Detailed Explanation of Loquat Seedling Planting Techniques and Management Methods
The loquat is native to southeastern China and is named for its leaves, which resemble the pipa instrument. There are two main propagation methods: sowing and grafting. Grafted loquat seedlings can bear fruit after two years, while those grown from seed generally begin bearing fruit in the third year and enter the full fruiting period in 8 to 10 years. Let us now take a look at the planting techniques for loquat seedlings!
Loquat Seedling Planting Conditions
1. Temperature: The loquat is native to the subtropics and requires relatively high temperatures. It can grow normally when the average annual temperature is above 12°C, but for commercial cultivation the average annual temperature should be 15-17°C, with no severe cold weather. The loquat flowering period is in late winter and early spring, and low temperatures in winter and spring will affect its flowering and fruiting.
2. Soil: For loquat planting, it is best to choose level, high-yielding dry land that has been cultivated for years, with deep, loose, fertile soil rich in organic matter. A soil pH of 6.0 is most suitable. When selecting a site, water sources must be considered to ensure the orchard can be irrigated from November each year to May of the following year, and transportation and shipping must be convenient. Land that is low-lying and prone to waterlogging should not be chosen. Before planting, deep plowing of more than 30 cm must be carried out across the entire area.
Loquat Seedling Raising Techniques
1. Seedbed selection: The nursery site should be chosen on sandy soil that is shaded and sheltered from the wind, with loose soil, rich in organic matter, medium fertility, and good fertilizer and water retention. Half a month before sowing (early to mid-May), apply an appropriate amount of decomposed compost, farmyard manure, or pig manure, or broadcast 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. Then plow the soil, harrow it fine, and level it to make beds, each bed 1.2 m wide with a 30 cm furrow. Where there are underground pests, carbofuran should be used to disinfect the soil before land preparation to kill the underground pests.
2. Seed selection: Loquat seeds have no dormancy period. Before sowing, the loquat seeds must be screened to remove smaller and abnormally developed ones. Select large, plump loquat seeds, wash them clean, dry them, and they are ready for sowing.
3. Sowing method: The sowing period is from late May to early June. There are two sowing methods: broadcasting or drilling (drilling is generally used). For drilling, the row spacing is 20-25 cm and the plant spacing is 10-12 cm. Depending on the seed germination rate, sow 1-3 seeds per hole. When sowing, press lightly to push half of each seed into the soil, then thinly scatter a layer of fine ashy soil, just enough that the loquat seeds are no longer visible. If sown too deep, it is difficult for them to emerge and they may also rot; if too shallow, they will not take root. After sowing, immediately water the seedbed thoroughly, and thinly cover the soil surface with moisture-retaining materials such as rice straw or fresh pigpen grass, so as to keep the soil surface from crusting and help the seedlings emerge.
4. Post-sowing management: Before the seedlings emerge, the seedbed should maintain a certain humidity, not too dry or too wet. Once the seedlings emerge, remove the covering grass. Because loquat seedlings prefer shade, their leaves are easily scorched by strong sunlight. Therefore, after sowing and before emergence, a shade shed should be set up with shade netting, with the shed 50-60 cm high. After the seedlings are fully emerged, promptly thin out weak, overcrowded, and diseased seedlings, keeping one strong seedling according to the plant spacing. When the seedlings grow 3-4 true leaves, they can be watered with dilute human waste or compound fertilizer once every half month, and weeds should be removed promptly. When the seedlings reach 20 cm in height, remove the top 1-2 tender leaves to promote thickening of the lower stem, and at the same time do a good job of pest and disease control. The shade netting is removed at the end of August and the beginning of September. In the spring of the second year, when the rootstock seedlings reach a diameter of more than 0.6 cm, they can be grafted; those that do not meet the standard can be transplanted and cultivated further until grafting the following year.
Loquat Seedling Planting Techniques
1. Selection of orchard site: First, a location with convenient transportation should be chosen to establish the orchard. The loquat is highly adaptable to soil, but deep, fertile, loose, and airy slightly acidic sandy loam with a pH of about 6-6.5 is best. However, on slightly alkaline soil (such as the slightly alkaline stony soil in mountainous areas, pH=7.5-7.8), it still grows normally without yellowing, showing good resistance. This characteristic is clearly superior to that of fruit trees such as pear, peach, plum, and citrus.
2. Soil improvement: Because the loquat's root system is shallow and has weak spreading ability (generally not extending beyond the tree canopy's drip line), and it has poor wind resistance, we must carry out deep plowing to improve the soil, or use trench green manuring or large-hole green manuring, and plant the seedlings on the trenches or large holes (where the soil layer is less than 50 cm, blasting should be used to improve the soil). Thereafter, every year expand the holes outward, deep plow, and bury green manure to improve soil aeration and fertility, guide the roots deep into the soil, enhance root growth, expand the distribution of the root mass, make the plants grow robustly, and increase wind resistance. For flat land or clay soil, a drainage trench 40 cm wide and 50-60 cm deep should be opened every 2 rows.
3. Seedling planting
① Planting time: In most areas of southern China, where winters are warm, loquats can be planted from September to March of the following year, and planting during the autumn rainy season in September-October is best. They can also be planted in February-March when there are spring rains.
② Seedling handling: For short-distance planting, loquat seedlings can be lifted without soil, but it is best to water thoroughly before digging so as to lift the entire root system, and it is best to keep them moist during transport. For long-distance planting, this method is superior to using soil-ball seedlings.
③ Planting density: For dwarf, close-planted, early-fruiting orchards, planting can be done at a row spacing of 1×3 m (222 plants planted) and 2×3 m (111 plants per mu), among other arrangements.
④ Planting method: Dig the holes one month before planting, and apply sufficient base fertilizer in the holes to decompose in advance. When planting, spread the root system evenly and fill the roots with fine mud so that all roots are in full contact with the fine mud, just covering to the root crown, with the graft union exposed. The bed surface for planting should be 20-30 cm higher than the surrounding ground. After planting, water thoroughly with settling water, 20-25 kg per plant (specifically depending on soil moisture). It must be watered sufficiently and thoroughly; this is the key to improving seedling survival rate. After the water has penetrated into the soil, cover a 1 sq m area of the tree disk with plastic film, but be sure to seal the edges of the film tightly so as to truly maintain soil moisture and raise soil temperature. After planting, inspections should be made, and watering should be done when the soil is dry.