How to cultivate apricot trees? These technical key points must be mastered

SummarySeedling raising and field planting: seeding and grafting can be used for raising seedlings, then the land should be prepared and fertilized, and field planting should be carried out with both plant spacing and row spacing of 4cm. Orchard management: during the flowering period, artificially kept bees can be used for pollination, and smoke can be used to protect against cold and frost. Fertilize 4 times a year, and water promptly after fertilizing, with proper pruning later. Pest and disease control: in winter, the gumming areas on the trunk can be cleaned thoroughly and then whitewashed, or mancozeb can be sprayed to control bacterial shot hole disease, etc.

I. Seedling Raising and Field Planting

1. Seedlings can be cultivated by sowing and grafting. Sowing is generally carried out in spring or autumn by the furrow method, and sowing should be done reasonably, maintaining a certain row spacing and plant spacing, and it should not be too dense. For grafted seedlings, the scion should be selected from one-year-old fully lignified branches. When the seedlings are ready for field planting, choose relatively healthy and robust whole seedlings, then soak them in cold water for about 24 hours before field planting.

2. Deeply plow and prepare the planting site to a depth of about 25cm, then rake the soil level before planting. The row spacing should be about 4m and the plant spacing about 4cm. The row spacing and plant spacing can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the specific size of the planting site.

3. It is best to plant in late spring, which helps improve the survival rate of the seedlings. Before planting, apply enough base fertilizer. About 12 kilograms of farmyard manure can be selected and applied together with about 1 kilogram of diammonium phosphate.

4. When transplanting, place the graft union facing the sunny side, put the seedling vertically into the soil, and ensure its roots and stems can fully extend. After planting, water thoroughly, and at the same time spread a layer of sand nearby to prevent the soil from becoming too dry and cracking.

II. Orchard Management

1. Pollination

When planting seedlings, it is best to plant them in a ratio of 1:4. During the flowering period of apricot trees, artificially kept bees can be used for pollination.

2. Cold and Frost Protection

Smoke can be used for freeze protection, which is relatively simple. Corn stalks left over from autumn, etc. can be selected and piled up at the windward side of the planting site, about 10 piles. Light them on frosty days. Note that smoking is required, and during this process, be sure to pay attention to fire safety and try not to produce open flames.

3. Reasonable Fertilization

During the growth process of apricot trees, fertilization is needed about 4 times a year. For autumn fertilization, about 60 kilograms of organic fertilizer can be applied per mu. Generally, apricot tree seedlings and fruit-setting stages need a small amount of fertilizer, while more can be applied at maturity. Water promptly after fertilizing. In spring, when the fruit trees grow new buds and during the fruit expansion period, fertilizer can be applied 2 times, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, applied together with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. After harvest is complete, a compound fertilizer can be applied once, about 1 kilogram, and then water.

III. Shaping and Pruning

1. Apricot trees grow relatively quickly during the seedling stage. Properly shortening long branches helps expand the tree canopy. Keep main branches with a good growth angle and prune all others. More auxiliary nurturing branches can be retained, which helps store nutrients in advance.

2. In winter, mainly shorten the main and side branches, retaining about 45cm, to avoid nutrient loss. In summer, prune overly dense and overly long branches, which helps promote fruiting in young trees.

IV. Pest and Disease Control

The main insect pests of apricot trees include apricot maggots, scale insects, aphids, red spiders, etc. Diseases include brown rot, bacterial shot hole disease, root rot, gummosis, and so on.

To control insect pests and sunscald, in winter the gumming areas on the trunk can be cleaned thoroughly and then whitewashed. To control bacterial shot hole disease, 65% mancozeb at 300-500 times dilution can be sprayed. To prevent brown rot, 5 degrees Baume lime sulfur mixture can be sprayed before the apricot trees sprout.