What management techniques are needed for lychee cultivation?
How should lychee be managed when planted? Please give an introduction. For planting lychees, you can refer to the following methods for planting and management: I. Seedling planting. 1. Selection of planting seedlings. First, choose large seedlings. Grafted seedlings should be vigorous in growth, with dark green leaves, a stem diameter at the point of emergence of at least 1.5 cm, and a seedling height of at least 60 cm...
How should lychee be managed when planted? Please give an introduction.
For planting lychees, you can refer to the following methods for planting and management:
I. Seedling planting
1. Selection of planting seedlings. First, choose large seedlings. Grafted seedlings should be vigorous in growth, with dark green leaves, a stem diameter at the point of emergence of at least 1.5 cm, and a seedling height of at least 60 cm. Second, choose excellent late-maturing varieties, preferably more than 2 varieties with relatively uniform maturity for mixed planting.
2. Soil selection: The planting site should have deep soil layers, fertile soil, and slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter. It is best to have convenient transportation and convenient water sources for irrigation and drainage. Purple shale soil and areas with an altitude above 600 m should not be used for planting.
3. Planting time and method: The best planting time is spring (early March to mid-April) or autumn (mid-September to late October). The planting density is generally 18-20 plants per mu (spacing of 7 x 7 m or 6 x 7 m). In the densest orchards, planting should not exceed 40 plants per mu. Before planting, mark the points, lay out the lines, and dig the holes: the holes should be 1 m deep and 1 m long and wide. Apply sufficient base fertilizer at the bottom of each hole: 100 jin of weeds, 200 jin of human and livestock manure, and 3-5 jin of superphosphate per hole. Backfill with soil and pile it into a steamed bun shape. Plant the seedling in the middle of the hole basin, about 10-20 cm above the soil surface. Do not pound or tread on it when planting. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots, with no less than 100 jin of water per plant.
II. Management after planting
After planting, fertilizer and water management and pest and disease control are required. After young seedlings are planted, the roots are injured and have not yet recovered, so their ability to absorb fertilizer is poor. Water should be applied promptly to prevent drought. Generally, only after the seedlings have survived for six months can a small amount of diluted manure water be applied, mainly following the fertilization principle of "small meals but frequent meals," while also paying attention to pest and disease control. After the seedlings have survived for 2 years, the application rate of human and livestock manure and nitrogen fertilizer can be increased, generally applying fertilizer four times a year. Each time, no less than 100 jin of human and livestock manure should be applied per plant. For every 100 jin of human and livestock manure, 3-4 liang of urea can be added, which helps promote shoot growth and the early formation of the tree canopy.
III. Management of fruiting trees
1. Fertilization: After lychee trees enter production and fruiting, as the trunk, canopy, tree age, and fruit load increase, the various fertilizers applied to the soil should also be increased. The types of fertilizer should be mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, with nitrogen fertilizer as a supplement. It is best to use decomposed types, with weeds, human and livestock manure, and plant ash mixed with potassium sulfate or superphosphate for better results. Apply fertilizer four times a year: once around the Beginning of Spring (about 10 days before), the Beginning of Summer (10 days before), the Beginning of Autumn (10 days before), and the Beginning of Winter (10 days before). Fertilization amount: generally determined according to the canopy size of the fruiting tree and the amount of fruit set. The older and larger the tree and canopy, and the more fruit it bears, the more fertilizer should be applied; conversely, less can be applied accordingly. For 10-25-year-old trees, apply 50-150 jin of human and livestock manure per plant each time, plus 2-5 jin of plant ash and 1-2 jin of phosphate fertilizer, diluted with 50-150 jin of water. For trees over 25 years old, apply no less than 150-250 jin of human and livestock manure per plant each time, plus 5-10 jin of plant ash and 3-5 jin of phosphate fertilizer, diluted with 150-500 jin of water.
There are two fertilization methods: ring-shaped trench application and ring-shaped broadcasting. For trench application, the trench should be 20-30 cm deep and 30 cm wide. For broadcasting, turn the soil 10 cm deep under the canopy along the drip line or 2-2.5 m from the main trunk, and apply it in a ring-shaped band 50 cm wide around the canopy.
2. Shoot control and pruning: (1) Shoot control: After lychee trees begin to enter production and fruiting, they generally do not readily produce shoots in summer. Shoots produced in spring and autumn are beneficial for canopy growth. Autumn shoots are the mother branches for flowering and fruiting the following year; they most easily form flower spikes. The mother branches that flower and bear fruit are generally vigorous shoots produced from the Beginning of Autumn to the End of Heat. Therefore, in shoot control work, some spring shoots and autumn shoots produced from the Beginning of Autumn to the End of Heat should be retained, while shoots produced on the canopy in other seasons should be removed promptly.
(2) Pruning: Pruning should be carried out in summer, autumn, and winter, especially autumn pruning. After harvesting the fruit, promptly cut off the fruit stalks and the dry branches and dead branches damaged during harvesting, as well as the late autumn shoots produced after the End of Heat. Summer pruning mainly controls excessive vegetative shoots sprouting in summer, reduces competition with the fruit for nutrients, and prevents fruit drop. Winter pruning mainly removes dead branches, diseased and pest-damaged branches, and shaded branches, while also adjusting the canopy and tree shape.
(3) Pest and disease control: The common pests and diseases harming lychee mainly include gummosis and foot rot on the main trunk, and downy blight affecting the fruit. The main insect pests include the star longhorn beetle harming the main trunk and the branch longhorn beetle harming the shoots, toxic moth and butterfly larvae harming the leaf surface, leaf roller moths, and the fruit-stem borer and stink bugs harming the fruit. To control gummosis and foot rot, manually scrape off the diseased spots, then apply a 800-1000 times dilution of thiophanate-methyl or carbendazim and paint the diseased part continuously twice. To control downy blight: when the fruit is about the size of a thumb or when 1/4-1/5 of the fruit surface turns red, use a 1000-1500 times dilution of Ridomil or a 800-1200 times dilution of Sandofan for control. To control the star longhorn beetle, use a wire to clear the insect hole, then insert paper or a cotton ball dipped in undiluted dichlorvos into the hole. For branch longhorn beetles, manually cut off the damaged shoots and destroy them in a centralized manner. To control the fruit-stem borer (also called fruit-stem worm): after petal fall and during fruit setting, when young fruit are the size of a "soybean," spray the canopy with a 1500-2000 times dilution of "Lorsban," or spray the canopy with a 1200-2000 times dilution of Chongman Tongsha. Use the two alternately, for 2-3 consecutive applications, once every 5-7 days. If there is continuous rainy weather, spray several more times. For control of stink bugs (also called stink beetles), tussock moths, swallowtail butterflies, and leaf roller moths: damage is most serious during the young fruit stage (mid-June to early July). In early June, insecticides such as Shachongshuang, Dichlorvos, and Lorsban can be used alternately for spray control, for 3-4 consecutive applications, once every 7 days.
(4) Spraying method: Use a high-quality, efficient sprayer. When spraying, spray from the inside to the outside, from top to bottom, and also spray the ground inside the canopy.
Click to get more lychee cultivation techniques
Click to get more fruit cultivation techniques