What are the effects and benefits of bending apple tree branches
The planting area of apple trees in our country is very large, and when planting apples, we need to do a good job of branch bending. Reasonable branch bending is very beneficial to the tree vigor, flower formation, and light conditions of apple trees, so everyone must pay more attention. So what exactly are the effects of apple branch bending? And when should it be done? Today the editor will briefly introduce it to everyone, let's take a look below!
I. Branch bending time
Apple tree branch bending can generally be carried out in the other three seasons except winter. However, it is best to do it in August-September. For branches that are two years old, branch bending should be carried out when the branches are semi-lignified, that is, in early autumn. Because at this time the apple branches are very soft and have strong plasticity. After branch bending, they can be fixed relatively easily, and new branches will no longer sprout on the back. It can also improve nutrient accumulation, promote flower bud formation, and thereby increase the proportion of medium and short branches. In addition, after the fruit trees sprout in late spring is also a better time for branch bending, but each period has advantages and disadvantages, so everyone should pay more attention when bending branches.
II. Effects of branch bending
1. Expand the tree crown
Under natural growth conditions of apple trees, the expansion angle of their branches is generally not very large. Therefore, it is relatively difficult for the apple tree crown to open up, the inner space is not very large, and the number of fruiting branches is not large either, thereby affecting the yield of a single tree. Reasonable branch bending can effectively expand the crown area, and can also make the space inside the crown larger. It increases the fruiting branches in the inner cavity, thereby ensuring that both inside and outside the apple tree crown can bear fruit, forming a three-dimensional fruiting pattern and increasing apple yield.
2. Improve permeability
As just mentioned, the branch angle of naturally growing apples is relatively small. Therefore, the permeability inside the apple tree is also relatively poor, and an important effect of branch bending is to expand the branch angle. Generally, it can be ensured to reach about 90 degrees. After proper branch bending, the number of upright growing branches in the tree can be significantly reduced, thereby achieving the purpose of hierarchical branch distribution. It also does not affect ventilation and air permeability in the tree, improves permeability, and at the same time can increase the photosynthetic area of the fruit tree, thereby enhancing the photosynthetic efficiency and fruit quality in the inner cavity of the crown.
3. Promote short branches and benefit flowering
After bending branches to expand the branch angle, the growth ability of the top of the fruit tree will be reduced. It slows down the upward transport speed of nutrients and water in the fruit tree, promotes the germination of branch buds, and thereby increases the number of medium and short branches in the fruit tree. The increase in short branches can improve the photosynthesis of the fruit tree and increase the accumulation of photosynthetic substances in the fruit tree. And branches are generally suitable mainly in a horizontal and slanting state, so the downward transport speed of photosynthesis products will also slow down. The retained nutrients in the branches increase, which is very beneficial to flower bud differentiation.
The above is a brief introduction to the effects of bending apple tree branches. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can be helpful to everyone!