Key Management Techniques for Apple Trees Before Blooming
Apple is one of the most popular fruits in China, and it is basically grown in every part of the country. When growing apple trees, management work is very important, and we need to reasonably adjust the management methods according to the growth stages of the apple trees. This is especially true before the apple trees bloom, so how should apple trees be managed before blooming? Below, the editor brings you the management techniques for apple trees before blooming. Let's take a look!
1. Supplementary pruning before blooming
Supplementary pruning before blooming is a very important management task before apple trees bloom. It is also a main measure for restoring a tree shape that has been damaged by improper winter pruning or by climate, mechanical damage, and other reasons. It can adjust the ratio of flower buds to leaf buds on the fruit tree. If it is a young fruit tree that has just started bearing fruit or a full-bearing tree in an off year, then as many flower buds as possible should be retained to promote fruiting and increase yield. For full-bearing trees in an on year, the ratio of flower buds to leaf buds should be kept between 1:3 and 1:2. The number of retained flower buds must not be too large, and for trees with unbalanced vigor among the various scaffold limbs and branch groups, the number of flowers should be reasonably adjusted.
2. Fertilizer and water management
Fertilizer and water management is also very important before blooming. In addition to applying sufficient organic fertilizer, we should also reasonably apply chemical fertilizer as a top dressing. This satisfies the nutrients needed for apple trees to bloom and bear fruit. The amount of top dressing should be controlled according to factors such as soil fertility, tree vigor, tree age, and yield. For example, if the soil fertility is high and the tree vigor is strong, then no top dressing may be needed; on the contrary, more chemical fertilizer should be applied as a top dressing. For apple trees bearing fruit for the first time, about 1 kg of ammonium sulfate or about 30 kg of human waste and urine should be applied as a top dressing per tree.
For full-bearing trees, the application amount of ammonium sulfate should be kept at about 2 kg, and if it is human waste and urine, then about 60-90 kg should be applied as a top dressing. It is also best to supplement with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. This can not only increase the fruit-setting rate of apples, but is also very beneficial to the quality of apple fruit. Usually in March-April, watering should be carried out together with top dressing. Because the temperature at this time is not very high, watering should not be excessive, to prevent the ground temperature from dropping and affecting the development of the apple tree root system. For orchards that did not receive winter irrigation before the new year, watering should be done in time to promote the fruit trees to sprout and increase the number of flowers and fruits.
3. Pest and disease control
The period before apple trees bloom is generally in early spring. Early spring is a key period for pest and disease control in apple trees. First, we should scrape off the rotten and diseased bark. Special attention should be paid to bark with ring rot lesions, old peeling bark, and so on. Then do a good job of clearing the orchard to avoid the spread of the disease, reduce the base number of pests in the orchard, and also pay attention to applying an appropriate amount of protective agent to the wounds. Before the fruit trees sprout and after pruning, the whole orchard should be sprayed with an appropriate amount of agents such as Baume degree lime sulfur mixture. If the rot is severe, then spray once with asomate wettable powder.
The above is a brief introduction to the management techniques for apple trees before blooming. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!