Reasons for Low Fruit Set in Apple Trees and How to Improve It
The apple is surely a fruit that many people enjoy eating very much, and apples are extremely rich in nutrients. In China, it is also a fruit with a very wide planting area. However, many people find when growing them that the fruit set rate of apple trees is not very high, and their yield is not very ideal either. So how should we improve the fruit set rate of apples when growing them? Let's take a look together below!
1. Fertilizer and Water Management
In the later stages of apple cultivation, fertilizer and water management should be done well to improve the quality of the flower buds of apple trees. This is because the fruit set rate of apple trees is closely related to the quality of their flower buds. And the formation of apple tree flower buds is also closely tied to nutrition. So if we want to improve flower bud quality, we need to maintain a certain level of nutrition in the early stages of planting. In autumn and winter, apply sufficient base fertilizer to help the apple trees overwinter, then water appropriately to avoid leaf senescence and extend the time leaves can carry out photosynthesis. This increases the accumulation of nutrients within the tree, improves flower bud quality, and promotes apple fruit set.
2. Flower and Fruit Thinning
Flower and fruit thinning is also very important when growing apple trees. This is because the bearing capacity of apple trees is limited; if the amount of flowers and fruits exceeds what the tree can bear, it will consume too many nutrients and worsen phenomena such as flower and fruit drop. Therefore, when the inflorescences of the apple tree are separating, we need to carry out flower thinning, keeping the spacing between each inflorescence at about 22 cm. Remove weak flowers, terminal flowers and others, and keep only the center flower. And for fruit retention, carry out similar fruit-setting work, and the timing must not be too late, otherwise the effect of flower and fruit thinning will be lost.
3. Artificial Pollination
Because natural pollination of apple trees is not very stable and its success rate is not very high either, we should also carry out appropriate artificial pollination when growing them. Artificial pollination is generally done on sunny days, preferably within the second day after the apple tree blooms. This is because at this time the pollination ability of the style is strong and the success rate is relatively high. Usually a brush is used for pollination, starting when the center flower of the apple tree opens. When pollinating, be careful and meticulous; for trees with many flowers, you can control the spacing and pollinate at intervals. Adjust the pollination method reasonably according to the growth conditions of the apple tree, the distribution of flowers, and so on.
4. Pest and Disease Control
Apple trees have a great many pests and diseases, and those harming the flowers and leaves of apple trees include flower rot and scarab beetles. These will seriously affect the fruit set of apple trees and cause the fruit set rate to decline. Therefore, we must do a good job in pest and disease control, frequently observe their growth conditions, and achieve early detection and early treatment of pests and diseases. When abnormalities are found, promptly check the specific pests and diseases, then carry out targeted control. Avoid the spread of the disease, expand the affected area, promote the growth of apple trees, and improve the fruit set rate.
The above is a brief introduction to how to improve the fruit set rate of apples. In fact, there are also methods such as placing bees during the flowering period and pruning that can effectively improve the fruit set rate and ensure planting benefits, so we should also strengthen management, do the basic work well, and protect our own planting benefits. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!