Three Key Measures for Autumn Management of Apricot Trees
The apricot tree is the earliest fruit tree to bloom in spring, and it also leafs out first and then flowers. The nutrients needed for flower organ formation depend on the accumulation in the tree body from the previous autumn, so good autumn management plays a decisive role in the flower organ structure and fruit set the following spring. Autumn management of apricot orchards should focus on the following three aspects:
1. Thinning and heading back. The apricot tree is a species that strongly prefers light and grows very vigorously, easily forming competitive growth that causes the fruiting parts to move outward, which is very unfavorable for forming strong flowers and setting fruit. Therefore, after fruit harvest in autumn management, for fruiting trees, thinning should be the main approach, adopting pruning methods mainly of removing large branches, lowering tree height and heading back, to promote the emergence of new shoots in the lower and inner parts of the canopy, forming short fruit branches and bouquet-like fruit branches. Of course, while thinning, attention should be paid to ensuring the retained main branches are evenly distributed to open up the light path. For individual relatively upright branches that can be kept, use pulling, weighting, bending and propping methods to change the branch direction and make use of the space to set more fruit; trailing skirt branches, diseased and weak branches, and overly dense branches can be removed altogether.
2. Fertilization and irrigation. In autumn, each mu of apricot orchard can be topdressed with 50-100 kg of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer or 30-50 kg of urea, along with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. For large planted trees, 3-5 kg per tree of a mixed fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can be applied in pits around the tree. It is best if rain follows application. If summer drought and autumn drought are severe, strive to irrigate in August-September. But note that the roots under the tree must not be soaked for too long, as prolonged soaking easily damages the roots.
3. Pest control and leaf protection. Leaves are the factory where fruit trees manufacture nutrients. Complete and thick leaves are the guarantee for apricot trees to set fruit, and this is generally not noticed by people. The heat of dog days plus occasional autumn drought easily attracts red spider mite damage and spread, or continuous overcast and rainy weather in late autumn easily causes defoliation diseases, resulting in poor flower bud differentiation. You can promptly spray a mixture of pesticides such as pyridaben or carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, etc. to prevent pests and diseases and protect the leaves. In addition, spraying 0.3% urea is even more beneficial to the tree body.