What to Do When Apple Trees Grow Excessively Vigorously? Cause Analysis and Solutions
China is the country with the largest apple planting area and production in the world. Apples are widely cultivated in China, but during the growth of apple trees, excessive vigorous growth often occurs, affecting the quality and yield and reducing the economic returns of fruit growers. So what are the causes of excessive vigorous growth in apple trees? How should it be solved? Let's take a look together.
I. Causes of Excessive Vigorous Growth
1. Improper management
Many growers, lacking management techniques, often irrigate and fertilize blindly in order to make the fruit trees bloom and bear more fruit, and do not know how to control growth through girdling or spraying, so the fruit trees often grow excessively vigorously.
2. Improper pruning
When pruning, they focus only on winter, pruning only once a year, and pruning too heavily at that time, which leads to excessive vigorous growth of the fruit trees.
3. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer
Plant growth is inseparable from nitrogen fertilizer, and nitrogen fertilizer promotes plant growth. Many fruit growers, in order to speed up the growth of fruit trees, apply too much nitrogen fertilizer and less of other fertilizers, which leads to excessive vigorous growth of the plants.
4. Too few fruits set
When the number of fruits set on the fruit tree is too small, it cannot achieve the goal of suppressing crown growth through fruit load. The nutrient supply to the plant far exceeds what is needed for fruiting, so the excess nutrients are absorbed by the branches, leading to excessive vigorous growth.
II. Solutions
1. Strengthen management
Fertilization should be carried out according to different growth stages, paying attention to the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied and applying more farmyard manure or organic fertilizer, which can provide a variety of nutrients for plant growth. When the canopy expands, adopt comprehensive and rational management techniques to make it branch more, and use flower-forming measures such as long pruning, ring notching, branch bending, and girdling to form a certain number of flower buds, achieving the goal of suppressing crown growth and controlling excessive vigor.
2. Prune at the right time
When pruning, note that winter pruning should be changed to four-season adjustment, and winter pruning should not be too heavy; it should mainly consist of long pruning and thinning branches, without weakening or shortening cuts. In summer pruning, carry out branch bending and bud notching or multiple girdling on long-pruned branches. For vigorously growing young trees, pinch the tips in May when the new shoots reach 50 cm, so that they branch more and achieve the effect of controlling excessive vigor. When the plant grows vigorously, basal girdling can be used, and the effect of controlling excessive vigor is more obvious.
The above is an introduction to the causes of excessive vigorous growth in apple trees and the solutions. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.