How much does a loquat seedling cost? Detailed planting methods

The loquat is also known as lu ju, jin wan, lu zhi, and others. It is an evergreen small tree of the genus Eriobotrya in the rose family. Unlike most fruit trees, it blooms in autumn or early winter, and its fruit ripens from spring to early summer, earlier than other fruits, which is why it is called "the fruit tree uniquely endowed with the qi of all four seasons." It has extremely high cultivation value. Let us take a look below at loquat seedling prices and planting methods!

How much does a loquat seedling cost?

Note: The price of loquat seedlings varies greatly depending on variety, specification, place of origin, and purchase quantity. Common cultivated varieties include Jiefangzhong, Luoyangqing, Changhong No. 3, Wanwuxing, Huangwuxing, Dawuxing, and others.

What varieties of loquat seedlings are there?

1. Jiefangzhong: Jiefangzhong is a famous variety. The fruit is extra large, averaging 61.04 grams, but because of its poor early fruiting, it bears fruit four years after planting, is prone to fruit cracking, and is susceptible to sunscald. In particular, its flavor is rather bland and somewhat sour, and its quality is clearly inferior to that of Dawuxing.

2. Luoyangqing: Luoyangqing is a famous variety, with an average fruit weight of 32.0 grams and good high-yield performance, but the fruit is quite acidic, the fruit shape is rather small, the appearance is poor, and its marketability is poor. It can be developed in moderate amounts as a processing variety.

3. Wanwuxing: Wanwuxing is extremely high-yielding. The fruit is oval or nearly round, with an average fruit weight of 65.3 grams. The peel is orange-red, with a medium-thick bloom, bright and attractive. The flesh is orange-red, extremely thick, tender in texture, with especially abundant juice and a rich, sweet flavor.

4. Huangwuxing: Huangwuxing was developed through the most recent selection and breeding. Its sweetness is slightly higher than that of Dawuxing, and the five-star shape at the calyx depression of the fruit is smaller; its other traits are basically the same as those of Dawuxing.

5. Dawuxing: Dawuxing has extra-large fruit, good early fruiting performance, extremely high yield, a rich and sweet flavor, high sugar content, top-grade quality, strong stress resistance, wide adaptability, easy management, few pests and diseases, and low production cost. It is suitable for vigorous development in all loquat-producing areas in the south.

Propagation methods for loquat seedlings

1. Seed collection: Loquat generally takes seven or eight years to bloom and set fruit. The fruiting of the mother tree shows obvious on-year and off-year differences. The seed ripening period is from late October to mid-November. During this period, collection should be carried out promptly; if collected too late, the fruit is easily eaten by animals and cannot be gathered.

2. Seed treatment: After the loquat is harvested, pile and ferment it for 3 to 5 days. Once the peel softens, mix with sand and rub off the flesh. Wash the seeds clean with clear water and dry them. Mix the seeds and sand evenly at a ratio of 1:3 and store them in stratified storage. The thousand-seed weight is about 800 grams, and the seeding rate per mu is 30 to 35 kilograms.

3. Site selection and land preparation: The loquat nursery site should preferably be a sunny, well-drained sandy loam soil. Before sowing, the nursery land must be deeply dug and disinfected with 3% quicklime. The bed surface should be fine and level, with stones and weeds removed, and the side ditches and walkways should be dug straight.

4. Sowing time: Loquat is generally sown in early March. Sowing can be done by dibbling or drilling. For dibbling, the spacing between plants and rows is 10×25 cm; for drilling, the row spacing is 30 cm, and the sowing trench depth is 8 to 10 cm.

5. Sowing method: When sowing loquat, first place fully decomposed cake fertilizer at the bottom of the trench, then put a 5 cm thick layer of loess to cover the base fertilizer before sowing. After sowing, cover with another 2 cm thick layer of loess, and finally cover with a layer of rice straw to retain moisture. Sprouting and emergence occur in about 40 days.

Planting methods for loquat seedlings

1. Orchard establishment and field planting: Loquat has strong adaptability to soil, but the best is slightly acidic sandy loam that is deep and fertile, loose and breathable, with a pH of about 6-6.5. Select strong seedlings with a good root system, thick stems, and a height of about 30-40 cm for field planting.

2. Soil and fertilizer management: Young loquat orchards should be given light but frequent applications, 4-5 times a year, mainly with nitrogen and phosphorus. Adult trees need only 3 applications per year. The first is mainly quick-acting fertilizer, the second is quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer, and the third is mainly slow-release fertilizer.

3. Training and pruning: After field planting, select 3 evenly distributed branches from the first round of side branches as the first tier of main branches, and select another two branches as auxiliary branches. Thin out dense branches, cut off diseased and pest-infested branches, crossing branches, and overlapping branches, shorten leafless branches, and cut back drooping and weakened branches.

4. Flower and fruit management

① Flower promotion measures: Strengthen fertilizer and water management during the young stage of the loquat tree, and adopt reasonable flower promotion measures during the second year of growth.

② Flower and fruit thinning: Thin less on strong trees and more on weak trees; thin out weak ones and keep strong ones; thin out late ones and keep early ones; remove upper ones and keep lower ones; remove outer ones and keep inner ones.

③ Fruit bagging: Within 1 month after the loquat tree blooms, bag 2-3 leaves into paper bags, and spray once thoroughly with thiophanate-methyl and pyrethroid pesticides.

④ Fruit harvesting: Hold the fruit stalk and carefully cut it off. Do not rub off the fuzz on the fruit surface or bruise the fruit. After harvesting, place them in fruit baskets with soft padding and package them individually.

5. Pest and disease control: During winter orchard management, cut off diseased and pest-infested branches and burn them in a centralized manner, scrape off disease spots and cracks on branches and trunks, and paint the trunks with limewater to reduce overwintering sources of pests and diseases. Strengthen management to improve resistance to pests and diseases.