The Latest Misconceptions in Apple Orchard Management That Growers Need to Watch Out For

Summer has arrived, and the weather has entered the hottest season of the year, with summer alternating between high temperatures and rain. These weather changes also make orchard management more difficult, but in fact many people have a lot of misconceptions when managing apple trees, so what exactly are these misconceptions? How should these misconceptions be corrected? Below I have listed a few of the most common misconceptions for everyone's reference.

1. Not watering during drought

Every year when June comes, many places experience drought and water shortages, and this situation lasts for about a month. But June also happens to be the time when apple trees are forming flower buds and their young fruit is swelling, and it is also the period when the trees urgently need large amounts of fertilizer and water. However, many growers are afraid that watering will wash away and damage the flower buds, but this is actually wrong, because watering at this time not only benefits flower bud differentiation but also reduces the phenomenon of apple fruit cracking, achieving two goals at once.

2. Single-type fertilizer

Apple trees need comprehensive fertilization during their growth process. If only a single type of fertilizer is applied, whether it is phosphate fertilizer, potassium fertilizer or other chemical fertilizers, this is extremely unfavorable to the development of apple trees. In spring when the Beginning of Summer is approaching, more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied, less nitrogen fertilizer should be applied, and some foliar fertilizer with trace elements should also be used in combination, and the nutrients needed by apple trees during growth and development must be satisfied.

3. Concentrated fertilization

Many fruit growers apply fertilizer in only one spot on the tree, but this makes it impossible for the apple tree to absorb nutrients evenly, and instead limits the tree's development. Fertilization should be done by digging trenches and pits according to the arrangement of the trees and applying fertilizer in concentrated strips. This fertilization method is suitable when the apple trees are still young. But once they reach the fruiting stage, fertilization should be carried out according to the condition of the trees.

4. Fertilizer timing issues

Many friends apply fertilizer according to their own mood, applying fertilizer whenever they have free time, and applying fertilizer whenever they have money to buy fertilizer. But the best time to fertilize apple trees in summer is around June 1. Moreover, many people directly pour unrotted farmyard manure into the orchard, which not only fails to promote growth but also causes root burn in apple trees.

5. Bagging time

Now, in pursuit of high quality, early production and high yield, many people put a bag on each apple. But the timing of bagging also requires attention. Bagging too early will affect the development of young fruit, while bagging too late will cause poor degreening of the apple surface and poor coloring. The bagging time should be based on when you plan to harvest and sell the fruit. Early-maturing varieties should begin bagging about 3 months before harvest, and mid-to-late-maturing varieties should begin bagging before March 3.5-4

The above are the most common misconceptions among many fruit growers, but they are not the only ones, such as bagging quality and quantity, disease treatment, and so on. There are also many problems that are quite serious in growers' management, and the editor has not listed them all one by one. The correct management method is the prerequisite for excellent harvest and a bumper crop, and I hope everyone will pay more attention.