A Detailed Guide to the Latest Plum Tree Pruning Methods and Techniques

The plum is a common fruit, cultivated all over the country. It has good nutritional benefits, so it is called a superfruit for anti-aging and disease prevention, and it is quite popular in the market. If fruit growers want to further increase their profits, the first thing they must do is find ways to raise the yield and quality of plums, and pruning is one of the key points. So how should plum trees be pruned? What pruning methods are there for plums? Let's take a look together.

1. Thinning

Thinning generally means properly removing from the base the branches that grow too densely on the fruit tree as well as branches with the wrong angle, reducing the obstruction of branches and leaves to the tree's ventilation and air permeability, and at the same time reducing unnecessary nutrient consumption. Through thinning, the tree's ventilation and air permeability can be greatly improved, with a clear effect on fruit development and sweetness enhancement. What to note during thinning is that it should be done year by year in several rounds; do not thin too much at once, as this easily causes a large reduction in the tree's branches and leaves, lowers the nutrients synthesized by photosynthesis, and very easily leads to excessive vegetative growth of the tree, which is not good for high yield.

2. Heading back

Heading back is a pruning method in which, during the tree's annual branch growth period, part of a branch is cut off. According to the tree's growth vigor and the purpose of selecting, retaining and cultivating branches, different degrees of heading back are carried out, generally in three levels: light, medium and heavy. What to note when heading back is that it is not favorable to flower bud formation, but for weak trees and weak branches it can regulate the total number of branches and buds and the nutritional status, yet it can promote flower bud differentiation, and heading back medium and long fruiting branches can raise the tree's fruit-setting rate, so this must be noted when pruning.

3. Leaving unpruned (delayed pruning)

The main function of leaving branches unpruned is to slow the tree's growth vigor and promote flower bud differentiation; generally, one-year-old young trees are not pruned and are allowed to grow naturally. When leaving the tree's upright branches unpruned, the branches should be twisted and injured at the base or pulled flat; for branches already left unpruned, when they flower and set fruit, they should also be treated with renewal pruning or heading back, so that the effect of leaving them unpruned can be achieved more effectively.

4. Renewal pruning

The main purpose of renewal pruning is to promote the replacement of old and new branches, ensure concentrated nutrient supply, and make old and weak trees recover from weakness to vigor. This pruning method is generally used to carry out renewal pruning on weak trees in the aging stage or perennial weak branches.

  The above is an introduction to how plum trees should be pruned. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.