How many years does it take for a prune tree to bear fruit from planting?
Prune was originally a type of dried plum, shaped like an apricot-plum. It is rich in vitamin A and cellulose, and also contains minerals such as iron and potassium, yet contains no fat or cholesterol. So, how many years does it take for a prune to bear fruit?
1. How many years does it take for a prune to bear fruit?
Prunes generally begin to bear fruit about three years after planting. When the plum is ripe, its prune skin is dark purple, and the flesh is amber-colored.
2. Cultivation techniques for prunes
1. Orchard establishment
Plant at a spacing of 2x3 m between plants and rows. After planting, leave 40-50 cm to determine the trunk height.
2. Training
a. Natural open-center form. In winter pruning, cut back the selected 3-4 main branches by leaving 2/3 of their length. The first main branch should preferably be 30 cm above the ground. In the following year's winter pruning, lightly cut the main branches, leaving 2-3 side branches on each main branch.
b. Open-center form with delayed heading and sparse layers. Leave 5-6 main branches on the whole tree, arranged in two layers on the trunk, then cut off the central leader. When the current year's new shoots are 20-30 cm long, select and retain the central leader and three main branches for training, and pull the others flat or . In winter pruning, cut the extension shoot of the central leader leaving 40-50 cm, with the cut facing an inward bud; cut the main branches slightly shorter than the central leader, with the cut facing an outward bud.
c. Multi-main-branch natural open-center form. Without a central leader, 4-6 primary and secondary scaffold branches are formed near the trunk.
3. Hand pollination
At the beginning of flowering, collect flower buds and gather pollen for hand pollination by spotting. Alternatively, during full bloom, tap the flowering branches with gauze-covered cotton balls to assist pollination by hand.
4. Field management
Base fertilizer: Apply base fertilizer after the fruit is harvested. For young trees, apply 10 kg of base fertilizer per tree. For trees in full fruit period, 50 kg per tree. Base fertilizer is generally applied in trenches, with trenches 40 cm deep and 30 cm wide. Open a ring-shaped fertilizer trench along the outer projection of the tree canopy, apply the fertilizer evenly into the trench, and fill it back promptly. Alternatively, dig fertilizer trenches on both sides of the outer canopy (east-west or north-south), alternating the fertilization direction every other year.
Topdressing: Topdressing can be applied twice a year, respectively before flowering (mid-to-late March) and at the beginning of fruit enlargement and flower bud differentiation (mid-June). For young trees, apply 100-200 g per tree each time; for trees in full fruit period, apply 400 g per tree each time. The N:P:K ratio of the chemical fertilizer is 2:1:2. Topdressing can be applied in shallow trenches dug under the canopy projection in different directions (east-west, north-south), 15 cm deep and 30 cm wide. After fertilizing, backfill the soil promptly.
Irrigation: Generally, irrigation should be done before bud break (mid-to-late March), during fruit development (early May), at the beginning of flower bud differentiation (mid-June), during the pit-hardening stage before fruit ripening (mid-July), after fruit harvest (mid-August), and before the soil freezes (early November). The irrigation quota is 400-600 m3/667 sq m. For orchards established on the edge of deserts outside farming areas, if conditions permit, water-saving irrigation methods such as drip irrigation or micro-sprinkler irrigation are recommended. According to soil conditions and evaporation, the irrigation cycle is 4-7 days, and each irrigation amount should be enough to infiltrate to the main root distribution layer of 50-60 cm of soil.
During the planting process of prunes, doing a good job of hand pollination can effectively increase the fruit-setting rate.