The Latest Irrigation Method for Winter Freezing Water in Apple Orchards
After apple trees enter winter, they enter a dormant period, and at this time the plant's nutrients flow back from the tree body to the root system. Irrigating with winter freezing water at this time not only guarantees the fruit trees' safe overwintering, but also lays a solid foundation for the fruit trees. However, irrigating winter freezing water in apple orchards requires mastering techniques. Let's take a look below.
1. Winter irrigation time
The winter irrigation time for apple orchards must be well grasped. If winter irrigation is too early, when the temperature is relatively high and evaporation is large, it is not only unfavorable for storing water and preserving soil moisture, but also reduces the fruit trees' ability to resist cold and freezing. But if winter irrigation is too late, it will cause soil compaction, water will be unable to seep down, causing accumulated water to freeze, and the root system will be extremely vulnerable to freezing damage. The best winter irrigation time is when the average soil temperature at a soil depth of 5 cm is 5 degrees, and 3 degrees during the day is appropriate. Although the nighttime temperature will drop below 0 degrees and freezing will occur, it will thaw after the daytime temperature rises again. Generally, mid-November is the best time for winter irrigation.
2. Irrigation amount
The irrigation amount before fruit trees enter winter should be such that on the same day after irrigation, the water can completely seep down and penetrate into the root distribution layer, that is, 30 cm for young fruit trees and 70 cm for mature fruit trees, and the soil moisture should be kept at 60%-80% of the maximum water-holding capacity. If it is too little, it cannot meet the needs of the fruit trees, but if it is too much, it will wash nutrients to places where there is no root distribution. This not only wastes fertilizer, but also takes time and effort. After irrigation for 2-3 hours, you can dig a pit around the outer edge of the tree disc, so that you can see the depth of water seepage.
3. Irrigation methods
There are many methods of winter irrigation, such as furrow irrigation, hole irrigation, basin irrigation, drip irrigation, etc. Furrow irrigation is a relatively reasonable method for winter irrigation in orchards. First, dig irrigation furrows between the orchard rows, with a furrow depth of 25 cm, then irrigate along the furrows, with a distance of 1.5 m from the trees, and fill the furrows flat after irrigation. The advantages of furrow irrigation are uniform wetting, less water evaporation and loss, prevention of damage to soil structure, benefit to soil microbial activity, and no soil compaction.
4. Mulching to preserve soil moisture
After irrigation, the orchard can be fully covered with rice straw, wheat stubble, crop stalks, weeds, etc., to preserve soil moisture and prevent freezing. When covering, the mulch can be cut into short sections of about 10 cm to prevent it from being blown up by the wind. If there are no conditions for mulching, you can promptly shallow hoe and loosen the soil after irrigation, which can effectively prevent and reduce water evaporation.
The above is an introduction to how to irrigate winter freezing water in apple orchards. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.