Detailed Explanation of Water-Saving Techniques for Chestnut Planting on Hillsides
Chestnut blight, also known as chestnut cortical rot, chestnut tree rot, and chestnut plague, is one of the main diseases of chestnut trees. It occurs in all major chestnut production areas in China, with severe damage in some production areas, and the chestnuts grown in Nanxiong are also very severely affected. The bark of affected chestnut trees rots, the tree vigor weakens, and in severe cases it causes dead branches and dead trees. I. Harm...
1. Mulching with grass around the tree disk. Mulching the tree disk with grass is an economical, convenient, and labor-saving technical measure. It can make full use of the weeds growing along the edges of hillside terraces, as well as the straw left after crop harvest. It can both store water and preserve soil moisture, and increase the soil organic matter content, enhancing soil aeration and water permeability. The specific method is: along the tree disk, cover from the inside outward with weeds or readily available mulch such as harvested corn stalks and bean vines, with a thickness of 10-15 cm. After covering, sprinkle a small amount of soil on top to prevent it from being blown away by wind and to prevent fire. Supplement the mulch once each year, and carry out deep plowing every 3-4 years to let it decompose and increase soil nutrients. 2. Mulching with plastic film around the tree disk. Covering the tree disk with plastic film is one of the key measures in recent years for improving the survival rate of hillside chestnut afforestation. After mulching, it can both raise soil temperature to benefit root growth and promote sprouting, and significantly reduce soil moisture evaporation. The covering time is as soon as the chestnut afforestation operation is completed. The covered area varies with tree age, and at minimum it must not be smaller than the tree disk. After covering with film, press the edges firmly with soil to prevent it from being blown away by wind.
3. Digging holes under the tree canopy. Digging holes under the tree canopy is suitable for most chestnut forests established through engineering site preparation, as well as for chestnut forests established on relatively steep hillside slopes. The specific method is: with the trunk as the center, spread outward in a triangular radial pattern, and arrange the area under the tree disk into several small pits. The size and shape of the pits vary with the terrain, with each pit about 30 cm deep and 30 cm wide. The number depends on the size of the tree canopy. The covered area of the pits can extend 2-3 m beyond the outer edge of the canopy. Doing this can effectively control soil and water loss and play a role in preserving water, soil, and fertilizer.
4. Storing fertilizer and water in holes. Storing fertilizer and water in holes is easy to operate and highly practical. Through experiments, the yield increase was significant. The specific method is: before the tree buds, dig holes around the tree canopy, with a diameter of 30-40 cm and a depth of 40-50 cm. Place a grass bundle previously tied with wheat straw or weeds vertically into the hole, and backfill around the grass bundle in the hole with uniformly mixed fine soil plus a small amount of slow-release compound fertilizer, firm it down and level the ground. Cover the top of the grass bundle with 2-3 cm of soil, water with 4-5 kg, cover the hole with plastic film, and press soil around the edges so that it forms a pot-bottom shape that is low in the middle and high around the edges, with a small hole opened in the center. After mulching, watering and fertilizing are all done through the hole opening, and at ordinary times it is pressed down with a clod of soil to prevent evaporation.