A detailed guide to planting apricot saplings, quickly master the key planting points

SummaryChoose deep, well-ventilated sandy loam soil, plant at a planting distance of 2 m and a row spacing of 3-4 m, and apply about 20 jin of farmyard manure in the planting hole; during the growing period, spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate and urea, and keep the soil in a moist state; in the later stage, head the apricot tree, then prune dead branches, dense branches, slender branches and diseased and pest-infested branches; artificial pollination can be carried out on sunny days, and when diseases and pests occur, spray pesticides in time for control.

I. Site selection and planting

1. Apricot saplings are suitable for planting in dry, flat plots with convenient drainage and irrigation, and deep, well-ventilated sandy loam soil should be chosen; the soil must not be hardened or sticky.

2. The planting hole is generally twice the size of the root ball, and planting is done at a distance of 2 m and a row spacing of 3-4 m.

3. Apply about 20 jin of farmyard manure in the planting hole, then mix it with soil and cover with 10 cm of soil, place the apricot sapling into it, and cover with a small amount of soil.

4. When it is close to the flat ground, lift the sapling slightly, then cover with soil again, tread lightly and water to let it settle, then earth up to the root collar; the planting sapling should have 2/3 of its leaves removed and be covered with a shade net.

II. Fertilization and irrigation

1. In the early stage of apricot tree budding, apply some urea; when new shoots grow, apply some quick-acting fertilizer; the leaves are mainly sprayed with potassium dihydrogen phosphate and urea.

2. During flowering and fruiting, more potassium sulfate fertilizer needs to be applied, and yield-increasing bacteria need to be sprayed throughout the fruiting period.

3. After the fruit is harvested, a large amount of farmyard manure needs to be applied to protect against cold and also supplement the tree's nutrition, but apricot trees planted in the same year will not bear fruit in that year.

4. Generally, farmyard manure and nitrogen fertilizer can be applied to promote growth; after planting, water once every 3-4 days, and after watering continuously for 30 days, water once every 15 days, which is beneficial for regulating the soil environment.

III. Plant pruning

1. After planting and resuming normal growth, the shade net can be removed, and heading is carried out at a position 1 m above the ground.

2. Then leave shoots at separated angles, about 8-10 of them; when they grow to 0.5 m long, 5 branches can be selected for key cultivation, and the rest can be encouraged to sprout new shoots, then repeatedly pinch the tips to promote shoots, cultivate several grades of branches, maintain good angles, and remove dense branches.

3. For fruiting trees, the main task is to prune dead branches, dense branches, slender branches and diseased and pest-infested branches, which helps improve the crown structure, and then cultivate fruiting branch groups; in addition, aging trees should be shortened and root-pruned, keeping the weak and removing the strong, and fruiting branches should be recultivated.

IV. Daily management

1. If the humidity is too high, it will be unfavorable for apricot tree flowering, pollination and fertilization, and will also lead to a decline in the fruiting rate; therefore, artificial pollination can be carried out on sunny days. Because summer temperatures are high, diseases and pests are likely to occur after rain, so at this time pesticides should be sprayed in time to kill the pests.

2. In addition, receiving sufficient sunlight is beneficial for fruit expansion and quality improvement, so it is necessary to ensure that different nutrients are supplemented at different stages.