When is the good time to prune the peach tree? How do you cut it?

In order to achieve high yield, peach trees need to be pruned in addition to basic water and fertilizer management to promote lateral branch growth, but peach pruning is skillful and time-limited, so if you want to prune peach trees, you need to master good skills. When is it good to prune peach trees? How do you cut it?

Peach tree pruning time

The pruning period of peach trees can be divided into winter pruning (dormant pruning) and summer pruning (growing pruning). Winter pruning can be carried out from falling leaves in autumn to before sprouting in the following spring, especially in late autumn. Pruning early, the wound is easy to heal, the cut bud grows well, and can promote the flower bud to be full and full. Summer pruning can be carried out from bud germination to shoot stop, especially from May to August. Pick the heart early, the branch position is low, the new shoot forms early, the bud is full, easy to control overgrowth, inner chamber light condition.

Peach trees are generally pruned during the dormant period from November to December in early winter, which causes the least damage to peach trees and has no leaf cover, so it is convenient to grasp the shape of pruning trees. Autumn pruning is more reasonable, after the fruit is harvested, the juice in the tree will not run away, but it is best to seal it when cutting big branches.

Pruning method

1. Truncation

It refers to cutting off part of the annual branches, which is now mostly used for young trees to cut their heads at 1/3 full buds, which is conducive to crown expansion, and can increase the sharpness of the main branches and enhance the load of the main branches.

2. Thinning cut

The complete removal of branches from the base is called thinning. The main purpose of thinning is to make the branches dense and evenly distributed, to improve the ventilation and light transmission conditions of the crown, and to enhance the development ability of branches and the ability of flower bud differentiation. The aim is to adjust the number of fruiting branches and remove dense branches, overlapping branches, crossed branches, competitive branches, disease and insect branches. As thinning reduces the number of branches and leaves, too many branches will weaken the growth of the whole tree. Most of the early fruit trees are strong and weak, while those in the later stage and senescence period are weak and strong.

3. Long release

The annual branch is not cut, also known as throwing and letting go. Long blooming is the main method of "long branch pruning" for peach trees in modern times. The technology of "long branch pruning" is one of the most important technical reforms in fruit tree shaping and pruning. The traditional pruning technique of peach trees is "over-pruning of branches", while the winter pruning technique of modern peach trees is whether or not to cut the whole length of the branches that can be left as fruiting branches.

4. Shearing

Cutting off a part of a perennial branch on a 2-3-year-old branch is called "shearing", also known as "retraction". Shearing can adjust the growth, make rational use of space and renew and rejuvenate. In peach trees, it is often used to extend the head of the main branch and retract, driving the strength back, so that the rear branch will not die or be bald. The main branches of perennials should adopt the eight-character policy of "timely withdrawal" and "combination of scale and contraction".

Pruning of ⑴ young trees. The pruning of young trees is mainly to expand the crown and lay a good tree-shaped foundation for high yield in the future. Plastic surgery-based, cup-shaped or natural happy shape. Pruning should be in accordance with the requirements of the tree shape, look at the tree pruning, select, equip and cultivate main branches and side branches according to local conditions, and leave more auxiliary branches and fruiting branches appropriately.

Pruning of trees in the early fruit stage of ⑵. After 4-7 years of planting, peach trees began to enter the initial fruit stage. The main task of pruning is to maintain the balance of tree potential in various parts, adjust the balance of growth potential of main branches and lateral branches, cultivate and renew branch groups, and prevent premature senility and inner cavity emptiness.

Pruning of trees during full fruiting period of ⑶. After 8-15 years of planting, peach trees began to enter the full fruit stage. Adjust the angle and growth of the main and lateral branches in time according to the requirements, so that they are primary and secondary, and each occupy the space they should occupy. Adjust the length of fruit branches in different periods, pay attention to the direction of keeping buds and reserve space.