Key Points of Xuanmu Gua (Chinese Quince) Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Base fertilizer is applied during deep plowing of the orchard in late September, mainly using barnyard manure and human excrement and urine, mixed with quick-acting N fertilizer. For young trees, apply 15-30 kg of base fertilizer per tree; for mature trees, apply 30-50 kg per tree. Topdressing: before bud break (late March to early April), apply 130 g of urea and 400 g of NPK compound fertilizer per tree in holes or furrows. Spray 0.3... once each 2 weeks before and after flowering.
[Overview]Xuanmu Gua is warm in nature and has the functions of relaxing muscles and activating collaterals, calming the liver and harmonizing the stomach, astringing the lungs, and dispelling damp-heat. It mainly treats rheumatoid arthritis, soreness and pain of the waist and knees, numbness of the limbs, gastrocnemius muscle spasm, heatstroke with vomiting and diarrhea, and swollen and painful beriberi. It is mainly produced in Xuancheng, Anhui, as well as Sichuan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi and other places.
[Habits]
It prefers a humid and warm climate and requires an environment with sufficient sunlight and abundant rainfall. It has low requirements for soil, but sandy loam and sandy soil that are deep, loose, fertile, moist and well-drained are best. Xuanmu Gua has a well-developed root system and strong drought tolerance, and is tolerant of both severe cold and high temperatures. Generally, it is suitable for cultivation in low mountain areas and hilly areas.
[Planting Techniques]
1. Propagation is mainly by cuttings, and can also be done by tillering and layering.
(1) Cutting propagation can be carried out in spring, summer and winter. Spring cuttings are done from February to March before sprouting, and summer cuttings from June to July during the plum rain season. However, winter cuttings have a high seedling survival rate. For winter cuttings, use the fully closed sand bed moisture-retention cutting method. In late autumn and early winter, select loose and fertile sandy soil as the cutting bed, deep plow it, apply sufficient base fertilizer, level and rake it finely, and make high beds 5-8 m long, 1.3 m wide and 0.3 m deep, then spray water to moisten the bed surface. When cutting, select hard branches from the previous year that are full-grown, free of pests and diseases, and fully lignified, with a diameter of 0.5-0.8 cm, and cut them into 15-20 cm long cuttings with more than 3 buds. Then cut the lower end near a node into a horse-ear-shaped slanted surface, tie every 30-50 cuttings into a bundle, place the lower slanted end into 50 ppm rooting powder (ABT) or 500-1000 ppm naphthalene acetic acid solution for rapid dipping for 10-15 seconds, let them dry slightly, and then insert them.
(2) Tillering propagation. Xuanmu Gua has extremely strong tillering ability, and many root suckers grow around the root crown. From September to November, dig out strong seedlings more than 60 cm tall with roots, and immediately plant them in the prepared planting site. The survival rate is very high, but the propagation coefficient is relatively low.
(3) Layering propagation. In spring and autumn each year, bend down strong, pest- and disease-free branches near the ground and press them into the soil. Make a girdle cut or notch on the part of the branch buried in the soil, fix it with a bamboo fork, then pile soil and press it firmly, and apply an appropriate amount of farmyard manure. After roots and shoots form, cut it off from the mother plant, dig it out with roots, and plant it separately.
2. Land preparation and planting
(1) Site selection and land preparation. For the cutting seedbed, choose sandy soil that is flat, sunny, fertile and loose, and well-drained, where rooting after cutting is easy. There must be a water source near the seedbed for irrigation. For the planting site, choose a wind-sheltered, sunny, moderately fertile gentle slope in low mountain areas or hilly land. It can also be planted sporadically on flat land, at the foot of hills, beside fields, along ditches, and in spare spaces in courtyards. Windy sections facing north are not suitable for planting.
(2) Field planting. It can be done from after leaf fall in winter to before sprouting in early spring. When planting, dig planting holes at a row spacing of 2 x 2 m (165 plants per mu), with hole diameter and depth of 50 cm each. First loosen the subsoil and level it, then apply decomposed barnyard manure, compost, cake fertilizer, fire-soil ash and other fertilizers mixed evenly with the subsoil as base fertilizer, applying 5-10 kg per hole, and cover with fine soil about 10 cm thick. Then plant 1 strong seedling or 2 small seedlings per hole, so that the root system spreads out in the hole, and fill and compact the soil layer by layer. After planting, water thoroughly once, and cover with soil 10-20 cm above the ground, forming a turtle-back shape, which helps keep warmth and prevent freezing, and favors survival.
3. Field management
(1) Cultivation, weeding and fertilization. After field planting, in the first two years, short-stem crops can be intercropped between the rows. Each year in spring, summer and autumn, carry out cultivation, weeding and fertilization once in combination with the intercrops. Apply 10-20 kg per tree of compound fertilizer made by mixing and composting barnyard manure, compost, superphosphate, fire-soil ash and the like. Open a ring-shaped furrow below the outer edge of the tree canopy and apply it, then cover with soil after application. Stop cultivation and weeding after the plants close their rows.
(2) Pruning and training. After field planting, select 5-6 strong main stems from the plant clump and train them into plants with a natural open-center shape. Carry out pruning and training every winter, cutting off dead branches, thin and weak branches, aging branches, water sprouts, pest- and disease-infected branches, and excessively dense branches. Xuanmu Gua mostly bears fruit on 2-year-old branches; therefore, after fruit harvest in autumn each year, it should be cut back, that is, keep branches about 30 cm long and cut off the tips, so as to promote more branching and more flowering and fruiting. Through several years of pruning and training, form a high-yielding tree shape that is round outside and hollow inside, ventilated and light-transmitting, with sparse and strong branches, and capable of bearing fruit both inside and outside.
(3) Drainage and irrigation. After field planting, if the weather is dry, pay attention to watering to protect the seedlings. In the rainy season, dredge ditches and drain water in time to prevent water accumulation and root rot.