China has abundant orange production with diverse and superior varieties. Many people are engaged in orange cultivation. In the process of cultivating oranges, fertilization is essential for lush foliage and sweet fruit. Let's discuss the fertilization techniques for orange seedlings.
Fertilization Principles
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Principles of Fertilization: Young seedlings should be fertilized frequently but with small amounts each time, emphasizing more fertilization in the early stage and controlled fertilization later on. Pay attention to providing shoot and root fertilizers, especially for newly planted seedlings. It is recommended to fertilize 1-2 times per month before July and stop fertilizing from August to October to control late autumn and winter shoot growth. Apply winter fertilizer in mid-November, with a total of 6-8 fertilizations per year.
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Fertilization Methods: As the trees mature, the amount and area of fertilization per tree should gradually increase, and the frequency of fertilization can be reduced accordingly. Young trees in the first 1-2 years after planting should mainly receive nitrogen fertilizer, with the proportion of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer gradually increasing in the following years. Root topdressing should be performed multiple times from March to July, using 0.3%-0.4% urea, 0.1% borax, and 0.1%-0.2% zinc sulfate solution to prevent deficiency symptoms. Fertilization from March to July should account for 75% of the total annual fertilizer, 5% from August to October, and around 20% in November. Generally, no quick-acting fertilizer is applied during the dormant period from December to early February.
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Fertilizer Amounts: For 1-2 year-old seedlings, apply 0.5-1 kg of urea, 50-100 kg of livestock manure, and 1-1.5 kg of cake fertilizer per tree annually. For 3-5 year-old seedlings, apply 1-2 kg of "Guoman Duo" organic fertilizer, over 100 kg of well-rotted livestock manure, 0.3-0.5 kg of urea, 0.5-1 kg of phosphate fertilizer, 0.1-0.2 kg of potassium sulfate, and 50-60 kg of green manure per tree annually.
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Precautions: The root system of young trees is characterized by few, tender, shallowly distributed, and low nutrient-absorbing roots, and they are not tolerant to concentrated fertilizers. Therefore, it is essential to adhere to the principle of "frequent application of thin fertilizers." When digging circular or symmetrical trenches for fertilization below the drip line of the tree disk, the trench depth should be 10-15 cm, and width should be 20-30 cm. After fertilization, mix the fertilizer with soil and cover it evenly. Avoid applying urea and other chemical fertilizers directly to prevent root burning. The application of organic fertilizers is most effective on cloudy days.
Above are the fertilization techniques for orange seedlings. The purpose of fertilization is to promote shoot production, expand root systems, and enlarge canopy area, with nitrogen fertilizer as the main component.
