What is the best way to plant longan seedlings?

Longan is also known as laurel. Because its fruit is round, white and shiny, it looks like the eye of a mythical "dragon", hence the beautiful name "longan". Not only can you eat the fresh fruit pulp directly after peeling it, you can also eat dried longan after drying. The flesh, core, skin and roots can all be used as medicine. So what is the best way to plant longan seedlings? Let’s take a look below.

1. Site selection

Longan trees like warmth and are very sensitive to low temperatures, making them prone to frost and freezing damage, so it is important to choose a place where cold air is not likely to stay or gather. It grows well in neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam that is loose, well-drained and breathable, and rich in humus. It is not suitable for planting in alkaline soil.

2. Planting points

Longan trees are usually planted in spring, with the spacing between rows and plants generally controlled at about 6 meters x 7 meters. Base fertilizer, usually about 40 kilograms of organic fertilizer , is applied to the planting hole at a depth of 1 meter. Water is then poured after planting to help the trees take root.

3. Water and fertilizer management

Longan trees are relatively drought-resistant, and generally an annual rainfall of more than 1,000 mm can meet their growth needs, so it only needs to be replenished with water in a timely manner in areas of long-term drought and water shortage. Fertilizer has a great influence on the yield of longan, so fertilization is an important part of longan tree cultivation and management. It is generally divided into flower-promoting fertilizer, fruit-enhancing fertilizer and post-fruiting fertilizer. Flower-promoting fertilizer is applied around the tree between December and January, with the amount of compound fertilizer used per plant being about 0.8 kg. Fruit-enhancing fertilizer is applied in the late flowering period, 25 kg of organic fertilizer per plant, and appropriate application of potassium fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer, urea, etc. Post-fruiting fertilization is the key to ensuring the yield in the second year. Nitrogen fertilizer is generally applied during the shoot growth period after the fruit is harvested.

4. Renovation and pruning

Proper pruning of longan trees is also an important way to increase fruit yield. After harvesting the fruits, cut off weak and diseased branches, overgrown branches, and branches with fallen flowers and fruits from the base, and control the length after pruning to about 25 cm. Doing so can provide more nutrients to the high-quality autumn shoots that bear fruit, and also keep the tree crown neat and well-ventilated and light-permeable.

5. Pest and disease control

1. Pests such as white moths, wax cicadas, psyllids, and stink bugs: They mainly occur during the sprouting period in autumn. From the sprouting period to the maturity period, use effective drugs such as cypermethrin once every half a month for control. 1 catties of 2.5% cypermethrin can be sprayed with 2000 catties of water.

2. Bald branch disease: Prevention is the main approach. Diseased branches should be pruned deep and promptly to prevent the entire plant from being infected or even dying.

3. Anthracnose: It manifests as reddish-brown spots on the leaves. It can be controlled by spraying 2000 times diluted 50% carbendazim solution during the rainy season in summer.

That’s it