The Best Time and Methods for Pruning Apricot Trees Explained in Detail
When growing apricot trees, they almost always need at least one or two rounds of branch and foliage pruning and shaping every year. The main purpose of pruning is to adjust tree vigor, improve the fruit set rate of the apricot tree, and extend the number of years the apricot tree continues to bear fruit. So when should apricot trees be pruned? What are the pruning methods? Let's learn about them together below.
I. Pruning Time
There is actually no time limit for pruning apricot trees, which is to say pruning can be done in all four seasons, but the focus of pruning differs from season to season, so we need to prune according to the growth needs of the apricot tree. However, the best time to prune apricot trees is winter, when the apricot tree is in its dormant stage; pruning it during this period causes it the least harm. And if you prune in winter, you can carry out extensive branch and foliage pruning and renewal, with little effect on the apricot tree itself. But if you prune in other seasons, you cannot prune heavily, because the healing ability is reduced and it will affect the growth of the apricot tree, so light pruning is generally the main approach.
II. Pruning Methods
1. Pruning young trees
During the young tree stage, apricot trees are mainly trained by trunk selection and shaping; this stage is for forming a complete tree shape and expanding the canopy. Apricot trees generally use the open-center tree shape. First keep the base trunk, then keep two to three main trunks on the base, and finally form third-level, fourth-level and further levels of branches on each main trunk. After the young tree has taken shape, the canopy of the young tree needs to be adjusted, and the canopy continuously expanded, which can improve the fruit set rate during the fruiting period. At the same time, we also need to appropriately shorten the extension branches and thin out overly dense branches.
2. Pruning in the initial fruiting stage
The yield of apricot trees in the initial fruiting stage is generally not very high, but if you want to increase the fruit set rate of the apricot tree as much as possible, then pruning the branches is also very important. First, we need to prune the irregularly growing and relatively messy branches and foliage, and cultivate the growth of nutrient branches; second, shorten the branches at each level, maintain the tree shape, and continuously expand the canopy, making use of space as much as possible and cultivating more fruit-bearing mother branches.
3. Pruning in the full fruiting stage
After entering the full fruiting stage, it is necessary to continuously increase new branches, eliminate old branches, and appropriately shorten the main trunks and side branches at each level. Keep strong and vigorous branches, thin out the canopy, prune the branches and foliage that grow too densely in the upper part, and at the same time prune away crossing branches, overlapping branches, weak fruit branches, dead branches and so on cleanly. The most important thing is to cultivate new fruit-bearing mother branches, promote the growth of fruit-bearing mother branches, and improve the fruit set rate of fruit-bearing mother branches.
4. Pruning aging trees
For aging apricot trees, what we need to do is renew the branches, mainly using the pruning methods of retrenchment and renewal. Aging trees will see a large decrease in fruit production, and a large amount of flower and fruit drop will occur, so we need to proceed scientifically according to the age of the apricot tree, tree vigor, management level, aging condition and so on. When tree vigor is relatively good, only light renewal can be carried out; when tree vigor weakens, medium renewal is carried out; but if tree vigor is severely weakened, then heavy renewal is needed.
The above is the introduction to the pruning techniques for apricot tree growing that the editor wants to share with you today. The editor has mainly helped everyone understand apricot tree pruning through the pruning time of apricot trees and the introduction according to the different growth stages of apricot trees, hoping it can help everyone.