How to Plant a Jujube Tree
This is a section on life's little knowledge, about how to plant and cultivate jujube trees, and knowledge about the management of flowers. If there are any inaccuracies, please feel free to correct them!
The soil requirements for planting jujube trees: Jujube trees do not have strict soil requirements. Soil with a salt content of less than 0.3% and a pH value within the range of 8.5 can be planted. As long as the management is in place, jujube trees can grow normally in sandy soil, loam, clay, deserts, and gobi deserts. In 2003, I was the first in the entire team to plant 120 mu of jujube trees, which were planted on the abandoned heavy clay land of the unit. Through measures such as digging planting pits during planting, soaking the roots with rooting powder before planting, applying water retention agents at the bottom of the pits, and mulching and watering after planting, the survival rate reached more than 95% in the same year, ranking first in the team's survival rate that year. It is a high-quality garden that the leaders of the Agricultural Division 2 must visit every time. Jujube planting does not have high requirements for land leveling. Currently, most jujube trees in southern Xinjiang are planted using high-pressure drip irrigation (regiments, Korla), with some places using sleeve ditch irrigation (Hejing) and small ridge irrigation (Ruoqiang, Qiemo). For plots using high-pressure drip irrigation, a drop of 3-4 meters is not a big problem. As long as the measures are appropriate, it will not have a significant impact on the normal growth of jujube trees. Several plots of the Hongqiang Agricultural Development Company have a drop of about 5 meters, and the growth of jujube trees is still very normal.
Establishment of Garden:
The establishment of jujube gardens in the Kuta Reclamation Area has gone through three stages. The first stage: early from Henan and Shanxi to transport finished grafted seedlings for planting. There were many problems with the establishment of jujube gardens in this stage. First, the seedlings were of uneven quality, with some seedlings being of mixed varieties, causing losses to jujube farmers. It was said to be grey jujube, but there were various varieties, and jujube farmers needed to graft them again. Second, the seedlings from outside were not adapted to the Xinjiang climate, and the trunk cracked and peeled in winter, causing the upper part to dehydrate and wither and die. Every spring, new branches needed to be reissued, which wasted nutrients and affected the income of jujube farmers. Third, the cost was too high. The second stage: planting sour jujube trees imported from Henan and Shanxi. The problems in this stage were high cost and no guarantee of survival rate. The third stage: self-broadcasting and establishing a garden or seedling transplanting and establishing a garden. Currently, this method is mainly used in Korla, Tarim, Ruoqiang, and Qiemo areas.
While establishing the garden, it is necessary to plan and design the shelterbelt. There should be a shelterbelt position of about 10 meters wide around the periphery of a 100-mu jujube garden. The tree species for planting the shelterbelt should be drought-resistant species such as sand jujube and poplar. In places with better water conditions, poplar and white wax trees with faster growth can be planted appropriately to quickly prevent wind and sand, and then gradually replace them with poplar and sand jujube trees.
Selection of spacing: Based on years of observation, the three spacing patterns of 1*3, 2*3, and 3*3 are more in line with requirements. These three patterns are: early fruiting, and tree shape cultivation can be combined with leaving one pruning and two pruning after growing up, so the tree shape does not need to be changed.
Configuration of pollination trees: Currently, the main jujube varieties in the Kuta Reclamation Area are grey jujube, with other varieties such as Jun jujube, winter jujube, Zanhuang big jujube, and Jinchang No. 1. Grey jujube is grafted in the second year after sowing, and there is basically no yield in the year of grafting. Therefore, when grafting, a pattern of nine rows of grey jujube and one row of other varieties of jujube trees can be adopted. The fruiting of Jun jujube and Jinchang No. 1 in the year of grafting is very ideal, and they can be chosen as the first choice.
Sowing methods:
One, direct seeding with film laying by machinery. The seed box of the pneumatic precision seeder can adjust the plant spacing by removing a few forks with the ratchet-driven fork every time. The forks removed can be replaced with damaged fork arms. For the old-fashioned seed box, it can adjust the plant spacing by removing the duckbill and blocking the eye. Sow when the moisture is suitable, or adopt dry sowing and wet emergence. This pattern is more suitable for mature plots with complete windbreak systems that have been planted for many years, as such plots are easy to seed and have a high seedling retention rate. The seedlings can reach a thickness of 5MM in the same year, and the grafting rate in the second year can basically reach 100%.
Two, seedling bag greenhouse seedling raising. This pattern has a high cost and requires a lot of labor, but its advantages are also very prominent. Especially for newly reclaimed orchards in the same year, due to the incomplete windbreak system or the orchard is located on the windward side, if live sowing is adopted, it may result in uneven germination, or the seedlings may encounter wind disasters after emerging. Small 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 to establish the orchard. Seedling bag greenhouse seedling raising can help you avoid the wind season, and the seedlings have developed roots and high lignification degree of the stem, which is strong in resistance and easy to survive. The planting time is flexible, and trees can be planted before the end of July. However, there are a few points to pay attention to in this pattern: one, pay attention to the soil quality when filling the soil in the seedling bags, and do not use sandy soil. Two, perform root pruning in advance before planting. Three, when planting too late, spray the seedlings with chemical agents to control the growth. Four, water (irrigate) in time after planting, and spray root stimulants to promote root growth.
Jujube orchard management:
One, seedling management.
Soil management: The seedling stage requires rapid growth of seedlings and rapid establishment of the orchard. All soil management should be carried out around this center. One is to weeding, reducing competition for water and fertilizer; two is to loosen the soil around the trees, raise the ground temperature, and promote root growth. Water and fertilizer management: The water and fertilizer during the seedling stage should highlight five words, "multiple times and small doses". The seedling stage mainly uses 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 application 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 be neutral urea. Phosphorus fertilizer should avoid using alkaline calcium superphosphate. The concentration of urea in foliar fertilization 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 a maximum of 10 days, so it can be sprayed more according to the situation. Additionally, the nutrient needs of jujube trees are mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. It is necessary to pay attention to supplementing calcium for jujube trees, especially for fruiting jujube trees.
Two, management during the fruiting stage.
Soil management: loosen the soil around the trees; leave a small grass of 10CM-20CM under the trees to maintain soil moisture and prevent pests from climbing onto the trees.
Water and fertilizer management:
In this stage, it is important to pay attention to the input of farm manure. Fruits talk about "pound of fruit, pound of fertilizer", and the input of farm manure is directly related to whether the fruit trees can grow strong and the quality of the fruit. Farm manure can greatly improve land fertility and soil conditions. In our local area, the order of base fertilizer nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content from high to low is cottonseed cake-chicken manure-sheep manure-pig manure-cow manure. Everyone can choose according to their actual conditions. The application of farm manure generally uses the trenching method. Dig 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, and bury the manure. Then cover it with soil. Some phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can also be applied on the surface of farm manure. The best time to use farm manure is October. Applying farm manure at this time allows the fertilizer to decompose for a longer time, and the roots of jujube trees have not stopped growing, which is beneficial for the utilization of fertilizer during the flowering period of the next year.
Jujube trees generally apply chemical fertilizers four times a year. The first is the germination fertilizer in mid-to-late April; the second is the full flowering period fertilizer in mid-to-late May; the third is the young fruit period fertilizer at the end of June and the beginning of July; and the fourth is the jujube fruit expansion fertilizer in early August. In April and May, nitrogen fertilizer should be used; after June, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used, with nitrogen fertilizer as a supplement. However, most jujube orchards now use high-pressure drip irrigation, which has high fertilizer utilization and quick fertilizing effect. However, the amount of fertilization needs to be planned. Taking the number of plants per acre as an example, the amount of urea applied per plant is 0.03~1.5 kilograms; the amount of three-element fertilizer is 0.01~0.7 kilograms; and the amount of potassium fertilizer is 0.02~1 kilogram. Calculate the amount of fertilizer used by yourself, and be clear about the application of chemical fertilizers. The flowering and young fruit periods 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. In drip irrigation jujube orchards, starting from the germination water, fertilizer should be applied with every irrigation. The amount of fertilizer should start from a low level in early April and gradually increase to the highest level by the end of May to early July, and then gradually decrease to the lowest level by early September. However, the total amount of fertilizer needs to be well controlled to avoid unnecessary input and 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 pesticide spraying for jujube trees to save labor. Nitrogen fertilizer should be used in May and June, mainly urea. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used in July and August, mainly potassium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium chloride. In the use of foliar fertilizer for jujube trees, one point that is often overlooked is the supplementation of calcium fertilizer. There are many types of calcium fertilizers on the market, and it is relatively easy to choose. When using foliar fertilizer, we must remember one thing: buy the most suitable, not the most expensive. Because the most expensive may not necessarily be the best in terms of effect. (Note: The concentrations of calcium treasure, Jinpeng liquid, and flower fruit spirit are all 0.08~0.1%.) Attention should be paid to using boron fertilizer and trace element fertilizers in addition to nitrogen fertilizer during the flowering period of jujube trees to increase the fruit setting rate.
How to plant jujube trees
Three, management during the flowering period.
The management of the flowering period in the jujube orchard is directly related to the yield, and it can be said to be a key period in the management of jujube trees. To do a good job in the management of the flowering period, you need to understand some growth characteristics of jujube trees during the flowering period. Jujube trees drop 97-99% of the total flowers, and the natural fruit setting rate is only 0.6-1.2%, which is even worse when the trees age. Jujube flowers are sensitive to air humidity, soil moisture content, hot and dry winds, and blowing sand and dust. The conditions in Xinjiang are not good in these aspects. Therefore, to improve the fruit setting rate of jujube trees, the following key points must be grasped. First, understand that the flowering period of jujube trees is about hormones, and the fruiting period is about fertilizers. This means that the content of hormones during the flowering period is directly related to the natural fertilization rate of jujube flowers, and the amount of fruit setting during the fruiting period is directly related to the amount of fertilizer applied. Second, understand the principle of concentrating nutrients. Use fertilizers in the most needed aspects. Third, understand that meticulous management leads to high yields. During the flowering period, concentrate labor on the most needed tasks.
Measures to preserve flowers and fruits: 1. Remove useless jujube buds. 2. Thin branches. Thin out the crowded tender branches in the middle, only when the branches are scattered can the jujubes be full and the crowded branches can be empty. 3. Pinch and twist 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 conditions, often exerting effort but not achieving good results. If the tree vigor is strong, pinching all the branches often leads to chaotic tree vigor. If the tree vigor is weak, leaving too many secondary branches may not have an ideal fruit setting. Jujube trees are different from fragrant pears. Fragrant pears produce more fruits when the tree vigor is weak, while jujube trees are the opposite. When jujube trees are well controlled, the stronger the vigor, the more fruits they produce. 4. Pull branches. Flatten the fruiting branches, which is suitable for small households. The principle of action is not mentioned here, and friends with basic knowledge already know it. For branches on the back, twist them from the base when they are semi-lignified, and the branches treated with twist will have good fruiting. 5. Use of growth regulators. Growth regulators can only be used on large trees that have matured. Dwarf strength, multi-effect pruning, and leaf surface preservation all contain inhibitory ingredients. Spraying on small trees will affect their 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 pollen germination, pollen tube elongation, 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, to prevent the occurrence of phytotoxicity, we can reduce the amount of gibberellin by half. This can not only increase the yield but also ensure that the tree vigor does not weaken. These are some experiences I have gradually gained in management, and the effect is very good. Friends with different opinions can also leave a message, and we can discuss each other's views. 6. Supplementation of trace elements. I have mentioned the use of boron fertilizer and rare earth before, so I will not elaborate on it. 7. Ring girdling. Start from 15CM above the ground and increase 5CM each year and gradually move up to the main branches. Such cycles. In the process of ring girdling, I need to emphasize five points: first, the width of the ring girdling should not exceed half a centimeter, otherwise it will not heal easily. When ring girdling, it is possible to deliberately leave some bark, which can speed up the healing process. After ring girdling, it is necessary to apply insecticides. Second, strengthen the application of fertilizer and water after ring girdling to promote healing. Third, ring girdling should be performed on trees with a diameter of more than 10CM. I do not advocate ring girdling for small trees, as its side effects on weakening tree vigor are relatively obvious, and we cannot be too superficial. Fourth, for dense orchards, it is possible to plan to ring girdle some small trees, which can increase yield and cultivate jujube trees to be left behind. Fifth, pay attention to the timing of ring girdling. When the flower amount reaches about 30%, the effect is the best. For large areas, it can be appropriately advanced. 8. Grind jujubes. It is more commonly used by small households, and I have used this method for more than ten years, and the effect is similar to ring girdling. Here, I will not elaborate on it. 9. Release bees in the jujube orchard. It is more suitable in our area, but the rental of a box of bees has become more and more expensive in recent years. Haha, I won't