China's ancient times, what kind of experience in orchard soil management, fertilization, irrigation and drainage?

In ancient times in China, certain experience was created in orchard soil management, fertilization, irrigation and drainage.

For orchard soil management, "Qimin Yaojutsu" on a variety of deciduous fruit trees cultivated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River reflects that, in ancient times, after fruit trees were planted, the soil was generally not ploughed and turned over, but considerable importance was attached to medium-plowing and hoeing. This is also true for evergreen fruit trees. For example, the "summer record" will advocate citrus orchards should be plowed and hoeing all year round, so that the grass under the tree.

The Yuan Dynasty, "Nongsang Clothing and Food Summary" mentioned that the first month of the lunar calendar before the germination of fruit trees, deep excavation next to the roots of the tree, cut off the main root, do not injure the fibrous roots, and then mulch the soil to build a solid, the results of the fertilizer, known as the "cheating tree".

Subsequent canonical books also often have this account, just "cheat" or writing "good". The method is a bit like the later Liaonan fruit farmers in apple cultivation in the application of "put tree areole.

Fertilizer for fruit trees, "Qimin Yaojiao" mentioned that the peach tree with rotted manure, can enhance the flavor of peach fruit. The Song Dynasty's "Orange Record" said that orange trees fertilized in winter and summer, the "leaves are fertile and fruitful".

The Ming and Qing dynasties, such as "Zhuyu Shanfang miscellaneous", "Flower Mirror" and other orchard fertilization has a more comprehensive discussion. Pointed out that in the fruit tree budding should not fertilize, so as not to damage the new roots; flowering should not be fertilized, so as not to cause blossom drop; after sitting on the fruit should be fertilized to promote fruit expansion; fruit harvest should be fertilized in order to restore the tree; winter fertilizer should be applied to the tree for the next year's development.

Anciently, the fertilizer applied to the orchard is mainly organic fertilizer, such as dung, pig manure, river mud, rice slop and so on.

Fruit tree irrigation and drainage, the ancient books in this regard, although not much, the content is more practical. For example, the Song Dynasty "orange record" mentioned that the drought is the orange tree growth is hindered, too much rain is the fruit cracking or flavor thin. So the orange grove should open drainage ditches to prevent rain and flooding, drought should be timely watering, and pointed out that irrigation can be combined with fertilization. The Ming Dynasty "Qunfangpu" for the fig's water demand characteristics, proposed to "put the bottle on its side", drip irrigation. Qing Dynasty "Guangdong new language" proposed in the dormant period of the fruit tree "through the irrigation, in order to be issued in the spring.

The Qing Dynasty "peach spectrum" pointed out that the peach "like dry, evil wet", cultivated in rainy areas, the need to open drainage ditches to facilitate drainage.