What are the precautions for winter pruning of apple trees?
Apples are a very common fruit in daily life in our country, and their nutritional value is very high. Therefore, the planting area of apples in our country is also very large, and when planting apples, we need to do a good job of management. Especially in winter, we should focus on doing a good job of pruning. However, there are also many precautions to take when pruning in winter. So what exactly are the precautions for winter pruning of apple trees? Let's take a look together!
1. Formulate a good pruning plan
When pruning apple trees in winter, we need to formulate a special pruning plan according to the actual situation of the orchard. Moreover, even within the same orchard, there are major and minor pruning conflicts. So when formulating the pruning plan, we should proceed according to the current status of the orchard and the main problems. If there is no reasonable pruning plan, then it may lead to the opposite of what we want. And when formulating the pruning plan, it should be carried out by combining various factors such as variety, tree age, tree shape, as well as fruiting and branch conditions.
2. Pruning tools
When pruning in winter, pruning tools also require our special attention. And many fruit growers, in order to save money, will buy some very cheap pruning tools. Whether it is scissors or saws, if the quality is too poor, then not only will pruning be very laborious, but it is also easy to bend the saw blade, and the saw cut is also likely to be rough and uneven, making healing difficult. Therefore, we must ensure the quality of the pruning tools, avoid the phenomenon of torn bark, improve the smoothness of the saw cut, speed up wound healing, and avoid some other problems.
⟦NL>3. Wound protectant
When apple trees are pruned in winter, the pruning cuts and saw cuts produced need to be well protected. If they are not treated in time, then after more than half a day the wound will air-dry, and after about a day it will begin to crack. And later, if it encounters wind and rain, then various adverse phenomena such as mold and drying out will also appear. So after we do a good job of pruning according to standardized operations, we should promptly apply wound protectant. For wounds above 1 cm, ensure even application, then apply clean plastic film. Under normal circumstances, wounds within 2 cm can heal in the same year.
4. Timely disinfection
In recent years, the spread of viruses in apple trees has been very fast, such as apple mosaic disease, apple chlorotic leaf spot disease, and so on. In just a few years, they can harm all the trees in the whole orchard, causing a serious decline in apple yield and quality. And pruning tools are an important factor leading to the spread of viruses, so everyone must pay more attention. First, we should mark trees with viral diseases well and prune them last. And when pruning normal trees, first disinfect the pruning tools. Disinfectants can use caustic soda, disodium phosphate, etc., to avoid spreading bacteria.
The above is a brief introduction to the precautions for winter pruning of apple trees. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!