How to Grow Jujube Trees
Compared to the experience of most people in planting jujube trees and the techniques and management of green plant maintenance, please refer to the detailed introduction below.
The soil requirements for planting jujube trees: Jujube trees do not have strict soil requirements, and alkaline soil with a salt content of less than 0.3% and a pH value within the range of 8.5 can be planted. In sandy soil, loam, clay, desert, and Gobi regions, as long as the management is in place, jujube trees can grow normally. In 2003, the 120 mu of jujube trees I planted first in the team were planted on the abandoned heavy clay land of the unit. Through digging good planting pits during planting, using root powder to soak roots before planting, applying water-retaining agents at the bottom of the pits, and mulching and watering after planting, the survival rate reached more than 95% that year, ranking first in the survival rate of planting in the team that year. It is a boutique garden that the leaders of the second agricultural division must visit every time. Jujube planting does not have high requirements for land leveling. Currently, basically, jujube trees are planted in southern Xinjiang using high-pressure drip irrigation (group farms, Korla), with some places using sleeve ditch irrigation (Hejing) and small furrow irrigation (Ruoqiang, Qiemo). For plots with high-pressure drip irrigation, the drop of 3-4 meters does not matter much. As long as the measures are appropriate, it will not have a significant impact on the normal growth of jujube trees. The drop of several plots of Hongqiang Agricultural Development Company is about 5 meters, and the growth of jujube trees is still very normal.
Establishment of Garden:
Nowadays, the establishment of jujube gardens in the Kuta reclamation area has gone through three stages. The first stage: early transportation of finished grafted seedlings from Henan and Shanxi for planting. There were many problems in the establishment of jujube gardens in this stage. Firstly, the seedlings were uneven, and some seedlings had mixed varieties, causing losses to jujube farmers. They said it was gray jujube, but there were various varieties, and jujube farmers needed to graft again. Secondly, the imported seedlings were not adapted to the Xinjiang climate, and the trunk showed cracking and peeling in winter, causing dehydration and drying of the upper part and death. Every spring, new branches needed to be generated, which wasted nutrients and affected the income of jujube farmers. Thirdly, the cost was too high. The second stage: planting sour jujube seedlings from Henan and Shanxi. The problems in this stage were high cost and unguaranteed survival rate. The third stage: self-broadcasting and establishing gardens or seedling transplanting and establishing gardens. Currently, this method is mainly adopted for establishing gardens in Korla, Tarim, Ruoqiang, and Qiemo areas.
When establishing gardens, it is necessary to plan and design windbreaks. Around a 100-acre jujube garden, there should be a windbreak position with a width of about 10 meters. The tree species for planting windbreaks should be drought-resistant species such as sand jujube and poplar. In places with better water conditions, appropriate planting of fast-growing species such as green poplar and white wax can be done to quickly play a role in windbreak and sand fixation, and then gradually replace them with poplar and sand jujube.
Selection of Planting Distance: According to many years of observation, the three planting distances of 1*3, 2*3, and 3*3 are more in line with the requirements. These three models are characterized by early fruiting, and the tree shape can be combined with leaving one and cutting one, or leaving one and cutting two after growing up, so the tree shape does not need to be changed.
Pollination Tree Configuration: Currently, the jujube tree varieties in the Kuta reclamation area are mainly gray jujube, with some varieties such as Jun jujube, winter jujube, Zanhuang big jujube, and Jinchang No. 1. Gray jujube is grafted in the second year after broadcasting, and there is basically no yield in the year of grafting. Therefore, during grafting, it is possible to adopt nine rows of gray jujube and one row of other varieties of jujube trees. The fruiting of Jun jujube and Jinchang No. 1 in the year of grafting is very ideal, and they can be selected as the first choice.
Sowing Method:
1. Direct sowing with machinery and laying film. The seeding box of air suction precision seeding can adopt the method of removing several forks by turning the ratchet fork apart to adjust to the required plant distance. The forks that have been removed can be replaced with forks with damaged arms. For the old seeding box, it can adjust to the required plant distance by removing the duckbill and blocking the eyes. Sow when the soil moisture is suitable, or adopt dry sowing and wet emergence. This model is more suitable for mature plots with a complete windbreak system that have been planted for many years. Such plots have an easy emergence and high seedling preservation rate, with the diameter reaching 5MM in the first year, and the grafting rate in the second year can basically reach 100%.
2. Seedling bag greenhouse seedling raising. This model has a high cost and requires a lot of labor, but its advantages are also very prominent. Especially for newly reclaimed orchards, due to the incomplete windbreak system or gardens located on the windward side, if live broadcasting is used for establishing gardens, the emergence may not be uniform, or the jujube seedlings may encounter wind disasters after emergence, and the small jujube seedlings have poor wind resistance, which often causes the loss of plastic film or drip irrigation belts, increases the cost for jujube farmers, and delays the time for establishing gardens. Seedling bag greenhouse seedling raising can help you avoid the windy period, and due to the developed root system of seedlings during planting and the high lignification degree of the stem, they have strong resistance and are easy to survive. In addition, the planting time is flexible, and trees can be planted before the end of July. However, there are a few points to note in this model: 1. Pay attention to the soil quality when filling the soil in the seedling bags, and do not use sandy soil. 2. Perform root pruning in advance before planting. 3. If the planting time is late, spray chemical agents on the seedlings to control the growth. 4. After planting, water (irrigate) in time and spray root promoters to promote root growth.
Jujube Garden Management:
1. Management during the seedling stage.
Soil Management: During the seedling stage, it is required for the seedlings to grow rapidly and quickly establish the garden. All soil management should focus on this. Firstly, weeding to reduce competition for water and fertilizer; secondly, loosening the soil under the tree to increase the ground temperature and promote root growth. Water and Fertilizer Management: Water and fertilizer during the seedling stage should highlight the five words, "multiple times and small doses". Fertilization during the seedling stage is mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and the seedlings have shallow roots and are sensitive to fertilizer quantity. "Multiple times and small doses" fully considers the characteristics of seedlings. Increasing the number of watering and fertilizing, reducing the amount of water and fertilizer each time, not only promotes the growth of jujube seedlings but also reduces waste. In the first year of planting and the first year of grafting, water and fertilizer management should follow these five words. At the same time, pay attention to the spraying of foliar fertilizer. When necessary, growth hormones can be added to the foliar fertilizer to promote the rapid growth of jujube seedlings.
The soil in Xinjiang is alkaline, so nitrogen fertilizer should mainly use neutral urea. Phosphorus fertilizer should not use alkaline calcium superphosphate as much as possible. When spraying foliar fertilizer, the concentration of urea is 0.3-0.5%; the concentration of potassium dihydrogen phosphate is 0.2-0.3%; the concentration of borax (acid) is 0.2-0.3%; and the concentration of rare earth is 0.3-0.4%. The effect of foliar fertilizer can last for up to 10 days, so it can be sprayed more according to the situation. In addition, the nutrient requirements of jujube trees are mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, so it is necessary to pay attention to supplementing calcium for jujube trees, especially for jujube trees in the fruiting stage.
2. Management during the fruiting stage.
Soil Management: Loosen the soil under the tree; leave small grass 10CM-20CM under the tree to maintain soil moisture and prevent pests from climbing the tree.
Water and Fertilizer Management:
In this stage, it is necessary to pay attention to the input of farm manure. Fruits talk about "pound fruit and pound fertilizer", and the input of farm manure is directly related to whether the fruit trees can grow vigorously and the quality of fruit. Farm manure can greatly improve soil fertility and soil conditions. In our local area, the order of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content in base fertilizer from high to low is cottonseed cake, chicken manure, sheep manure, pig manure, and cow manure. Everyone can choose according to their actual conditions. The application of farm manure generally uses the trenching method, digging an arc-shaped trench with a depth and width of 40CM on one side or both sides of the projection of the jujube tree crown, covering the manure with soil. Some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can also be applied on the surface of the farm manure. The best time to use farm manure is October. Applying farm manure at this time allows the fertilizer to have a longer time to decompose, and the roots of jujube trees have not stopped growing, which is beneficial for the utilization of fertilizer during the flowering period of the second year.
Jujube trees generally apply chemical fertilizer four times a year, which are the germination fertilizer in mid to late April, the full flowering period fertilizer in mid to late May, the young fruit period fertilizer in late June and early July, and the fruit expansion fertilizer in early August. Nitrogen fertilizer should be used in April and May, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be used in June, with nitrogen fertilizer as a supplement. However, most jujube gardens now use high-pressure drip irrigation, which has high fertilizer utilization and quick fertilizer effect, but the amount of fertilizer needs to be planned. According to the number of plants per acre, the amount of urea applied per plant is 0.03~1.5 kilograms; the amount of triple superphosphate is 0.01~0.7 kilograms; and the amount of potassium fertilizer is 0.02~1 kilogram. Calculate the amount of fertilizer used, and the application of chemical fertilizer should be clear. The flowering period and young fruit period of jujube trees are the most concentrated periods of fertilizer use. At this time, the nutrient consumption of jujube trees is large, and if water and fertilizer cannot keep up, it is easy to cause flower and fruit drop. For drip irrigation jujube gardens, starting from the germination water, it is necessary to apply fertilizer with every irrigation, with the amount of fertilizer gradually increasing from the beginning of April, reaching the highest in late May to early July, and then gradually decreasing to the lowest in early September. However, the total amount of fertilizer should be controlled well to avoid unnecessary waste.
Use of foliar fertilizer for jujube trees. Foliar fertilizer has the advantages of saving fertilizer, quick effect, and supplementing what is lacking. The use of foliar fertilizer can be combined with jujube tree spraying at the same time, which can save labor. Nitrogen fertilizer should be used as the main fertilizer in May and June, and urea is commonly used. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used as the main fertilizers in July and August, with phosphate potassium and potassium chloride commonly used. In the use of foliar fertilizer for jujube trees, there is one point that is often forgotten, which is the supplementation of calcium fertilizer. Currently, there are many types of calcium fertilizers on the market, and the selection is relatively easy. When using foliar fertilizer, we must always remember that we should only buy the most suitable, not the most expensive, because the most expensive may not be the one with the best effect. (Note: The concentrations of calcium treasure, Jinpeng liquid, and flower and fruit spirit are all 0.08~0.1%.) Attention should be paid to the use of boron fertilizer and rare earth trace element fertilizer in addition to nitrogen fertilizer during the flowering period to increase the fruit setting rate.
3. Management during the flowering period.
The quality of management during the flowering period of jujube gardens is directly related to the yield, which can be said to be a crucial period in the management of jujube trees. To do a good job in flowering period management, it is necessary to understand some growth characteristics of jujube trees during the flowering period. The shedding of jujube flowers accounts for 97-99% of the total flower quantity, and the natural fruit setting rate is only 0.6-1.2%, which is even worse after the tree becomes old. Jujube flowers are sensitive to air humidity, soil moisture content, hot and dry winds, sandstorms, and dust, and the conditions in Xinjiang are not good in these aspects. Therefore, in order to improve the fruit setting rate of jujube trees, it is necessary to grasp the following key points. Firstly, understand that the flowering period is about hormones, and the fruiting period is about fertilizers. It means that the amount of hormones directly affects the percentage of natural pollination of jujube flowers, and the amount of fruit setting directly affects the amount of fertilizer applied. Secondly, understand the principle of concentrating nutrients. Use fertilizers where they are most needed. Thirdly, understand that meticulous management leads to high yield. During the flowering period, concentrate labor on what needs to be done the most.
Measures to preserve flowers and fruit: 1. Remove useless jujube shoots. 2. Thin branches. Thin out the crowded tender branches in the middle, and only when the branches are sparse can the jujube clusters be full, otherwise, it will be in vain. 3. Pinching and twisting branches. Leave 6~7 secondary branches for pinching on branches with development space, and leave 2~3 secondary branches for pinching on branches without development space. There is no particularly strict rule for this, and some people follow the methods in books without considering their own tree vigor, often exerting effort without achieving good results. If the tree vigor is strong, if you pinch all of them, it often causes the vigor to become disordered. If the tree vigor is weak, if you leave too many secondary branches, the fruit setting situation may not be ideal. Jujube trees are different from fragrant pears, as fragrant pears produce more fruit when the vigor is weak, while jujube trees are just the opposite, and they produce more fruit when the vigor is well controlled. 4. Pulling branches. Flatten the fruiting branches, which can be used by small households. I won't explain the principle of action, as friends with a foundation already know. For branches on the back, twist the branches from the base when they are semi-lignified, and the branches after twisting treatment have good fruiting. 5. Use of growth regulators. Growth regulators can only be used on mature trees that have grown into shape. Dwarf strength, multi-effect chisel, and leaf surface protector all contain inhibitory ingredients, and spraying them on young trees will affect growth. I will mainly talk about the use of gibberellin. Spraying gibberellin during the flowering period has a very significant effect. Mix 100 milliliters of gibberellin with one ton of water and spray it during the full flowering period, which can increase the fruit setting rate by more than one time. Gibberellin can promote the germination of pollen, the elongation of pollen tubes, and accelerate the speed of cell division. In addition to using gibberellin during the flowering period, it can also be used during the young fruit period and the expansion period. However, in order to prevent the occurrence of phytotoxicity, we can halve the amount of gibberellin, which can not only increase yield but also ensure that the tree vigor does not weaken. These are some experiences I gradually explored in management, and they have good effects. Friends with different opinions can also leave a message, and we can discuss each other's opinions. 6. Supplementation of trace elements. I have already talked about the use of boron fertilizer and rare earth, so I won't say more here. 7. Ring girdling. Start from 15CM above the ground, increase by 5CM each year, and gradually girdle upward until the main branches. Repeat this cycle. In the process of girdling, I need to emphasize five points: firstly, the width of girdling should not exceed half a centimeter, otherwise, it is not easy to heal. When girdling, it is possible to intentionally leave some phloem to accelerate healing, and after girdling, apply insecticide to prevent pests. Secondly, strengthen fertilizer and water management after girdling to promote healing. Thirdly, girdling should be done on trees with a stem diameter of more than 10CM, and I do not support girdling on young trees, as the side effects of weakening tree vigor are still obvious, and we should not be too superficial. Fourthly, for dense planting gardens, some small trees can be girdled according to a plan, which can not only increase yield but also cultivate jujube trees to be left in the future. Fifthly, pay attention to the timing of girdling. It has the best effect when the flower quantity reaches about 30%. For large areas, it can be appropriately advanced. 8. Pressing jujube. This method is used more by small households, and I have been using this method for more than ten years, with effects similar to girdling. Here, I won't say more. 9. Bee release in jujube gardens. It is more suitable in our area, but the rental of a beehive has become