How to Prune Dragon Fruit? A Complete Analysis of the Latest Methods
Reasonable pruning of dragon fruit is very beneficial to dragon fruit yields. If you want a high yield of dragon fruit, then you need to prune according to scientific pruning techniques. So how is dragon fruit pruned? Because dragon fruit seedlings are different from other fruit trees, there will naturally be differences in pruning as well. So do you know how to prune the branches and leaves of dragon fruit? If not, then follow along with the editor to take a look at the interpretation of the content below.
1. Pruning of young trees
Dragon fruit should begin to be pruned during the seedling stage. This is mainly to promote the growth and thickening of the main trunk of the dragon fruit. Only when the main trunk has grown to a certain extent should you then top it and remove the heart buds to promote the growth of side branches. Dragon fruit has relatively many side branches during the seedling stage, so during the first pruning, generally only one strong branch is kept, and all the remaining branches should be removed so that nutrients can be supplied in a concentrated way. When the main trunk has grown to a suitable height, then promote the formation of a three-dimensional canopy structure.
2. Pruning of fruiting trees
1. Pruning during the growing period
After dragon fruit enters the fruiting period, we need to carry out pruning in multiple steps so as to ensure the yield and quality of the dragon fruit. During the growing period of dragon fruit, we need to carry it out in two rounds, namely spring pruning and autumn pruning. These two periods can be said to be the vigorous growth periods for the branches and leaves of dragon fruit. Spring pruning is mainly to reasonably allocate fruiting branches and vegetative branches, remove all sprouting buds as early as possible, shorten the growing period of dragon fruit, and transition to the flowering period. Autumn pruning is to remove excess side branches, properly cultivate side branches at the base, and when the newly cultivated side branches grow to about 80 cm, top them in time and cultivate them into fruiting mother branches.
2. Pruning during the flowering and fruiting period
The flowering and fruiting period has a very large impact on the yield and quality of dragon fruit, and during this period a large amount of nutrients is needed to promote the growth of flower buds and the swelling of fruit. If nutrients are lacking during this period, then dragon fruit may show poor growth and development. In order to reduce nutrient consumption and allow nutrients to be fully supplied to the flower buds and fruit of dragon fruit, at this stage we generally do not keep new branches, which means that all the young shoots growing during this period should be removed.
3. Flower thinning and fruit thinning
Flower thinning and fruit thinning generally exist in the process of fruit cultivation. Their main purpose is to improve the fruit-setting rate, ensure the yield and quality of the fruit, and reduce the occurrence of physiological flower drop and fruit drop. If there are many flower buds on the same branch of dragon fruit, then we should remove the excess flower buds within a week. Also, if there are too many young fruit on the same branch, we should carry out scientific thinning. Generally, only two to three robust young fruit are kept on each branch, because we need to concentrate nutrients on the fruit to avoid the occurrence of malnutrition.
The purpose of organizing and pruning the branches and leaves of dragon fruit is the same as pruning other fruit trees, but the pruning methods are different. Under normal circumstances, the pruning of dragon fruit branches and leaves is relatively severe, but this is all for the yield and quality of dragon fruit. Do not be reluctant or unwilling to part with them.