Hung Yen, the "capital" of ornamental kumquats and pomelos, is ready for Tet.

Photo caption — The people of Van Giang have developed a tradition of growing kumquats and ornamental pomelos, creating products that are popular with customers every time Tet (Lunar New Year) comes around. Photo: The Duyet/TTXVN

Taking advantage of favorable weather, farmers are busy pruning, removing leaves, shaping, and caring for ornamental kumquat and pomelo trees in preparation for sale. Many orchards have already had almost all of their land reserved by traders, bringing joy to the farmers after a year of hard work.

Gardeners are busy preparing for the harvest season.

Van Giang has long been a major flower and ornamental plant growing area, not only in Hung Yen but also in the northern region. Thanks to suitable soil and years of experience, the people here have developed a large-scale and highly skilled kumquat and pomelo cultivation industry, creating products that are favored by customers from Hanoi , Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and other places during the Lunar New Year.

In early December, visiting the garden of Mr. Dinh Van Tinh's family (Phi Liet village), hundreds of pomelo trees of all sizes are shaped symmetrically, their fruits glistening golden yellow. This year, his family has prepared nearly 500 ornamental pomelo trees for the Tet market; in addition to the traditional potted and jar-shaped trees, Mr. Tinh is introducing ornamental pomelo trees planted in vases called "Lucky Charm Vases," with unique, compact designs suitable for families with limited display space.

Mr. Tinh explained that to cultivate beautiful, well-developed pomelo trees, gardeners "nurture the fruit" early and keep it until the Lunar New Year. In addition, growers must shape the tree into an attractive form, pruning the branches to create a balanced tree. This process requires skillful watering, fertilizing, and timing the flowering correctly. A beautiful ornamental pomelo tree must meet three criteria: a beautiful trunk; lush, thick green leaves, including both young and old leaves; and, most importantly, plump, glossy yellow fruit. Furthermore, the type of pot or container used to display the tree must be exquisite, enhancing its value.

The pomelo trees, laden with golden, ripe fruit, symbolizing abundance and prosperity, have been attracting customers in recent years. This year, even though it's only the beginning of December, Mr. Tran's orchard has already received deposits from traders for about 300 trees, at prices about 10% higher than last year. Proactively grasping trends and changing designs has given him and other orchard owners in Van Giang commune a competitive advantage in the market, thereby expanding their customer base and increasing the value of their products.

During this busiest time of year, the orchards of Ms. Trinh Thi Huong's family (Cong Luan 2 village) are attracting many traders. As one of the large-scale kumquat growers, Ms. Huong's family currently owns 12 orchards with a variety of kumquats, from small potted kumquats and mini bonsai to ancient kumquat trees with unique shapes.

Ms. Huong said that ornamental kumquat trees from Van Giang are diverse in size and shape, meeting the diverse needs of the market, from the affordable to the high-end segment. Among them, kumquat trees planted in 30-liter ceramic pots are priced from 1 to 1.5 million VND/tree; kumquat trees in 150-200 liter pots are more expensive, ranging from 7 to 8 million VND/tree. To have beautiful kumquat trees for the Tet market, around September and October, when the fruit has developed stably, gardeners enter the "final stage" of shaping and styling the trees; at the same time, they prune some fruit and cut branches so that the trees will sprout new leaves and bloom in time for Tet.

High-value profession

From a traditional farming household, in 2014, Mr. Doan Van Hinh (Cong Luan 2 village) boldly switched to a bonsai garden model. Each year, his garden supplies the Tet market with about 100 pomelo trees and 500 kumquat trees.

Mr. Hinh shared that every year, from the end of November, traders from other localities come to Van Giang to visit and select gardens with good quality, diverse styles and designs, then mark, deposit, and reserve the trees in the garden. The traders only come to collect the goods about 15-20 days before the Lunar New Year. Therefore, the garden owners still have to take care of the trees to keep them healthy and beautiful, ensuring the fruit ripens naturally and the colors are vibrant at the right time for customers to receive the goods. Thanks to the ornamental plant cultivation business serving the Tet market, after deducting expenses, Mr. Hinh's family earns about 400 million VND each year, and their family's economic situation has improved.

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Hung Yen province, the entire province currently has approximately 3,360 hectares of flowers and ornamental plants. Of these, Van Giang commune, formed by the merger of three former communes and towns – Lien Nghia, Tan Tien, and Van Giang town – has a large area dedicated to growing kumquats, pomelos, and ornamental flowers, which has been maintained and developed for many years.

According to Mr. Dam Duc Cuong, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Van Giang commune, the commune currently has nearly 4,000 members. Many of these members have become wealthy from developing kumquat and ornamental pomelo trees – key crops in the local agricultural production.

In Phi Liet village, a key ornamental plant growing area of the commune, there is currently one cooperative with 50 members who regularly exchange experiences, apply new techniques, and establish sales linkages, helping to improve the quality and value of their products. By 2025, the value generated from ornamental plant cultivation in the locality is expected to reach approximately 300 to 400 million VND per member. This is a significant source of income, making an important contribution to the socio-economic development of the commune.

With skillful hands and years of experience, farmers in Van Giang not only bring quality products to the Tet market but also contribute to preserving the traditional beauty of decorating with plants during the spring festival. As the yellow and orange hues gradually cover the gardens, Van Giang is ready for a vibrant, abundant, and joyful Tet season.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/thu-phuquat-buoi-canh-hung-yen-san-sang-cho-tet-20251210172532084.htm