How many years does a hawthorn tree generally live?
With the popularity of the movie Hawthorn Tree, the hawthorn tree has become one of the synonyms for art and literature, and has even become a fruit tree cherished by fruit growers in the north. So how many years can a hawthorn tree live? What are the pruning methods and precautions for hawthorn trees?
1. How many years can a hawthorn tree live?
Hawthorn trees bear fruit early and have a long lifespan. After grafted hawthorn seedlings are planted, they generally bloom and bear fruit in 2 to 4 years, and afterward, as the tree age increases, the yield increases year by year. Around 10 years of age, they enter the full fruit-bearing period, and at 60 to 70 years they still do not age and continue to bear fruit. Hawthorn trees planted as single trees or in single rows have an even longer fruit-bearing period, with some reaching more than 150 years. However, if pruning is improper, alternately too light and too heavy, the tree vigor can easily weaken, the yield drops sharply, and the tree's lifespan is also noticeably shortened.
2. Pruning methods and precautions for hawthorn trees:
1. Reasonable pruning: focus on cutting out tangled branches, drooping branches, dead branches, and diseased and pest-infested branches inside the canopy. For young trees, shaping is the main task. On the premise of selecting and retaining the trunk, make the branches spread out in all directions to improve ventilation and light conditions. In addition, apply a wound healing and antiseptic film to the pruning cuts in time to prevent infection and invasion by pathogens and protect the wounds for healthy healing.
2. Scientific fertilization: adopt the “three-combination” fertilization method. That is: combine plant ash with human manure and urine, combine chemical fertilizers with soil and miscellaneous fertilizers, and combine root fertilization with foliar spraying to meet the various nutrients needed at the hawthorn's developmental stages. Also, during the flower bud differentiation period, use Flower Promotion King No. 2 to promote flower bud differentiation, regulate the nutrient conversion rate, and thoroughly balance alternate bearing.