Key Technical Points and Methods for Autumn Management of Apricot Trees
How should apricot trees be managed in autumn? Please provide an introduction to the management methods. The apricot tree is the fruit tree that blooms earliest in spring, and it leafs out after flowering first. The nutrients needed for flower organ formation depend on the accumulation in the tree body from the previous autumn, so good autumn management plays a decisive role in the flower organ structure and fruit set the following spring. Apricot orchards...
How should apricot trees be managed in autumn? Please provide an introduction to the management methods.
The apricot tree is the fruit tree that blooms earliest in spring, and it leafs out after flowering first. The nutrients needed for flower organ formation depend on the accumulation in the tree body from the previous autumn, so good autumn management plays a decisive role in the flower organ structure and fruit set the following spring. Autumn management of apricot orchards should focus on the following three items:
I. Thinning of branches and heading back. The apricot tree is a strongly light-demanding tree species with very vigorous growth, and it easily forms competitive growth that causes the fruiting parts to move outward, which is very unfavorable for forming strong flowers and setting fruit. Therefore, during autumn management after fruit harvest, for fruiting trees, thinning should be the main approach, adopting pruning methods focused on removing large branches and lowering tree height through heading back, to promote the emergence of new shoots from the lower and inner parts of the canopy, forming short fruit branches and bouquet-like fruit branches. Of course, while thinning, attention should be paid to ensuring the retained main branches are evenly distributed to open up the light path. For individual relatively upright branches that can be kept, use methods such as pulling, weighting, bending, and propping to change branch direction and make use of the space to bear more fruit; for drooping skirt branches, diseased and weak branches, and overly dense branches, they can be removed together.
II. Fertilization and irrigation. In autumn, each mu of apricot orchard can be topdressed with 50-100 kg of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer or 30-50 kg of urea, along with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. For large planted trees, a mixed fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied in pits around the tree at 3-5 kg per tree. Rain after application is good; if summer drought and autumn drought are severe, strive to irrigate in August-September. However, note that the roots under the tree must not be soaked for too long, as prolonged soaking easily damages the roots.
III. Pest control and leaf protection. Leaves are the factory where fruit trees manufacture nutrients, and complete, thick leaves are the guarantee for apricot trees to bear fruit. This is generally not noticed by people. The heat of the dog days plus occasional autumn drought easily attracts red spider mite damage and spread, or continuous rain in late autumn easily causes defoliation diseases, resulting in poor flower bud differentiation. You can promptly spray a mixture of pesticides such as pyridaben or carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl to prevent and control pests and diseases, protecting the leaves. In addition, spraying 0.3% urea is even more beneficial to the tree body.
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