Key Points of Dwarfing and Close Planting Cultivation Techniques for Pear Trees

In order to enable fruit trees to bear fruit earlier, reach the market early, and create good economic benefits, on the premise of strengthening routine management, dwarfing and close planting cultivation is carried out. According to the principles and characteristics of flower bud differentiation, branch bending and shaping are carried out in summer to break the balance of endogenous hormones in fruit trees, promote flower bud differentiation, enable fruit trees to bear fruit earlier, and allow the orchard to come into production earlier. Very good results have been achieved. The Huanghua pear planted by our farm in March 2000 began production in 2002, with the highest yield per tree of 66 fruits, about 10 kg, coming into production 2-3 years earlier than pear trees under routine management. Its characteristics are: weaker tree vigor, smaller canopy, low yield per tree, high yield per mu, early fruit trial, early production, production proceeding simultaneously with building the tree form and canopy, saving nutrients and saving investment……. The specific measures are as follows:

1. Orchard construction

According to the characteristics of pear trees being tolerant of poor soil and highly adaptable, and in light of the actual situation that our farm's high-slope low-yield tea plantations urgently need improvement, it was determined to build the pear orchard in low-yield tea plantations at an altitude of 900-1020 m. First, the tea trees were cut down, then according to the mountain terrain, planning was carried out along the contour lines. With a row spacing × plant spacing of 4 m × 3 m, lime was used to draw lines and mark the positions of the planting holes. Except for the tea stumps designated for use as biological ridges, all the rest were dug out, and the entire orchard was deep-plowed and leveled. Planting holes were dug strictly according to the standard of 90 cm × 90 cm × 90 cm, and the topsoil and subsoil were piled separately. After the planting holes were dug, 15 kg of weeds, leaves and straw were first placed at the bottom of each hole, then filled with topsoil to 2/3 of the depth and pressed firm, then 2 kg of phosphate fertilizer was evenly scattered on top, and then a thin layer of soil was backfilled. The planting time can be from October to March of the following year, with rainy days being the best. According to the climate characteristics of our farm, and in light of the fact that high slopes are unfavorable for watering after planting, we chose to cultivate from the end of February to mid-March, when temperatures are low and there is more rain. When planting, the soil around the roots must be pressed firm, and the filled soil should be about 20 cm above the ground, in a steamed bun shape, while ensuring that the graft union is above the ground.

2. Training and pruning

In order to save nutrients, less pruning and more bending are advocated, using bending instead of pruning, with branch bending and pruning in all four seasons, especially in summer and autumn. After the pear trees are planted, the tree height should be kept at 60-100 cm. After sprouting, branch bending should be carried out according to the different light conditions of each tree, turning the main branches into fruit-bearing mother branches. At the same time, attention should be paid to cultivating side branches and new main branches, and then branch bending should be carried out again, continuously replacing the main branches, while also using techniques such as pinching, bud removal and twig twisting to continuously cultivate fruiting branches and build the tree form and tree vigor.

Flower bud differentiation in pear trees generally occurs shortly after the growth of new shoots stops, or after rapid growth, when the growing point of the bud is in an active state. If nutrition is adequate, conditions are suitable, and the proportion of endogenous hormones is balanced, differentiation begins. It generally occurs from May to October, mostly concentrated in June to August. Therefore, in the second year, while strengthening fertilizer management, before flower bud differentiation in summer, we carried out techniques such as bud removal, pinching, branch bending, branch propping, branch weighting, shoot twisting and branch breaking to change branch angles, turn branch tips, alter positions and turn heads, so that the tree's growth vigor tends to balance, flower bud differentiation is promoted, and fruit set in the trial production the following year is ensured.