What to Do About Flower and Fruit Drop in Apricot Trees? Cause Analysis and Solutions
Anyone who grows apricot trees knows that apricot trees themselves have an extremely low fruit-setting rate, and they are also highly prone to flower and fruit drop. Many apricot trees drop large amounts of fruit during the young fruit stage, which has a huge impact on the growth and yield of the apricot trees and reduces the income of fruit growers. So what causes flower and fruit drop in apricot trees? And how should it be solved? Let's find out together.
1. Insufficient fertilizer and water
Apricot trees have strong drought resistance and basically need no watering during growth, but in severe drought, if watering is not timely, it will cause serious flower and fruit drop. In addition, to ensure the yield of apricot trees, fertilizer and water management is indispensable, especially phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements, which are essential. Once fertilizer deficiency occurs, it will lead to nutrient deficiency in the plant, weakened tree vigor, and the inability to bloom and bear fruit normally, resulting in many flower buds but few fruit set.
Solution: Apricot trees consume a great deal of nutrients when flowering and fruiting, so quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should be applied in time, along with a small amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. During the fruit enlargement stage, nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied to promote flower bud differentiation in apricot trees and lay the foundation for a bumper harvest the following year. Water promptly during drought to ensure the plant has sufficient water for growth, and do a good job of drainage during the rainy season to avoid waterlogging that rots the roots.
2. Low pollination rate
Apricot flowers themselves have a low self-pollination rate. When pollination quality is poor, a large number of flowers will drop. Even if pollination succeeds, after fruit set, large numbers of young fruit will drop when their quality is poor.
Solution: When establishing an orchard, the main cultivar should be chosen from varieties with few aborted flowers and a high natural pollination fruit-setting rate, and other pollinator varieties should be planted, generally at a ratio of about 1:3-4. The flowering and fruiting periods of the pollinator varieties and the main cultivar should be consistent. Artificial supplementary pollination can also be used to increase the fruit-setting rate and reduce flower and fruit drop.
3. Climatic factors
Climatic factors do not only affect apricot trees; they affect all fruit trees. If apricot trees encounter severe late spring cold during the flowering period, a large number of flowers will drop. After fruit set, low-temperature weather is relatively rare, but storms and heavy rain can occur, and these will also cause fruit drop.
Solution: Keep a constant watch on weather forecasts and take preventive measures before severe weather arrives to minimize losses as much as possible.
4. Pests and diseases
The pests and diseases that cause flower and fruit drop in apricot trees include scarab beetles, apricot weevils and apricot seed wasps. They gnaw on the young buds, flowers and fruits of apricot trees, causing large numbers of flowers and fruits to drop, and the harm is enormous. The same is true of diseases: once infected, flowers and fruits are highly likely to drop in bad weather.
Solution: For pests and diseases, prevention is more important than treatment. Strengthen fertilizer and water management for apricot trees, apply more organic fertilizer and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to enhance disease resistance, and control pests and diseases promptly once they are found.
The above is an introduction to the causes of flower and fruit drop in apricot trees and the solutions. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.