving the Quality and Yield of Dongkui Waxberry (Part 1)
The keys to improving the quality and yield of Dongkui waxberry are mainly: grasping the critical periods, keeping the tree vigor moderate, treating each tree according to its condition, opening up the canopy, retaining slanted branches, suppressing shoots, thinning flowers and preserving fruit, applying nutrient solutions with caution, focusing on potassium fertilizer, and preventing and controlling pests and diseases.
1. Grasp the critical periods
(1) Management after fruit harvest
The management goals for this critical period: first, to enable the tree vigor to recover quickly after a heavy yield; second, to promptly and appropriately produce good summer shoots according to the needs of high-quality, high-yield fruiting; third, to ensure that flower buds differentiate on schedule and that the flower buds develop well.
① Apply post-harvest fertilizer appropriately: apply it promptly before early July. The amount of fertilizer applied should account for more than 30% of the total annual fertilizer amount. The fertilizer types should be mainly organic fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. Do not apply phosphate fertilizer, and do not use compound fertilizers containing the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Organic fertilizers such as human excrement and urine, soybean cake, etc. Try to avoid using organic fertilizers with relatively high phosphorus content such as rapeseed cake, fish fertilizer, and pig manure. Absolutely do not use untreated municipal waste. Nitrogen fertilizers such as urea and ammonium sulfate may also be omitted. Potassium fertilizer can use potassium sulfate, plant ash, etc. Do not use potassium chloride, which brings adverse effects on the tree body and soil. Potassium fertilizer should be applied separately from organic fertilizer to avoid nitrogen volatilization.
② Focus on pruning large branches: complete this before mid-July. The large branches to be pruned include: sawing off upright branch orders (also called "large branches"); removing dense, crossing, and overlapping branch orders; to reduce the height of the canopy as needed, saw off the large branches in the upper part of the canopy year by year. Saw 1 to 3 branches each year, completing it in 2 to 3 years. While pruning large branches, appropriately prune dense 1- to 3-year-old shoots damaged by pests and diseases.
(2) Management before the Spring Festival
The purpose is to weaken the growth vigor of spring shoots, so spring management is moved earlier to winter management, and it can also make flower buds develop better, plump, and robust. It starts from mid-November and lasts until the day before the next year's Spring Festival (for example, if the Spring Festival is February 1, then from mid-November to January 31 of the following year). Within this period, manage strong tree vigor early and weak tree vigor late, because Dongkui waxberry also has habits different from other fruit trees.
① Fertilization
For soil application, strong tree vigor may be left unfertilized, moderate tree vigor should be fertilized first, and weak tree vigor should be fertilized later, treating each accordingly; mainly apply potassium fertilizer, and do not apply other fertilizers in the soil; absolutely do not use municipal waste as organic fertilizer. Spray boron fertilizer on the canopy, at intervals of about 10 days, spraying 2 times in succession. Avoid boron deficiency in the tree body, promote flower bud development, and observe the tree's nutrient deficiency conditions, appropriately adding molybdenum fertilizer or zinc fertilizer for spraying.
② Pruning
Move spring pruning work earlier to winter pruning. Doing so can both promote better flower bud development and avoid the large amount of fruit drop caused by spring pruning stimulating spring shoots.
Pruning time: determined according to tree vigor, that is, for strong tree vigor, it can begin in late November or early December; then, depending on the strength of the tree vigor, gradually postpone it; for weak trees, it can be carried out in mid- to late January.
Pruning content: mainly prune small branches, such as dense or upright summer shoots or spring shoots of the current year, and retain slanted shoots.
③ Spray lime-sulfur mixture
The purpose is to clean the canopy and also to supplement sulfur for the tree body.
Spraying time: from late November to late January of the following year.
Spraying concentration: in the early stage, because the temperature is high, use lime-sulfur mixture at 3.5 degrees Baume; as the temperature decreases, increase the concentration. From early to late January, the concentration can be increased to lime-sulfur mixture at 5 degrees Baume.
Precautions for use: choose warm sunny days for spraying, and avoid spraying in low-temperature freezing weather, which may cause freezing damage. Spray between 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.; never use it in the low temperatures of early morning and evening or at noon. In addition to spraying the canopy, also spray the trunk and the ground.
1. Grasp the critical periods
(1) Management after fruit harvest
The management goals for this critical period: first, to enable the tree vigor to recover quickly after a heavy yield; second, to promptly and appropriately produce good summer shoots according to the needs of high-quality, high-yield fruiting; third, to ensure that flower buds differentiate on schedule and that the flower buds develop well.
① Apply post-harvest fertilizer appropriately: apply it promptly before early July. The amount of fertilizer applied should account for more than 30% of the total annual fertilizer amount. The fertilizer types should be mainly organic fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. Do not apply phosphate fertilizer, and do not use compound fertilizers containing the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Organic fertilizers such as human excrement and urine, soybean cake, etc. Try to avoid using organic fertilizers with relatively high phosphorus content such as rapeseed cake, fish fertilizer, and pig manure. Absolutely do not use untreated municipal waste. Nitrogen fertilizers such as urea and ammonium sulfate may also be omitted. Potassium fertilizer can use potassium sulfate, plant ash, etc. Do not use potassium chloride, which brings adverse effects on the tree body and soil. Potassium fertilizer should be applied separately from organic fertilizer to avoid nitrogen volatilization.
② Focus on pruning large branches: complete this before mid-July. The large branches to be pruned include: sawing off upright branch orders (also called "large branches"); removing dense, crossing, and overlapping branch orders; to reduce the height of the canopy as needed, saw off the large branches in the upper part of the canopy year by year. Saw 1 to 3 branches each year, completing it in 2 to 3 years. While pruning large branches, appropriately prune dense 1- to 3-year-old shoots damaged by pests and diseases.
(2) Management before the Spring Festival
The purpose is to weaken the growth vigor of spring shoots, so spring management is moved earlier to winter management, and it can also make flower buds develop better, plump, and robust. It starts from mid-November and lasts until the day before the next year's Spring Festival (for example, if the Spring Festival is February 1, then from mid-November to January 31 of the following year). Within this period, manage strong tree vigor early and weak tree vigor late, because Dongkui waxberry also has habits different from other fruit trees.
① Fertilization
For soil application, strong tree vigor may be left unfertilized, moderate tree vigor should be fertilized first, and weak tree vigor should be fertilized later, treating each accordingly; mainly apply potassium fertilizer, and do not apply other fertilizers in the soil; absolutely do not use municipal waste as organic fertilizer. Spray boron fertilizer on the canopy, at intervals of about 10 days, spraying 2 times in succession. Avoid boron deficiency in the tree body, promote flower bud development, and observe the tree's nutrient deficiency conditions, appropriately adding molybdenum fertilizer or zinc fertilizer for spraying.
② Pruning
Move spring pruning work earlier to winter pruning. Doing so can both promote better flower bud development and avoid the large amount of fruit drop caused by spring pruning stimulating spring shoots.
Pruning time: determined according to tree vigor, that is, for strong tree vigor, it can begin in late November or early December; then, depending on the strength of the tree vigor, gradually postpone it; for weak trees, it can be carried out in mid- to late January.
Pruning content: mainly prune small branches, such as dense or upright summer shoots or spring shoots of the current year, and retain slanted shoots.
③ Spray lime-sulfur mixture
The purpose is to clean the canopy and also to supplement sulfur for the tree body.
Spraying time: from late November to late January of the following year.
Spraying concentration: in the early stage, because the temperature is high, use lime-sulfur mixture at 3.5 degrees Baume; as the temperature decreases, increase the concentration. From early to late January, the concentration can be increased to lime-sulfur mixture at 5 degrees Baume.
Precautions for use: choose warm sunny days for spraying, and avoid spraying in low-temperature freezing weather, which may cause freezing damage. Spray between 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.; never use it in the low temperatures of early morning and evening or at noon. In addition to spraying the canopy, also spray the trunk and the ground.