How should apple trees be managed after harvest?
Apple is a fruit that many people enjoy eating very much. The apple planting area in our country is now very large, and its cultivation techniques are becoming more and more mature. After entering winter, the apple harvest season gradually arrives, and because apple is a perennial plant, management work must be done well after harvest to ensure the flowering and fruiting rate of the apple trees the following year. So how should apple trees be managed after harvest? Let's take a look together below!
1. Apply basal fertilizer early
When the apple tree is bearing fruit, most of the nutrients are transferred to the fruit, so the nutrients of the tree body will drop greatly. If fertilizer is not applied in time, the tree's growth will weaken, making it difficult for the apple tree to overwinter, and it is very prone to freezing damage that affects the growth of the apple tree. Therefore, in order to ensure that the apple tree's growth is restored as soon as possible, we should apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer as early as possible. It can also strengthen the growth capacity of the fruit tree leaves, increase the carbohydrate content of the fruit tree, ensure that the apple tree has sufficient nutrients, promote flower bud differentiation in the later stage, and improve the flowering and fruiting rate.
2. Fruit tree pruning
Pruning work is also an indispensable task after harvest. After harvest, we should promptly cut off overly long and overly dense branches in the canopy, thin and weak branches, and branches with pests and diseases. Also pay attention to the number of new shoots sprouting in autumn, which should not be too many, to prevent excessive nutrient consumption. The growth of the canopy should be controlled, because this time is exactly the growth period of autumn shoots. If there are too many branches, the wounds of autumn shoot branches will lack nutrients, the healing speed will slow down, and the apple tree's overwintering will also be threatened to a certain extent. The main purpose of doing pruning work well is to concentrate nutrients in the trunk, promote branch plumpness and full buds, and help the apple tree overwinter successfully.
3. Preparation for overwintering
After the fruit is harvested, winter gradually arrives. At this time, we should make preparations for the apple tree to overwinter. First, deep plow the orchard soil. The depth of deep plowing should mainly depend on the position of the fruit tree. For example, within the canopy, it should not exceed 20 cm; on the contrary, it should be appropriately increased to about 40 cm. Then, before freezing, water sufficiently for overwintering, and the watering position should be within the tree disk. Then use quicklime, salt, water and other materials to mix them fully and whitewash the trunk. There are many raw materials for whitewash. If you do not know how to mix it, you can buy a special whitewash on the market.
4. Pest and disease control
When pruning apple trees, we should pay attention to observing the growth of fruit branches and the main trunk, and promptly eliminate any larvae found that have bored into the interior of the fruit tree to prepare for overwintering. Cotton dipped in dichlorvos can be placed into the bore holes to kill some pests that harm the growth of apple trees. Then pay attention to taking the pruned branches, together with fallen flowers and fruits, diseased and disabled bodies, weeds, etc. in the orchard, out of the orchard for burning and deep burial. Finally, pay attention to doing a good job of deep plowing and disinfection of the soil to reduce the base number of pests and disease bacteria in the orchard and destroy the overwintering sites of pests and diseases.
The above is a brief introduction to apple harvest management methods. Apple trees are relatively weak after harvest. If management is not strengthened, it will seriously reduce the flowering and fruiting rate of the fruit trees in the second year and even every year thereafter. Therefore, everyone must pay close attention and not be negligent. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for your reading and support.