Apricot Tree Planting Methods and Key Management Techniques

AbstractChoose the upper part of a sunny or semi-sunny slope or a hilltop to plant apricot trees, which can effectively prevent apricot trees from frost damage. Covering the tree with plastic film can promote better growth and development of young trees. The planting density of the orchard should be controlled at 3×4m or 4×4m. Prune the fruit trees at the right time to promote growth and development. During the planting process, fertilize and irrigate reasonably to improve fruit quality and yield.

Apricot fruit has anti-cancer effects and is rich in various vitamins and inorganic salts needed by the human body, with extremely high nutritional value. Apricot trees have strong adaptability to the growing environment and strong drought and cold resistance. Even when planted in barren land, they can grow normally. The market prospects and economic benefits of planting apricot trees are very good.

Apricot Tree Planting Techniques

1. Covering with Plastic Film

Covering the tree with plastic film can promote the growth and development of young trees, and can also warm and moisturize the soil, accelerate the fruiting of apricot trees, advance the time to market for sale, and at the same time reduce the work of weeding, loosening soil, and drainage.

2. Preventing Frost Damage

The orchard for planting apricot trees should preferably be selected on the upper part of a sunny or semi-sunny slope or a hilltop. It is best not to choose closed basin-like trough ridge land or the middle and lower parts of mountain ridge slopes with smaller gradients, so as to avoid damage to apricot trees from early and late frost.

Selecting apricot tree varieties with stronger cold resistance and a later flowering period can also reduce frost damage to apricot trees. Suitable pollination varieties should be selected, and multiple varieties with different flowering periods can also be planted in the orchard.

3. Reasonable Close Planting

Apricot trees have a relatively tall tree shape, and the planting density should preferably be controlled at 3×4m or 4×4m. When planting, select strong seedlings of excellent varieties. During the sapling growth period, prune the fruit trees appropriately in summer and winter. During the spring flowering period, carry out artificial pollination, thin flowers and fruits on the fruit trees, and prevent pest damage, so as to promote reasonable close planting and scientific planting.

4. Pruning Measures

In the first year of planting apricot trees, select and retain 3-4 main branches with a base angle of 60 degrees, shorten them at 45-50cm, shorten the skeletal branches at 40cm, and leave the remaining branches unpruned. When the spring shoots of young trees stop growing, spray once with 2000ppm β9, which can control excessive growth, benefit flower bud differentiation, and allow earlier fruiting.

In the second year of planting, adopt branch bending twice and shoot pinching multiple times. The first branch bending should be before development, and the second branch bending should be carried out in mid-to-late June. Pull the main branches and side branches flat, and bend all overly vigorous skeletal branches and nurse branches on the fruit tree. During the growing season, the fruit tree should be pinched multiple times. Pinch the primary and secondary shoots of the main branch extension shoots and back shoots to control the sprouting of tertiary shoots into back shoots. For main branches of 20-40cm, choose the 40cm ones for pinching.

In the winter pruning of the third year after planting, control the height of the fruit tree well. The main branch extension shoots should be shortened by about 30-40cm. As the number of fruits on the tree increases, the fruiting branches should be pruned appropriately, combining thinning and pruning to promote fruit growth and development.

5. Fertilizer and Water Management

Use fertilizer and water to promote flower bud differentiation and fruit setting, and improve fruit quality and yield. During the planting process, adhere to scientific fertilization. Spray 0.1% or 0.5% urea during the flowering period of the fruit trees. Irrigate once each before and after flowering. In mid-to-late May, irrigate and fertilize in the orchard to promote fruit expansion and improve fruit quality.