The apple is called the "first medicine of the physician" - what are its growing conditions?
The apple is known as the “wisdom fruit” and the “first medicine of the physician”, and because of its rich nutritional value, affordable price and crisp taste it is deeply loved by everyone and is a fruit suitable for all ages. So, what are the growing conditions for apples? Let's find out together!
1. Water requirements
During the growing period, apples require about 180 mm of rainfall per mu of land; of natural rainfall, only about one third can actually be used and absorbed by the fruit trees, so a growing-season rainfall of more than 540 mm is already sufficient. If the planting site is relatively dry and rainfall is below 450 mm, irrigation is needed. In northern China, rainfall is unevenly distributed, with 80% concentrated in July-August, while spring rainfall is insufficient, so in these areas watering and irrigation are needed in spring. Therefore, when growing apples in inland areas with little rainfall, when choosing a site and establishing an orchard, irrigation conditions and soil moisture conservation measures must be taken into account, and drainage measures for the rainy season should also be considered.
2. Light conditions
The apple is a light-loving tree species. If apples are grown with insufficient sunlight, a series of reactions are triggered, such as excessive vegetative growth of branches and leaves, weakness, poor resistance to pests and diseases, fewer flower buds differentiating, less nutrient storage, a low flowering and fruit-setting rate, affected root growth, low sugar content in the fruit and poor coloring. In short, light is a major key factor in growing apples, and apples grown in places with poor light conditions are of lower quality, which is one of the reasons why most of China's apple-producing areas are in the north.
3. Soil environment
Soil is the foundation for growing all crops, and soil has a great influence on the growth, yield and quality of apples. Apples need deep soil, good drainage, rich organic matter, and a soil pH ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.
4. Temperature conditions
The apple tree is a temperate fruit tree that prefers low temperatures and dry conditions, and its temperature requirements are relatively high: summer must not be too hot and winter must not be too cold. The suitable temperature range is an annual average temperature of 9-14 degrees, with the extreme low temperature in winter not below minus 12 degrees, and the highest monthly average temperature in summer not above 25 degrees. An average temperature of 12-18 degrees during the growing season (April-October) is suitable. In winter, 1200-1500 hours at temperatures below 7.2 degrees are needed to successfully pass through natural dormancy. Generally, apples can be cultivated in areas with an annual average temperature of 7-14°C. The apple's natural dormancy period is relatively long; if winter temperatures are high and cannot meet the low temperatures required for the winter dormancy period, spring bud break will be uneven. Therefore, generally speaking, China's apple-producing regions are mainly concentrated between latitudes 35°-40°.
The above are the conditions needed for growing apples, compiled for you by the editor. Apples are one of the important fruit crops, and planting methods should be reasonably adjusted according to different regions and different situations. The north has a long history of growing apples, and the conditions are suitable, so friends in the north can learn more about it.