What are the precautions for winter pruning of apple trees
Apples are a very common fruit in daily life in our country, and their nutritional value is very high. Therefore, the planting area of apples in our country is also very large, and when growing apples, we need to do a good job of management. Especially in winter, we should focus on doing a good job of pruning. However, there are also many precautions during winter pruning. So what exactly are the precautions for winter pruning of apple trees? Let's take a look together!
1. Make a good pruning plan
When winter pruning apple trees, we need to make a special pruning plan according to the actual situation of the orchard. Moreover, even within the same orchard, there are major and minor pruning conflicts. So when making a pruning plan, we should proceed according to the current status and main problems of the orchard. If there is no reasonable pruning plan, it may lead to the opposite result. When making a pruning plan, it should be done by combining various factors such as variety, tree age, tree shape, as well as fruiting and branch conditions.
2. Pruning tools
During winter pruning, pruning tools also require our special attention. Many fruit growers, in order to save money, will buy some very cheap pruning tools. Whether scissors or saws, if the quality is too poor, then not only will pruning be very laborious, but it will also easily cause the saw blade to bend, and the saw cut will easily be rough and uneven, making it difficult to heal. Therefore, we must ensure the quality of pruning tools, avoid skin-tearing, improve the smoothness of the saw cut, speed up wound healing, and avoid some other problems.
3. Wound protectant
When apple trees are pruned in winter, the pruning cuts and saw cuts produced all need good protection. If they are not treated in time, then after more than half a day the wounds will air-dry, and after about a day they will begin to crack. Moreover, if they encounter wind and rain later, various adverse phenomena such as mold and drying out will also appear. So after we do the pruning work according to standardized operations, we should promptly apply wound protectant. For wounds of more than one cm, make sure to apply it evenly, then attach clean plastic film. Under normal circumstances, wounds within two cm can heal in the same year.
4. Timely disinfection
In recent years, the spread of viruses in apple trees has been very fast, such as apple mosaic disease and apple chlorotic leaf spot disease. In just a few years, they can harm all the trees in the orchard, causing a serious decline in apple yield and quality. Pruning tools are an important factor leading to the spread of viruses, so everyone must pay close attention. First, we should mark trees with viral diseases and prune them last. When pruning normal trees, first disinfect the pruning tools. Disinfectants can use caustic soda, disodium phosphate, etc., to avoid spreading bacteria.
The above is a brief introduction to the precautions for winter pruning of apple trees. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!