Tips for Winter Irrigation of Fruit Trees

The Best Time for Winter Irrigation The suitable period for winter irrigation of fruit trees is from after the fruit harvest to before the soil freezes.

If winter irrigation is done too early, the temperature is still relatively high and evaporation is great, which is not conducive to storing water and preserving soil moisture, and reduces the cold resistance and freeze protection ability of the fruit trees. If it is done too late, because the temperature is relatively low, the soil becomes compacted, water cannot seep down, and accumulated water freezes, so the fruit tree roots are prone to freeze damage. The time for winter irrigation of fruit trees is generally suitable when the average soil temperature of the 5 cm soil layer is 5°C and the air temperature is 3°C. At this time, even if the nighttime temperature drops below 0°C and freezing occurs, it can still thaw after the daytime temperature rises again. Therefore, this is the best time for winter irrigation of fruit trees.

Irrigation Amount For winter irrigation of fruit trees, the irrigation amount is suitable when all the water on the same day after irrigation infiltrates into the ground and reaches the root distribution layer, that is, 20-30 cm for young fruit trees and 70-100 cm for mature fruit trees, and the soil moisture remains at 60%-80% of the field maximum water-holding capacity.

Methods of Winter Irrigation

1. Well irrigation

For fruit growers with good conditions and a well, the well irrigation method can be adopted. Before well irrigation, in the fruit tree field, dig and repair water channels according to the rows of fruit trees, open the gate and release water, and irrigate thoroughly so that the fruit trees drink their fill, increase root moisture, and improve growth capacity.

2. Root watering

For 1-2 year old fruit trees, watering should be applied to the roots. For perennial fruit trees, build an oval-shaped earth ridge around them with soil to form a large basin, with the earth ridge 15-20 cm high, to prevent water from running off, save water sources, achieve concentrated watering, and promote strong deep water penetration.

3. Drip irrigation

For orchards with drip irrigation conditions, using drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation can save 60%-70% of water.

4. Trenching

For perennial fruit trees, at a distance of 50-70 cm from the fruit trees, dig a small trench around the fruit trees and pour water into the trench. The water will sink to the roots and be absorbed by the roots. If it does not penetrate the first time, water again the next day, then fill the trench with soil and firm it down to prevent air penetration and freezing injury to the roots. When digging the trench and adding soil, be careful not to damage the roots. Otherwise, it will affect the growth of the fruit trees.

5. Turning the soil to preserve moisture

Winter irrigation can cause the soil surface to become compacted. If the soil capillaries remain intact, soil moisture evaporation will accelerate, affecting the effect of winter irrigation. Therefore, after winter irrigation, according to the different soil types of the orchard, timely and moderate manual soil turning can be carried out to destroy the soil capillary system, reduce soil moisture evaporation, and through exposure and freezing throughout the winter, increase soil fertility. The low temperatures of the cold winter can reduce the survival rate of pests and diseases.