Pruning experience of apricot trees in winter

Winter pruning of apricot trees is a very important technical link in the annual management of fruit trees. Reasonable pruning can adjust the relationship between vegetative growth and reproductive growth, determine a reasonable load, overcome large and small years, and prolong the life of fruit trees. The pruning of apricot trees is no exception. The pruning methods and strategies of apricot trees are different in different periods. The following pruning methods are adopted in production practice:

1. Winter pruning of young trees and early fruiting trees: apricot trees in young and early fruiting stage generally grow vigorously, with rapid crown expansion, large shoot growth, and often produce secondary or tertiary branches. This period of pruning should take into account both plastic surgery and results. The elongated branches of the main and lateral branches should be cut and put lightly, and the length of the whole branch should be cut short by 2% of the total branch. Remove dense squeezed branches, multi-branched branches, overlapping branches and strong branches of disordered tree type, and control the growth of competitive branches and erect branches. The developing branches with moderate growth and relatively open angle should be released slowly, promote the germination of medium and short branches, increase the number of fruiting branches, and retract and culture into fruiting branches in time after flowering or fruiting. Medium and short branches have a large angle and are easy to form flowers, so they should be retained as far as possible in order to bear fruit. Young trees with weak growth should be properly truncated, too dense and thin branches should be thinned, strong branches should be retained, and erect branches should be flattened as auxiliary branches to promote sturdy medium and short fruit branches.

Second, winter pruning of trees in full fruit period: the shaping of trees in full fruit period has been basically completed, and with the increase of tree age, the yield is gradually stable before rising, the growth potential is weakened, and the tree strength is becoming more and more relaxed. The main task of the pruning period is to adjust the relationship between growth and fruit, maintain the tree potential and prolong the fruiting life of the full fruiting period. During pruning, according to the growth of branches and the spatial conditions of various parts of the crown, appropriate density and truncation can be appropriate to maintain a stable fruiting position and growth potential. The elongated branches at all levels are generally moderately truncated (cutting off the current year's branches, which are 1, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 3), so that they continue to produce robust shoots. The weak main branch, side branch, perennial auxiliary branch, fruiting branch group and drooping branch were retracted and renewed or raised in the place where there were strong branches to restore their growth potential. For the lower part of the crown and the inner bore branches, we should pay attention to timely renewal and rejuvenation, so that they continue to produce new robust fruiting branches. The over-dense branches and strong branches in the upper and outer parts of the crown were retracted or thinned to improve the inner chamber light. Apricot branch formation ability is weak, for each part of the fruiting branch group, long fruit branch and moderately growing branches, as long as it is not too dense, generally do not remove, can cut short a small number of long branches, so that the middle and lower parts of the medium and short branches bear fruit alternately.

Third, winter pruning of aging trees: in the aging period, the growth of extended branches of apricot trees became weaker, the new shoots were shorter, the backbone branches began to droop, the interior of the crown began to be bald, and the yield decreased almost only on the surface of the crown. The main task of pruning is to renew backbone branches and branch groups, enhance tree potential and prolong economic fruiting years. To use the middle and lower angle small, robust growth of the upper dorsal branch to change the head. Or retract in the more upright branches to promote the germination and renewal of hidden buds. For the overgrown branches with proper position, they should be cultured into backbone branches and fruiting branches. For the fruiting branch group and the fruiting branch, in line with the principle of removing the weak and staying strong, the strong branches and buds were selected for renewal and pruning. If the tree is extremely weak and difficult to be renewed, the whole tree can be renewed on the premise of strengthening the management of fertilizer and water, and the whole tree can be regenerated at the 10-15-year-old part of the main side branch and big branch group, which can be completed at one time, and a large number of new branches can sprout in the same year. Through summer sprouting, coring and winter shaping and pruning, it can blossom and bear fruit in the second year and restore a certain yield.