What are the precautions for tamarind cultivation? Key points explained in detail
Tamarind, also called tamarindus or sour fruit, is the fruit of a large evergreen tree that grows in the tropics and subtropics. Tamarind is not very common in our daily life, mainly because tamarind cultivation is small in scale and has a long growth cycle, generally ten years of growth, ten years of flowering, and ten years of fruiting, making it a very rare medicinal material. So today I have brought you the precautions for tamarind cultivation; friends who are interested can take a careful look.
1. Planting environment
Tamarind has relatively high requirements for the planting environment, and we need to determine it according to its growth characteristics. Tamarind is cold-tolerant and light-loving. The annual average temperature of the planting site should remain between 18 and 25 degrees, of which the average minimum temperature must not be lower than 10 degrees, and the lowest temperature month must not be lower than 3 degrees. Next, the planting site should have low rainfall; generally, intermittent drought and rainfall are best, and there must be no frosty weather. It is suitable for growing in acidic loam.
2. Seed treatment
Before sowing, we need to treat tamarind seeds, because their seed coats are relatively hard, their absorbency is very poor, and the germination rate is low. For tamarind seeds, we usually use the method of soaking the seeds in warm water, at a temperature of about 40 to 50 degrees, and the soaking time is two days. During the soaking process, we must constantly stir the seeds so that the seeds are heated and absorb evenly, which can improve the speed of seed emergence and the emergence rate.
3. Scientific water and fertilizer management
The growth of tamarind trees does not require much water, so under normal circumstances there is no need to water excessively. During the young tree period and the growth period of tamarind trees, we mainly use nitrogen fertilizer to promote the growth of tamarind trees, applying it about twice a year, and the amount of fertilizer applied also increases year by year. Adult tamarind trees have a relatively large fertilizer demand, mainly during the flowering period and fruiting period, so we need to fertilize according to their growth characteristics. During the flowering period, urea is mainly used, combined with compound fertilizer, while during the fruiting period, calcium fertilizer should be used together to promote the enlargement of the fruit.
4. Pruning and root covering
When planting tamarind, we should also pay attention to tree shape pruning and dwarfing the tamarind tree, which facilitates later management and harvesting. Tamarind tree pruning generally starts from the young tree stage. At the beginning, only one or two main branches are retained, and later the number of main trunks and secondary and tertiary trunks is slowly increased, gradually expanding the crown and trimming the crown. Fruiting trees, however, need to have dead branches, diseased branches, old branches, insect-damaged branches, and dense branches thinned out. In addition, two years after planting tamarind, we need to dig pits and expand the holes, which can not only improve the soil but also promote the expansion of the tamarind tree root system, which is what we call root covering.
5. Weeding and disease prevention
Weeding is also very important in the process of tamarind cultivation, especially in some areas with poor soil. In order to reduce nutrient consumption, we need to weed at least two to three times a year, especially in July and August each year. Also, attention should be paid to the prevention and control of pests and diseases, among which the main ones are powdery mildew, leaf spot, and blue-green weevils and green June beetles. We can use wettable powder of baifenling, wettable powder of thiophanate-methyl, and omethoate emulsion respectively for prevention and control.
The points summarized above are the most common problems we encounter when planting tamarind, and they are also the places everyone needs to pay special attention to during the planting process. Friends who need it can save and read it. I hope it can help everyone. Of course, if you have other questions you need to consult, you can also leave a message below.