What precautions should be taken when pruning and removing side shoots from vegetables?
In the era when greenhouse vegetables are popular, more and more growers are now carrying out greenhouse operations, and greenhouse vegetables also have their disadvantages. When crops are planted too densely, they are extremely susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, timely pruning and removal of side shoots is needed to ensure good air permeability, and there are also some issues to pay attention to when pruning and removing side shoots from vegetables. Let's take a look together.
1. Avoid pruning and removing side shoots on cloudy days
Vegetable pruning should be carried out on sunny days. Pruning on sunny days helps wounds heal. If pruning and removal of side shoots is carried out on cloudy and rainy days, the wounds are difficult to heal, and pathogens will take advantage of the opportunity to enter the stems through the wounds, causing stem rot to occur on a large scale. Each pruning should be chosen around 12 noon on a sunny day. Do not prune when there is heavy morning dew, to avoid wound infection and disease. Do not prune in the evening either, to avoid wounds being unable to heal, and because humidity is high at night, it is extremely easy to contract disease. Before pruning, pay attention to the weather forecast and leave time for wounds to heal.
2. Do not prune or remove side shoots within 1-2 days of watering
After vegetables are watered, the plants have a relatively high water content at this time. If pruning and removal of side shoots is carried out, the wounds will be relatively large and not easy to heal. Therefore, pruning and removal of side shoots should be carried out on a sunny morning 2-3 days after watering. Pruning and removal of side shoots must not be carried out within one to two days of watering.
3. Removing side shoots during the fruiting period
In the early fruiting stage of vegetables, try not to remove all the large side shoots. For a period, a certain leaf and branch area should be formed, as only in this way can root development and plant growth be promoted, and flower bud differentiation will also be better. If side shoots are removed too early, the first cluster of fruit will not grow large, and green-shouldered fruit, premature plant aging, and other conditions are very likely to occur, which will have a serious impact on yield and quality.
4. Prevent pests and diseases
After pruning and removal of side shoots, wounds of various sizes will appear on the plants. In a greenhouse environment, the air is not circulating, which gives pathogens an opportunity to take advantage. Therefore, after pruning and removal of side shoots, you can use Luna Sensation 1500x solution + Yejiamei 1000x solution, focusing on spraying the stem parts, to improve the plant's stress resistance, promote early wound healing, and at the same time also prevent the invasion of pests and diseases.
The above is an introduction to the precautions for pruning and removing side shoots from vegetables. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.