Shaping and pruning techniques of young trees of Lycium barbarum

Lycium barbarum trees are generally young for 4-5 years after planting. At this time, the tree has exuberant growth and strong branching ability. if the branches are heart-picked, they can germinate three or four times a year. The shaping and pruning of young trees is mainly shaping, leaving strong branches to cultivate the crown skeleton, gradually expanding the crown, cultivating branch groups, and increasing fruiting branches. In the selection and cultivation of tree shape, it should be adopted flexibly according to the cultivation conditions and based on the principle of favorable high yield so as to lay the foundation for high yield in the future. Although there are many kinds of Chinese wolfberry trees, the principles of shaping and pruning are basically the same, except that the number and level of main branches of each tree shape are different. Taking the cone as an example, the shaping and pruning methods of young trees are introduced as follows.

In the first year, the fixed stem height varies with the size of the seedlings, and the stout seedlings are generally 60 cm high, while the thin and weak seedlings are lower. The fixed stem is too low, the fruiting branches are set up on the ground, the flowers and fruits are damaged, and farming is inconvenient. If the fixed stem is too high, the center of gravity is unstable, and the crown is easy to tilt, it will affect the branch distribution, crown area and yield. Generally cut the top and set the dry at the height of 50-60 cm from the ground in the year of planting. Among the new branches issued within 10-15 cm below the shearing mouth in the current year (if the original lateral branches on the trunk can also be used), 4-5 strong branches evenly distributed around the trunk are selected as the first layer of main branches, which are cut short at 10-20 cm to make it branched. At the same time, 3-4 short branchlets can be selected in the upper part of the trunk to become temporary fruiting branches, which is beneficial to shaping and fruiting at the same time. The extra branches on the trunk should be cut off. After the main branch sends out branches, two branches are selected on each side of the main branch as the first-class large lateral branch, and the branches are coring or truncated at 10 cm (if the branch growth is weak, the branch is not short in the current year, and this task can be carried out in the next year).

In the second spring, if the main branches of the previous year were not truncated in the same year, two branches on each side of each main branch should be selected and left about 10 cm on each side of the main branch in the second year, so that they would branch, cultivate into fruiting branches, and blossom and bear fruit. At the same time, if the temporary fruit branches left on the trunk in the first year are too weak or too dense, they can be removed. In the second year, due to the strengthening of the tree, more upright overgrown branches will be sent out from the back of the main branches selected in the first year. One elongated branch can be chosen as the main branch, and the core will be picked at 10-20 cm. When the extended branch sends out branches, also select 1-2 branches on each side of the branch to pick the heart at about 10 cm, make it branch again, and cultivate into the fruiting branch group. If the upper part of the trunk sends out upright long branches, pick one 10-20 cm above the canopy and cultivate it to become the central trunk. When it sends out branches, leave 4 Mel 5 branches as the second layer of main branches. If the main branch grows strongly, it can be cut off at the length of 10 mi 20 cm (truncated) to promote it to send out branches to form a crown. If this main branch is moderate in growth, the short task can be carried out next year. For the branches that affect the growth of the main branches, the method of supporting or pulling can be used to arrange the branches evenly so that the branches can form a satisfactory crown. Weak branches and cross branches that are too dense should be cut off.

From the third to the fifth year, we imitated the method of the second year to pick the heart of the overgrown branches and gradually expand and enrich the crown. If the center sends an upright long branch at the upper end, leave three branches 20cm above the canopy (short). If the upper end of the central trunk does not send long branches, three upright long branches can be selected on the upper main branch or its elongated branch, within the range of 15Mel 20cm of the central axis of the high crown, and it will also be coring (short) at 10Mu20 cm above the canopy surface to send out side branches and raise the crown.

After 4-5 years of shaping and pruning, the general tree is about 1.6 meters high, the crown diameter is about 1.0 meters, and the root neck is 5 mi 6 cm thick. A 4 mi 5-layer crown skeleton is basically formed. However, if the fertilizer and water is insufficient, the cultivation and management conditions are poor, and the tree growth is weak, it will not be able to branch as scheduled or the branch will be weak, then the formation time of the crown will be delayed. If the upper part of the trunk cannot grow upright branches, it will form a tree without a central trunk.