Is Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) toxic? Non-toxic and can be kept indoors

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is a fairly common flowering plant in people's daily lives and has high ornamental value. Precisely because of this, many people want to keep one at home. However, many plants on the market today carry a certain degree of toxicity, so we need to be clear about this before growing one. Regarding whether Chinese privet is toxic

1. Is Chinese privet toxic? It is non-toxic

As for the question of whether Chinese privet is toxic, the answer is no. This plant itself is not toxic, and moreover, it also has high medicinal value, with very good effects in treating external injuries. As for its specific medicinal methods, these are introduced in the article on the effects and uses of Chinese privet; interested friends can take a look.

2. Can Chinese privet be grown indoors? Yes

This plant, Chinese privet, is very suitable for growing indoors, and keeping it indoors also has many benefits. However, because it itself needs the nourishment of sunlight, when growing it indoors it is best to place it at a windowsill, so that it can receive the nourishment of sunlight and thus grow more vigorously.

3. Benefits of keeping Chinese privet indoors

1. Beautifying the indoor environment

Chinese privet is a flowering plant with high ornamental value. This plant has deep green leaves and pure white flowers, and also carries a faint delicate fragrance, giving people a very fresh and elegant quality, which is why it is loved by many people. If we keep a Chinese privet at home, it will have a very good beautifying effect on the indoor environment.

2. Freshening indoor air

The leaves of Chinese privet are rich in chlorophyll, and in normal times Chinese privet relies on it to absorb nutrients and grow. When it carries out photosynthesis, it can also absorb harmful substances in the air and convert them into oxygen, thus making the surrounding air fresher. If we grow one at home, it can also greatly improve people's living environment.

3. Improving household feng shui

In addition to the above points, Chinese privet also has very good feng shui symbolism. In feng shui it has the effect of stimulating wealth. This plant looks fresh and elegant, and if we grow it at home it can also absorb various noises, bringing a quiet and warm feeling to the home.

How to grow calla lily well: how to care for calla lily

Today we will introduce how to grow calla lily, and what points to note in order to grow calla lily well.

Calla lily, also known as arrowhead flower, is a plant of the genus Zantedeschia in the Araceae family. Its leaves are as large as arrows, and its flowers are pure white, shaped like a horse's hoof, hence the name.

A bulbous flower of the Araceae family, genus Zantedeschia, it is one of the emerging flowers in recent years, with relatively large market demand as a cut flower and broad prospects. Because the calla lily has emerald green leaves and large pure white spathes shaped like horse's hooves with a peculiar shape, it is an important cut flower at home and abroad and has very wide uses.
Growth habits

Native to southern Africa, it often grows beside rivers or in swamps. It likes a warm climate, is not cold-tolerant, and is not heat-tolerant. The suitable growth temperature is around 20°C, and at 0°C the rhizome will freeze and die. In winter it needs sufficient sunlight; when light is insufficient there are few flowers, and it is slightly shade-tolerant. In summer, when the sunlight is too strong and scorching, provide appropriate shading. It likes moisture, and slight water accumulation does not greatly affect growth, but it is not drought-tolerant. It likes loose, fertile clay loam rich in humus. Its dormancy period varies with the region. When cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and northern China, it should be moved into a greenhouse in winter, flowering in winter and spring, and in summer it becomes dormant due to high temperature and drought; while in subtropical regions where winter is not cold and summer is not dry and hot, it does not become dormant all year round.
At present there are three commonly cultivated varieties. (1) White-stem calla lily: the tubers are relatively small and growth is relatively slow. But it flowers early and bears many flowers; the flower stems are white, and the spathe is large and round. (2) Red-stem calla lily: the base of the flower stem is slightly reddish, flowering slightly later than the white-stem calla lily, and the spathe is relatively round. (3) Green-stem calla lily: the tubers are thick and large, growth is vigorous, and flowering is late. The flower stems are thick and strong, slightly triangular. The tip of the spathe is pointed and curls backward, yellow-white, and smaller in size than the previous two. In addition, the same genus also has common cultivated species, such as yellow calla lily: deep yellow, flowering from July to August, dormant in winter; red calla lily: dwarf, flowering in June; silver-star calla lily: leaves with white patches, spathe white or pale yellow, with purple-red spots at the base, flowering from July to August, dormant in winter; black-throat calla lily: deep yellow, with black spots in the throat.

Propagation and cultivation
(1) Propagation is mainly by division of bulbs. After the plant enters dormancy, peel off the small bulbs around the tubers and plant them separately. It can also be propagated by sowing; after the seeds mature, sow them in pots immediately. The suitable germination temperature is around 20°C.
(2) For cultivating calla lily, bulbs are usually planted after autumn. For bed planting, the row spacing is 25 cm and the plant spacing is 10 cm. Use fertile soil that is slightly clayey, for example: 2 parts garden soil, 1 part chaff ash, plus a little bone meal or barnyard manure; or use 2 parts finely crushed pond mud, 1 part leaf mold (or compost), with an appropriate amount of superphosphate and decomposed cow dung mixed in. After planting, cover with 3 cm-4 cm of soil, and seedlings will emerge in about 20 days. During the growth period, calla lily likes sufficient water; often sprinkle water on the leaf surface and the ground, and pay attention to keeping the leaf surface clean. Apply liquid fertilizer once every half month. After fertilizing, immediately rinse with clean water to prevent accidents. Move into the greenhouse before frost, keeping the room temperature above 10°C. During maintenance, to avoid too many leaves affecting light, the outer leaves can be removed, which also helps the flower stems extend. February to April is the peak flowering period; after flowering, gradually stop watering; after May the plant begins to turn yellow, and attention should be paid to ventilation and keeping it dry to prevent tuber rot. When the plant is completely dormant, the tubers can be taken out, dried and stored, then planted again in autumn.
Cultivation techniques: Calla lily is suitable for planting from late August to early September. Field planting is used for cut flower production; plant 3 robust rhizomes as a group in fertile fields, and they can flower around New Year to supply the market. For pot cultivation, plant 2-3 large bulbs or 1-2 small bulbs per pot; the potting soil can be garden soil plus organic fertilizer. After planting, place in half shade; after sprouting, place in sunlight; when frost descends, move into the greenhouse, keeping the room temperature above 10 degrees. During the growth period, keep the potting soil moist at all times, usually sprinkling water on the leaves and ground to increase air humidity. Apply liquid fertilizer once every half month. Before flowering, it is advisable to apply fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus fertilizer to control stem and leaf growth, promote flower bud differentiation, and ensure flower quality. When fertilizing, never let the fertilizer water flow into the leaf sheaths, to avoid causing rot. If there are too many leaves during the growth period, a few outer old leaves can be removed to facilitate the emergence of flower stems. February to May is the period of abundant flowering. After the weather turns hot in late May, the plant begins to turn yellow; watering should be gradually stopped, with moderate shading to prevent water accumulation. Potted plants should be moved to a ventilated, semi-shaded place, and the pots laid on their sides to avoid accumulating rainwater, so as to keep them dry and promote dormancy. After all the leaves have turned yellow, the bulbs can be taken out, dried and stored in a ventilated and cool place. Before planting in autumn, cut off the aged part at the bottom of the bulbs and replant them. Large bulbs flower, while small bulbs can be used to grow seedlings. Pests and diseases: the main disease is soft rot. Control methods include removing diseased plants and disinfecting the planting holes with 200 times formalin; trying to avoid continuous cropping; timely drainage; keeping the air circulating; and spraying Bordeaux mixture when the disease occurs. The main pest is red spider mite. It can be controlled with 3,000 times dilution of trithion.

How to make calla lily bloom more
1. The cultivation soil should be slightly acidic, and growth should mainly rely on base fertilizer; calla lily likes fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil.
Calla lily 2. During the growth and flowering period, pay attention to sufficient watering
3. During the flowering period there must be sufficient light; it likes long-day light
4. Frequently prune old leaves to promote the production of flower buds
Pest and disease control
Common diseases of colored calla lily mainly include bacterial diseases, fungal diseases and insect pests, which are introduced separately below. Bacterial disease Erwinia: Erwinia disease is also called soft rot and is caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. Infected leaves and stems turn dark green, with necrotic spots and rot spots, and secrete mucus, and eventually the plant collapses. The tubers also begin to rot and have a foul odor. When the plant grows poorly, infection can occur through small wounds. These bacteria can also secrete some enzymes to dissolve cell walls and penetrate the plant. If the plant is dry, the infected plant and the soil in which it grows should be carefully removed. Note that before planting, those infected tubers should be picked out as early as possible and disinfected as a preventive measure. Sensitivity to Erwinia infection also varies among varieties. Generally speaking, yellow and orange varieties are more susceptible than white and cream varieties. The best control method is to provide the plant with the best growing environment from beginning to end during cultivation, so that it can develop without disturbance. The growing environment for colored calla lily should meet the following requirements:
Provide sufficient moisture (do not plant too shallowly; water again when the soil becomes dry);
The soil should have good drainage to prevent overly wet conditions;
Avoid excessively high temperatures in the greenhouse, especially when relative humidity is high;
Prevent damage to plants and tubers (prevent wind damage to plants, be careful not to let herbicides affect plant growth, and handle carefully during harvest and handling);
Prevent damage caused by other fungal diseases and insect pests. (For example, damage caused by Pythium or Rhizoctonia may provide a port for Erwinia invasion);
Do not use too much nitrogen fertilizer, because a nitrogen fertilizer rate of more than 150 kg per hectare easily causes Erwinia infection.
After harvest, tubers should be dried as soon as possible: if there is any delay within the first week after harvest, it will cause large losses later. Fungal disease Pythium: this fungus causes root rot, causing the plant's water uptake to be limited. Crop rotation and precise irrigation (as well as drainage) are important factors in preventing infection. Before planting, sterilize the soil with steam and treat it with fungicides.
Rhizoctonia: this fungus causes damage to the buds of the plant near the ground. Tolclofos-methyl and flutolanil can be used to treat the soil to control this fungus.
Penicillium: this fungus can cause infection during tuber storage, causing damage to tubers during and after storage, especially when the tubers have suffered mechanical damage, when the relative humidity of the storage room is too high, or when air circulation in the microenvironment is insufficient. Providing sufficient air circulation can prevent the occurrence of this pathogen. Fungicides can also be used to disinfect tubers, such as captan.
Botrytis: can occur on flowers and leaves. During open-field cultivation, it is necessary to carry out combined preventive treatment with fungicides and insecticides every 10 days. Botrytis infection on leaves almost always appears as small spots. At the end of August or early September, a single application for prevention is already sufficient. Pests: thrips and aphids can cause damage throughout the entire growth process of the plant. Spray twice with parathion before harvesting flowers; during cultivation, acephate or deltamethrin can be used every 7-10 days for prevention.

Main diseases
Name: Calla lily soft rot
Symptoms:
Soft rot mainly occurs at the stem base and rhizome of calla lily. In affected plants, soft rot first occurs at the stem base near the soil surface; the disease spreads upward causing leaves to wither and die, and develops downward causing the rhizome to become slimy and soft-rotted. After the flower stem is infected, the flower turns brown, and the flower stem quickly rots, breaks and falls over.
Pathogen and occurrence pattern:
Calla lily soft rot is a bacterial disease, and the pathogen is Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. Usually after May, when the plant begins to turn yellow, if rainwater accumulates in the flower pot, the rhizome of the calla lily is most prone to rotting. This bacterium also causes hyacinth soft rot
Control methods:
1. When digging up rhizomes, thoroughly remove severely infected rhizomes, or cut off the rotten parts, and replace the soil around the diseased plants to reduce sources of infection and control the occurrence of the disease.
2. Irrigate the diseased soil with 1000 PPm agricultural streptomycin.
Name: Calla lily root rot
Symptoms:
Root rot mostly occurs when calla lily is approaching flowering. Generally, the lower or outer leaves of the plant first turn brown and wither, and the disease continuously develops and spreads to the inner leaves. For flowers that have already opened, the tips turn brown, and sometimes this brown color can extend all the way to the petiole and flower stem, with deformed flower shape. When the diseased plant is pulled up, many roots can be seen to have rotted, and the remaining roots are water-soaked and soft-rotted, with only the epidermis left, forming hollow tubes. The disease gradually spreads from the absorbing roots to the rhizome, and finally the rhizome becomes spongy and dry-rotted.
Pathogen and occurrence pattern:
Calla lily root rot is caused by infection by the fungus Phytophthora cryptogea. The pathogen survives in the soil and is a soil-borne disease, abbreviated as a soil-borne disease
Control methods:
1. Rhizome disinfection: thoroughly cut off the diseased spots on the rhizome; after drying, soak in warm water at 50°C for 1 hour, or soak in 1% peracetic acid solution for 10 minutes before planting. Disinfected rhizomes begin to grow more slowly than untreated ones, so it is best to plant them half a month earlier.
2. Soil disinfection: diseased soil and pots must be sterilized by heat before they can be reused. Soil can also be sprayed with 70% dazomet wettable powder at a concentration of 0.4%, but this must be done before planting.
Name: Calla lily leaf spot
Symptoms:
Infected leaves produce lesions from pale brown to yellow-brown, mostly round, oval or irregular in shape. A few lesions have indistinct concentric rings. In the later stage of the disease, many small black dot-like moldy substances appear in the center of the lesions, namely the conidiophores and conidia of the pathogen.
Pathogen and occurrence pattern:
Calla lily leaf spot is a fungal disease caused by infection by Alternaria. The pathogen overwinters in the diseased leaf remnants of calla lily and spreads via airflow. In summer, when the temperature in the shade shed is high and humidity is great, the disease spreads extremely quickly, with the most severe damage from July to October each year. After late autumn, the disease gradually decreases and stops developing. However, in the greenhouse this disease can occur year-round. Diseased plants brought indoors in winter can continue to develop and spread when the greenhouse temperature is 18-20°C, and these diseased plants then become sources of infection for healthy plants. Under poor ventilation and poor maintenance conditions, the disease is common.
Control methods:
1. Strengthen cultivation management: during the growing season, according to the habits of calla lily, place it under a shade shed to make it grow robustly and reduce disease occurrence. If placed in direct sunlight, it will weaken the plant's growth vigor and favor disease occurrence. In winter in the greenhouse, calla lily should also be placed on the north side. Fertilize reasonably to promote vigorous plant growth and improve disease resistance.
2. Promptly remove sources of infection: promptly remove diseased and residual leaves found during the growing period. Before bringing plants indoors in winter, thoroughly remove diseased leaf remnants and handle them centrally, keep the soil surface clean, and reduce sources of infection. 3. Chemical control: for flower beds where the disease is common and severe, in the early stage of the disease spray with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 800-1000 times dilution, once every 15 days; generally 3 consecutive sprays are sufficient.
Name: Calla lily leaf mold
Symptoms:
Leaf mold mainly harms the leaves of calla lily, and lesions mostly occur at the leaf tips and leaf margins. The leaf first begins to lose green and turn yellow from the leaf tip and leaf margin, then gradually spreads along the veins and forms irregular large spots. In the later stage of the disease, a dark green mold layer appears on the back of the diseased leaf.
Pathogen and occurrence pattern:
Calla lily leaf mold is caused by infection by the fungus Cladosporium. This fungus is a weak parasite, so it mostly occurs on senescent leaves. On other hosts it harms weakened flowers, fruits and branches, such as freesia leaf mold, privet leaf spot, oil palm leaf mold, crinum flower rot and Epiphyllum mold spot disease, etc. The pathogen overwinters as mycelium or mycelial masses in diseased plant residues or on seeds. The following year, the overwintering pathogen first invades weak seedlings, becoming a source of infection, and spreads and causes harm in the later stage of plant growth.
Control methods:
1. Improve plant disease resistance. The pathogen of leaf mold is a weak parasite, and plants are easily infected when their growth is weak. Therefore, management must be strengthened, attention paid to nursery hygiene, weeds removed promptly, and careful attention paid to irrigation and drainage, to promote robust plant growth and improve disease resistance. This is an important measure for controlling this disease.
2. Collect seeds from disease-free plants, avoid using seeds carrying the pathogen as propagation material, or disinfect seeds with 0.2% carbendazim for 30 minutes before sowing.
Application value
Landscape value: calla lily has beautiful flowers and blooms in spring and autumn, with a particularly long single flowering period. It is a good potted flower for decorating the living room and study, and is also an ideal material for cut flowers, bouquets and flower baskets. Used as a cut flower, it lasts a long time without wilting, and is a gift flower for relatives and friends. In tropical and subtropical regions it is a good material for flower beds. Calla lily has become one of the important cut flower varieties on the international flower market.
1. For cut flowers:
Harvesting and preservation of calla lily cut flowers: when the spathe of the calla lily has extended to its maximum, curled and opened, it can be harvested. After harvesting, wrap the upper part of each cut flower with cellophane, grade by size, then box and bring to market. Fresh cut flower transport: fresh cut flowers should be transported with attention to their own characteristics to avoid damage during transport. For long-distance transport, about 20 bunches should be used as one transport unit; first put them in plastic bags and then pack them in boxes for transport. For short-distance transport, to save costs, only large plastic bags may be used; all should be fastened together with tape and then bagged for transport. During transport they should be placed flat on a surface, avoiding being squeezed and damaged by other items.
2. For pot cultivation:
Key points for potted calla lily cultivation:
1). When potting, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and leave a few side buds next to the large bulb appropriately to increase the density of flowers and leaves and the ornamental value.
2). Appropriately control watering, increase ventilation, and maintain plant spacing to make the plant shape attractive.
3). Once the plant spacing is finally determined, try to avoid moving the flower pot, and keep the soil below the flower pot moist, so that the flower roots can penetrate through the drainage holes below the pot into the soil below, making it grow luxuriantly. Key points for potted flower transport: before transport, first wrap the flowers in small plastic bags, then wrap the entire plant in newspaper, to avoid soiling the flowers during transport and breaking the flower stems and leaves, which would affect the ornamental effect. When loading, they can be transported flat in layers to increase transport volume and reduce transport costs.
Medicinal value：
Calla lily flowers are toxic, containing large amounts of calcium oxalate crystals and alkaloids; accidental ingestion can cause poisoning symptoms such as lethargy. This species is listed as a non-toxic plant in the Chinese plant atlas database, but its toxicity is that the tubers, spathes and spadix are toxic. Chewing a small piece of tuber can cause swelling and pain of the tongue and throat. An 8-year-old girl was poisoned after eating the inflorescence, falling into a coma for 12 hours and recovering after 24 hours. Calla lily can be used medicinally and has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. To treat scald injuries, take an appropriate amount of fresh calla lily tuber, mash it and apply externally. To prevent tetanus, at the wound, mash calla lily tuber and apply externally. Calla lily is toxic, and internal use is contraindicated.
Calla lily - flower culture
Calla lily flower language:Universal love, holy piety, eternity, nobility, honor, hope, purity, pure friendship, elegant temperament, pure and flawless love.
White calla lily is elegant and beautiful; its flower language is "faithful and unchanging, tied together forever."
Red calla lily symbolizes holy piety, tied together forever, good fortune, purity, and liking.
Pink calla lily: symbolizes loving you for a lifetime.

Loquat Eriobotrya japonica Loquat illustrated guide: how to grow loquat / how to propagate loquat

Loquat profile
Loquat Eriobotrya japonica
Loquat cultivation methods and precautions Loquat introduction
Loquat (scientific name: Eriobotrya japonica; English name: Loquat), ancient Chinese name luju, also known as jinwan and luzhi, is a genus in the Maloideae subfamily of the Rosaceae family, and is an evergreen small tree. Together with cherry and plum, it is called one of the "three friends among fruits." The crown is rounded, the trunk is quite short, and the tree is generally 3-4 m tall. The leaves are thick, dark green, with down on the underside, and the margins are serrated. Loquat originated in southeastern China, and is named because the fruit shape resembles the pipa instrument.
Morphological characteristics of loquat
Loquat originated in southeastern China. It is a genus in the Maloideae subfamily of the Rosaceae family, and an evergreen small tree of the genus Eriobotrya in the Rosaceae family. The crown is rounded, the trunk is quite short, and the tree is generally 3 to 4 m tall. The branchlets are densely covered with rusty-colored down. The leaves are thick, dark green, leathery, oblanceolate, obovate to oblong, with acute or acuminate tips and cuneate bases or gradually narrowed into petioles, and the underside and petioles are densely covered with gray-brown down. The upper margins have sparse serrations, and the surface is wrinkled and green. The panicle is terminal, and the pedicels and calyx tubes are densely covered with rusty-colored down; the flowers are white and fragrant. The flowering period is from November to February of the following year. The fruit is spherical or oblong, yellow or orange-yellow. The fruit ripening period is from May to June. The fruit is oval, elliptical, round and various other shapes. Around May to July, in the season when the strongly fragrant orange-yellow fruit ripens, among the layered verdant mountains of Dongting Mountain, the golden loquats hang all over the branches; some compare them to "golden pills," and some call them "little golden hammers." The Ming dynasty poet Shen Zhou wrote: "Who cast three hundred golden pills, the pellet embryo slightly wet with dew. From now on, to strike the magpie, why need jade, there is even tin syrup refreshing the teeth with cold." The loquat tree shape is quite beautiful, and it grows rapidly with lush green leaves, so it is planted as a horticultural ornamental plant in many places. It is produced in Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian and other provinces and regions in China. Loquat is fragrant, fresh and sweet, with a slight sour taste. It is produced in areas south of the Huai River in China, and the "Santang" in Anhui is the most famous. In Huizhou folk culture there is a saying, "In heaven, the Queen Mother's flat peaches; on earth, Santang loquats," and together with cherry and plum it is called the "three friends." It is harvested from April to May; peel off the outer skin and take the flesh for fresh use.
Unlike most fruit trees, loquat blooms in autumn or early winter, and the fruit ripens from spring to early summer, earlier than other fruits, so it is called "the one among fruit trees that alone possesses the qi of the four seasons." The flowers of loquat are white or pale yellow, with five petals, about 2 cm in diameter, in clusters of five to ten, and can serve as a nectar-source crop.

The loquat tree is more than one zhang tall, with luxuriant branches and leaves, yellow down on the underside of the leaves, and it does not wither in all four seasons. The flowering period is generally concentrated from October to December, and by March and April it bears ball-like fruit; when ripe the color is like yellow apricot, with small hairs, the skin and flesh are very thin, and the stone is large like a chestnut. But in Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province, fruit ripens from December to May of the following year. Loquat, anciently named tianxiafan, belongs to the genus Eriobotrya in the Rosaceae family, and is an evergreen small tree 3-5 m tall, with large and long leaves, thick and downy, oblong-elliptical, shaped like a pipa. It is also known by other names such as luju, luzhi, jinwan, yanguo and jiaozi. Evergreen small tree, up to 10 m tall; branchlets densely covered with rusty-colored or gray-brown down. Leaves leathery, lanceolate, long obovate or long elliptic, 10-30 cm long and 3-10 cm wide, apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or gradually narrowed into petiole, margins with sparse serrations, surface wrinkled, underside and petiole densely covered with rusty-colored down. Panicle with many and dense flowers; inflorescence stalk, flower stalk and calyx tube densely covered with rusty-colored down; flowers white, fragrant, 1.2-2 cm in diameter, petals with down on the inner surface and claws at the base. Pome nearly spherical or oblong, yellow or orange-yellow, with rusty-colored soft hairs outside that later fall off; fruit size and shape vary by variety. Flowering period October-December, fruiting period May-June of the following year. It is named because it resembles a pipa.

Loquat fruit: round or oval, 2-5 cm in diameter, exocarp yellow or orange-yellow, with soft hairs, with black persistent calyx teeth at the top; after removing the calyx teeth a small empty chamber can be seen. There is a short fruit stalk at the base with rough hairs. The exocarp is thin, the mesocarp is fleshy and 3-7 mm thick, and the endocarp is papery-membranous and brown, containing 1 to many seeds. The odor is slightly fragrant, and the taste is sweet and sour. There are extremely many loquat varieties, which can be divided into two types: red-fleshed loquat and white-fleshed loquat. The former has a long lifespan, strong tree vigor and high yield, but its quality is inferior to the latter; famous varieties include round seed and egg red, etc.; white-fleshed loquat is inferior to red-fleshed loquat in growth and yield, but has excellent quality; famous varieties include round seed, yuzhong and chicken egg white, etc. The seeds can be used to make wine and extract alcohol; the wood is hard and tough, and is used for making wooden combs, wooden sticks and other materials; the leaves and fruit are used medicinally, with effects such as clearing heat, moistening the lungs, and relieving cough and resolving phlegm; the leaves are also steamed to obtain a distillate called "loquat leaf dew," which has effects such as clearing heat, relieving summer heat, and harmonizing the stomach; it is also an excellent nectar-source plant, and among honeys, "loquat honey" is of high quality. The leaves contain saponin, amygdalin, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, tannins, vitamin B1, vitamin C, etc. It has very high medicinal value. The loquat tree shape is neat and beautiful, with large leaves and dense shade, evergreen in all four seasons; in spring it sprouts new leaves covered with white down, in autumn it conceives flowers, in winter it blooms, and in spring it sets fruit and ripens in summer. Among the green leaves, abundant golden pills hang; the ancients called it an excellent fruit.
Ripe loquat fruits also hang on the tree in clusters; each fruit is 3-5 cm long, and round, oval, or long "pipa-shaped." The surface of the loquat is covered with down; when unripe it is green, relatively hard, and has a relatively strong fragrance. After ripening, the outer skin is generally pale yellow, and some are darker, close to orange-red. The flesh is soft and juicy, and can mainly be divided into two types, white and orange; called "white flesh" (white loquat) and "red flesh." Among them, white flesh is sweet and the fruit type is relatively small; red flesh is more sour or quite sour, and relatively larger. Each loquat fruit contains five ovaries, of which one to five develop into brown seeds; artificially developed seedless varieties have no seeds.

Ecological habits of loquat
Loquat can bear fruit normally in places with an annual average temperature above 15°C, and can grow in areas with an average temperature above 12°C. It also has quite strong cold resistance: adult trees can resist low temperatures of -18°C, and flowers can resist low temperatures of -4°C, and the flowering period is long, so it is rarely completely damaged by freezing. In addition, loquat does not have high requirements for soil and sunlight, so it is planted in all places south of the Huai River in China. Besides China, loquat is also planted in Japan, the United States (Hawaii and California), India, Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Spain and other places. Among them, the history of loquat cultivation in Japan dates to the late Edo period, when it was introduced from southern China. The history of loquat cultivation in Japan has exceeded one thousand years.
Distribution area of loquat
The loquat tree is a subtropical tree species. It originated in Fujian, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang and other provinces in China, and is now distributed in central-southern China as well as Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places. It is mostly cultivated as a fruit tree in the provinces south of the Yangtze River. Dongting Mountain in Wuzhong District (Wuxian), Suzhou, Jiangsu (Dongshan Zhaozhong white-fleshed loquat), Tangqi in Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (soft-strip white flesh), Ninghai and Sanmen white loquat, Baokeng in Putian, Fujian (Dazhong/Jiefangzhong), Shexian in Anhui Province is one of China's five major loquat producing areas, and Shufeng Township, Changtai Town and Yunxiao in Putian City, Fujian are also praised as the hometown of loquat in China; a large loquat festival gala is held every March.
Landscape uses of loquat
Loquat has strong adaptability. Besides being planted in parks, it is also often planted in courtyards as a horticultural ornamental plant. The loquat by the shore of Taihu Lake and on the islands in the lake is especially good; because of the water vapor and fog in winter, the winter flowers are protected from cold damage, so every year it bears abundant fruit. Its fruit is edible and sweet; the fruit and leaves can be used medicinally; the wood is reddish-brown, hard and tough, and can be used for walking sticks, wooden hammers, wooden sticks, etc. Loquat can be planted artificially, and can also be grown in greenhouses. Loquat's living habits: loquat likes light, is slightly shade-tolerant, likes a warm climate and fertile, moist, well-drained soil, is slightly cold-tolerant, not tolerant of severe cold, and grows slowly. In areas with an average temperature above 12-15 and winter not lower than -5°C, and during the flowering and young fruit periods not lower than 0°C, it can all grow well. It has a relatively long lifespan; grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit after 4-6 years, enter peak fruiting at around 15 years, and yield decreases after 40 years. Under general conditions it can also be cultivated in Henan Province, but if the fruiting period is below minus 2 degrees, the young fruit will freeze; the suitable cultivation area is the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and areas to the south. Fertile soil is best. It is often used for garden ornamentation, in residential communities, gardens, schools, public institutions, factories, hillsides, courtyards, roadsides, and in front of buildings.
Uses and purposes of loquat: Loquat is soft and juicy, with a sweet flavor and delicate flesh. Eating ripe loquat tastes sweet; the peak production season is March and April each year. Loquat is rich in various nutritional elements needed by the human body and is a nutritious health fruit. Loquat is rich in cellulose, pectin, carotene, malic acid, citric acid, potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, fructose, glucose, and vitamins A, B, and C. Among these, its carotene content ranks third among fruits. It has the functions of protecting eyesight, keeping skin healthy and moist, and promoting children's physical development. The vitamin B17 it contains is also a nutrient that prevents cancer! Therefore, loquat is also called the "crown of fruits"; it can promote appetite and help digestion; it can also prevent cancer and prevent aging. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that loquat is sweet and sour in taste and neutral in nature, and has effects such as moistening the lungs and relieving cough, quenching thirst and harmonizing the stomach, and promoting urination and clearing heat. It is used for lung atrophy with cough and chest tightness with much phlegm. Besides being eaten fresh, loquat flesh is also made into canned syrup or brewed into wine. Besides the fruit, loquat leaves and loquat kernels are also commonly used Chinese medicinal materials. Loquat leaves have the function of clearing lung and stomach heat and directing qi downward to resolve phlegm. Large pieces of loquat leaves are dried and used as medicine, for lung-heat dry cough, stomach pain, nosebleeds, and stomach-heat vomiting; they are also made with other medicinal materials into "Chuanbei Loquat Paste"; loquat kernels are used to treat hernia, eliminate edema, and benefit the joints. But like other related plants, the seeds and new leaves of loquat are slightly toxic; eating them raw releases trace amounts of cyanide, but because they taste bitter, people generally will not eat an amount sufficient to cause harm. Jia Ming of the Yuan dynasty, in Dietary Precautions, mentioned that "wheat should not be eaten together with millet or loquat."
Nutritional analysis1. The organic acids contained in loquat can stimulate the secretion of digestive glands, and have a considerable effect on increasing appetite, helping digestion and absorption, quenching thirst and relieving summer heat. 2. Loquat contains amygdalin, which can moisten the lungs and relieve cough, remove phlegm, and treat various coughs.
3. Loquat fruit and leaves have the effect of inhibiting influenza viruses; eating them often can prevent colds in all four seasons. Loquat is rich in various nutritional elements needed by the human body and is a nutritious health fruit. Loquat is rich in cellulose, pectin, carotene, malic acid, citric acid, potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium and vitamins A, B, and C. Rich vitamin B and carotene have the functions of protecting eyesight, keeping skin healthy and moist, and promoting children's physical development. The vitamin B17 it contains is also a nutrient that prevents cancer! Therefore, loquat is also called the "crown of fruits"; it can promote appetite and help digestion; it can also prevent cancer and prevent aging. Every part of the loquat is a treasure; the tree stem can be used to make Chinese medicine; the leaves can clear heat and treat stomach diseases; the flesh is highly nutritious, and eating it often is very helpful for children's development, and it can also relieve cough, moisten the lungs, clear heat and promote urination.
4. Loquat leaves can be dried to make tea, and have the effects of draining heat and directing qi downward and harmonizing the stomach and lowering rebellious qi. They are a good product for stopping vomiting and can treat various kinds of vomiting and hiccups.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that loquat is sweet and sour in taste and neutral in nature, and has effects such as moistening the lungs and relieving cough, quenching thirst and harmonizing the stomach, and promoting urination and clearing heat. It is used for lung atrophy with cough and chest tightness with much phlegm.
Besides the fruit, loquat leaves and loquat kernels are also commonly used Chinese medicinal materials. Loquat leaves have the function of clearing lung and stomach heat and directing qi downward to resolve phlegm, and are used for lung-heat dry cough, stomach pain, nosebleeds, and stomach-heat vomiting; loquat kernels are used to treat hernia, eliminate edema, and benefit the joints. Loquat is a rare fruit unique to southern China. For more information search loquat tree base; it nourishes buds in autumn, blooms in winter, sets fruit in spring, and ripens in early summer, receiving the rain and dew of the four seasons, and is "the one among fruits that alone possesses the qi of the four seasons"; its flesh is soft and juicy, moderately sweet and sour, and delicious, and is praised as the "emperor among fruits." Loquat is not only delicious and nutritious, but also has high health value. The Compendium of Materia Medica records that "loquat can moisten the five viscera and nourish the heart and lungs." Traditional Chinese medicine traditionally believes that loquat fruit has the effects of resolving phlegm and relieving cough, promoting body fluids and moistening the lungs, and clearing heat and strengthening the stomach. Modern medicine has further proven that loquat fruit contains rich vitamins, amygdalin and white pear alcohol and other anti-cancer and anti-cancer substances. Entering early summer, it is again the season when loquat ripens. Loquat is not only good in taste, but also quite rich in nutrition. According to analysis, its main components include sugars, protein, fat, cellulose, pectin, carotene, tannins, malic acid, citric acid, potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium and vitamins A, B, C, etc. Among them, especially the carotene content is rich, ranking third among fruits. Moreover, the types of sugar it contains are also quite rich, mainly composed of glucose, fructose and sucrose. In addition, the rich vitamin B in loquat plays a very important role in protecting eyesight, keeping skin healthy and moist, and promoting children's physical development. Loquat is cool in nature and sweet-sour in taste, and has the effects of moistening the lungs and relieving cough, quenching thirst, and strengthening the stomach. It is often used for symptoms such as dry throat and thirst, cough with blood, and hiccups. Not only the flesh of loquat can be used as medicine; its kernel, leaves and roots also have medicinal value. Wash fresh loquat and eat it raw, and it can treat discomfort such as dry mouth and thirst. In addition, wash 50g of fresh loquat, peel it, add 5g of rock sugar, simmer for half an hour and take it; it is especially effective for red, swollen and painful throat caused by tonsillitis.
According to analysis by the nutrition department of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, every 100g of the edible portion of loquat fruit contains 0.4g protein, 0.1g fat, 7g carbohydrates, 0.8g crude fiber, 0.5g ash, 22mg calcium, 32mg phosphorus, 0.3mg iron, 3mg vitamin C, and 1.33mg carotenoids. Among these, calcium, phosphorus and carotene are significantly higher than in other common fruits, and it also contains the 8 essential amino acids needed by the human body.Note:It is especially suitable for people with lung atrophy cough, chest tightness with much phlegm, cough with blood due to overexertion, and scurvy patients. People with spleen deficiency and diarrhea and diabetic patients should avoid eating it. Its fruit kernel contains amygdalin and is toxic, so be sure not to eat it by mistake, to avoid harming health and life.ExtractUrsolic acid, also known as wusu acid or wusu acid. Loquat leaf extract ursolic acid content: 25%, 90%, 98% HPLC. Ursolic acid CAS: 77-52-1. Ursolic acid appearance: white fine powder 75179466. Ursolic acid melting point and solubility: mp 283-287°C. Insoluble in water, soluble in ethanol, no foreign matter after dissolution. Ursolic acid alias: wusu acid, wusu acid, belongs to triterpenoid compounds. Ursolic acid molecular formula and molecular weight: C30H48O3; 456.68. Ursolic acid is a triterpenoid compound present in natural plants, with sedative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer, blood sugar-lowering and other biological effects. It has been found to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-promoting cancer, inducing F9 teratoma cell differentiation and anti-angiogenesis effects, and is very likely to become a new type of low-toxicity and high-efficiency anti-cancer drug. In addition, ursolic acid has obvious antioxidant function, so it is widely used as a raw material in medicine and cosmetics. Pharmacological effects of ursolic acid: ursolic acid, also known as wusu acid, wusu acid, belongs to triterpenoid compounds.Loquat juice beverageProcess flow: raw materials → washing → crushing and juicing → screening → heating → blending → canning → exhausting → sealing → sterilization → cooling → packaging → finished product. Key points of process operation. Raw material selection: use mature fresh loquat, or part of the broken pulp selected from the production of loquat in syrup, but it must be fresh and hygienic. Washing: first rinse the surface dust and other impurities of the fruit with running water, then soak in 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 1 minute to achieve disinfection and sterilization. Then rinse clean with running water, and remove pits, stems, moldy and other parts unsuitable for processing. Crushing and juicing: use a pulping machine with a screen hole diameter of 1.5-2.5mm to extract juice, then press the loquat pulp residue through a screw juicer to extract residual juice, add 0.02%-0.04% ascorbic acid to prevent juice oxidation, and quickly carry out heat treatment to inhibit oxidase activity. Heating: after adding 0.02%-0.04% ascorbic acid to the extracted juice, quickly heat it in steam so that the center temperature of the original juice reaches 85-90°C, maintain for 15 seconds, then quickly filter. Screening: filter the above juice while hot through silk cloth, or use a high-speed centrifugal separator to separate coarse particles and coarse fibers, then filter through silk cloth to remove coarse fibers and broken pulp. Blending: according to the specification requirements and sensory needs of fruit juice beverages, add sugar, water, and citric acid to the filtered original juice to make a natural beverage. Canning, exhausting, sealing: bottle the adjusted beverage, heat and exhaust, control the center temperature of the fruit juice beverage at 90°C, maintain for 1-2 minutes, take it out, cool slightly, and quickly seal. Sterilization and cooling: heat the bottled beverage in steam for 15 minutes for sterilization, then quickly cool to room temperature, and it is the finished product. In order to prevent browning of the fruit juice beverage, the contact between juice and air should be minimized throughout the production process, and direct contact between juice and metal materials should be avoided as much as possible. Sensory indicators: uniform light yellow color, no sediment, pure taste, sweet and sour palatable, with obvious fruit aroma.Loquat and white fungus soupIngredients: 100g soaked white fungus, 50g loquat. Seasonings: appropriate amounts of scallion sections, ginger slices, salt, and rock sugar. Method: Wash the white fungus, wash the loquat, remove seeds, and slice. Pour an appropriate amount of cold water into a casserole, add white fungus, scallion sections, [8] ginger slices, and cook over high heat for 30 minutes. Remove the white fungus, drain, and tear into small pieces. Wash the original pot, pour in an appropriate amount of boiling water, add loquat, white fungus, salt, and rock sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the cooked ingredients into a bowl, place in a steamer, and steam until the white fungus is soft and tender. If fresh loquat is unavailable, canned loquat can be used instead.
Selection and preservationWhen selecting loquat, choose ones that are large and uniform, obovate in shape, with orange-yellow peel, complete fuzz, juicy, thin peel and thick flesh, and no green fruit. Loquat should not be placed in the refrigerator; storing it in a dry and ventilated place is sufficient. If soaked in cold water, sugar water, or salt water, it can prevent discoloration. Never eat unripe loquat.
Variety classification of loquat
Production areas and varieties. Loquat production areasTangqi in Zhejiang, Sanmen, Huangyan, Ninghai, She County in Anhui Province, Putian in Fujian Province and Yunxiao County in Zhangzhou City, and Dongxishan in Wu County, Jiangsu (Wuzhong District, Suzhou), are collectively known as the six major loquat production areas in the country.Hangzhou Tangqi loquatTangqi loquat is mainly produced in Tangqi Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou City. Tangqi loquat has a beautiful fruit shape, golden color, large fruit and thick flesh, juicy and sweet, sweet and sour palatable, good flavor, and rich nutrition. In May, Jiangnan is verdant, silkworms are old and loquats are yellow. Tangqi loquat blooms in early winter, and the flowers are extremely fragrant. Each flower cluster consists of 60-90 small flowers, and the fruit ripens in May. In the depths of winter and the twelfth lunar month, when a hundred flowers wither, loquat flowers bloom in the cold, as white as jade, and have long been loved by literati and painters of past dynasties, who called it "loquat dawn green." According to historical records, Tangqi began planting as early as the Sui Dynasty, with a history of nearly 1400 years. Because of its excellent variety, superior quality, and unique flavor, it has been listed as a tribute since the Tang Dynasty. It was already quite prosperous in the Tang Dynasty and had certain cultivation, storage, and transportation techniques, regarding loquat as a "precious fruit." According to historical records, Tangqi loquat was first planted in the Sui Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and reached its peak in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Tangqi ranked first among the ten famous towns in Jiangnan and was known as "a land of beauties in Jiangnan."She County Santan loquatSantan loquat in She County, Anhui has long been famous and was a tribute in history.Lanxi Hongnishan loquatOn May 25, 2011, at the first Zhejiang Agricultural Guinness Loquat Competition held in Nubu Street, Lanxi City, Lanxi "Hongnishan" loquat became "the sweetest loquat in the province." Hongnishan loquat won: "First Prize in the Zhejiang Agricultural Guinness Loquat Competition." The competition used soluble solids content as the main quantitative indicator, tested with a digital measuring instrument conforming to national standards, and notarized on site by notary personnel. The competition attracted 11 loquat professional cooperatives and leading agricultural enterprises from Jinhua, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Hangzhou and other places to compete. After on-site testing by experts from the Provincial Department of Agriculture, the loquat of the Hongnishan Loquat Professional Cooperative in Nubu Street won first place with a sugar content of 18.1, the loquat of the Muwu Loquat Professional Cooperative won second place with a sugar content of 16.4, and the loquat of the Tangjia Loquat Professional Cooperative in Huangyan, Taizhou won third place with a sugar content of 15.0.Other varieties. Loquat belongs to the genus Eriobotrya in the Rosaceae family. This genus has more than 20 species, 14 of which are native to China, most native to the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the mountainous areas of the southwest. The main ones are:
1. Common loquat
Common loquat is an evergreen small tree, 6-10m tall, with gray-brown, rough trunk, new shoots densely covered with fuzz, leaves obovate or long elliptical, nearly sessile, leathery, with rusty tomentum on the leaf underside, and serrated incisions on the leaf margin. Paniculate inflorescence, small white flowers, calyx and petals 5 each, stamens numerous, style 5-cleft, ovary inferior, 5 locules, 2 ovules each. Fruit large, orange-red or orange-yellow. Seeds 2-6. All cultivated varieties belong to this species. Characteristic is winter flowers and summer fruit. Native species are distributed in Shaanxi, Hubei, Sichuan and other places.2. Taiwan loquatTaiwan loquat, also known as red-leaf loquat, is native to Hengchun, Taiwan, China. Leaves thin, fruit small, round, ripening in October, sweet and edible, effective in treating febrile diseases, weak cold resistance. Can be used as rootstock. Its characteristic is summer flowers and autumn fruit. Distributed in Taiwan, China and Guangdong.3. South Asian loquatSouth Asian loquat, also known as Yunnan loquat or smooth-leaf loquat, has native species in Yunnan and northern India. Evergreen large tree
. Leaves smooth and hairless on both sides, glossy, petiole 2-3cm long. Flowers have hawthorn fragrance. Fruit small, elliptical. Seeds 1-2. Characteristic is winter flowers and summer fruit.4. Large-flowered loquatLarge-flowered loquat has native species in western Sichuan. Leaf margin revolute, initially with fuzz, later falling off, petiole 2.5-4.0cm long. Flowers large, diameter 2.0-2.5cm, pistils 3. Fruit relatively large, nearly round, orange-red, smooth. Seeds 1-2. Distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian. Characteristic is spring flowers and autumn fruit.5. Oak-leaf loquatOak-leaf loquat is produced in Mengzi, Yunnan and western Sichuan. Small tree. Leaf underside densely covered with prostrate gray fuzz. Ovary semi-superior. Fruit small, ovate, thin flesh but edible. Single pit (1 seed). Characteristic is autumn flowers and summer fruit.6. Nujiang loquatNujiang loquat is produced along the banks of the Nujiang River in Yunnan. Small tree. Leaf surface glossy, leaf underside with yellow long soft hairs. Fruit spherical. Single pit (1 seed). Ripens from June to August. Characteristic is spring flowers and autumn fruit. As far as varieties are concerned, red-fleshed types have thick peel that is easy to peel, sweet taste and coarse texture, suitable for canning. White-fleshed types have thin peel and thick flesh, fine texture and sweet taste, suitable for fresh eating. Famous loquat varieties include: "Ruantiao Baisha" from Yuhang, Zhejiang, with white flesh and sweet taste; "Jiefangzhong" from Putian, Fujian, with thick and tender flesh, juicy and delicious; "Zhaozhong Baisha" from Wu County, Jiangsu, with abundant juice, fine texture, and fresh sweet flavor.
Original varieties
Jiefangzhong: A famous variety, selected in 1949. Fruit extra large, average 61.04g, but due to poor early fruiting, bearing fruit four years after planting, prone to fruit cracking, susceptible to sunburn, and especially with a relatively light and sour flavor, quality obviously inferior to Dawuxing. It was eliminated in the mid-1980s in Longquanyi District, Chengdu, and development has basically stopped in its place of origin Fujian. It can be developed in moderation in new loquat areas, but production scale should not be blindly expanded. Luoyangqing: A famous domestic variety. Average fruit weight 32.g, good high-yield performance, but fruit acidity is high, fruit shape is relatively small, appearance is poor, and commercial performance is poor. It can be developed in moderation as a processing variety, but areas mainly focused on fresh eating should not blindly start it. Dahongpao: Fruit shape is relatively small, no longer developed. Dongting loquat: Average fruit weight 30.2g, mild taste, more sour than sweet, relatively poor quality, not suitable for further expansion of planting scale. Zaozhong No. 6: Early-maturing variety, average fruit weight 25-30g, but the fruit is small and the flavor is light, the selling price is average, development has stopped in its place of origin Fujian, and it can be developed in small amounts in new areas. Baisha loquat (Baiyu loquat): Relatively good quality, but the fruit is relatively small, average fruit weight 25-30g, and the flavor becomes lighter after overripening. It can be developed in moderation. Changhong No. 3: Fruit weight 34.05g, fruit flavor relatively light, tree prone to premature aging, not suitable for large-scale development. 8 "Guangronghua." "Dahongpao" has yellow skin but the flesh reveals red, while "Guangronghua" is named because an obvious five-pointed star grows at the flower base. First-grade loquat has only about 20 fruits per kilogram, and Miantan Village in the Santan loquat production area of She County even cultivated a "loquat king" with only 10 fruits per kilogram.Five-star brand. Early Five-starKing of early-maturing loquat - Early Five-star. Selected by scientific and technical personnel in Longquanyi District, Chengdu from seedling trees, average fruit weight 66g, extremely early-maturing, generally ripening around April 10 in the Chengdu area, about 20 days earlier than Dawuxing, with a maturity period comparable to Zaozhong No. 6, but the average fruit weight is obviously one to two grades larger than Zaozhong No. 6, and other traits are basically the same as Dawuxing. The number of seedlings of this variety is extremely small and very precious.Late Five-starKing of late-maturing loquat - Late Five-star (Red Lantern). This variety was selected in 1987 by scientific and technical personnel in Longquanyi District, Chengdu from seedling trees in Meiman Village of the district, originally numbered 87-1-8. It passed expert appraisal in 2001 and was named Red Lantern, but locally in Longquanyi District, most fruit farmers call this variety Late Five-star or Chi Five-star. This variety has moderate tree vigor and upright tree posture. Leaves medium-large, dark green, new leaf surface densely covered with white tomentum (one of the important characteristics of this variety). Flower formation is extremely easy and extremely high-yielding; the flower formation rate of summer shoots produced in the same year after fruit harvest is above 80%, with 5-10 fruits per cluster. Generally, it tries to flower and bear fruit in the second year after planting, officially enters production in the third year, average yield per tree of 5-year-old trees is 25kg, yield per tree of 11-year-old trees is 75kg, and calculated at an average of 111 trees per mu, the average yield per mu of a 5-year-old orchard is 2750kg. It is 161% higher than the yield of an orchard of the same age of Zaozhong No. 6, and 136.2% higher than the yield of an orchard of the same age of Jiefangzhong. Fruit ovate or nearly round, extremely large, average fruit weight 65.3g. Peel orange-red, fruit surface with no rust spots or very few, fruit powder medium-thick, bright and beautiful. Flesh orange-red, flesh extremely thick, average flesh thickness 1.21cm, flesh tender, juice especially abundant, flavor strongly sweet. According to determination by the Central Laboratory of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, soluble solids content is 13.5%, edible rate 76%. This variety has extremely strong drought resistance. In most years, Longquanyi District, Chengdu has severe spring drought, but Late Five-star orchards planted on thin rocky mountain soil in Longquan Mountain can obtain relatively good harvests every year. No fruit cracking or pre-harvest fruit drop has been found in this variety, and under the condition of no bagging, it does not produce sunburned fruit, whereas Jiefangzhong, if not bagged, suffers very severe sunburn. This variety is extremely late-maturing, generally beginning to mature in early June in normal years, and the latest batch of fruit can be harvested in late June, 20 days later than the maturity period of Dawuxing, and more than 10 days later than the famous late-maturing loquat variety Jiefangzhong, which is favorable for filling market gaps, and the market price is 50-100% higher than Dawuxing. Late Five-star loquat is one of the latest-maturing loquat varieties and is in the early stage of development. Even in its place of origin, Longquanyi District, Chengdu, the cultivation area is less than 100 mu, and the production area is less than 50 mu.Yellow Five-starNewly bred superior variety - Yellow Five-star. Newly bred, sweetness slightly higher than Dawuxing, the five-pointed star at the calyx depression of the fruit is smaller, and other traits are basically the same as Dawuxing.DawuxingKing of loquat - Dawuxing loquat. Dawuxing loquat is the newest variety bred through seedling selection in Longquanyi District, Chengdu, and is a major achievement in loquat breeding since the founding of the People's Republic of China. This variety has the following characteristics: extra-large fruit and good commercial performance. After fruit thinning, average fruit weight 81g, maximum 194g, currently the largest-fruited loquat variety in China. The fruit surface of Dawuxing loquat is extremely beautiful. It obviously exceeds famous varieties such as Jiefangzhong and Luoyangqing (according to the latest test on May 9, 2001, after strict fruit thinning, average fruit weight 80.91g, maximum fruit weight 206g; in orchards without fruit thinning, average fruit weight 66g, maximum fruit weight 173g). Tree vigor moderate, good early fruiting performance, extremely high-yielding. Generally, it tries to flower and bear fruit in the second year after planting, two years earlier than the production time of Jiefangzhong. Plant 222 trees or 111 trees per mu. If flowers and fruits are not thinned, yield per mu can reach 5000kg, but in order to ensure the commercial performance of this variety, a large amount of flower and fruit thinning is required every year, generally more than 2/3 of flowers and fruits need to be thinned, and maintaining 2000kg per mu is sufficient. In addition, stable yield performance is also good; under normal management levels, there is almost no alternate bearing or the alternate bearing is not obvious. Flavor strongly sweet, high sugar content, top-grade quality, overcoming the shortcoming of Jiefangzhong's relatively sour flavor. Sugar 11.5-12.6 degrees, soluble solids 13.5-14.8%, flavor obviously exceeds famous domestic varieties such as Jiefangzhong, and it is the best variety for producing high-grade fresh loquat fruit. On May 15-16, 2000, a large company, after inspecting domestic loquat production areas such as Fujian and Zhejiang, came to Longquanyi and Tongliang to inspect Dawuxing loquat. Tested with its own sugar meter, the sugar degree of fresh Dawuxing fruit reached 13.2 degrees, so it gave Dawuxing the highest evaluation, considering this variety to be the one with the best comprehensive traits at present. Strong stress resistance, wide adaptability, simple management, few pests and diseases, low production cost, suitable for vigorous development in all loquat production areas in the south. According to feedback after introduction and trial planting in nine southern provinces and regions, the performance of Dawuxing in each province exceeded all local varieties, with especially excellent performance in Guangdong and Guangxi. Its quality, flavor, and yield obviously exceeded those in Sichuan, and it was not affected at all in the severe freeze damage at the end of 1999. Fruit hardness is high, peel toughness is strong, resistant to storage and transportation. It can be stored and transported for more than 10 days at room temperature and can be stored for two months under cold storage conditions. If air-transported from Chengdu to the Shanghai market, the good fruit rate can be maintained above 99.5%. Therefore, it is conducive to occupying the northern market. The fruit harvest period is long; generally from the first batch of fruit coming to market to the end of harvest, the whole period is more than 20 days, greatly alleviating sales pressure. Edible rate is high, color golden yellow, appearance attractive. According to statistics on May 12, 2000, the edible rate reached 75.62%, obviously exceeding Jiefangzhong and Zaozhong No. 6. In addition, the fruit surface is golden yellow with few spots, which is conducive to entering supermarkets as high-grade fruit.
Off-season marketing. Generally matures in early May in the Chengdu area, half a month earlier than Jiefangzhong. It matures in late April in southern Hunan, southern Guizhou, and southern Jiangxi, and in mid-April in Guangxi and Guangdong. At this time, a hundred fruits are not yet ripe, exactly filling the gap of other fruits, so the economic value is extremely high. This variety is newly bred, and whether in appearance, fruit weight, or in high yield, quality, stress resistance and other aspects, it greatly exceeds famous varieties such as Jiefangzhong, Luoyangqing, Taicheng No. 4, Dahongpao, Tianzhong, Maomu, Zaozhong No. 6, and Moriowase, and won a silver medal at the "99 Kunming World Horticultural Exposition" (the highest award among loquat varieties). On June 10, 2000, the selected Dawuxing won the Golden Elephant Award at the "21st Century Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Science and Technology Achievement Expo" hosted by the Thai Agricultural Economics Association and the Taiwan Agricultural Product Development Research Center.

Other classifications
Loquat, along with cherry and bayberry, are collectively called the three sisters of early summer, with more than two hundred varieties. In terms of maturity period, loquat can be divided into early, middle, and late types. Early-maturing varieties can come to market in May, middle-maturing varieties appear in large numbers in June, and late-maturing varieties can extend to early July.
According to fruit shape, there are round-fruited and long-fruited types. Generally, round-fruited types contain more seeds, while long-fruited types mostly have fewer seeds or a single seed.
According to fruit color, they are also divided into red-fleshed and white-fleshed types. Red-fleshed loquat is called "golden pill" because of its golden peel, as written by Lu You in the Song Dynasty: "It is hard to learn from the powerful to pile up fire together, and rather follow the young lord to pick up golden pills." White-fleshed loquat has jade-colored flesh, which the ancients called "wax pill," just as Guo Zhengxiang of the Song Dynasty wrote: "Each loquat still tastes sour, northerners once viewed it as a stamen branch. I do not know what can truly compare, I only fear sending a flying letter to entrust a wax pill." The former has a long lifespan, strong tree vigor, and high yield, but its quality is inferior to the latter. Famous varieties include Yuanzhong and Jidanhong; Baisha loquat is inferior to Hongsha loquat in growth and yield, but has excellent quality. Famous varieties include Yuanzhong, Yuzhong, and Jidanbai.
As far as varieties are concerned, red-fleshed types have thick peel that is easy to peel, sweet taste and coarse texture, suitable for canning. White-fleshed types have thin peel and thick flesh, fine texture and sweet taste, suitable for fresh eating. Famous loquat varieties include: "Ruantiao Baisha" from Yuhang, Zhejiang, with white flesh and sweet taste; "Jiefangzhong" from Putian, Fujian, with thick and tender flesh, juicy and delicious; "Zhaozhong Baisha" from Wu County, Jiangsu, with abundant juice, fine texture, and fresh sweet flavor.

Dietary therapy or medicinal value of loquat
The medical information and health dietary therapy information on Hugarden are for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. Any health problems should be consulted with professional medical personnel, and treatment of any disease should follow medical advice.
Ultimate flower care task: love yourself, start from reality, and follow medical advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope, face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with your heart.
Medicinal value
Fruit: sweet and sour in taste, neutral in nature; seed: bitter in taste, neutral in nature, enters the lung and stomach meridians;
Fruit: clears the lungs, promotes fluid production, and quenches thirst; seed: removes phlegm, relieves cough, harmonizes the stomach, and directs qi downward;
Mainly used to treat conditions such as lung heat and cough, chronic unrelieved cough, dry throat and thirst, and insufficient stomach qi.
For cough: 9-15 grams of loquat seeds, crush, add 3 slices of ginger, decoct in water, remove residue and take, once each in the morning and evening.
Suitable population
1. Especially suitable for people with lung atrophy and cough, chest tightness with excessive phlegm, consumptive injury with blood ejection, and scurvy;
2. People with spleen deficiency and diarrhea and diabetic patients should avoid eating it.
Notes on selecting and eating loquat

When selecting loquat, choose ones that are large and uniform, obovate in shape, with orange-yellow peel, complete fuzz, juicy, thin peel and thick flesh, and no green fruit.

If loquat is placed in the refrigerator, it will turn black due to excessive moisture. Generally, storing it in a dry and ventilated place is sufficient.

Because loquat contains polyphenolic components, after peeling, it is prone to browning and discoloration. Soaking in cold water, sugar water, or salt water can prevent discoloration.

Never eat unripe loquat.

Diabetic patients should avoid eating it, and people with spleen deficiency and slippery diarrhea should eat less or not eat it.
Brief introduction to dietary therapy. Effects:Moistens the lungs and directs qi downward; quenches thirst.Textual research:From "Mingyi Bielu."Main indications:Lung heat cough and asthma, vomiting, irritability and thirst, chronic unrelieved cough, yin deficiency and lung dryness, hemoptysis; stomach yin insufficiency, dry throat and thirst, loss of harmony and descent of qi, dry retching and unwillingness to eat, etc.Properties:Fruit: sweet and sour in taste, slightly sour, neutral in nature. Clears the lungs, promotes fluid production, and quenches thirst. Seed: bitter in taste, neutral in nature, enters the lung and stomach meridians, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, removes phlegm and relieves cough, harmonizes the stomach and directs qi downward.Reference:The flesh contains sugar, protein, fat, pectin, carotene, vitamin B1.C, tartaric acid, malic acid, citric acid and other components.Usage:Eat raw, make into paste, or decoct in water.Supplementary formulas:Loquat fruit includes both flesh and seed. The former can moisten the lungs and relieve cough, while the latter can resolve phlegm and relieve cough, together achieving the effects of moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, and directing qi downward. Used for dryness-heat in the lung meridian, cough with phlegm. Selected dietary therapy prescriptions. Treating dry lung cough: eat 5 fresh loquat fruits each time, twice a day. Treating lung cancer with heat-type cough, purulent phlegm, and hemoptysis: 15g loquat leaves (60g fresh), 100g japonica rice, a little rock sugar. First wrap the loquat leaves in cloth and decoct, take the concentrated juice and remove residue. Or brush off the fuzz on the underside of fresh loquat leaves, cut finely, decoct the juice and remove residue, add japonica rice to cook porridge. After the porridge is done, add a little rock sugar and take as a meal. Treating stomach cancer with incessant hiccups and inability to eat: 20g loquat leaves, 25g dried tangerine peel, 15g honey-fried licorice, 3 slices ginger, decoct in water and take, twice a day. Treating stomach cancer with lung metastasis, vomiting and hiccups, cough, and spontaneous sweating: several fresh loquat leaves, 250g glutinous rice. Soak the glutinous rice in clean water overnight, remove the fuzz from fresh loquat leaves, wash and wrap zongzi, steam and eat. 1-2 times a day, for 3-4 consecutive days. Treating cough, jaundice, and preventing influenza: 60g loquat leaves (brushed clean of hairs), decoct in water and take in two divided doses. Treating diabetes: 60g loquat root, decoct in water and take. Treating jaundice: 120g loquat root, decoct in water, add an appropriate amount of brown sugar, take warm, once a day, for four consecutive days. Cough: 9-15g loquat seeds, crush, add 3 slices ginger, decoct in water, remove residue and take, once each in the morning and evening. Loquat cough-relieving soup: 100g loquat (fruit), split open into two halves, crush the seeds, add water and decoct. Treating stomach heat: [Formula] 15 loquats. [Preparation] Put the loquats into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and decoct over gentle heat. [Administration] Take in divided doses every morning and evening. Treating hernia: [Formula] 10-20g loquat seeds. [Preparation] Crush the loquat seeds, put into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and decoct over gentle heat. [Administration] Take twice a day. Loquat for weight loss. Loquat is rich in crude fiber and mineral elements. Every 100 grams of loquat flesh contains 0.4g protein and 6.6g carbohydrates, and contains vitamin B1 and vitamin C. It is a very effective fruit for weight loss. Traditional Chinese medicine theory believes that weight loss should be based on strengthening the spleen, promoting diuresis, and resolving phlegm, and loquat has these effects, so it is a very good fruit for weight loss. The following introduces two ways to eat loquat: Loquat paste. Ingredients: 500g loquat flesh, 600g rock sugar. Preparation: Put the rock sugar into boiling water and cook until dissolved, add loquat flesh and continue cooking until thick paste-like. Loquat porridge. Ingredients: loquat, chrysanthemum, gypsum, japonica rice. Method: Wrap the above medicinal materials in cloth, then put into a pot, add water and decoct; then add japonica rice and cook into porridge. Usage: Take three times a day, for half a month. Effects: Both loquat and chrysanthemum have the effect of clearing the stomach and purging the lungs, and can treat acne caused by accumulated heat in the lungs and stomach. Loquat wine. Ingredients: 0.8L low-alcohol glutinous rice wine with alcohol content 10-12, 600g loquat, 2g clove, 6g vanilla bean, 10g lemon peel, 450g white granulated sugar, 1.1L cold boiled water. Preparation: Put the sugar into a pot, add a small amount of boiling water to fully dissolve it, then add washed, peeled, and pitted loquat, soak for 2 hours, then add crushed vanilla bean, stir evenly; wash the lemon peel, soak in warm water for 30 minutes, cut into shreds; take a clean container and put in the wine, then add the lemon shreds, stir evenly, soak for 30 minutes; take a clean container, put in the loquat mixture, then add the lemon mixture, stir evenly, finally pour in cold boiled water, stir evenly. #5 After standing, store for 1-2 months, filter and remove residue.WineIngredients: loquat, rock sugar, low-alcohol white liquor
Method: For those not peeled, remove both ends; score lines on the surface, add rock sugar; use low-alcohol white liquor around 30-40 degrees, soaked for nearly three months.Nature and flavor:Sweet and sour, cool. 1. "Shu Bencao": "The Tujing says, sweet and sour in taste." 2. "Kaibao Bencao": "Sweet in taste, cold, non-toxic."Meridian entry: "Bencao Qiuzhen": "Enters the spleen and lungs, and also enters the liver."Functions and indications: Moistens the lungs, quenches thirst, directs qi downward. Treats lung atrophy cough with blood ejection, epistaxis, dry thirst, and vomiting. "Bencao Gangmu": "Quenches thirst and directs qi downward, benefits lung qi, stops vomiting and thirst phlegm." "Bencao Xinbian": "Loquat leaf, bitter in taste, neutral in qi, non-toxic. Enters the lung meridian, stops cough, directs qi downward, eliminates incessant vomiting and hiccups, and also relieves thirst. When using, remove the hairs, but only use it to stop cough due to yin deficiency; other coughs should not use it." "Bencao Fengyuan": It must be extremely ripe to have the effect of quenching thirst, directing qi downward, and moistening the five viscera. If it retains a raw sour taste, its power can help the liver attack the spleen, and eating it causes abdominal fullness and diarrhea. Meng Shen: Benefits the five viscera. Cui Yuxi "Shijing": Directs qi downward, stops vomiting and hiccups. "Rihua Zi": Treats lung qi, moistens the five viscera, directs qi downward, stops vomiting and hiccups, and thirst diseases. "Diannan Bencao": Treats lung atrophy and consumptive injury with blood ejection, cough and expectoration, asthma and roaring. Also treats pediatric convulsion and fever.CautionJia Ming of the Yuan Dynasty mentioned in "Yinshi Xuzhi" that "wheat should not be eaten with millet or loquat." "Suixiju Yinshipu": Eating too much helps dampness and generates phlegm; those with spleen deficiency and slippery diarrhea should avoid it. Loquat leaf is also a kind of Chinese medicine. Large loquat leaves are dried and used as medicine, with the functions of clearing lung and stomach heat and directing qi downward to resolve phlegm. They are often made with other medicinal materials into "Chuanbei Loquat Paste." However, like other related plants, the seeds and new leaves of loquat are slightly toxic, and eating them raw releases trace amounts of cyanide, but because of their bitter taste, people generally will not eat a harmful amount. Li Shizhen, a medical scientist of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in "Bencao Gangmu": "Loquat is an excellent product and good medicine for harmonizing the stomach, directing qi downward, clearing heat, and relieving summer heat." Because of its miraculous effects, loquat was rated as the "crown of fruits" and was often used as tribute in history. Loquat flowers and leaves can both be used as medicine. Loquat leaves have the functions of clearing the lungs and harmonizing the stomach, directing qi downward, and resolving phlegm, and are an important medicine for treating lung qi cough. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Lin Xiechun, a worthy of Yunxiao who successively served as compiler of the Hanlin Academy, right counselor of the Huguang Surveillance Commission, Liangzhe joint administrator, and deputy commissioner of Huguang military defense, described planting loquat in many places in his manuscript "Yunshan Jushi Ji" (recorded in Ming History: Yiwenzhi). In the "Yunshan Academy," a temple in Yunxiao dedicated to Lin Xiechun, 260 medical divination slips are set up, many of which have prescriptions using loquat leaves as medicine. It can be seen that Yunxiao already produced loquat abundantly in the Ming Dynasty, and its functions were well known to the common people. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Qiu Jin's grandfather Qiu Jiahe twice (1878 and 1889) served as subprefect in Yunxiao, and often placed locally abundant loquat flowers, loquat leaves, and loquat roots in his residence for the common people to boil water and drink, in order to nourish yin and reduce fire, clear the lungs and resolve phlegm, and treat colds, cough, excessive heat in the lungs and stomach, and dry mouth and tongue. He often said to the people: "This is a folk medicine; it saves money and can also treat illness."Food incompatibilitiesJia Ming of the Yuan Dynasty mentioned in "Yinshi Xuzhi" that "wheat should not be eaten with millet or loquat." Small prescription for preventing and treating influenzaFormula: 15 grams of loquat leaves.
Preparation: Remove the hairs from the loquat leaves, wash, put into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water and decoct, and it is done.
Administration: Take for 3 consecutive days.Cough treatment plan one
Formula: 12 loquats, 30 grams rock sugar. Preparation: Peel and pit the loquats, put into a pot with rock sugar, add an appropriate amount of water and decoct, and it is done.
Administration: One dose daily, for 5 consecutive days.Plan two
Formula: 30 grams loquat, appropriate amount rock sugar.
Preparation: Remove the outer shell of loquat seeds, sun-dry, crush, put into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water and decoct for 10-15 minutes, remove residue, then add rock sugar, and it is done.
Administration: Take twice a day.
Effects: Most suitable for people with cough and excessive phlegm.Treating lung heat cough
Formula: Several loquats.
Preparation: Peel the loquats and eat raw.
Formula: Administration: 10-15 per day, divided into 2-3 times.
Treating stomach heat
Formula: 15 loquats.
Preparation: Put the loquats into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and decoct over gentle heat.
Administration: Take in divided doses every morning and evening.

Loquat cultivation techniques. Cultivation methods1. Loquat planting should choose flat, high-yield dry land that has been cultivated for years, with deep and loose soil, fertile, and rich in organic matter. Soil pH 6.0 is most suitable. The selection of land must consider water sources, ensuring that the orchard can be irrigated from November each year to May of the following year, and that transportation and shipping are convenient. Land that is low-lying and prone to water accumulation should not be chosen. Before planting, deeply plow more than 30cm throughout. 2. If irrigation conditions exist, planting is suitable in February-March; if there are no irrigation conditions, planting should be in mid-June (early rainy season). 3. In warm climates, loquat trees grow quickly, and the planting density should be 960.5 plants/hm, with row spacing 3m x 3.5m, and production can begin 3 years after planting. After a certain number of years, thinning should be carried out, which is conducive to management and obtaining early high yield. 4. In September-October of the year before planting, while the soil is moist, dig planting pits 60cm deep, 80cm wide at the mouth, and 70cm wide at the bottom, and separate the topsoil and subsoil when stacking. Apply 30kg farmyard manure or sugar mud and 0.8kg calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer as base fertilizer to each planting pit, mix with topsoil and apply into the planting hole, then backfill all the original subsoil. The backfilling work must be completed 2 months before planting loquat seedlings, so that the base fertilizer is fully decomposed and the filled soil settles. Transplanting seedlings should choose those free of pests and diseases, with dark green leaves, well-developed root systems, graft union thickness above 1cm, good healing at the graft union, and 45-50cm above the graft union (preferably branched). When planting, the root neck of the seedling should be level with the ground and not too deep. Some leaves and tender branches should be cut off to reduce evaporation. When planting, let fine soil fully contact the root system, compact the soil around the roots, and each plant must be watered with about 20L of settling water. After the water seeps down, cover with a layer of fine soil. Set the trunk at 45-50cm above the ground.Strengthen young tree managementIn the first year after planting, apply 10%-30% human manure and urine 3-4 times; in the second year, apply 15kg farmyard manure or decomposed sugar mud and 0.8kg compound fertilizer per plant; pay attention to preventing and controlling pests and diseases. Acidic soil should be treated with an appropriate amount of lime to promote vigorous growth of young trees. For the shoots produced by young trees in the same year, select 1 branch as the trunk, keep 4-5 branches to cultivate as the first layer of main branches; when the trunk grows 50cm from the first layer of main branches, pinch the tip to promote the sprouting of whorled branches to cultivate 3-4 second-layer main branches. When the trunk grows another 50cm from the second layer of main branches, pinch the tip again to promote the sprouting of whorled branches to cultivate 3-4 third-layer main branches; when the main branches grow to 70cm, pull them into horizontal branches and pinch the tips to promote the sprouting of secondary main branches and dwarf the crown. After two and a half years of cultivation, branching reaches 6-7 levels. After unified trunk setting, the first shoots produced are 4-5, cultivated as first-level main branches. On each main branch, 3-4 first shoots are produced to form second secondary main branches. On each secondary main branch, 2-3 shoots are further produced to form third-level backbone branches, and then fruiting branch groups are cultivated on the backbone branches.Promoting and controlling flower bud differentiationGirdling, branch pulling, and lightly bending and injuring branches to promote and control flower bud differentiation. In late June, make 2-3 girdles on the trunk, use 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder 50 times solution to smear the wounds to prevent pathogen infection; in June-July, pull all main and side branches with branch diameter above 1cm and branch length above 70cm to form an angle of 50-55 degrees with the trunk, branch tips to develop horizontally, so that branches grow obliquely and slightly droop; other branches are twisted and rubbed to change the growth direction of the branches, so as to facilitate flower bud formation. 4.2 Fertilizer and water to promote and control flower bud differentiation. From June to August, do not apply nitrogen fertilizer, and appropriately increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; from June to August after branch pulling and before flower bud formation, if vigorous branch growth still cannot be controlled, spray the leaf surface with a mixed solution of 600-800 times potassium dihydrogen phosphate and boric acid 2-3 times. From June to September, for vigorously growing loquat trees, open ditches to drain rainwater, reduce soil moisture, appropriately cut off some root groups in the topsoil, and reduce moisture in the branches. 4.3 Use regulators to promote and control flower bud differentiation. Use paclobutrazol (PP333) soil application 0.5g/m + foliar spraying 1000mg/L, treat once each around June 20 and 30; or spray paclobutrazol 1000mg/L on the leaf surface once each month from June to August, so that summer shoots quickly stop growing, increase cell sap concentration and C/N concentration, and promote flower bud formation.Fertilization managementFertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer, with balanced fertilization. Producing loquat orchards should apply 25kg farmyard manure and 2kg compound fertilizer with N, P, and K contents each 15% per plant each year. Flower spikes begin to appear in September-October, and the fertilization amount should account for 20%-30% of the annual fertilization amount; after fruit thinning, mainly compound mixed fertilizer with potassium fertilizer, accounting for 20%-30% of the annual fertilization amount; 1 week before and after mass fruit harvest, mainly organic fertilizer with nitrogen fertilizer, accounting for 40%-50% of the annual fertilization amount. Remove flower spikes that are too small in the crown, improperly positioned, or too numerous in flower buds. When the support axes have just separated, cut off most of the support axes of the flower spike, leaving only 2-3 relatively robust support axes in the middle; carry out fruit thinning when the quality of fruit development can be distinguished, leaving more on strong branches and fewer on weak branches, leaving young fruits in the middle section of the fruit spike with similar flowering periods and uniform size, and the retained fruits should not be scattered. For large-fruited Zaozhong No. 6 and Jiefangzhong, leave 3-5 fruits per spike; for medium-fruited Changhong No. 3, leave 4-6 fruits per spike. In order to prevent uneven fruit color and scabbing of the peel caused by direct sunlight exposure, spray an insecticide and fungicide once after the last fruit thinning, make paper bags of appropriate size from kraft paper for fruit spike bagging, make the paper bag bulge when bagging to avoid the fruit touching the paper bag, and tie the bag opening with fine iron wire.Preventing pests and diseasesPests and diseases mainly include leaf spot disease, sooty leaf disease, branch brown rot, loquat shoot borer, pear fruit moth, red spider, and bat. To prevent leaf spot disease and sooty leaf disease, start spraying fungicides to protect leaves when the leaves of each new shoot grow to half their size. Generally use equal Bordeaux mixture 0.5%-0.6%, 50% dimethirimol wettable powder or 50% carbendazim wettable powder, or 75% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder, or 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder 800-1000 times solution spray, once every 10-15 days, for a total of 2 times. To prevent branch brown rot, strengthen fertilizer and water management, enhance tree vigor, promptly scrape off diseased spots when found and burn the diseased bark, apply 50% carbendazim wettable powder 200 times solution to the scraped wound, and after drying apply Bordeaux mixture to promote wound healing; if the diseased spot area is large and scraping is difficult, use a sharp knife to make 1 vertical cut every 2cm on the bark reaching the xylem, and apply 1:15 concentrated alkali water; for unaffected branches, spray 50% thiram wettable powder 600 times solution once every 15 days, for 3 consecutive times, for prevention. In winter, use lime slurry to whitewash the trunk, and use 50% fenitrothion emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution, 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000-1500 times solution, and 5% hexythiazox wettable powder 1000-2000 times solution spray for control, which can effectively control pests. Bats mainly harm the fruit and can be captured by placing sticky nets in the orchard.Harvest and handling8.1 Timely harvest: harvest the fruit when it is fully colored, shows the color inherent to the variety, is fully ripe, and at its best quality. Do not harvest under the scorching sun. When harvesting, the fruit must be handled gently; hold the fruit stalk with your hand and carefully cut it off with fruit shears, leaving the stalk shorter than 1 cm, avoiding rubbing off the fuzz on the fruit surface, and not bruising the fruit, so as to prevent browning, which affects appearance and reduces market value. 8.2 Grading and packaging: after harvesting, grade and pack on site in the orchard according to the national standard (GB/T 13867-92 Fresh Loquat Fruit) or according to the buyer's requirements. 8.3 Transport
It requires speed, stability and low temperature. If conditions permit, it is best to use a cold chain system. (Source: Longchuan Agricultural Information Network)
Temperature key pointsThe loquat is native to the subtropics and requires relatively high temperatures. It can grow normally when the annual average temperature is above 12°C, but for commercial cultivation the annual average temperature should be 15-17°C, with no severe cold weather. The loquat flowering period is in late winter and early spring, and low temperatures in winter and spring will affect its flowering and fruiting. At -6°C, damage occurs to the flowers, and at -3°C, damage occurs to the young fruit; pollen begins to germinate above 10°C, and pollen germination is most suitable at around 20°C. However, when the air temperature or soil temperature reaches above 30°C, the growth of branches, leaves and roots is sluggish and poor; if the fruit encounters a high temperature of 35°C 7-15 days before harvest, it is very prone to sunscald damage and may even lose its edible value. The loquat is not demanding about soil and has wide adaptability; it can grow and bear fruit in general soils, but grows better in loose soil containing more sand or gravel.Key points for propagation and plantingIt is mainly propagated by sowing, and can also be grafted. Sowing can be done immediately after seed collection in June. Grafting is generally done mainly by cut grafting, which can be carried out in mid-March or from April to May; the rootstock can be loquat seedlings and Photinia. Planting is done from late March to early April before sprouting, or in the plum rain period from May to June or in October. Transplanted seedlings need to retain many fibrous roots and attached soil to help them survive. The planting site is best in a place facing south with little wind.Key points for fertilizer requirementsNitrogen is one of the elements most required for loquat growth. Increasing nitrogen fertilizer can strengthen tree vigor, delay the flowering period, and also has a certain effect on preventing freeze damage. When nitrogen is sufficient, the tree is vigorous, branches are thick and leaves are large, flower quantity is moderate, and fruits are large with high yield. When nitrogen is excessive, shoots grow excessively; although the fruit is large, its color and taste are both bland and the flesh is rather hard. When nitrogen is insufficient, growth is weak, shoots are few and short, leaves are small and thin, old leaves fall early, and the fruit is small with low yield. Phosphorus is present in large amounts in the reproductive organs of the loquat; applying phosphorus can increase the fruit-setting rate, promote root growth, and raise the sugar content of the fruit. In loquats deficient in phosphorus, root growth is poor, leaves are small and dark green, and growth is weak. Potassium is present in large amounts in the fruit, and the potassium content in leaves and new shoots is also high. Increasing potassium fertilizer has an obvious effect on promoting fruit enlargement and improving product quality. Potassium can also promote the filling out of branches and improve disease resistance. Calcium is the element with the highest content in the loquat plant; calcium can regulate the acid-base balance of the tree, and on soil rich in calcium the loquat tree is vigorous. When calcium is deficient, the loquat buds turn brown and die. Magnesium is a component of chlorophyll; when magnesium is insufficient, the areas between the leaf veins lose green, the leaves turn yellow, and they fall early. Looking at the loquat plant as a whole, calcium accounts for 0.71% of dry matter weight, potassium 0.53%, nitrogen 0.39%, magnesium 0.10%, and phosphorus 0.06%. Analysis of loquat flesh shows that in addition to nitrogen there are also calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, zinc, boron, etc., among which iron has the highest content, at 126-700 mg/100 g; potassium is next, at 210 mg/100 g. Analysis of normal loquat leaves shows 1.35% nitrogen, 0.09% phosphorus, 0.4% potassium, 0.16% calcium, and 0.05% magnesium. If any one element is lower than the above content, it indicates that the loquat is deficient in that element. Therefore, leaf analysis can serve as a basis for loquat fertilization.Greenhouse cultivation techniquesCultivation is intended to ensure that green loquats can provide high-quality fruit. Protected cultivation includes the following techniques: Greenhouse heat preservation. The loquat is one of the easier fruit tree species for greenhouse cultivation. This is because when the greenhouse is covered, it is already flowering and fruiting, so there is no need to promote flowering and fruiting. Moreover, through the heat preservation effect of the greenhouse, it can both avoid the damage of low-temperature frost in winter and early spring and promote faster fruit development, earlier ripening, seizing the market, and obtaining high returns. Loquat varieties selected for greenhouse cultivation should have the following characteristics: Early maturity: because climatic conditions vary from place to place, the ripening period is somewhat affected; however, it should be observed from local actual conditions that the variety has early maturity. In this way, after greenhouse cultivation, it can ripen early and seize the market early. Large fruit shape: the maximum fruit weight that can be achieved after flower and fruit thinning is required; for example, the single fruit weight of red-sand types should be above 50 g, and that of white-sand types above 30 g. Bright fruit color: it should have the color inherent to the variety, that is, the peel of red-sand types is orange-yellow or orange-red, and the peel of white-sand types is yellow or orange-yellow. Coloring should be uniform with few rust spots. High sugar content: the soluble solids of red-sand types are required to reach above 12%, and those of white-sand types above 14%. The fresh-eating taste should be relatively sweet. Strong growth vigor: that is, strong adaptability to environmental conditions and vigorous tree growth. According to these requirements, loquat varieties suitable for greenhouse cultivation include: among red-sand types, Tangqi Loquat, Huangyan No. 5, Fine-Core Loquat, Tangqi Zaofeng, etc.; among white-sand types, Xishang White Sand, White Pear (also known as "White Lychee"), RuanTiao White Sand, Zaozhong, etc. Greenhouse covering period. In greenhouse heat-preservation cultivation, the aim is to ensure that the young fruit set from the early flowers of the loquat neither suffers low-temperature freeze damage nor is hindered in development. Therefore, it can enable loquat fruit to ripen early and be harvested early. Although a very small number of loquat flowers can open in late September, and from early October to early December the temperature in some southern places is sometimes still relatively high. After the loquat greenhouse is covered, the temperature inside the greenhouse can easily rise sharply, causing the tree to suffer high-temperature damage and lose a large number of leaves. Therefore, the relatively safe period for covering the loquat greenhouse should be before the first low-temperature cold wave arrives. Judged by climatic conditions, this is early or mid-December. Of course, the earlier or later the covering period, the more it is related to the ripening and harvesting period of the fruit in the greenhouse. If the temperature and humidity in the greenhouse can indeed be well regulated, then when the greenhouse is covered in early or mid-September, the fruit can ripen and go on the market in early or mid-February of the following year. Management after covering the greenhouse is the key to the success or failure of greenhouse heat-preservation cultivation of loquat. Management in the greenhouse includes disease control, flower and fruit thinning, foliar fertilization, etc., and management techniques for temperature, humidity and light.1. Temperature managementIt should be regulated according to the different phenological periods of the loquat. "High-Yield and High-Quality Cultivation Techniques for Loquat" For example: slow young fruit development period: the daytime temperature should be 10-20°C, and the maximum temperature may exceed 25°C, but must not exceed 35°C. The minimum nighttime temperature is 5°C. Rapid young fruit development period: the daytime temperature is required to be above 25°C, but the maximum temperature must not exceed 35°C. The nighttime temperature is 7-10°C. Fruit coloring and ripening period: the daytime temperature is 25-30°C and must not exceed 35°C. The nighttime temperature is 7-10°C.2. Humidity managementAir humidity that is too high, or excessive soil moisture, is unfavorable to the growth and development of the loquat. Air relative humidity: different periods have different humidity requirements, for example: flowering period: that is, within one month after covering the greenhouse, the air relative humidity is 75-85%. Slow young fruit development period: 70-80% is required. Rapid young fruit development period: 80-85% in the early stage; 65-70% in the later stage. High humidity in the later stage hinders fruit coloring, so the humidity is lowered. Fruit harvest period: only 70-75%. Soil moisture: should not be too much. Therefore, generally no irrigation is done in the greenhouse. If special weather occurs and the soil is indeed short of water, methods such as hose drip irrigation or under-film hidden ditch water storage and seepage irrigation should be used to avoid raising the air relative humidity.3. Light regulationLight affects the development of loquat flower buds and young fruit, and also affects fruit coloring. However, too strong light will scorch the fruit. Therefore the requirements are: Increase light. Methods include: 1. Hang reflective curtains in the greenhouse; or lay white plastic film on the ground to increase reflected light, so that the lower part and inner canopy of the loquat tree can receive more diffuse light. 2. Use long-wave radiant incandescent lamps combined with short-wave radiant white fluorescent lamps to supplement light in the greenhouse. Shading: to prevent sunscald of ripe fruit from high temperature and strong sun; or when short-term cooling in the greenhouse requires shading, colored plastic film, straw curtains, sunshade nets, etc. can be used for shading to reduce the light intensity in the greenhouse. The loquat uses summer shoots as the main fruit-bearing mother branches. After removing the greenhouse cover, management should be grasped firmly and well to promote vigorous summer shoots, so as to achieve the goal of a bumper harvest every year. The main management work after removing the greenhouse cover includes: fertilization, pruning, pest and disease control, etc. Fertilization includes: fertilizer after removing the greenhouse cover (that is, fertilizer after fruit harvest) and fertilizer before covering (that is, fertilizer before flowering). Pruning should be mainly by heading back, supplemented by thinning, paying attention to controlling tree canopy height and promoting inner-canopy branches, etc. Close attention should be paid to the occurrence and damage of gray leaf spot and yellow hairy caterpillar, etc., and timely control should be carried out.Greenhouse rain shelterThis is an effective method for increasing yield and improving quality in open-field loquat orchards. From the rapid expansion period to the ripening period, some loquat varieties are prone to fruit cracking. There are many causes of fruit cracking, but it is mainly caused by excessive rain and poor drainage in the orchard; or by adverse weather such as long clear spells followed by sudden rain, or long rain followed by sudden clearing. There are many methods to prevent fruit cracking: strengthening fertilizer management to enhance tree vigor; timely drainage or drought resistance; timely control of pests and diseases, etc., all have effects. The previously introduced spraying of ethephon also has an effect. Loquat trees under greenhouse heat-preservation cultivation basically have no fruit cracking. This section introduces open-field loquat trees, where rain-shelter cultivation has an obvious effect on preventing fruit cracking and can achieve twice the result with half the effort. It is determined according to the early or late fruit-cracking period of each variety. If the fruit-cracking period is earlier, it should be set up during the rapid fruit expansion period. Taking Huangyan, Zhejiang as an example, it starts on April 15. However, in most cases it starts when the fruit begins to ripen. Also judging by Huangyan, Zhejiang, it is around May 10. Each place can decide according to specific conditions. There are many forms of rain-shelter facilities; but all are simple and makeshift, easy to obtain materials for, and simple in method. Umbrella type: this is a rain-shelter facility independent for a single tree. That is, in the middle of the tree canopy, an upright bamboo pole is tied, and plastic film is set up on the bamboo pole, like a sunshade umbrella. Sky-curtain type: bamboo or wooden supports are set up at the four corners of the loquat orchard, then wire is stretched between the supports, and then plastic film is put up, and the four sides of the film are tied and bound on the wire or clamped firmly with clips. There are also those that do not set up supports but use miscellaneous trees at the edge of the orchard, stretching the wire onto the miscellaneous trees to set up a curtain. Trellis type: first use bamboo or wood at the edge of the orchard to build a frame, then lay plastic film on the frame to become an elevated shed film. Management after setting up is relatively simple. The main thing is to prevent strong wind from lifting off the film. If high temperature and strong sun occur, first uncover the film, and then cover it again around 4 p.m.; second, cover the film with a sunshade net to reduce light. Before rain, the film must be properly covered. Ground film mulching technique. Ground film mulching in loquat orchards is one of the protected cultivation methods that saves labor and cost, is simple in method, has many functions, and has remarkable effects. Ground film mulching has many functions, such as:1. Avoiding deterioration of soil properties caused by loosening the soilChina has historically had the habit of intertilling and loosening the soil. In fact, this artificially deteriorates soil properties. The reason is: after loosening the soil, fine soil or fertile soil is easily washed away by rainwater, as stated in "Cultivation and Management of Loquat and Bayberry". Frequent loosening of the soil not only hinders root absorption, but also affects the reproduction of soil microorganisms and the activity of soil enzymes, affecting the decomposition of soil organic matter and the supply of available nutrients. Too many times of loosening the soil will cause the soil to become compacted due to fine particles sinking. This sinking of fine particles involves the combined action of mechanical operations and rainwater infiltration. However, all are effects brought about by loosening the soil. Therefore, after ground film mulching, the negative effects of soil deterioration caused by loosening the soil can be avoided.2. Improving soil conditionsAfter ground film mulching, the soil's fertilizer and water retention performance is strengthened, and soil temperature can be regulated. For example: avoiding loss of fertilizer due to rainwater washing. Moreover, it prevents nitrogen in the soil from volatilizing due to ammonification. It is beneficial to the effective exertion of soil fertility. It avoids excessive soil moisture caused by heavy rain or long rain; and can also prevent the harm of water shortage in the soil during long-term drought. It regulates soil temperature. It will not affect loquat growth because summer is too hot or winter is too cold. According to our observations: the surface soil temperature in mulched orchards does not exceed 30°C at the highest in summer, 5.5-6.5°C lower than in the open; while in winter (December to January of the following year), in the 0-40 cm soil layer, the soil temperature in mulched orchards is 2.99°C higher than in the open, does not freeze, and is beneficial to root growth.3. Increasing diffuse light in the loquat orchardDiffuse light is very beneficial to fruiting in the lower part or inner canopy of the loquat tree. This is because with white ground film mulching, on clear days, only 70-80% of natural light passes through the ground film, and the natural light that cannot pass through the ground film is reflected and becomes diffuse light in the loquat orchard space. If the loquat orchard has sufficient diffuse light, the fruit in the lower part of the canopy develops well, the fruit surface has good luster, and the sugar content increases.4. Reducing pests and diseasesThe phalera caterpillar that harms loquat overwinters as pupae in the soil in winter, and ground film mulching can hinder the emergence of its adults. For the rot disease that harms the trunk base, because ground film mulching can avoid soil water accumulation, it thereby reduces the occurrence of rot disease. Furthermore, after ground film mulching, damage from root white root rot can be avoided. Therefore, ground film mulching can reduce loquat pests and diseases. Thus it can reduce pesticide use and pesticide pollution of the environment. In short, ground film mulching can strengthen the tree vigor of loquat, significantly increase yield, improve quality, and also save labor and cost. Many comparative tests have confirmed that ground film mulching has obvious effects. According to the needs of loquat growth and development, ground film mulching is divided into two types: year-round mulching or seasonal mulching. Year-round mulching: it is suitable to mulch in autumn and winter. In this way it can be used for 1 year. After 1 year, if damaged, repair it. Seasonal mulching: although the mulching time is short, the effect is still remarkable. It is divided into: spring mulching: mainly to promote flowering and fruiting; to improve flower quality in the inner canopy; to promote young fruit development; and also to kill spring weeds. The period is early and mid-January. Summer mulching: mainly to prevent rainstorms from washing away orchard soil and to promote the sprouting of summer shoots. The period is early May. Autumn mulching: for the purpose of promoting flower bud differentiation and development and preventing autumn drought. The period is late August. Winter mulching: to raise soil temperature and enhance the frost resistance of young fruit. The period is late October.Although the method of ground film mulching is simple, attention should also be paid to:Mulch the entire bed: except for the ditches in the orchard, everything should be covered with ground film. It must not be covered only near the trunk, otherwise it cannot play the role of mulching. Choose non-toxic ground film: there are many kinds of ground film, such as white ground film and black ground film. However, toxic ones must never be used. Japan has also developed a breathable ground film, whose performance and effectiveness exceed those of previously used ground films, with characteristics such as breathability, lightness and strong durability, making it more suitable. If water accumulates in the orchard, drain it early. Water accumulation must never be eliminated by covering with ground film. If the roots are diseased, the disease should be treated first and then the film covered, so as to avoid aggravating root disease after covering the film. Air-drying the roots of loquat is a measure to delay flowering and enhance frost resistance. In loquat orchards covered with ground film, the film should be uncovered before air-drying the roots. However, after air-drying the roots and fertilizing, the film cannot be covered immediately. The film should be covered more than 20 days after fertilization, so as to avoid producing ammonia gas and poisoning the roots. Construction of windbreak barriers. Windbreak barriers are an indispensable measure for cultivating loquat on tideland or open plains. Some ridge land or windward mountainous land also absolutely requires their construction. The role of windbreak barriers for green loquat can be summarized in the following 3 aspects:1. Blocking strong winds and reducing cold damageThe construction of windbreak barriers is mainly to block strong winds and benefit loquat growth and development. For example: because the loquat root system is relatively shallow, with a windbreak barrier the wind speed can be slowed, wind force reduced, and the loquat tree can be prevented from being overturned. Blocking cold wind raises the temperature. According to data, because of the influence of windbreak forests, the temperature can be raised by 0.5-1°C. Therefore, windbreak barriers can reduce cold damage to loquat flowers and young fruit.2. Benefiting the activity and reproduction of natural enemiesMany natural enemies such as beneficial insects and beneficial birds that eat loquat pests like to move about and reproduce in trees. The establishment of windbreak barriers creates favorable conditions for them and also has a positive impact on controlling loquat pests. For example: because the seven-spotted ladybird and the multicolored Asian ladybird that prey on aphids both prefer cool shade. During high temperatures in summer and autumn, although they cannot be found in the loquat orchard, they all go to the barrier to move about. Because casuarina, pagoda tree and other trees in windbreak barriers have many cracked bark areas, green lacewings like to overwinter in the cracks and then return to the loquat orchard the following year. In addition, the minute pirate bug also goes under the bark to occupy an overwintering spot and then sucks the body fluids of lepidopteran larvae the next year. Many hoverflies, when there are not many aphids on the loquat, move to the barrier forest trees to prey on aphids. Adult parasitic flies go to the barrier to find pagoda tree flowers and holly flowers to suck nectar, prolonging life and increasing the egg-laying rate. The parasitism rate of Trichogramma on the eggs of the pear fruit moth that harms loquat fruit is about 90%. Originally there is the brown-banded tortrix in the barrier trees, and after Trichogramma has reproduced a large number of offspring, they then rush into the loquat orchard. Beneficial birds such as the great tit, azure-winged magpie and willow warbler all build nests and raise young in the barrier forest trees. They become hunters that prey on pests in the loquat orchard. Beneficial animals, in order to preserve life and reproduce offspring, have to avoid pesticides and go to the barrier forest to perch.3. Regulating the climatic conditions in the loquat orchardIn addition to reducing cold damage, windbreak barriers also, because the loquat likes sun and tolerates shade, provide shade from the barrier forest trees, lowering the orchard temperature in hot high-temperature weather; or delaying exposure to the sun in the morning and creating shade earlier in the afternoon. In addition, windbreak barriers can block cold dry winds, damp-hot warm winds, and the bitter salty brine winds suffered by loquat trees on tideland, regulating the humidity in the orchard and benefiting loquat growth. As a windbreak barrier for green loquat, the requirements are: before the loquat orchard is established, prepare the land well into a "well" shape or "field" shape. The plot area is 2-3 hectares. Set up main roads, branch roads, irrigation and drainage canals and ditches, windbreak barriers and other rules. For small loquat orchards, windbreak forests only need to be set up on the west and north sides. For large ones, a wide forest belt should be set up on the north side, medium forest belts on the east and west sides, and a narrow forest belt on the south side. The width of the windbreak barrier, according to the size of the orchard area, is set as: wide forest belt 8-10 m wide; medium forest belt 5-6 m wide; narrow forest belt about 3 m. The tree species for windbreak barriers should combine tall and short trees. Tall species include metasequoia, casuarina, sweetgum, white elm, etc.; short species include French holly, holly, privet, amorpha, green bamboo, etc. Because ?, ? etc. easily attract longhorn beetles and cause damage, they are not suitable as windbreak barrier tree species. When controlling pests and diseases in windbreak barriers, moderately toxic or highly toxic pesticides must likewise not be used, so as to avoid polluting the environment. Windbreak barriers also need strengthened management and timely gap filling. If growth is excessively weak, fertilizer should also be applied. Make the windbreak barrier exert greater effectiveness.Grafting and variety replacement techniques 1. Cut graftingThe cut grafting method is easy to operate, has a high survival rate, sprouts and shoots quickly, and uses less scion, making it the best grafting method for replacing loquat varieties. Sawing (cutting) the rootstock: on the tree to be replaced, select 2-3 evenly distributed, slanting 1st-2nd order branches, and saw them off 15-22 cm from the branch, with the cut smooth, slightly slanted, and not torn. The bark at the cut surface should be smoothed with a grafting knife, slightly slanted, and not torn. The bark at the cut surface should be smoothed with a grafting knife, leaving 1-2 slanting side branch nodes with a large branching angle below the grafting part as "water-pumping branches", and the remaining branches are sawed off from the main trunk fork. The grafting site is about 1 meter above the ground. Cutting the rootstock: choose a place with smooth bark, at the junction of bark and xylem, slanting slightly toward the xylem by 5-10 degrees, cut a vertical cut slightly into the xylem, 2-2.5 cm deep, with the cut straight; for grafting parts with a diameter over 6 cm, cut two cuts on the opposite side of the cross-section and graft two scions, so as to facilitate rapid healing of the cut surface of the grafting part. Cutting the scion: hold the scion upside down in the left hand, hold the knife in the right hand, cut a long cut surface 2-2.5 cm long at the base of the scion slightly into the xylem, cut the opposite side into a 45-degree slant, with a short cut surface 1-1.5 cm long; the intersection of the two cuts forms a line; turn the scion around, leave 1-2 buds and cut it off. The scion is cut into a wedge shape, 3-4 cm long, with 1-2 plump buds; the buds should be between the two cut surfaces, and the long and short cut surfaces should be straight. Inserting the scion and binding: the cambium of the scion and rootstock must be aligned and closely pressed together; the insertion depth of the scion should be such that the cut surface is slightly exposed, to facilitate healing with the wound on the rootstock cross-section. After inserting the scion, immediately bind with plastic film tape, first tightly tying two rounds at the upper middle part of the grafting part to fix the scion so that the cambium of the scion and the rootstock cut are closely attached, then cover the rootstock cross-section with plastic film, continue wrapping the plastic tape around, wrap the entire grafting part, and wrap the scion part with ground film while leaving the buds exposed.2. Inlay graftingIt is suitable for replacement trees with a high trunk and a grafting part trunk diameter above 15 cm. Inlay grafting is relatively difficult to operate, has a lower survival rate than cut grafting, and requires thick scions and a large amount. Sawing the rootstock: generally saw the rootstock at 40-50 cm above the ground; the main trunk should leave a 1/4 inverted rootstock and must never be sawed through. If the canopy is relatively large, before sawing the rootstock, large branches of the canopy should first be sawed off to reduce canopy weight and prevent the main trunk from tearing or the rootstock from breaking. Sawing the rootstock slot: use a hand saw to vertically saw a wedge-shaped notch about 1 cm wide, 1.2-1.5 cm deep, and 5-6 cm long on one side of the smooth cross-section; trim the saw slot with a grafting knife so that the inside of the slot is slightly wider than the outside, the top of the slot slightly wider than the bottom, the lower 2 cm of the slot slants from inside to outside, and both sides of the slot are trimmed straight. Open a similar slot on the corresponding opposite side. Cutting and inserting the scion: on the two symmetrical sides of the scion branch, cut a slant 4-5 cm long slightly into the xylem; on the inner side, cut a short slant about 2 cm long at the lower end, reaching deep into the pith of the scion, forming a wedge shape similar in shape and size to the graft opening; after the scion is cut, align it with the cambium on both sides and insert it into the opening, tapping lightly downward so that the scion and rootstock fit closely. Binding: plug the gaps in the opening with sawdust, bind the grafting part firmly with plastic tape, cover the cross-section with plastic film and tie it tightly, and wrap the scion part with ground film while leaving the buds exposed.

Cultural background of loquat
Shi Lin Guang Ji
The Santan loquat of Anhui is famous nationwide. In Huizhou folk there is a saying, "Immortal peach of the Queen Mother of the West in heaven, Santan loquat on earth," and it is called one of the "Three Friends" together with cherry and plum. It is harvested from April to May (Zaozhong No. 6 in Yunxiao, Fujian can generally be harvested in early February and is praised as "the first fruit of spring"). Peel off the outer skin and take the flesh for fresh use.
Related poemsSu Shi's poems also once mentioned this fruit: "Beneath Luofu Mountain it is spring in all four seasons; reed oranges and bayberries come fresh one after another. If I could eat 300 lychees a day, I would not mind being a lingnan man forever." "When guests come and tea is finished, there is nothing left; lu ju and bayberry are still sour." Someone asked him: what fruit is lu ju? He said, "It is loquat." Later some books also followed this and said, "Loquat, also called lu ju." I think this is most likely Academician Su's "imagining it to be so." Because in Sima Xiangru's "Shanglin Fu" it says, "Lu ju ripens in summer, yellow mandarin and orange ju, loquat and ran persimmon, ting nai and houpo." Several things are listed side by side. It can be seen that lu ju is lu ju, and loquat is loquat; an equals sign cannot be drawn between them. Li Shizhen said: "Those who annotated the Wen Xuan took loquat as lu ju, which is a mistake." This is quite right. Yang Wanli wrote a loquat poem: "Large leaves rise like long ears, one tip can fill a whole plate. Lychee mostly has pits, kumquat is not sour. Rain leaves droop and branches are heavy, juice flows and chills the teeth. Is Zhangqing still here? Do not send him to be a garden official." The first six lines describe the characteristics of the loquat fairly accurately, but lack poetic flavor. Although Confucius said that reading poetry can help one know more names of birds, beasts, grasses and trees, poetry after all is not a botany textbook. Guo Moruo's "A Hundred Flowers Bloom" is a failed famous example. Yang Wanli's loquat poem rather seems to have opened the precedent for Guo's kind of poetry. As for the last two lines, it is even harder to tell what he is saying. Although Sima Xiangru wrote about loquat in "Shanglin Fu," he did not show a drooling look, nor did he have a record like Sun Wukong stealing immortal peaches; what does it matter whether he became a garden official or not? There is also a doggerel poem about loquat, saying that someone sent loquats to another person, with a letter saying: sending two baskets of pipa, and so on. The recipient then wrote a poem: "Loquat is not this pipa; it is only because in those years one was poor at reading characters. If the pipa could bear fruit, all the flutes and pipes in the city would bloom." Although the poem is witty, eating the loquats sent by someone while writing a poem to mock them also makes people feel uncomfortable. As Lu You of the Song Dynasty wrote, "It is hard to learn from the powerful gates piling up fire; better to follow the young gentleman and pick up golden pills." White-fleshed loquat has jade-colored flesh, which the ancients called "wax pills," just as Guo Zhengxiang of the Song Dynasty wrote, "Each loquat still tastes sour; northerners once regarded it as a staminate branch. I do not know what it can truly be compared to; I only fear sending a flying letter to entrust wax pills." Song Qi of the Song Dynasty wrote: "There is fruit in western Shu; it flowers braving the early cold. The tree is lush with jade-green leaves; the branches pile with golden pills. The soil capital cannot be sent; chewing the flavor alone brings a long sigh." This is a realistic depiction of the loquat tree's flowers, leaves and fruit, very exact. Yang Shie of the Tang Dynasty wrote: "The precious tree first flowers in cold; dense and misty in the ninth autumn month. If the good time seems to wait for something, its fragrant intent is often unending. Soughing soughing the green sea wind, misty misty the green branch snow. In hurried scenes there is lingering beauty; spring birds rejoice of themselves." It depicts the loquat tree as a gracefully standing maiden, not competing with others for spring, but only in the season when all flowers have withered, autumn leaves have fallen, and late autumn arrives, begins to nurture flower buds until they open in deep winter, facing mist and snow, alone showing purity, leaving behind golden pills. It leaves a deep impression on people. Shen Zhou of the Ming Dynasty wrote: "Who cast three hundred golden pills? The pellet embryo is slightly wet with dew seeping. From now on, to hit the magpie, why need jade? There is also tin syrup that chills the teeth."

Loquat pictures