A Detailed Guide to Pome Fruit Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Pome fruits are fleshy fruits that develop jointly from an inferior ovary with fused carpels, together with the receptacle and the calyx tube. They are classified as false fruits. The main edible portion originates from the receptacle and calyx tube, while the ovary accounts for a relatively small proportion. The number of locules in the ovary varies by species, mostly 5 locules, with a few having 2-4 locules, and each locule mostly contains 2 ovules.

Pome fruits are fruits that contain seeds.
At the center of a pome fruit there are several seed chambers formed by thin walls, and the chambers contain seed kernels. The edible parts are the peel and the flesh. Pome fruits include apples, pears, hawthorns, loquats, and others.
(1) Apple. There are more than 4,000 apple varieties, making it a major fruit in China. Apples can be divided by harvest season into summer apples and autumn apples, with autumn apples having the best quality and good storage tolerance. Summer apples are mostly picked in July to August, and their ripening period falls in the hot season, so the flesh of most varieties becomes mealy, the flavor is weak, and they rot easily, making them unsuitable for long storage. The main varieties of summer apples include Huangkui, Hongkui, Zhuguang, and others. Autumn apples are mostly picked in August to October, have firm flesh, and store very well. The main varieties of autumn apples include Red Banana, Hongyu, Qingxiangjiao, Yellow Banana, Guoguang, Red Fuji, and others.
(2) Pear. The number of pear varieties is second only to that of apples, and pears are also a major fruit in China. Pears can be divided by fruit form into the white pear series, autumn pear series, sand pear series, and European pear series.

(3) Hawthorn. Hawthorn, also known as shanzalihong, has its main production areas in Henan, Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi, and is harvested in late September. It is a fruit unique to China. It not only has high nutritional value but also high medicinal value; its iron and calcium content is especially rich, its calcium content ranks first among all kinds of fruits, and its vitamin C content is 17 times that of apples. The main varieties of hawthorn include: Dashanzha, Shuishanzha, Dajinxing, and others.
(4) Loquat. Loquat, also known as luju, is mainly produced in China's Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, and other provinces. It generally matures and comes to market in May to June and contains relatively high nutritional components. The main types of loquat include grass-seed loquat, red-seed loquat, white-seed loquat, and others.