How to Cultivate Lychee
This article introduces how to cultivate lychee and the knowledge of lychee planting techniques and management in the field of horticulture, as follows:
Lychee is one of the most popular fruits among the public, with a broad consumption market. Therefore, more and more farmers are choosing to plant lychee. However, how to solve the problems related to lychee planting and management techniques? The following sections provide specific introductions.
1. Proper Planting
Selecting good-quality seedlings is a key step in ensuring the quality and yield of lychee. Choose seedlings with robust growth, lush branches, and strong roots, and those taller than sixty centimeters. Opting for late-maturing lychee varieties can ensure excellent fruit quality. In addition to selecting the best seedlings, understanding the planting time for lychee is also crucial, with the best time being the spring or autumn of each year.
2. Soil Selection
Lychee has specific requirements for soil. Choose fertile, loose, deep, and well-drained soil. It is best to renew the soil before planting lychee and add a small amount of compound fertilizer to increase the soil's nutrient content, which is beneficial for the healthy growth of the plants.
3. Water and Fertilizer Management
Lychee grows better in a moist environment. During later-stage management, it is necessary to provide water to the plants to help lychee grow. However, it is important to control the amount of water, keeping the soil moist but not overwatering, as excessive watering can cause root rot and even plant death. Providing adequate nutrients to the plants during the lychee planting process is beneficial for robust growth.
The types of fertilizer applied should mainly be compound fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, supplemented by organic fertilizers and potassium sulfate. Therefore, during the rapid growth stage of lychee, a nitrogen-based compound fertilizer mixed with organic fertilizer can be applied, and during flowering and fruiting, a compound fertilizer with phosphorus and potassium, supplemented by potassium sulfate. This fertilization method can timely supplement the nutrients needed during lychee growth, promoting better growth.
4. Pruning and Maintenance
Lychee has a fast germination and fruiting rate. During the lychee planting process, it is necessary to prune branches and leaves in time, focusing nutrients on strong and healthy plants to increase lychee yield and quality. When pruning lychee, it is important to remove diseased and dead branches and leaves and dispose of them promptly to prevent other branches from being infected. In addition to dealing with diseased and dead branches promptly, it is also necessary to pay attention to the disinfection of pruning tools to prevent plants from being infected with pathogens, causing pests or plant diseases.
5. Controlling Shoots to Promote Flowering
Manual control of shoots to promote flowering is essential when caring for lychee. This is usually done in November, as this is when old branches gradually age and new ones start to sprout. For young trees with good growth and mature trees with fewer fruits, a method of ring-cutting to promote flowering can be used. Care should be taken not to completely sever the branch during ring-cutting, which can extend the flowering period and effectively increase the fruit-setting rate.
6. Disease and Pest Control
In any crop planting and maintenance, pests and diseases are critical issues, and lychee is no exception. The attack of pests and diseases can severely affect the quality and yield of lychee. Therefore, the prevention and control of pests and diseases are very important. Downy mildew is a common problem encountered when maintaining lychee. Spraying 58% metalaxyl-manganese zinc at a concentration of 600-800 times or 50% metalaxyl at 500 times during the flowering stage of lychee can solve this issue.
The above information on how to cultivate lychee and related lychee planting techniques and management may be helpful to you!