How to prevent freezing damage to areca palms in winter? Key measures to master
Many people like to chew areca nut, but most of them eat the processed kind. In fact, areca nut also needs to be planted, fruited, and then harvested and processed before it goes on the market. Areca palm is a typical tropical and subtropical plant, mostly cultivated in the south. However, when winter temperatures are too low, improper management can very easily cause areca palm trees to suffer frost injury or even freeze to death. So how should cold-protection measures be carried out? Let's take a look together.
1. Harm of freezing damage
Areca palm is suitable for growing in tropical environments with an annual average temperature above 22 degrees. When the average temperature is below 16 degrees, its old leaves will fall off early; when it is below 5 degrees, the leaves will turn yellow, dry up, and the fruits will turn black and drop off, or the plant may even die directly. Because the duration of low temperature is inappropriate, damage of varying degrees can also occur. Generally, adult trees show dry leaf tips and early shedding of old leaves, and in severe cases the entire canopy dries up; young trees show symptoms similar to adult trees, but in severe cases the plants die.
2. Cold-resistance measures at the seedling stage
First, before winter arrives, apply less nitrogen fertilizer such as urea, and apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. You can spray 300 times diluted potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution or use 500 times diluted potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution for irrigation, which can significantly improve the cold resistance of the plants. When clearing the orchard, spray cold-resistance agents such as calcium nitrate, calcium chloride, and plant protectants together with fungicides and insecticides, which can significantly improve the cold resistance of the plants. For relatively severe freezing damage, you can temporarily set up plastic film to raise the seedbed temperature, and you can also irrigate with well water in the evening to increase the ground temperature.
3. Cold-resistance measures for young trees
Likewise, before winter arrives, apply less nitrogen fertilizer such as urea and human manure and urine, and apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. In November, superphosphate and potassium chloride can be applied together with organic fertilizer. Before winter arrives, you can use whitewash to whiten the tree trunks, which has an excellent effect on preventing and controlling pests and diseases and improving cold and frost resistance. The whitewash can be prepared by mixing lime, sulfur powder, and salt with water. When the temperature is relatively low, you can burn smoke in the orchard to prevent freezing, but avoid open flames so as not to scorch the leaves. After the freezing damage, fertilization management can be strengthened, applying 0.2-0.5 kg of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer per tree. You can also apply carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl to wounds on tree trunks.
4. Cold-protection measures for fruiting trees
As with the previous two, apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and similarly apply whitewash to the tree trunks to improve cold and frost resistance. After cold damage, strengthen fertilizer and water management to restore tree vigor as soon as possible. Apply 0.5 kg of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer per mu, and you can also apply a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer according to the tree's nutritional status. Attention should also be paid to applying magnesium fertilizer, applying 0.2 kg of magnesium sulfate per tree, which can reduce leaf yellowing caused by freezing damage. When cold damage is severe in January-February, it will affect the plant's flowering and fruiting, so after March-April, apply a small amount of trace elements such as boron fertilizer to improve the pollination quality of the plants. After flowering, it is recommended to spray fruit-preserving agents such as boric acid and potassium dihydrogen phosphate to reduce flower and fruit drop and increase yield.
The above is an introduction to preventive measures for freezing damage to areca palms in winter. I hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.