How to manage dragon fruit in winter? Master these key points for safe overwintering
It is now the last month of 2018, and the temperature is getting lower and lower. Many growers have also reached the busiest season of the year, and dragon fruit is one of them. This period is also the harvest time for the last few batches of dragon fruit, and it is also the time when we need to focus on management. So how should dragon fruit be grown in winter? Below, the editor brings you the key points for winter management of dragon fruit. Let's take a look!
1. Cover the greenhouse in time
For dragon fruit grown in greenhouses, the work of covering the greenhouse must be done well in winter. This is mainly determined by temperature. When the average temperature day and night is below 20 degrees, the greenhouse should be covered in time. This prevents overly low temperatures from harming the growth of dragon fruit, especially for some newly sprouted tender shoots, which can die in severe cases. After covering the greenhouse, the surrounding temperature can be effectively raised, which is beneficial to the development of tender shoots and the harvest of the last few batches of fruit, but attention should also be paid to the humidity inside the greenhouse. On sunny days, the greenhouse should be opened for ventilation.
2. Apply overwintering fertilizer
After harvesting the fruit, spray overwintering fertilizer in time to improve soil fertility, supplement nutrients for the dragon fruit trees, and restore the trees' growth vigor. Ensure that the dragon fruit trees have sufficient nutrient accumulation to promote budding the following year. It can also improve the resistance of the fruit trees, enhance cold resistance, and promote successful overwintering. When applying overwintering fertilizer, pay attention to controlling the application amount according to the planting area, ensuring sufficient nutrients while also preventing fertilizer damage to the fruit trees.
3. Clean the orchard in time
After harvesting and fertilizing, prune the weak and pest- or disease-damaged branches on the fruit trees, then take the branches, fallen flowers, and fallen fruit out of the orchard in a centralized manner for burning or deep burial. Then spray disinfectant and insecticide throughout the orchard to destroy the overwintering sites of pests and pathogens, reduce the number of pathogens and insect eggs, and lower the incidence of pests and diseases. Finally, apply substances such as Song'er film to the fruit trees to improve their disease resistance and cold protection ability. Prevent pests and diseases from harming the lower stems of the plants.
4. Delay pruning
In winter, pruning work should not be carried out. We should try to carry out pruning work in early spring. Because winter temperatures are low, pruning may cause newly sprouted buds to suffer low-temperature freezing damage. Delaying pruning can also improve the nutrient accumulation of the tree body, which helps avoid pests and diseases caused by wound infection after pruning. Therefore, in winter we should prevent mechanical wounds on the tree body from affecting the growth of dragon fruit trees.
5. Pest and disease control
The above four points all have effects on pest and disease control. Although winter temperatures are low, various pests and diseases can still occur if management is poor. Therefore, in winter we must also do a good job in the prevention and control of various pests and diseases, preventing them from affecting the overwintering of dragon fruit and reducing the economic benefits of planting. In addition to strengthening management, the orchard should also be sprayed and disinfected regularly, and corresponding measures should be taken promptly after disease occurs to prevent the disease from spreading and expanding the affected area.
The above is a brief introduction to the key points for winter management of dragon fruit. The winter management work of dragon fruit is all very important. If there is any slight negligence, it can easily lead to the death of the fruit trees and affect planting. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you everyone for reading and supporting!