Li Changjiang's Orchard Management Experience

The orchard of Li Changjiang, a villager of Lijia Village, Xinbin Town, Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County, can be said to be full of treasures. Under the fruit trees he planted ferns, Aralia elata shoots, Asarum sieboldii leaves... He followed a three-dimensional planting and diversified operation route, with an annual income of around 400,000 yuan. Diversified operation set him on the road to wealth and moderate prosperity.

In 2008, with the help of poverty-alleviation revolving funds, Li Changjiang developed orchard planting. Under his careful management, apple output increased year by year. After several years, when he did the accounts, although apple output had risen, he had not made much money. "I planted only one thing, and failed to make the most of the orchard economy, and every year I had to weed the orchard, which cost a lot."

Having found the reason, and on the advice of friends, Li Changjiang replanned the orchard planting and used the empty space between fruit trees to plant wild vegetables, and introduced new varieties, planting Asarum sieboldii leaves, "da'ermao" and other wild vegetables with medicinal value, which after simple processing were exported to South Korea. Li Changjiang said: "This method achieved good economic benefits. Planting wild vegetables under the fruit trees not only suppressed weed growth, but also improved the orchard's returns."

Making rational use of orchard space and raising the output value per unit of orchard space gave Li Changjiang a taste of success, with annual income increasing from more than 100,000 yuan to more than 400,000 yuan. After that, Li Changjiang completely changed his former orchard management and planting model, seeking returns from space. He joked: "Before, I planted only one thing and just stared at the fruit trees, and the returns were not ideal. Now I plant many things and look at the orchard through a magnifying glass, striving to make every inch of space produce returns and turn this orchard into a treasure bowl."

Today, inside and outside Li Changjiang's orchard, it is almost hard to find a place that is not used. In an open space at the orchard entrance, he planted grapes and Asarum sieboldii leaves, and on both sides of the orchard path he also planted large-leaf parsley, cat's claws and other wild vegetables. In short, he uses every place that can be used to grow some cash crops, developing whatever makes money and suits the land.

Now, Li Changjiang has begun thinking about running the orchard by enriching its functions. There is a small pond in the orchard. He plans to raise some fish, level out a piece of flat ground, set up a few shade sheds, and buy a few sets of barbecue equipment, to create a leisure orchard, tourism orchard, and pick-your-own orchard, making this place a scenic spot in the mountain valley while also boosting its popularity and raising the orchard's economic added value.