How Many Years Does a Waxberry Tree Take to Bear Fruit? Reasons for Not Bearing Fruit and Solutions
The waxberry tree is produced in most parts of China, growing in hillside or valley forests at an altitude of 125-1500 m. It is a famous fruit of Jiangnan in China. Do you know how many years it takes for a waxberry tree to bear fruit after planting? Below, the editor of Huayugu will introduce to you exactly how many years a waxberry tree needs to be planted before it bears fruit!
How many years does a waxberry tree take to bear fruit after planting?
If a grafted waxberry seedling is cultivated properly, it can generally bear fruit in 4-5 years, and enters full fruiting after 8 years. The flowering period of the waxberry is April, and the fruit ripens in June-July.
Reasons why waxberry trees do not bear fruit
1、Insufficient light: The crowns of large trees around the waxberry tree are too large and block the sunlight, so the waxberry tree cannot get sufficient light.
2、Soil too fertile: The waxberry tree only grows taller vertically and does not grow leaves horizontally, which is also unfavorable for fruiting.
3、Changeable climate: Snow, heavy rain, and cold air come one after another, and spring is the key season for waxberry growth, so the changeable climate also affects the growth and fruiting of the waxberry tree to a certain extent.
4、The fruiting age has not yet been reached.
5、There is no male pollinating tree.
Methods for dealing with waxberry trees that do not bear fruit
1、Spraying the tree canopy with paclobutrazol: From the end of July to the end of September, spray the tree canopy with 200×10 to the negative 6th power to 500×10 to the negative 6th power paclobutrazol. The concentration depends on the variety and tree vigor; for example, if the leaves are thick and the tree vigor is strong, the concentration should be relatively higher. Spray in the current year, and production can begin the next year. The effect lasts 2-4 years. After the effect disappears, it can be used continuously. You can also apply 0.5 g of paclobutrazol per square meter to the soil according to the projected canopy area.
2、Pruning and suppressing shoots: In spring, adopt the principle of "controlling the top and promoting the bottom, controlling the outside and promoting the inside, thinning out large branches, and keeping more small branches" for pruning, or "open the skylight" to promote ventilation and light transmission in the canopy and promote flowering and fruiting. When autumn shoots stop growing, you can use ropes to pull branches, hang medicine bottles, or prop up branches with tree branches, so as to open up the canopy, increase the opening angle of large branches, and moderate tree vigor. During the flower bud differentiation period from early August to mid-to-late October, use a knife to girdle the trunk and branches 1-2 circles at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the canopy to promote flowering and fruit set. The girdled branches should account for 1/2-2/3 of the whole tree. In spring from February to March or in autumn from early September to mid-October, the orchard should also be deep-plowed to cut roots.
3、Planting male waxberry trees for pollination: In production, it is required that for every 60-90 waxberry trees there should be no fewer than 2 male (male) waxberry trees.
4、Fertilization and earthing up: Mainly use decomposed pig and cattle pen manure, composted manure, and sieved garbage manure, applying 3 times a year: the 1st time in late February, the 2nd time in mid-to-late May, and the 3rd time in early August. For each large tree, apply 15-30 kg of garbage soil fertilizer plus 40-50 kg of mixed soil and manure. Earth up once each year. 200-250 kg per tree.
5、Prevention and control of diseases and pests: The waxberry has relatively strong disease resistance, but when scale insects, bagworms, and the like occur on the tree, pesticides should also be sprayed during the larval stage for control. Leaves are susceptible to spot disease infection, and 0.5% Bordeaux mixture should be sprayed for control. Although the scab disease on branches and trunks occurs relatively rarely, it should also be controlled. After removing the diseased spots, brush the wounds with 1:6-10 concentrated alkaline water for disinfection.
In which month do waxberries ripen? How many years does a waxberry tree take to bear fruit?
“The jade plate sets out waxberries for you, Wu salt is like flowers, bright as white snow.” The waxberry is a common fruit in life, has a long plant culture, and is deeply loved by consumers. Nowadays, the waxberry has become a major economic tree species in many southern regions. So, in which month do waxberries ripen? How many years does a waxberry tree take to bear fruit? Let's learn about it together.
Image: Waxberry tree
In which month do waxberries ripen?
The waxberry ripening season is generally in May. Most waxberry picking times are around the Dragon Boat Festival. In areas with lower altitude and higher temperature, waxberries ripen earlier; otherwise, they ripen later. However, in high mountain areas at an altitude of more than 1,000 m, ripening is relatively later, with some reaching late in the fifth lunar month, and a few delayed to the sixth lunar month.
Image: Waxberry tree
How many years does a waxberry tree take to bear fruit?
If waxberry trees are planted and managed properly, they can generally bear fruit in 4-5 years, and enter full fruiting after 8 years. Some varieties bear fruit in 5-6 years and enter peak production after 10 years. Waxberry trees develop well in areas with an annual average temperature above 14°C, and this is beneficial for fruit enlargement and even more favorable for the formation of sugars in the flesh. At the same time, in places with sufficient rainfall, waxberry trees have a long economic life and are easy to produce high yields.
Image: Waxberry tree
[Editor's conclusion]Waxberry trees generally bear fruit after 4-5 years of planting, and the fruit mostly ripens in May. Its sweet-and-sour taste makes it deeply loved. The above has introduced the fruiting time and ripening month of the waxberry for everyone, and I hope it can be helpful to everyone!
Planting techniques and cultivation management key points for waxberry trees
The waxberry tree is a specialty fruit tree of China, and its fruit has a unique flavor and is rich in nutrients, highly favored by consumers. In today's world, where dietary therapy and health are valued, the waxberry has attracted even more attention because of its relatively good medicinal value. The whole waxberry tree is a treasure; its roots, trunk, branches, leaves, fruit, and seeds all have high utilization value. The seed kernel has an oil content of 40% and can be refined into high-grade vegetable oil. The leaves can be refined into essence and used to make high-grade perfume. The epidermis of the roots and branches is rich in tannins and can be used as dye. The wood is dense in texture and can be used for fine woodworking.
Growth habits of the waxberry
The waxberry prefers acidic soil. It originated in the hillside or valley forests at an altitude of 125-1500 m in China's temperate and subtropical humid climate. It is mainly distributed south of the Yangtze River basin and north of Hainan Island, that is, between 20 degrees and 31 degrees north latitude, similar to the distribution of citrus, loquat, tea trees, and moso bamboo, but its cold resistance is stronger than that of citrus and loquat.
The influence of terrain on the waxberry
Due to different mountain types, there are different effects on the growth of the waxberry.
1. Piedmont slope areas: Waxberries in the main production areas are most numerous in piedmont areas. Because the terrain is relatively low, the soil has a high water content, and the waxberry fruit tastes slightly bland.
2. Mountain valleys: This type has deep soil and is fertile,, the waxberry fruit is large and of excellent quality.
3. Steep hillside areas: This type of soil is relatively thin, and can achieve large fruit and delicious taste, but the yield is relatively low.
Introduction to waxberry varieties
1. Dongkui: Dongkui waxberry originated in Huangyan, Zhejiang, and is famous for its exceptionally large fruit. Its main characteristics: the fruit is not perfectly round, the single fruit weight is 20-25 g, the fruit color is purplish red, the flesh columns are relatively thick, the soluble solids are 13.5%, its sugar content is 10.5%, the juice content is 74%, and the acid content is only 1.35%, far superior to other waxberries.
2. Wando waxberry: Because its ripening period is 15-20 days later than other varieties, it is called Wando waxberry. Wando waxberry originated in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang, and is one of the excellent varieties of Zhejiang waxberry. Its main characteristics: the fruit is spherical, the average single fruit weight is 11.2 g, purplish black, the flesh is delicate, sweet and sour and palatable, juicy and fragrant, and the flesh columns and pit separate easily; the edible rate is 94%-96%, and the soluble solids are 12.6%. The fruit ripens at the end of June. Wando waxberry shows no obvious alternate bearing, has excellent quality, and can be planted in appropriate amounts.
3. Daye Xidi waxberry: Produced in Wu County, Jiangsu. Its main characteristics: the fruit is round, the average single fruit weight is 15 g, the flesh is purplish red, soft, and juicy, and the soluble solids are 10%. The fruit ripens in late June. After ripening, this variety is not easy to drop fruit and is relatively storage-tolerant. It is high-yielding but has alternate bearing, and can be planted in small amounts.
4. Xiaoye Xidi waxberry: Xiaoye Xidi originated in Dongshan, Dongting, Wu County, Jiangsu, as well as Liyang, Changshu, Wuxi, and other places. The canopy is tall and upright, the branches are slender, and there are many branches. The leaves are lanceolate, entire or slightly finely toothed at the tip, slightly recurved at the tip, and narrowly wedge-shaped at the base. The fruit is medium to large, oblate, with an average single fruit weight of 10.5 g. The flesh columns are round and closely arranged, and the fruit surface is relatively smooth. When fully ripe, the fruit surface is dark purplish red; the flesh is relatively thick, the texture is relatively firm, the flavor is richly sweet, and the quality is top-grade, containing 12.1% soluble solids. It ripens from the end of June to early July. The tree vigor is relatively strong, the fruit set rate is high, and it is high-yielding and high-quality. It is not easy to drop fruit before harvest, is relatively storage- and transport-tolerant, and shows alternate bearing.
5. Zaoji Honey Waxberry: This is an early-maturing seedling variety selected from Biqi waxberry by the Horticulture Institute of the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other units. It ripens in early to mid-June, more than 10 days earlier than ordinary Biqi. The tree vigor is moderate, the leaves are relatively small, and both sides are slightly upward. The fruit is oblate; when fully ripe, the fruit surface is dark purplish red and glossy; the single fruit weight is about 9 g; the soluble solids content is 12.4%; the edible rate is 93.1%; and the taste is sweet and sour, with excellent quality. This variety enters the fruiting period relatively early and has strong stress resistance. Its flowering period is 20 days earlier than usual, avoiding the harm of "falling yellow sand," which is one of the reasons for this variety's high fruit set rate and stable yield.
6. Wanji Honey Waxberry: Wanji Honey Waxberry is a new high-quality late-maturing waxberry variety selected by the Horticulture Institute of the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences from the main cultivated variety Biqi. This variety ripens more than 5 days later than Biqi, has excellent quality for both fresh eating and processing, good high yield, and stable traits. In January 2003, it passed the achievement appraisal organized by the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province. In Yuyao, Zhejiang, this variety flowers from April 4-15 and its fruit ripens from July 5-10. It has good high yield; the yield of a 4-year-old tree can reach 5.7 kg, and the yield of a 6-year-old tree can reach 36 kg, increasing yield by more than 15% compared with Biqi. The fruit is dark purplish red, and the fruit surface has no waxberry flower, making it glossy and beautiful. The sweetness is rich, the taste is good, the flesh is dense, and the storage and transport performance is good. The average single fruit reaches more than 12.5 g, and the quality for both fresh eating and processing is excellent; the edible rate of the fruit reaches 95.6%, and the soluble solids content reaches 13.7%, with a maximum of 15.7%. Every year, 30-40% of spring shoots and summer shoots do not bear fruit and become reserve fruiting branches for the next year, so the yield is stable and alternate bearing is not obvious.
7. Crystal waxberry: Also called “Baisha waxberry,” its color is crystal clear like jade, and the fruit is round and large, with a fresh, spirited, rich, and sweet taste. However, this kind of waxberry tree is not easy to cultivate; from seedling raising to forest formation and mass fruiting, it takes 20 years.
8. Datan waxberry: Datan waxberry originated in Hangzhou, Yuyao, and other places. The tree vigor is medium, the canopy is not very neat, and the branches are slender. The leaves are thick and large but sparse, long elliptical or broadly obovate-lanceolate, with slightly wavy edges. The fruit is large, round or oblate, with a flat or slightly concave fruit base, weighing about 14 g. The fruit stalk is extremely short, the flesh columns vary in length, with pointed ends or blunt ends with points, and the fruit surface is rough and uneven, deep red with black. The flesh is soft, juicy, contains 9.9% soluble solids, has a rich taste, is moderately sweet and sour, and has excellent quality. It ripens in early July. The fruit has relatively poor storage tolerance, and its disease resistance and drought resistance are relatively weak.
Planting techniques for the waxberry
1. Land preparation: When establishing a waxberry orchard, land preparation should be carried out. Generally, land preparation adopts the methods of building contour terraces, contour trenches, and fish-scale pits.
① Contour terraces: On slopes of 10°-25°, terraces are suitable for construction. On the slope, contour lines should be measured in advance according to equal height differences or row spacing, with a gradient of 0.2%-0.3%. Generally, when setting out contour lines, construction should be carried out from bottom to top, first clearing the foundation along the lowest contour line. The depth of foundation clearing should be determined according to the thickness of the soil layer. For stone-walled terraces, the general depth is 0.5-1.0 m. The width of foundation clearing should increase as the terrace wall is raised, generally 0.3-1.5 m. When building the terrace wall, soil must be turned while banking up, turning soil from the upper slope to the lower slope, so that the terrace inclines inward by about 3°-5°, and then deep plowing is carried out to make the entire terrace soil loose.
② Contour trenches: Contour trenching is a soil and water conservation measure that changes long slopes into short slopes in sloping orchards. It is suitable for sloping land with a slope of 6°-10° and deep soil. On the slope surface, dig trenches according to contour lines, and pile the excavated soil beside the trenches on the hillside to build ridges. Plant waxberry trees in 1 row along the contour line of the outer slope of the trench. Generally, the trench width is 50-70 cm, the trench depth is 30 cm, and within the trench every 5-10 m a slow-water ridge is built, forming a bamboo-joint shape. The height of the trench is roughly the same as the depth of the ditch, the outer slope of the trench should be slightly longer than the inner slope, and the trench width should be slightly greater than the ditch width.
③ Building fish-scale pits: If the terrain is complex and not suitable for building level terraces and trenches, fish-scale pits can be built to conserve soil and water. The specific method is to determine planting points on contour lines, take the planting point as the center, dig soil from the upper part, and build a half-moon-shaped small terraced field with a high outside and low inside. The outer edge of the terraced field is built with stones or earth. The row and plant spacing specifications for planting waxberries often use 3 types: 4 m×5 m, 6 m×4 m, and 5 m×4 m. The diameter of the fish-scale pit is 2 m, of which the diameter of the planting hole is 1 m and the depth is 80 cm.
2. Planting
① Digging planting holes: Planting holes should be set at 1/3 from the outer edge of the terrace or fish-scale pit. According to the requirements of row and plant spacing, measure the positions of the planting holes, then take the planting point as the center and dig the planting holes. The specifications of the planting hole are 1 m in length and width and 0.8 m in depth. Generally, planting holes are dug in autumn and winter. When digging planting holes, the topsoil should be placed on one side and the subsoil on another side. Mix the topsoil with decomposed farmyard manure and superphosphate. When planting in spring, first put in a certain amount of topsoil, then put in the mixed fertilizer soil, and finally put in the subsoil, and then plant the seedlings. There are 4 ways to combine the base fertilizer for planting with superphosphate: ① 50 kg of garbage or compost, 0.5-1 kg of superphosphate; ② 25-30 kg of poultry manure, 0.5-1 kg of superphosphate; ③ 5 kg of rapeseed cake or soybean cake, 0.5-1 kg of superphosphate; ④ 25-30 kg of mountain weeds or burned mountain ash grass turf.
② Planting density: It should be determined according to the orchard's climate conditions, soil fertility, variety characteristics, and canopy management techniques. Generally, where the climate is hot, the soil is fertile, the soil layer is deep, and more fertilizer is applied, planting can be sparser; where the soil is poor, the soil layer is relatively shallow, and the slope is steeper, planting can be denser. Generally, 15-40 waxberry trees are planted per 667 sq m. Row and plant spacings include several specifications such as 5 m×7 m, 4 m×6 m, and 5 m×4 m.
③ Planting time: In places such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, and Jiangxi where there is winter freeze damage, spring planting is suitable, that is, planting from late February to mid-March. In warm areas without severe cold in winter, autumn planting or spring planting can be used, that is, planting from early October to early December, or from mid-February to mid-March of the following year. Planting should be carried out on cloudy or light rainy days. Special attention should be paid not to plant in weather with northwest winds.
④ Planting method: Generally, strong seedlings with pure variety, good healing between rootstock and scion, well-developed roots, fresh and robust seedlings, and no diseases or pests should be selected for planting. Large seedling transplanting or short-distance planting must be done with soil. For seedlings transported over long distances, seedling packaging must be done carefully. After arriving at the orchard site, the roots need to be soaked before planting, and then the package should be loosened and planting carried out.
Tree management of the waxberry
1. Training of the waxberry: The tree shape of the waxberry mostly adopts the natural round-headed form. Because the terminal bud of the waxberry and the 1-4 buds near it can sprout shoots to become scaffold branches or side branches, the shoots sprouting at the tip all have very strong growth vigor, and the lower part is mostly latent buds, so the canopy branches very regularly. When training young trees, only light pruning is needed, and the shape can be formed in 5-6 years. After the shape is formed, in spring (April) and autumn (August-September) each year, thin out dead branches, diseased and insect-damaged branches, damaged branches, useless suckers growing on roots and trunks, and crossing and messy branches; no special pruning is otherwise done. For aging trees, large branch renewal should be carried out together with fertilization.
2. Shortening fruiting branches and thinning flowers: Generally from February to mid-March, for heavy-crop trees with excessive flower bud differentiation, evenly shorten 1/5-2/5 of the fruiting branches across the whole tree, and thin out slender and densely growing fruiting branches. At the same time, apply 0.5-1.0 kg of quick-acting nitrogen such as urea per tree to promote the growth of vegetative branches.
3. Chemical flower thinning: For heavy-crop trees or plants bearing too much fruit, use “Shu 6” 100 mg/kg solution at full bloom. The flower thinning amount can reach 50%, and it can also enlarge fruit shape, advance ripening, increase the rate of high-quality fruit, and extremely significantly increase the number of new shoots and the yield of the following year (Miao Songlin et al., 1999). In addition, for weak trees and trees with too many flower buds, gibberellin at 200-300 mg/kg can also be sprayed after fruit harvest, once every 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays, to increase the number of autumn shoots and inhibit the flower bud formation rate.
4. Manual fruit thinning: Fruit thinning is one of the most effective and simplest means of overcoming alternate bearing. In Chaoshan, Yuhang, Zhejiang, manual fruit thinning has been carried out in late May for many years on Datan waxberry, Xiaotan waxberry, and others. Of 6 fruiting branches, 3 are kept for fruiting and 3 are thinned. Generally, each fruiting branch keeps 2 fruits. For the large-fruited Datan waxberry, each fruiting branch keeps 1-3 fruits depending on the specific situation; for the small-fruited Xiaotan waxberry, 4-6 fruits are kept. Also, fewer fruits are kept on the upper part of the canopy and more in the middle and lower parts, to promote summer shoots and the formation of fruiting branches. In recent years, Huangyan, Zhejiang, and Dongguan, Guangdong, have begun to promote manual fruit thinning for Dongkui waxberry. The fruit thinning period is divided into 2-3 times. The 1st time is about 20 days after full bloom, when the fruit is already the size of a peanut. The main purpose is to thin dense fruits, small fruits, and inferior fruits, leaving about 4-6 fruits per fruiting branch; the 2nd time is 30-35 days after flower drop, when the fruit transverse diameter is 1 cm, again thinning small fruits and inferior fruits, leaving about 2-4 fruits per fruiting branch; in Huangyan, 40-45 days after full bloom, that is, before the fruit water-filling stage in early June, the fruit is set, with an average of 1.8-2.0 fruits kept per fruiting branch. Long fruiting branches exceeding 15 cm keep 3-4 fruits, medium fruiting branches of 5.0-15.0 cm keep 2-3 fruits, short fruiting branches less than 5 cm keep 1 fruit, and slender weak branches keep no fruit. Achieve “thin more in heavy-crop years and less in light-crop years.” Heavy-crop trees have few spring shoots, so more fruit should be thinned from the upper canopy; light-crop trees have many and vigorous spring shoots, so more fruit should be kept on the upper canopy, using fruit to suppress shoots. While thinning fruit, combine with selective spraying of Lühwang No. 1, nutritional nucleotides, or Pushibao 7000 times solution 2-3 times or “Tianda 2116” 750 times solution. Especially in weather with more cloudy rain, nucleotides can enhance the leaves' utilization of diffuse weak light and improve photosynthetic capacity, so as to enlarge fruit shape, reduce acid content, and make the ripening period more consistent.
Promoting flowering and fruiting of the waxberry
1. Paclobutrazol to control the canopy and promote flowering: Suitable for non-bearing trees over 5 years old with especially vigorous growth, and vigorous non-bearing trees or vigorous trees with low yield. Young trees under 5 years old or weak trees cannot use it. In addition, to produce pollution-free fruit, adult fruiting trees also cannot use it. The methods of use include soil application and foliar spraying. The soil application period is effective from October to March of the following year. The method is to scrape open the surface soil under the canopy, evenly scatter it in the tree plate, and then cover with soil. The dosage used should vary with variety, tree vigor, and tree plate size. For foliar spraying, for non-bearing vigorous trees, spray when spring shoots or summer shoots are about 5 cm long; for adult fruiting trees, spray when spring shoots or summer shoots are about to stop growing, that is, before flower bud differentiation. The dosage is 500-1000 mg/kg water. Paclobutrazol has an obvious effect on inhibiting shoots and promoting flowering, but it should be used carefully, and several matters must be noted.
2. Gibberellin: Spray the canopy once with 15-30 mg/kg gibberellin at full bloom or at flower drop, which can generally increase the fruit set rate by 20-30%.
3. Vigorous trees: Do not apply nitrogen or apply less nitrogen in the current year, and appropriately apply potassium fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer; in late summer and early autumn, open trenches near the canopy drip line, 30-40 cm deep, to cut roots; carry out spiral girdling on large branch groups.
4. Top grafting flowering branches: When pollinator trees are lacking, top graft flowering branches.
5. Preventing and reducing preharvest fruit drop: For some waxberry varieties with severe preharvest fruit drop, such as the Shuimei group, the fruit drop rate can reach 1/5-1/4 of the whole tree's fruit. Spray once with the “L-type” anti-drop agent developed by the Horticulture Department of Zhejiang University 15-20 days before harvest, which can significantly reduce fruit drop.
Prevention and control of waxberry diseases and pests
1. Diseases
① Waxberry crown gall disease: Also called waxberry sore or canker disease, it is a bacterial disease. It mainly damages branches and trunks. In the early stage of the disease, small milky white protrusions appear, with a smooth surface, which later gradually enlarge into tumors. The surface becomes rough or uneven, suberized, and hard in texture. The tumors are spherical, and the maximum diameter can reach more than 10 cm. On a branch, there may be as few as 1-2 tumors, or as many as more than 5. They generally occur more at the nodes of branches and seriously affect branch growth. The pathogen overwinters in diseased tumors on the tree or in residual branches. In mid-to-late April of the following year, bacteria overflow from the tumors and spread through rain, air, scions, and insects, and can only invade through wounds. It occurs most from June to August. For control, measures can include cutting off diseased branches, avoiding bark abrasions on branches and trunks, and not taking scions from diseased branches. After waxberry harvest, promptly spray 1:2:200 Bordeaux mixture, 80% Biba wettable powder 400-600 times solution, 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder 800 times solution, 77% Kocide 2000 1000 times solution, or 10% agricultural streptomycin 600-800 times solution. It is also necessary to scrape the diseased spots clean, then apply sulfur suspension plus 402 antibacterial agent (843 rehabilitation agent) 100-200 times solution to the wounds, and lime sulfur mixture can also be applied to the wounds.
② Waxberry brown spot disease: Also called anthracnose, commonly known as waxberry red spot. It is a fungal disease. It mainly damages leaves. In the early stage, needle-sized purplish red small spots appear on the leaf surface, which later expand into round or irregular lesions. In the later stage, small black spots grow in the center of the lesions, namely the pathogen's ascocarps. When there are many lesions, the leaves dry up and fall off. In severe cases, the whole plant loses all leaves or the tree dies. The pathogen overwinters in the leaves. From the end of April to early May of the following year, the pathogen spreads with rain and invades through stomata or wounds. The latent period is relatively long, and lesions appear only in mid-to-late August. This disease occurs once a year, with no reinfection. Control methods: cut off diseased leaves and dead branches, apply more organic fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, and ensure good drainage. Spray 80% Daconil M-45 or 70% mancozeb 600 times solution, 80% Biba wettable powder 500 times solution, 1:2:200 Bordeaux mixture, 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 600-800 times solution, 25% metalaxyl aqueous solution 500 times solution, 70% thiophanate-methyl or 50% carbendazim 800-1000 times solution, etc.
③ Waxberry dry rot: It mainly damages branches and trunks. The affected parts lose water and form sunken band-shaped streaks. When the diseased part encircles the branch or trunk for one complete circle, the branch or trunk dies. The pathogen is a broad weak parasitic fungus, generally invading from wounds. Trees with poor vigor are susceptible. The main approach is to enhance tree vigor. For control, cut off dead branches, burn them, scrape off the lesions, and apply 50 times solution of 402 antibacterial agent to the wounds for protection. Spray the canopy with 0.5-2 degrees Baumé lime sulfur mixture.
④ Waxberry branch rot: It damages the cortex of branches and trunks. In the early stage, the diseased tissue is soft, with dense small black granules growing on it, and slender bristles growing on top. After the disease occurs, the branches and trunks rot and die, and leaves and fruit also die. This pathogen is a weak parasitic fungus, and old trees are prone to the disease. To control this disease, apply more organic fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, cut off diseased branches, and burn them promptly. After scraping off the lesions, apply 50-100 times solution of 402 antibacterial agent to the wounds, or mix 2000 g of fresh cow dung, 100 g of thiophanate-methyl, 50 g of zineb, and an appropriate amount of water evenly, apply to the wounds, and wrap tightly with plastic film on the outside. Spray the canopy with 0.5-2 degrees Baumé lime sulfur mixture.
⑤ Waxberry red coat disease: It is a fungal disease. It mainly damages branches and trunks, and severely diseased trees die within a few years. This disease mostly occurs at the forks of branches and trunks. The affected parts are covered with a thin layer of pink mold. In the first year, extremely thin silvery white or pink pustule-like substances first appear on the bark on the shaded side of the branches and trunks. The disease begins in mid-March of the following year, then presents small pox-like vesicles that connect into long strip-shaped lesions, and soon the lesions are covered with a pink mold layer. The peak occurrence periods are May-June and October each year. It is prone to occur in rainy conditions, and old trees are more severely affected. For control, apply more organic fertilizer and potassium fertilizer, cut off diseased branches, and burn them. Scrape off the lesions on diseased branches, then apply 843 rehabilitation agent or Bordeaux paste. Spray the canopy with 65% zineb 600 times solution, 70% Antracol 600 times solution, or 4%-5% ferrous sulfate solution, etc.
⑥ Waxberry white rot: It infects fruit. If the ripening period meets rainy weather, the disease is severe, the fruit becomes soft and rots, and many white mist-like substances grow on the fruit surface. To prevent this disease, film rain-shelter facility cultivation is best, or spray 600 times solution of potassium sorbate and Cuikang Calcium Treasure nutrient solution to increase fruit firmness and enhance disease resistance.
⑦ Waxberry root rot: It damages the root system, first invading fine roots, then spreading to lateral roots, the root crown, and the main trunk, causing the vascular bundles to turn brown and necrotic. It manifests as rapid wilting of aboveground branches and leaves and moldy rot of the underground root system. To control this disease, first apply sulfur suspension and 402 antibacterial agent to large wounds; dig out and burn severely diseased plants. Spray pesticides in stages: in the early bud stage, spray 80% mancozeb 600 times solution, 80% Biba 400-600 times solution, 0.5:1:100 Bordeaux mixture, or 80% Daconil M-45 600 times solution; after leaf expansion, spray 75% chlorothalonil 500-800 times solution, 50% carbendazim or 70% thiophanate-methyl 600-800 times solution, or 25% metalaxyl 500 times solution.
⑧ Waxberry little leaf disease: It is a physiological disease, also called nutrient deficiency. It shows symptoms such as various shoots stopping growth early, shortened internodes at the top shoots, or scorched and dead tips, with shortened clustered branches sprouting from the sides. The leaves are relatively small, thickened, rough, hard and brittle, and the veins are raised, suberized, or longitudinally split. The leaves cannot turn green and mature, die early, and the terminal buds shrink. It does not bear fruit or bears few fruits. To prevent this disease, do not apply phosphorus fertilizer, apply more organic fertilizer, and cut off clustered branches. Apply zinc sulfate and borax to the soil (for a canopy 3 m in diameter, apply 50-100 g + urea 100-200 g, then water to dissolve). Spray the canopy with 0.2% borax + 0.4% urea mixed solution, 0.2% zinc sulfate, or liquid boron fertilizer or zinc fertilizer 600-1000 times solution, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.
⑨ Waxberry shoot blight: This disease is a physiological disease caused by a lack of available boron in the soil. It appears as small leaves, blighted shoots, and clustered branches, and it does not bear fruit or bears few fruits. It may occur on half the tree, several branches, or the whole tree, and there may also be disease at the top of the canopy while the surroundings are normal. Spray 0.2% borax solution and add urea at 2 times the weight of borax; or apply to the soil 50-100 g of borax per tree, mixed with 100-300 g of urea, by opening a trench near the canopy's outer drip line and applying it.
2. Insect pests
① Scale insects: There are many kinds of scale insects, mainly including Lepidosaphes cupressi, Lepidosaphes ulmi, and camphor scale. Female adults and nymphs gather on branches or leaves to damage them. After being damaged, leaves fall off, and in severe cases branches die and the tree dies. It occurs 2 generations a year, and female adults overwinter on treetops and leaves. Eggs are laid in April and hatch in May, and can then damage branches and leaves. To control scale insects, first cut off insect-infested branches and dead branches and burn them promptly; clear weeds inside and outside the orchard; and strengthen fertilizer and cultivation management. Second, protect and utilize natural enemies. Finally, spray pesticides. The agents can be 40% Supracide (methidathion) emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500 times solution, 25% buprofezin 1500 times solution, 99.1% Disichong 200 times solution, machine oil emulsion 120 times solution, or 25% Applaud 1000-1500 times solution.
② Moths: There are bagworms, small leaf miners, inchworms, tussock moths, pseudo-small yellow tortrix moths, and fruit-sucking noctuid moths, etc. Most damage leaves and feed on tender leaves. Moth control should focus on integrated management. In winter, clean the orchard, sweep up fallen leaves, remove weeds at the orchard edges, and burn them in a centralized manner; remove insect bags, cut off infested leaves, and destroy egg masses; protect and utilize beneficial natural enemies such as mantises, ladybugs, lacewings, and spiders; use lights or sugar-wine-vinegar to trap and kill adults and larvae; spray pesticides; use 5% Regent 1500 times solution or 10% imidacloprid 2000-3000 times solution to control moths, tussock moths, and inchworms; use 50% malathion or 50% phoxim 800-1000 times solution, or 20% fenvalerate 2000 times solution, 90% trichlorfon 1000 times solution, 5% Nomolt 1000 times solution, or 25% chlorbenzuron No. 3 1500 times solution to spray and kill tortrix moths and small leaf miners. Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, or Bacillus thuringiensis can also control many pests. Spraying the canopy with 5.7% Baythroid 1000-1500 times solution is relatively good for controlling fruit-sucking noctuid moths.
③ Fruit flies: During the waxberry fruit ripening period, many fruit flies feed on waxberries among the flesh columns and lay eggs or give birth to maggots among the flesh columns, affecting the fruit. To control fruit flies, no pesticide can be sprayed during the ripening period. You can only spray 90% trichlorfon or 80% dichlorvos 800-1000 times solution on the ground, or use trichlorfon, bananas, honey, and vinegar in a ratio of 10:10:6:3 to prepare a trapping agent and place it in the orchard to trap and kill fruit flies.
④ Termites: There are 3 types: Coptotermes formosanus, yellow-winged termites, and black-winged subterranean termites. They gnaw on the main trunk and roots of waxberry trees and build mud tubes, damaging the phloem and xylem, causing yellow leaves, dead branches, and tree death. For control, use pile-grass trapping, that is, dig holes in termite-damaged areas, about 10 holes per 667 sq m, put ferns or tender grass in the holes, spray with 48% Lorsban emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution or 5% Regent emulsifiable concentrate 2000 times solution, preferably with 1% brown sugar added, then cover with soil. Or rake away the surface soil under the canopy, spray with 2.5% Uranus emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution plus 1% brown sugar, and then cover with soil. The termites are trapped, fed, poisoned, and die, or the termites carry the poison back to the nest and transmit it to each other, causing other termites to die.
Harvesting of the waxberry
Waxberry fruit generally ripens from early June to early July. After ripening, the fruit rots and drops very easily, so it must be picked promptly. When harvesting, it is best to pick in stages and batches, picking the red ones and leaving the rest. Before picking, trim your nails, and pay attention to picking gently and placing gently, so as to avoid damaging the fruit and causing rot. The best harvesting times are early morning and evening, when the temperature is low and losses are relatively small. It is not suitable to harvest on rainy days or just after rain clears, otherwise the fruit has a high water content and is prone to rot.