A Detailed Guide to the Latest Fruit Thinning Time and Methods for Navel Oranges
Navel orange trees produce a large number of flowers and bear a relatively large number of fruits, but the tree cannot supply the nutrients needed for the growth and development of too many fruits, so fruit thinning must be carried out in a timely manner. So how should navel oranges be thinned? What is the most suitable time for thinning? Let's find out together.
1. The role of fruit thinning
Fruit thinning can reduce deformed fruits, diseased and insect-damaged fruits, overly dense fruits, overly large and overly small fruits, defective fruits, and damaged fruits, and increase the proportion of first-grade navel oranges. It can reduce the nutrient consumption of the tree, effectively supply sufficient nutrients for fruit water uptake, help stabilize fruit set, and improve the quality of navel orange fruits. It allows the tree to carry an appropriate amount of fruit while also producing a certain number of autumn shoots, and autumn shoots are good fruiting mother branches for the following year, thereby overcoming the alternate bearing phenomenon of navel oranges.
2. Fruit thinning time
Navel orange fruit thinning can be carried out three times a year. The first time is at the end of May, that is, after the second physiological fruit drop, to thin out some overly dense fruits, diseased and weak fruits, and small fruits; the second time is during the second fruit expansion period, to thin out some deformed fruits; the third time is about 15 days before harvest, to thin out some damaged fruits, so as to increase the rate of good fruits and improve commercial value.
3. Fruit thinning methods
Navel orange fruit thinning is generally done by hand picking after fruit set has stabilized. Manual fruit thinning is divided into two types: whole-tree balanced thinning and partial thinning. Whole-tree balanced thinning refers to thinning excess fruits according to the leaf-to-fruit ratio, so that each branch group carries fruit evenly. Partial thinning, on the other hand, follows a roughly suitable leaf-to-fruit ratio by completely thinning all fruits on some local branches or leaving only a small number of fruits, while completely thinning or only lightly thinning fruits on other branches, so that bearing fruit alternates among branches. Where fruit set is heavy, or where there are many small fruits and densely clustered fruits, thin more; conversely, thin less or not at all. Generally, about 10% of the total fruit load can be thinned out.
The above is an introduction to the fruit thinning time and methods for navel oranges. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.