How to intercrop mushrooms and ginger year-round in a citrus orchard

Trees such as mandarin oranges and pomelos are tall and large, and the orchard is generally fairly open yet shaded. To increase orchard income, the author conducted a year-round intercropping trial of mushrooms and ginger in a pomelo orchard about 30 years old with a spacing of 5 m × 5 m.

Starting in the autumn of 1989 (September), white mushrooms were planted between the rows, with a planting area of about 44 sq m. By calculation, the investment was about 400 yuan, and the net income from the autumn mushrooms and spring mushrooms reached more than 500 yuan. After the spring mushrooms were harvested in April 1990, the mushroom substrate was turned and buried into the soil, in preparation for planting ginger. The tender ginger was dug up before mid-August, yielding 115 kg of ginger and a net income of more than 180 yuan.

In sparsely planted orchards, as long as the branches and leaves between the rows have not closed over, there is still more than 50% light in summer, which is just right for ginger growth and eliminates the need for a shade shed. In autumn, winter, and spring, direct sunlight is not strong, and the humidity between the rows is also relatively high, which is suitable for the development of mushroom mycelium and fruiting bodies. If the orchard is very shaded, mushrooms and oyster mushrooms can also be intercropped year-round instead of planting ginger. The row spacing in sparsely planted orchards is generally more than 4 m, while intercropping occupies only 1.2 m of width, so it basically does not hinder orchard management; if intercropping is done every other row, it has even less effect on management work. Intercropping also acts as a ground cover for the orchard soil, and turning the mushroom substrate under and pressing it into the soil can improve soil fertility.