How to Fertilize Lychee? A Detailed Guide to the Correct Fertilization Method
Lychee is one of the more popular fruits, with a sweet and delicious taste that has been loved by everyone since ancient times. So how is lychee fertilized? Generally speaking, lychee fertilization needs to be carried out flexibly according to different climates, varieties, growth stages and growth conditions. It is necessary to consider both the current situation and plan for subsequent growth. So how exactly is it done? Let's take a look together with Qinnong Web.
1. Base fertilizer
Base fertilizer is the most basic nutrient for the survival and growth of lychee. For base fertilizer, we generally need to follow one principle, which is the principle of "applying base fertilizer heavily." This is because only sufficient base fertilizer can make the lychee tree grow quickly, and it can also inhibit the lychee tree from sprouting in winter. The base fertilizer here generally refers to the first fertilization at planting time. We mainly use a combination of farmyard rotten manure and compound fertilizer, with a dosage of about 6,000 jin and 100 jin per mu, and it is applied by digging holes.
2. Growth fertilizer
Growth fertilizer is generally applied during the seedling stage of the lychee tree. In order to allow the lychee tree to grow quickly, we generally fertilize it multiple times during its growth period. About half a month after the base fertilizer, if the lychee tree is still growing very slowly, then we can apply about 50 jin of urea in an appropriate amount. After the lychee tree recovers its growth, we can apply about 60 jin per mu of phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer as a top dressing. Before it flowers and fruits, growth fertilizer is basically applied four to five times a year, each time the same as the second time, but the amount can be increased or decreased according to the growth of the sapling.
3. Flower fertilizer
Flower fertilizer means that the lychee tree at this time is already a mature fruit tree. Flower fertilizer is divided into two stages. The first is the flower promotion stage. Flower promotion fertilizer generally begins to be applied about half a month before flowering. We mainly use a combination of livestock manure and compound fertilizer, about 1,000 jin per mu, and then each lychee tree also needs an appropriate amount of boron fertilizer and zinc fertilizer. The second is the flower strengthening stage, which is when flower buds appear. We need to carry it out immediately because the flowers will quickly fade after blooming. This time we mainly use potassium fertilizer and add a small appropriate amount of compound fertilizer. It can be applied by spraying, which gives better results.
4. Fruit fertilizer
After the flowers fade, the lychee enters the fruiting stage, and the fruiting stage is also divided into two steps. The first is to protect the fruit, that is, to ensure the success rate of fruit setting. Generally, fertilization needs to be carried out one day after fruit setting. We mainly spray foliar fertilizer, which can achieve a very good fruit-protecting effect. Foliar fertilizer generally includes zinc fertilizer, magnesium fertilizer, ammonia fertilizer, potassium fertilizer and boron fertilizer. The second is the fruit strengthening stage, that is, when the lychee grows to the size of a peanut, we need to start irrigating with fruit-strengthening fertilizer. It is mainly made by mixing farmyard rotten manure with compound fertilizer and water for irrigation, which is beneficial to the expansion of the fruit.
5. Maintenance fertilizer
Maintenance fertilizer is a fertilization applied after the lychee is harvested. Its main purpose is to prevent the aging of the lychee tree, prepare for a high yield of lychee in the coming year, and at the same time it can also inhibit the lychee tree from sprouting and growing in winter. In fact, to a large extent it is basically similar to the base fertilizer applied in the first year. For maintenance fertilizer, we mainly use farmyard manure and an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer and apply it by trenching. This is beneficial to the storage of nutrients, making them less likely to volatilize, so that they can be fully utilized in time in the spring of the coming year.