What to Do About Plum Blossom and Fruit Drop? Cause Analysis and Control Measures
Plums are one of the fruits highly favored by consumers on the market. As its market demand grows larger and larger, its planting area is also constantly expanding. However, the phenomenon of blossom and fruit drop that often occurs during planting seriously affects the yield and the economic returns of growers. So what causes plum blossom and fruit drop? Let's find out together.
1. Low temperature and frost
The plum tree blooms and sets fruit in early spring, which is a period of low temperatures, with erratic and extremely unstable climate changes. If low-temperature frost weather occurs at this time, it is extremely unfavorable for pollination and fertilization of the plum tree, and in severe cases it will cause blossom and fruit drop.
Control measures: Choose varieties with strong cold resistance, apply winter fertilizer before overwintering, and promptly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer after harvesting fruit to improve the plant's cold resistance. Before frost, promptly irrigate with freezing water, whitewash or wrap the trunk, and use smoke fumigation in the orchard to improve cold and frost resistance. After early spring, delay removing cold protection materials so that the flowering period avoids the frost period and blossom and fruit drop are reduced.
2. Improper fertilizer and water management
In spring, continuous rainy weather with short sunshine hours over a long period weakens the plant's transpiration, affects nutrient synthesis, and very easily causes blossom and fruit drop. In addition, when the soil is drought-stricken and lacking water for a long time, blossom and fruit drop can also occur. Long-term failure to apply fertilizer or applying too little fertilizer can also cause blossom and fruit drop due to insufficient nutrition.
Control measures: Fertilizer and water management during the flowering period of pear trees must be strengthened. Irrigate promptly during drought and drain promptly after rain. Plum trees have a large number of flowers and need a large amount of nutrients to supply growth, so topdressing must be done 4-5 times each year to ensure their nutrient needs. In summer and autumn, apply base fertilizer heavily to supply nutrients to the plant over the long term; apply topdressing once before flowering to increase the fruit-setting rate; apply fertilizer once during the fruit expansion period to accelerate fruit expansion and improve yield and quality; apply fertilizer once after harvesting fruit to help the plant recover its tree vigor as soon as possible and lay the foundation for high yield the following year.
3. Root damage
When planting, many farmers, in order to make the fruit trees grow well, carry out timely intertillage and fertilization during flowering and fruiting to improve soil aeration, promote root growth, and enhance absorption capacity. However, improper operation during intertillage damages the plant's roots, weakening the absorption capacity for water and nutrients. Due to the lack of water and nutrients, the plant then develops blossom and fruit drop, and in severe cases may even die.
Control measures: When intertilling, be sure to pay attention to the intertillage depth; it should not be too deep. The intertillage depth should be determined according to the tree age to avoid the roots.
4. Diseases and insect pests
The main diseases of plums include bacterial shot hole disease, gummosis, red spot disease, and leaf drop disease. The insect pests include red spider mites, aphids, scale insects, plum sawflies, fruit borers, and leafminer moths. They harm flowers, leaves, and fruit, and also affect tree vigor, causing blossom and fruit drop.
Control measures: Attention must be paid to the prevention and control of diseases and insect pests, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened to improve the plant's disease resistance, and after harvest in autumn and winter, in combination with orchard cleanup, prune off diseased and pest-infested branches to reduce sources of disease and pests. When disease occurs, promptly spray pesticides for control.
The above is an introduction to the causes of plum blossom and fruit drop and the control measures. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.