How to Grow a Sichuan Pepper Tree? Years to Fruit and Profit Per Mu Explained

The Sichuan pepper tree belongs to the Rutaceae family and the Zanthoxylum genus, a deciduous small tree, originally named huajiao (Sichuan pepper), also known by aliases such as hui and dajiao. The thorns on its trunk often fall off early, and the branches have short thorns. The Sichuan pepper tree is drought-tolerant and loves sunlight. Below, we introduce separately: how to grow a Sichuan pepper tree? How many years until it bears Sichuan pepper? What is the profit per 1 mu of land?

I. How to Grow a Sichuan Pepper Tree?

1. Seed collection

There are many varieties of Sichuan pepper trees. When collecting seeds, choose plants over 10 years old that are robust in growth, bear fruit early, have high yield and excellent quality as mother trees for seed collection. The collected seeds should be dried in the shade, not exposed to the sun, to prevent damage from high temperatures and loss of germination capacity.

2. Seed treatment

After the seeds are dried in the shade, remove the shriveled grains with a winnowing machine. They can be soaked for two days in alkaline water or washing powder water (5kg of seeds plus 50 grams of alkali or washing powder), rubbed by hand to wash off the oil, then rinsed clean with clear water.

3. Nursery land preparation

The nursery land is best chosen as yellow loam or sandy loam with irrigation and drainage conditions. First carry out plowing, and along with plowing apply about 3000kg of composted manure per mu or 50kg of ammonium phosphate, then rake level and make ridges or beds.

4. Sowing time and method

Generally carried out in winter and spring, before the Beginning of Spring. The sowing method can be bed sowing or semi-high bed; the sowing rate is 20kg per mu for selected seeds, and about 40kg per mu for unselected seeds.

5. Nursery land management

After sowing, keep the seedbed moist. When the seedlings emerge and grow to 4cm—5cm, thinning can be carried out, with a plant spacing of 10cm-12cm being suitable. When the pepper seedlings are young, use manual or chemical weeding, and do not use a hoe, so as not to damage the seedlings and disturb the roots. In June—July, topdress with urea 3-4 times, with an interval of about 15 days each time, 5-7.5kg per mu each time, or about 300kg of decomposed human manure and urine is suitable. When the seedlings grow to over 60cm, they can be taken out of the nursery for afforestation.

II. How Many Years Until a Sichuan Pepper Tree Bears Sichuan Pepper?

According to Hunan grower Uncle Kang, from seed germination and seedling emergence, the period from cultivation to flowering and fruiting is the juvenile stage, which is generally 2~3 years; from the start of flowering to heavy fruiting is the early fruiting stage. After 3 years, the Sichuan pepper tree can flower and bear a small amount of fruit, and after 4~5 years it increases successively; the full fruiting stage is from when the Sichuan pepper tree begins to bear heavily until before decline, generally entering the heavy fruiting stage after the 10th year. The prominent feature is that the fruit yield increases significantly, and the full fruiting stage generally lasts 10~15 years, and can reach 20 years at the longest.

III. What Is the Profit Per Mu of a Sichuan Pepper Tree?

Generally speaking, the profit per mu from planting Sichuan pepper is four to five times the income from planting corn, and an income of around 5000 yuan per mu is no problem. About 70 Sichuan pepper trees are planted per mu. They bear fruit after two years. After three years, each tree can pick more than 1 jin of dried Sichuan pepper. After five years, each tree averages 2 jin of dried Sichuan pepper. After 8 years, each tree averages about 4 jin of dried Sichuan pepper. According to general market prices, each jin of dried Sichuan pepper is about 36 yuan. After three years, the income per mu is at least 2600 yuan; after five years, the income per mu is 4000 yuan; after eight years, the income per mu is 5000~6000 yuan. The specific income depends on actual conditions, and this price is for everyone's reference!