Peach growers in Nhat Tan village are busy pruning the leaves in preparations for the Lunar New Year harvest. (Photo: VGP/ Nhat Bac)

Visiting Nhat Tan peach village these days, the laughter surrounding the busy peach farmers reminds us that spring is fast approaching.

Nguyen Thai Long of Dong commune, who has been growing peach trees for 70 years, said, “Now only peach roots with small nodes will be watered. Others will blossom naturally when there is spring rain.”

“The forecast is for good weather this spring. Since the government banned the sale of wild peach trees from the forest, our business has been better,” says Long.

Tending the peach trees now is easier than when they were pruning the leaves, but the farmers still have to stay all day with their trees.

Nguyen Van Hanh, who owns a peach garden of more than 400 trees, said that when it comes to peach care, dedication is indispensable. But the decisive factor is the weather. 

“From the moment we prepare to pluck the leaves to when we sell the blossoms, we have to monitor the weather continuously. If it is too cold, we need to add fertilizer. If the weather is normal like now, there is no need to fertilize. If the tree is a little younger, you must water it more. The recent cold spell has affected many gardens,” says Hanh.

Sellers and buyers are bargaining. (Photo: VGP/ Nhat Bac)

One or two weeks before Tet, many large agencies and companies come to Nhat Tan peach village or Tu Lien kumquat village to buy or lease trees for the new year. The first to buy get the most beautiful trees.

Thieu Chi Huynh from Vinh Yen city in Vinh Phuc province said he was choosing for his agency a peach tree with a broad canopy and many buds.

“Last year I bought a peach tree in Nhat Tan village and it was beautiful a month later. I’ve purchased Nhat Tan peach trees for 4 years because of their high quality,” says Huynh.

In addition to traditional kumquat pots, this year artisans in Tu Lien village have created many products in the shape of a buffalo as the Year of the Buffalo is coming. (Photo: VGP/ Nhat Bac)

Next to Nhat Tan village is Tu Lien kumquat village, which is also bustling with customers choosing bonsai kumquat trees.

This year local artisans have created many products in the shape of a buffalo as the Year of the Buffalo is coming. Kumquat trees with flowers, buds, green fruit, and ripe fruit are the most in demand. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, this year’s kumquat prices are 10 to 20% lower than last year.

Pham Thu Thuy of Sinh Thuy garden said, “The price of bonsai kumquats is so-so and the market is a bit slow.”

She went on to say, “Last year a beautiful kumquat tree sold for almost 520 USD, but this year I only dare quote a price of 430 USD. By this time last year I had sold 50 trees, but so far only 30. This year many people aren’t shopping for kumquats.”

Kumquat growers in Hanoi and elsewhere are busy pruning leaves, and shaping and bending trees. Nurturing the trees so that the fruits are ripe and the buds are flowering as Tet begins requires careful attention.

Do Van Dan of Hamlet 2 in Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province, said, “Kumquats in pots require different care than trees planted in the ground. Farmers must understand which trees need plenty of water, which ones don’t, and the amount of fertilizer to use. It takes gardeners years to learn the techniques.”

“This year we grew 1,000 trees and have sold about 800. There are still a lot of customers who haven’t purchased yet,” says Dan.