How should a loquat tree be managed to produce more fruit?
How can you get a loquat tree to produce more fruit? What methods can achieve this? Experienced gardeners are also asked to share their advice. To grow loquat trees and obtain high yields and high-quality loquat fruit, the main goal is to improve the fruit set rate and fruit quality of the loquat. Therefore, Zhongdi Net has compiled the fruit thinning and fruit retention methods for loquat trees, listed in detail below...
How can you get a loquat tree to produce more fruit? What methods can achieve this? Experienced gardeners are also asked to share their advice.To grow loquat trees and obtain high yields and high-quality loquat fruit, the main goal is to improve the fruit set rate and fruit quality of the loquat. Therefore, Zhongdi Net has compiled the fruit thinning and fruit retention methods for loquat trees, listed in detail below for gardeners' reference.
Loquat fruit thinning methods:
Timing and number of loquat fruit thinning sessions:Loquat trees are generally thinned from when the young flower bud panicles become visible until before flowering. When there is no risk of freeze damage, it is best to start early, generally thinning 2-3 times.
Number of loquat fruits to retain:For large-fruited varieties such as "Dahongpao", retain 1-3 fruits per panicle; for small-fruited varieties such as "Baozhu", retain 4-6 fruits per panicle. Generally speaking, retaining fewer fruits results in larger fruit shape and earlier maturity.
Loquat panicle thinning methods:On loquat trees with many flower panicles, thinning should be done early. The number of flower panicles retained should be such that 50-60% of the new shoots on the whole tree bear flower panicles. Thin more from the top of the canopy and less from the lower part of the canopy; flower panicles on the middle and lower parts of the canopy should make up about 60-70% of all panicles retained on the tree. While thinning panicles, also thin buds (flowers): remove the 2-3 small pedicels at the lower part of the panicle and the tip of the whole axis, keeping the 3-4 small pedicels in the middle. In places with little freeze damage, you can keep the early-opening flowers in the center of the panicle and thin out the late-opening flowers; the resulting fruit is large in shape, beautiful in color and excellent in quality.
Methods for promoting fruit set in loquat:
Spraying a 0.2-0.5% borax aqueous solution during the loquat flowering period can promote fruit set in loquat trees. After fruit thinning in mid-to-late February or early March, apply a fruit-stabilizing fertilizer (pre-bud fertilizer) to meet the nutritional needs of fruit development and spring shoot growth and reduce fruit drop.
During the rapid fruit expansion period (mid-April to early May), apply a fruit-swelling fertilizer, which helps increase fruit weight and sugar content. You can use 2-3% superphosphate extract plus 0.3-0.5% urea, or a 0.2-0.3% monopotassium phosphate solution, generally spraying 3-4 times.
Loquat flower thinning methods
Pest and disease control during the loquat flowering period