How to Grow Crabapples: A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Key Techniques
The crabapple is a fruit that closely resembles the apple, also called huahong fruit, and it is a variety of the genus Malus. The crabapple has a rich fragrance, a unique taste, and extremely high nutritional and medicinal value, making it a very popular fruit at present. It is rich in vitamins and organic fruit acids, and has the effects of promoting salivation, aiding digestion, and improving eyesight, while also being used to astringe essence and stop diarrhea, and to expel parasites. It is mainly grown in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Guizhou, Hubei and other places in China. So today what we will focus on understanding is the planting method of crabapple. Let's take a look below.
1. Site Preparation
Crabapples are suitable for planting both on sunny hillsides and in plains areas. The area near the orchard should have convenient transportation, good irrigation conditions, close proximity to a water source, slightly saline-alkaline soil, sufficient nutrients, shelter belts around it to block the wind, and plenty of sunlight. There are two ways to prepare the land, full reclamation and pit reclamation, but pit reclamation is the most commonly used. Each pit is about 90 cm wide and 80 cm deep; after digging, scatter base fertilizer into the pit in a certain amount, cover with a thin layer of soil, and wait to plant.
2. Seedling Selection
Different regions are suitable for growing different crabapple varieties, and the currently superior varieties include k9, 123, Huang Taiping, Lingdang, Daqiu and others. We can choose the best variety according to different situations, and of course we can also mix and plant multiple varieties. For crabapple seedlings, we generally choose young plants about 90 cm to 1.1 to 1.2 m tall, among which the seedlings should have a relatively developed root system, relatively many lateral roots, no damage, no pests or diseases, smooth surfaces, few fine hairs, and relatively high moisture content without drying out or dehydrating. The survival rate of planting such seedlings can reach over 95 percent.
3. Scientific Planting
Generally, crabapples are planted at a density of just over 40 plants per mu, with a row spacing of generally 6 to 9 m and a plant spacing of about 2 m. Secondly, if the variety chosen has a smaller canopy, then we can also plant at a row spacing of 4 m and a plant spacing of 2 m, allowing over 80 plants per mu. At the same time, some areas can also use a specification of 3 m row spacing and 2 m plant spacing, allowing over 100 plants per mu. When planting, we should reasonably pair pollinator trees, generally planting at a ratio of 2 to 1 or 3 to 1, which can increase the success rate of pollination and thus raise the yield of crabapples.
4. Management Methods
After planting, we should reasonably prune the branches and leaves, using the small-crown sparse-layer form, the free spindle form, or the three-main-branch base with a central-leader cylindrical form for pruning. Generally, after planting, every other year we need to dig pits around the tree to replace the soil and apply farmyard manure, mixed soil and manure, and so on. Secondly, in May each year, a layer of straw or dried grass should be spread around the tree, and watering should be carried out. Fertilization needs to be based on the different growth stages of the crabapple tree and the soil fertility: during the young tree stage, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used, while mature fruit trees need to be fertilized in four stages: the bud break stage, flowering stage, fruit stage, and post-harvest stage, and foliar fertilizer should be sprayed reasonably. Finally, watering and drainage should be carried out in combination with intertillage to promote nutrient absorption and prevent the soil from becoming compacted.
5. Pest and Disease Control
The crabapple has relatively strong resistance, and generally few pests and diseases occur. However, before the branches and leaves sprout each year, we need to spray a 5-degree lime sulfur mixture once, and carry out a comprehensive and thorough disinfection of the orchard. Finally, we should still be prepared to prevent pests, such as caterpillars, nettle grubs, leafhoppers and other pests, especially leafhoppers, which lay eggs on the branches in autumn; if not paid attention to, the harm to crabapple trees the following year is very great. So we can use wooden sticks to kill the eggs, and spray omethoate emulsifiable concentrate or trichlorfon and other agents for control.
The crabapple is actually really similar to the apple; apart from the fruit being relatively small, basically all other aspects are the same. That is all for the crabapple planting methods that the editor wants to share with you today, and I hope it can help you all. If you want to learn more about planting information, remember to leave the editor a message.