Why do planted fruit trees need pruning? When will you cut it? How do you trim it? What's the use?

Fruit tree pruning is a technical measure to cut off a part of the vegetative organs of fruit trees in order to adjust the crown structure and update the composition of branches. But there are some friends who are not very clear why the fruit trees planted should be pruned? When to cut? How do you trim it? What does it do?

Why should fruit trees be pruned?

Fruit tree crown expands with the growth of age, too many branches and leaves, will inevitably lead to dense outside and empty inside, premature aging of tree vigor, serious age and fruit yield, quality reduction and other consequences. Timely and reasonable pruning can have the following effects:

1. Adjust the reasonable distribution of branches and leaves. That is to say, on the basis of shaping, adjust the density, distribution direction and leaf area coefficient of branches and leaves of each part of the crown, so as to maximize the effective photosynthetic area of the crown.

2. Regulate growth and results. Make the nutrition grow normally but not too long; proper amount of flowers, fruit without weakening the tree; at the same time, can prevent fruit trees from aging ahead of time, timely renewal and rejuvenation.

3. Adjust the proportion of branches. Short shoot growth period, less consumption and early accumulation, but less leaves, low total photosynthesis; long vegetative shoot growth period, more consumption, but later accumulation is also more. Different tree species and ages require corresponding and appropriate proportion of branches in order to coordinate the operation, distribution, consumption and accumulation of nutrients in the tree during the annual growth cycle according to the normal growth and reproduction rhythm. This can be achieved by pruning.

4. Pruning can also balance the growth potential between population plants and between main branches on a plant, thus achieving yield balance and facilitating management. In addition, pruning is also a means of coordinating the growth of shoots and roots.

When are the fruit trees cut?

1. The normal pruning of deciduous fruit trees is carried out during the dormancy period from defoliation to germination. In cold areas, it is better to cut before germination to prevent winter damage; in warm areas, it is better to cut after defoliation, because the nutrients have returned at this time, and the wound can also heal within the year. Walnuts need to be pruned with leaves after fruit picking, so as not to cause bleeding due to large pith branches. Delayed pruning (i.e. pruning after germination) can destroy the top advantage and improve the germination rate, and can obviously ease the tree vigor, but it should not be used for years to avoid excessive weakening. Evergreen fruit trees are pruned after fruit picking or before sprouting new shoots in spring.

2, pruning in the growing season, commonly known as summer pruning. Its rapid response, strong effect, mostly used for young trees, flourishing trees, in order to ease the growth potential to promote flowering, or regulate the relationship between growth and fruit. Summer pruning methods include picking, ring cutting and softening branches (deciduous fruit trees), timely "bud wiping" and "shoot"(citrus), and shortening the fruiting mother branches (such as persimmon, chestnut, litchi) in combination with fruit picking. Plant growth regulators may also be used instead of some summer pruning measures.

How to prune the fruit trees planted?

1) Short cut. That is, a part of the shoot and bud on the branch are cut off, so that nutrients are concentrated and supplied, and the cut bud is promoted to be dominant and germinated into strong branches. Retracted to perennial branches, also truncated. Cut below the mouth to leave a vegetative branch can be extended again, called "shrink shear", play a role in renewal; cut below the head without branches, called "blocking", the role is to inhibit its growth, often forced to turn into branch group. Generally, the heavier the truncation, the stronger the local stimulation to the cut mouth and its lower part, and the stronger the inhibition to the whole plant and even the root system. If young trees are overpruned, they often delay fruiting.

2. Remove the heart. That is to say, the young part of the growing shoot is removed. The effect is to inhibit the continued growth of the branch, promote the transfer of nutrients to its lower buds or its adjacent parts, conducive to flowering or fruiting.

3. Cut. That is, some branches and buds are removed from the base. As a result of reducing the nutrient area of the mother branch, and causing a certain wound, can lead to thinning the upper branch potential slowed down, the lower part of the strong. The effect of thinning on the whole varied with the type and quantity of branches removed. Thinning out weak branches, dense branches or excessive branches can reduce useless consumption and increase effective photosynthetic area, which is beneficial to overall nutrition, but thinning out excessive vegetative branches will reduce nutrient accumulation and weaken root system and tree vigor. In addition to the growing season bud, wipe shoots and other operations are thinning branches, evergreen fruit trees are more commonly used.

4. Slow down. The method is that the vegetative branches are not cut off and are allowed to extend naturally, so that the weak terminal bud can be used to extend, gradually slow down and weaken its top advantage, and improve the germination rate of the branch bud, promote short branches, and induce flowers. Slow release is usually combined with increasing branch angle, and the effect is obvious when the branch grows horizontally or obliquely downward. However, the dorsal branches that are too vigorous and erect are generally not used.

5, other means such as cutting, ring cutting (girdling), twisting or softening branches, etc., damage organs or part of the conducting tissue, so that nutrients temporarily change the direction or speed of transport, for easing prosperity, promote flowering and improve fruit setting also have a good effect. The application of various pruning methods depends on the tree and local conditions, not only according to the growth and fruiting characteristics of different tree species and varieties, but also considering the characteristics of natural conditions and cultivation management level. Generally, the main branches should be kept healthy; the auxiliary branches should be slowed down in time to transform them into fruit branches; and the old and weak branches should be truncated and renewed in time. When pruning, the minimum necessary pruning amount should be used as far as possible, especially for young trees. At the same time, attention should be paid to the comprehensive application of various pruning methods and the coordination of winter pruning and summer pruning.

What is fruit tree pruning?

Pruning is a core technique in fruit tree cultivation with high quality and high yield. Practice has proved that under the same conditions, the yield and quality of fruit trees have more than 50% benefit depends on the pruning technology. Through summary, fruit tree pruning has seven aspects:

1. The reasonable tree skeleton can bear high fruit yield load by making full use of space through shaping;

2. Keep ventilation and light transmission in the crown continuously through shaping and pruning, and improve the photosynthetic efficiency of branches and leaves of the crown;

3. By pruning and shaping to open the branch angle of the crown, weaken the vegetative growth, promote the flower bud formation and fruit growth, make the fruit tree bear early and bear high quality fruit;

4. Cultivate and renew the fruit branches in the crown by pruning to prevent the fruit parts from moving outward;

5. Renew the aged main branches and lateral branches by pruning to maintain the growth and fruiting ability of the tree;

6, through pruning, reasonable control of fruit yield, to achieve high quality and suitable yield;

7. Through shaping and pruning, ventilation and light transmission conditions are improved, plant growth is robust, and stress resistance is enhanced.