Time and method of thinning branches of Apple trees

Apple is a very common fruit with high nutritional value, which has a very large planting area in our country. When planting apple trees, we should pay attention to the management of pruning and thinning branches, fertilizing and watering. Especially branch thinning, apple branch thinning has a great impact on yield and fruit quality. So the editor brings you the time and methods of thinning apple trees today. Let's take a look at it.

1. Thinning effect

Apple branch thinning is usually carried out in winter and summer. Reasonable thinning work can improve the light conditions of the inner-bore branches of the crown and provide sufficient nutrition for the nearby branches. After thinning, it can inhibit the branches in front of the wound and promote the branches behind the wound. For the whole apple tree, if there are more thinning branches in the upper part of the plant, then the growth advantage that originally belongs to the top will begin to turn to the lower branches to improve the growth ability of the lower branches. On the contrary, if there are many sparse branches in the lower part, the growth ability of the upper branch will be enhanced. And because of the decrease in the number of branches and leaves, it can ease the thickening growth of the mother branch.

2. Thinning time

The suitable thinning time for apple trees is generally in the growing and dormant periods of apple trees, and some useless tillers can be removed in spring. It is best to thinning branches after fruit harvest until before defoliation, because at this time the leaves of the crown are intact and can effectively grasp the crown permeability. After removing the big branches, the crown light can effectively improve, enhance the growth ability of leaves and promote the growth of flower buds. It can also improve the speed of wound healing, reduce the harm of diseases and insect pests, and share the workload for winter cutting, without excessively weakening the growth of apple trees.

3. Thinning method

First of all, we need to remove the main branches that grow too much and are too dense and have a lower position. Many apple orchards have the phenomenon of low density of the main branch, which causes the apple tree to get stuck. When pruning, we should pay attention to the planned thinning according to the number of years of growth. Usually prune two or so branches with the greatest impact every year to maintain the growth of the middle stem and increase sufficient light. Then pay attention to the thinning of the competitive branch, because the angle between the competitive branch and the trunk is not very large. The utilization rate is low, so don't hesitate to remove it in time. For perennial branches, if the thickness of the trunk is greater than 1x3, then it should be thinned out in time.

Then the large branches on the uniaxial extension branches should also be thinned in time. In addition, the branches with strong growth on the main branches usually need to be removed to facilitate the work of inhibiting the front and promoting the back, so that the branches can germinate into twigs and improve the survival rate. In addition, there are some back branches, long branches should also be removed in time to avoid consuming too much nutrition, ease the growth of apple trees, and provide a good light environment. Finally, for some contact results for more than 5 years, branches whose diameter exceeds 5cm should be removed. Because it will not only consume a lot of nutrients, but also have a great impact on the development of the whole tree. Some diseases and insects, cross-overlap, disease branches and so on naturally can not be ignored.

The above is a brief introduction to the time and method of thinning branches of apple trees. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. I hope it can help you all.