Detailed Explanation of Photinia × fraseri Cultivation Techniques and Key Points for Pest and Disease Control

Photinia × fraseri gets its name because its new leaves and young buds are bright red. Photinia × fraseri has high ornamental value in both spring and summer. In spring and autumn, the new shoots and young leaves of Photinia × fraseri are fiery red, with bright and lasting color, full of vitality. In the high-temperature summer season, the leaves turn bright green, giving a fresh and cool feeling.

The cutting propagation method of Photinia × fraseri is more suitable for the majority of nursery growers. Choose light clay loam or sandy loam with good water sources and higher terrain as the nursery site, adhere to a crop rotation system, and do not continuously cultivate the same Photinia × fraseri in the same nursery plot. When raising seedlings, the nursery soil must be disinfected in advance. Carbendazim, formalin, ferrous sulfate, pentachloronitrobenzene, etc. can be used for disinfection. For specific usage methods, refer to the instructions.

Before sowing, carefully select seeds, eliminate diseased and weak seeds, and carry out chemical treatment. A 0.3%-0.5% potassium permanganate solution can be used to soak the seeds for half an hour to 1 hour, or the seeds can be soaked in 50°C warm water for 24 hours. Then take out the sunken seeds and soak them in a 0.2% formalin solution for 30 minutes, then take them out and keep them covered for another 2 hours. A 0.5%-1% copper sulfate solution can also be used to soak the seeds for 1-2 hours, then scoop out the seeds and rinse off the chemical solution with clean water, dry them in the shade, and sow at the appropriate time.

The time for transplanting seedlings is generally March-April in spring and October-November in autumn, and should be determined according to local climatic conditions. The planting spacing should be determined according to the nursery retention time and cultivation goal. If planning to sell as 1-year-old small shrubs, a plant spacing of 35 cm × 35 cm or 40 cm × 40 cm is suitable, with about 3,000 plants per mu.

During the seedling recovery period after planting, special attention should be paid to water management. If there are consecutive sunny days, water once 3-4 days after transplanting, and then water about once every 10 days; if there are consecutive rainy days, drain promptly. After about 15 days, once the seedlings have passed the recovery period, fertilization can begin. Fertilization should follow the principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently. In spring, apply urea once every half month at about 5 kg/mu; in summer and autumn, apply compound fertilizer once every half month at 5 kg/mu; in winter, apply decomposed organic fertilizer once at 1,500 kg/mu, preferably by trenching and burying.

Common pests and diseases of Photinia × fraseri include damping-off, seedling blight, leaf spot disease, gray mold, leaf spot disease, anthracnose, or damage by scale insects. These infectious diseases often cause large-scale death of Photinia × fraseri in a short period, bringing serious losses to seedling farmers.

For gray mold, a 1,000-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim can be sprayed for prevention, and during the disease period, an 800-fold dilution of 50% zineb can be sprayed for control. For leaf spot disease, a 300-400-fold dilution of 60% carbendazim or a 300-400-fold dilution of thiophanate can be used for control. For scale insects, a 200-fold dilution of dimethoate emulsion can be sprayed, or an 800-1,000-fold dilution can be sprayed for control. For cutworm control, it is best to carry out treatment before planting. The soil should be deeply plowed appropriately, and phosphorus-containing insecticides such as soil insect killer should be spread. If cutworm damage occurs after planting, remedial treatment should be carried out promptly; otherwise, it can spread greatly and cause serious harm, especially to Photinia × fraseri at the seedling stage, possibly causing large-scale death.

The above information on Photinia × fraseri cultivation and pest and disease control is hoped to be helpful for your planting. If you have any questions, you are welcome to leave comments and ask. You can also follow the Huinong Network WeChat account "hnw8688" for more answers on agricultural technical knowledge.

Efficient Cultivation Techniques for Photinia × fraseri and Control of Major Pests and Diseases

How to prune Photinia × fraseri? What preparations should be made before transplanting Photinia × fraseri? Now let's study together with the Huinong Network editor the transplanting preparation, propagation, and pest and disease control cultivation of Photinia × fraseri.

1 Characteristics and Functions of Photinia × fraseri

Photinia × fraseri prefers light and sandy soil, is slightly shade-tolerant, has strong cold and drought tolerance, strong saline-alkali tolerance, fast growth, good sprouting ability, strong ecological adaptability, good resistance to harmful gases, excellent pruning tolerance, and is easy to transplant and shape. It can be combined with other landscaping plants according to specific landscaping needs.

With the continuous development of the social economy, people's requirements for the living environment are also increasing, which has promoted the rapid development of landscaping construction and placed new demands on plant combinations in landscape greening. In many areas of our country, evergreen red-leaf tree species used in landscaping are very scarce. Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea and Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum are relatively common, but the leaves of these 2 plants are not highly leathery, their cold tolerance is poorer compared with Photinia × fraseri, and the soil suitable for planting Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum is mostly acidic. Although Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea has strong soil adaptability, this tree species is mainly deciduous or semi-evergreen.

In addition, the leaves of these 2 plants are dark purplish red and not very ornamental, and cannot compare with the bright red leaves of Photinia × fraseri. Introducing Photinia × fraseri can not only enrich garden plant varieties, increase urban greenery, and continuously improve urban taste, but also play a role in beautifying the environment and purifying the air; at the same time, it can also block wind, prevent dust, and reduce noise, and can effectively reduce solar radiation heat in summer and regulate air humidity, which is conducive to improving the quality of life of urban residents and improving the urban ecological environment.

2 Cultivation Techniques

2.1 Transplanting

2.1.1 Selection and Preparation of Cultivation Site

When introducing and cultivating Photinia × fraseri, the transplanting site must be selected and prepared. Try to choose a place with relatively deep soil layers and soft, fertile soil, ensure soil drainage performance, and be as close to a water source as possible. If the soil is hardened, sticky, heavy, and poorly aerated, the soil must be improved. Before transplanting, fertilization work needs to be done well, using decomposed barnyard manure and superphosphate as base fertilizer, and fertilization should be uniform. When plowing the soil, the depth should reach more than 25 cm, and 20%-30% aged rice husk ash should be added to the planting soil to enhance soil aeration and water permeability.

2.1.2 Selection and Treatment of Cuttings

Under normal circumstances, Photinia × fraseri can be propagated by cuttings. Branches free of pests and diseases and growing robustly should be selected, and about 8 cm can be cut from the plant as cuttings. During treatment, scissors need to be disinfected with alcohol, then the branches should be cut into sections, and each section should retain 1 leaf to increase the survival rate. During the cutting process, sufficient moisture in the branches must be ensured.

2.1.3 Technical Key Points

During the process of transplanting seedlings, the integrity of the root soil ball must be ensured, and the nutritional pot should be carefully removed. Dig holes at fixed points, control the transplanting depth well, preferably keeping it consistent with the planting depth before transplanting, pile fine soil at the roots so that the roots can spread out, then compact the soil so that the transplanted seedlings are arranged neatly, and water promptly to settle the roots. Then spread straw on the seedbed to prevent weeds and also play a role in moisture retention.

2.2 Cultivation Management

2.2.1 Water and Light Management

During the seedling recovery period, water promptly. If there are consecutive sunny days, water once 4 d after transplanting is completed, and then once every 10 d. If it is the rainy season with frequent rainfall, drainage work needs to be done well. At the same time, protective measures should also be taken by covering the seedbed with straw to avoid scorching the seedling roots. In the early stage of seedling transplanting, shade treatment is needed to increase the survival rate of seedlings. When the mother seedlings can have cuttings collected, shade nets should be used for covering to effectively control the loss of moisture from the cuttings.

2.2.2 Nutrient Management

After transplanting saplings in March-April, urea needs to be applied 15 d later; compound fertilizer should be broadcast in May-June; urea needs to be applied again in July-August; and decomposed organic fertilizer should be applied in November-December, mainly by trenching and burying. When applying compound fertilizer and urea, carry out the work simultaneously with loosening soil and weeding, and broadcast between rows to avoid damaging the leaves, branches, and root stems of the seedlings. Remove weeds when they newly emerge, and ensure the quality of removal. Loosen soil and weed after rain and clear days to avoid soil hardening, which affects the normal growth of Photinia × fraseri.

2.2.3 Pruning Management

Pruning work is usually carried out before sprouting or after new shoots grow. The degree of pruning is determined according to the actual growth of the treetops. Generally, the principle of removing the weak and retaining the strong is adhered to. For medium growth, treatment can be carried out according to the overall growth to ensure the beauty of the tree shape. During pruning, leaving dead stubs is strictly prohibited. Pruning should be combined with fertilizer and water supplementation. If the seedlings grow shoots quickly, multiple prunings are needed, which is conducive to promoting branching and avoiding tall, thin, or disconnected tree shapes.

2.2.4 Winter Management

When managing Photinia × fraseri in winter, pay attention to the following points: (1) Prevent the problem of frozen soil damaging roots. The frozen soil layer can cause physiological drought in the plants and lead to plant death. Therefore, in areas with a frozen soil layer, especially for Photinia × fraseri planted in the same year, soil freezing prevention measures should be taken to protect the plant root system. Generally, the ground surface should be covered half a month before the frozen soil layer forms, so that the soil temperature can be effectively controlled; (2) Clean up branches with pests and diseases to reduce the probability of pest and disease occurrence in the coming year; (3) Apply winter fertilizer to ensure the growth of new shoots in the coming year, thereby enhancing the ornamental effect. From December of the current year to January of the following year, carry out this simultaneously with soil loosening, and it is advisable to use compound fertilizer with a relatively high nitrogen content; (4) In order to make the germination of spring new shoots somewhat compact and uniform and ensure the ornamental effect, complete light pruning in January according to product use. Photinia × fraseri is very widely used in urban greening in our country. The winter maintenance time and measures should be determined according to the actual winter conditions in each place. Only in this way can the effectiveness of maintenance work be effectively guaranteed.

2.3 Pest and Disease Control

2.3.1 Leaf Spot Disease

Leaf spot disease mainly harms the new stems and new leaves of Photinia × fraseri. In the early stage, brown spots appear on the leaf surface, and as the disease worsens, they gradually become diagonal disease spots. The front of the leaf has red-brown disease spots, while the spots on the back are yellow-brown. When the disease is relatively serious, the spots become blocky, causing the plant to die. In winter and spring, centrally clean up dead branches and fallen leaves to remove overwintering disease sources. In March and early June, spray Bordeaux mixture once every 10-15 d. When the disease occurs, 50% carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl can be used at a 300-400-fold dilution for control.

2.3.2 Red Spider Mites

Red spider mites mainly feed on young leaves. After the leaves are damaged, abnormal proliferation occurs in the epidermal cells. Controlling diseased propagation or invasion of disease sources is the basic way to prevent and control red spider mites. Before new buds sprout in spring, an 800-fold dilution of 20% dicofol can be sprayed for prevention; when the pest is serious, a 0.02%-0.05% chlorfenethol powder solution can be mixed with 0.5 Baume degree lime-sulfur mixture, or an 800-fold dilution of 40% dimethoate emulsion can be used, all with relatively good control effects.

2.3.3 Aphids

Aphids can cause leaf deformity, curling, and wrinkling, and also secrete honeydew, causing viral diseases or sooty mold on leaves. In addition, aphids reproduce in large numbers and are prone to causing disasters in dry seasons. When controlling aphids, not only should the light transmission and ventilation conditions of the planting site be improved, but corresponding chemical control methods should also be adopted. When temperatures rise in spring, use a 1,200-1,500-fold dilution of 40% dimethoate emulsion to kill hatched eggs; March-October is a period of high aphid incidence, so aphid lice spirit or aphid lice net, etc., should be appropriately used for spraying, once every 7 d, to prevent adult insects from causing disaster.

That is all for today's content. Everyone is welcome to continue following Huinong Network. There is more exciting content here.

Key Technical Points for Cultivation and Pest and Disease Control of Photinia × fraseri