A detailed guide to winter frost protection methods for citrus, helping fruit trees overwinter safely
Citrus is widely grown in China, with cultivation in both the north and the south. In winter, low temperatures make citrus in many regions prone to cold damage, causing economic losses. How to overwinter safely in winter and reduce cold damage is also something fruit growers care about. Below, Qinnong.com brings you winter frost protection techniques for citrus. Let's take a look.
1. Irrigation for frost protection
Irrigation in winter can help prevent frost. Irrigation increases the specific heat capacity of the soil and the air humidity, effectively suppressing ground radiation and delaying the drop in ground temperature. Generally, irrigating the planting area in winter can raise the low temperature by 1-2 degrees. However, irrigation also requires attention to timing and method, and should be determined according to the size of the plant and the dryness of the soil. During frost, pay attention to irrigating in the late afternoon at dusk, and drain the water off in the early morning.
2. Smoking for frost protection
When temperatures are low in winter and citrus suffers from frost, smoking inside the orchard can prevent frost. Use local materials within the orchard, and light smudge fires in open, ventilated spots so that the smoke covers the entire orchard. This can raise the temperature inside the orchard by 2-3 degrees. But note that you should not produce large-scale open flames, and there should be a certain distance from the plants, and it should be at the windward opening.
3. Covering with film for frost protection
Covering the plants with a layer of film is also a good frost protection method. Covering with film can cut a certain amount of cold wind, reduce the evaporation and consumption of water from the plants, and also provide good insulation for the soil layer. But it also has its drawbacks: the film clings tightly to the leaves, has poor permeability, and easily scorches the leaves on sunny days. So generally, when many people use this technique, they use supports, which is equivalent to building a small greenhouse.
4. Spraying antifreeze
In many regions, fruit growers choose to use the method of spraying antifreeze to prevent frost. Antifreeze is a type of frost-resistant plant foliar fertilizer containing plant hormone nutrient solution or trace elements. Their role is to maintain the stability of biological membranes, reduce damage to the membranes from low temperatures, lower the freezing point of the cell wall, and enable the plants to achieve good frost protection results.
The above are the winter frost protection methods for citrus brought to you by Qinnong.com. In addition to the above methods, there are other frost protection methods, such as applying more fertilizer, using the heat-releasing property of fertilizer decomposition to raise the temperature of the soil and root system for frost protection, as well as plastic film mulching and other methods.