The largest Buddha's hand orchard in the North is busy preparing for Tet.

Hard work preparing for Tet

People in Dac So village have been attached to Buddha’s hand trees for many years. Thanks to suitable soil and weather conditions, Buddha’s hand trees here grow well and bring high economic efficiency.

Buddha's hand tree is often considered a symbol of luck, happiness and love.

Buddha’s hand has two main crops a year: the 15th day of the 7th lunar month and Tet. To meet market demand, especially during these two occasions, farmers have to take care of and prepare Buddha’s hand trees for months.

Lunar New Year is the most anticipated season for Dac So people. Photo: Ngoc Minh.

In the early spring months, the branches must be pruned and screwed down. In early summer, the tree will naturally flower. Immediately after that, the farmer must use chemicals and fertilize the tree to make it flower and fruit in time for Tet.

The more the Buddha's hand fruit resembles Buddha's hand and is green and shiny, the more popular it is and the higher the price it will sell for.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien - a Buddha's hand tree grower here for many years, gardeners in Dac So are currently busy with the final preparations for the upcoming Tet season.

People are quickly pruning, weeding, and protecting the plants from frost. There is always someone watching over the Buddha's hand garden. Although the pre-Tet period is a bit busier, everyone is happily looking forward to a good fruit harvest.

“My family has about 2 hectares of Buddha’s hand trees, equivalent to a harvest of nearly 20,000 fruits per crop. The quantity is large, so the preparation and care time is also quite long. Near Tet, we definitely have to hire people to harvest and package them,” said Ms. Lien.

Concerns before the main crop season

It is known that Buddha's hand tree has a long growing period. To harvest fruit, gardeners must spend 3-4 years planting seedlings, taking care of large trees, and letting them flower and bear fruit. Buddha's hand tree brings high economic efficiency but also requires large investment capital.

Therefore, at the time close to the main season like Lunar New Year, gardeners in Dac So, in addition to taking care of their plants, also have to pay attention to the weather and fluctuations in market demand.

Buddha's hand fruit is popular during Tet holiday. Photo: Ngoc Minh.

Buddha's hand is a plant that likes light, warm soil and cannot tolerate cold. Unstable weather has a negative effect on both the plant and the fruit.

Mr. Phan Huy Thang, owner of the Buddha's hand garden, said that this tree can only be planted on new land and must be replanted after 5 years.

In addition, market demand is different every year, so even if we predict in advance when the tree will flower and bear fruit, it is difficult to be completely accurate.

Mr. Thang shared: "Because this year people prefer green Buddha's hand, I let the tree bloom in August. By Tet, the fruit will be the right size and beauty, still green in color."

At Buddha's hand gardens at present, small and small fruits are being pruned to be sold during the full moon or the first day of the lunar month, while the big and beautiful fruits are left for the main crop of Lunar New Year.

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