Major mistakes in apple tree pruning that fruit growers should avoid
Apple trees are widely distributed in our country, and they are planted in many places. During the process of growing apple trees, orchard management is very important. Among these tasks, pruning is also indispensable. Although many people know that pruning is necessary, the pruning methods are incorrect and there are many mistakes, which leads to poor results. So below, the editor has brought you the major mistakes in apple tree pruning. Let's take a look!
1. Improper angle
When pruning, many friends only pay attention to whether the fruit tree is sufficiently open and airy, while ignoring the branch-bending angle of the fruit tree. This causes the angle of the main fruiting branches to be too small, enhances the apical growth capacity of young trees, and aggravates the bareness at the rear of young trees. If the angle is improper, then the angle must be opened in time. In early summer each year, use methods such as pulling and propping to widen the angle and ensure the angle is about 60 degrees.
2. Improper tree shape
In many orchards, apple trees are planted mainly by close planting on vigorous rootstocks, while fruit growers mainly use the sparse stratified form when pruning. The effect of this pruning method is very poor, which leads to reduced openness and airiness of the fruit tree, blocked flower bud differentiation, and a serious reduction in the fruit-setting rate. Therefore, for this kind of orchard, we should try to train the fruit trees into a tree shape with a small canopy and few levels. The pruning method should be reasonably changed according to planting density and form to improve the growth capacity of the fruit tree and increase yield.
3. Reasonable branch bending
Branch bending is a necessary task in apple pruning, but branch bending also has certain technical requirements. The angle must not be too large, because if it is too large, it will cause undesirable phenomena such as water sprout formation in apple trees. If it is too small, then the first phenomenon will occur. Therefore, for this kind of orchard, we should handle it flexibly according to the actual situation. Fruit trees with little space should have branches thinned appropriately. On the contrary, fruit trees with appropriate space can use methods such as bending and twisting to promote flowering and cultivate fruiting branch groups.
4. Failure to distinguish primary from secondary
When pruning, many fruit growers are reluctant to cut off some robust branches, causing some main branches 30 cm above the ground and higher on the fruit tree to all cluster together. This creates a phenomenon of failing to distinguish primary from secondary. For this kind of orchard, when pruning, we should pay attention to the spacing between branches. Control the spacing between main branches at about 20 cm to ensure clear layers. Then widen the angle of main branches with strong growth capacity, and appropriately cut off places with too many retained branches each year. For some auxiliary nurturing branches about 3 years old, their growth capacity should be controlled to promote early flowering and fruiting.
5. Pay attention to tree vigor
Different varieties of apple trees have different growth advantages. For example, the terminal branches of Red Fuji apple fruits have relatively strong growth capacity. If pruning is not carried out according to tree vigor, there will be too many terminal branches, and the phenomenon of strong upper growth and weak lower growth is likely to occur. Therefore, we should change the pruning method according to tree vigor. For this kind of fruit tree, the upper branches should be thinned in time to reduce the amount of branches and leaves. Improve the growth capacity of the lower branches and increase yield.
Finally, we should also pay attention to doing a good job of pruning in summer. Summer pruning has a very large impact on the fruiting of young trees. Therefore, on the premise of doing a good job of winter pruning, in summer we also need to do basic summer pruning work such as bud notching and branch bending. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can be helpful to everyone.