First, shortcuts
Generally, the top of annual branches is cut off in winter. Under normal circumstances, short-cut cuttings are full buds, which can promote long branches and strengthen local growth potential, so short-cut cuttings are mostly used for pruning extended branches of main branches and backbone branches and rejuvenating weak branches. Because the heavier the short cut, the more vigorous the branches, so it is not suitable for young and prosperous trees to cut too many branches.
The direction of the first bud, that is, the direction required for the extension of the branch, should be chosen when cutting short, especially when cutting the central trunk, backbone branch or extension branch. In addition, the cutting conditions are also very important, that is, cutting should be smooth, the cutting distance from the bud is about half a centimeter, it is wrong to leave the stake too high or cut it too wolf (too close to the bud), and the cutting power of the first bud is obviously weakened or cannot be branched.
Short branches will also encounter "wearing hats". For example, cutting annual branches with longer autumn shoots than spring shoots to the junction of spring and autumn shoots is a kind of "wearing a hat" cutting method, which can be used to trim moderate or weak branches to promote the lower branches. Strong branches grow on the backs of some backbone branches and base branches, which can be "capped" and transformed into branches. In fact, "wearing a hat" short cut is a weakening short cut pruning method.
Second, thinning branches
Refers to pruning 1 annual or perennial branches from the base. This method is mainly used for shearing in winter and also suitable for shearing in summer. Thinning branches can improve the light conditions in the crown and the nutritional status of nearby branches. As far as the whole plant is concerned, if there are more sparse branches in the upper part, the top advantage will shift to the lower branch, thus enhancing the growth potential of the lower branch; On the contrary, if there are more sparse branches in the lower part, the growth potential of the upper branches will be enhanced. At the same time, thinning branches reduces the amount of branches and leaves, which is helpful to slow down the thickening growth of mother branches and is widely used in population adjustment.
Third, shrinkage and shearing.
Pruning by moving short branches to perennial branches is called shrinkage pruning or shrinkage pruning. Shrinkage and shearing have stronger local promotion than short cutting, which is helpful to transfer nutrients to the base. Mature trees are usually used for pruning in winter.
Shrinkage shear is used to shorten the "axis" length of the branch group and make the branch group compact. Shrinkage shear is also used to open the angle of the main branch or change the extension direction of the main branch. When pruning again in spring, pruning branches that do not bloom and grow flowers, and pruning branches that do not bear fruit in summer can preserve the nutrients of trees and improve the light in the crown; Close-planted gardens can also be pruned and cut off some shade branches when the crown is closed, so as to solve the problems of less flowers and trees growing too fast caused by closure.
Fourth, long release
Light cutting and long planting mainly refers to cutting off only a small part of the branches that grow for one year in winter. If only autumn shoots are cut, long branches should only be cut below 1/4. This cutting method aims at slowing down the growth potential of the branch, and is generally not used for the extension branch of the main branch. Light cutting and long putting generally require the correct cooperation of summer cutting. After light cutting, the upper ends of branches germinate and branch out. In summer, it shrinks to weak branches, and then the lower buds germinate and branch out to fill the space. Second, girdling or girdling can promote multi-branching, reduce branching positions and form fruiting branches as soon as possible. Bud cutting is generally selected on autumn branches near incomplete buds between spring and autumn branches. If the cutting bud is weak, it is called "wearing a living hat", and the cutting bud has weak budding strength, which is helpful to alleviate the growth potential of the branch; If you choose the dead bud at the junction of spring and autumn branches, it is called "wearing a dead hat", so it is difficult to sprout branches at the junction of spring and autumn branches, but the strength of sprouting branches is not as strong as that of cutting them directly at the spring shoots, which not only eases the growth potential of this branch, but also sprouts more branches at the spring shoots.
It is impossible for a mature tree to cut every vegetative branch lightly and put it long, but it is mainly used in the part with strong crown growth to alleviate the tree growth in this part. Trees with many fruits and weak growth potential should be used less or not.
Untrimmed natural slow-release branches, also known as long-release or slow-release branches, have obvious slow-release effect on this branch, which is often used in the crown area with space to make it blossom and bear fruit early, and is most common in the cultivation of fruit-bearing branches of happy apple trees.
Five, eye injury
Also known as bud carving, it refers to the pruning method of cutting the cortex 0.2 ~ 0.5 cm above the bud with a knife to promote the germination and branch formation of the carved bud and shorten the branch. Young trees often use bud carving to promote the sprouting of branches, especially short branches, to blossom and bear fruit early; It can also be used for the extension of trunk branches to overcome bare leg branches, especially directional branches; For long developing branches, buds can be carved continuously or at intervals to induce short branches more evenly.
It is advisable to carve buds before and after germination, and to carve buds early to produce long branches; Late budding produces more short branches. Pulling branches in autumn and carving buds in spring have a good effect on Fuji varieties to blossom more, bear fruit early and improve the fruit setting rate, which has become a successful experience for young Fuji apple trees to bear fruit early and yield high.
At present, the bud carving method has been widely popularized in various apple producing areas, and the problems that should be paid attention to are as follows:
① Don't carve weak trees and branches, and don't carve them continuously.
(2) Carving knives or scissors should be dedicated and disinfected frequently to avoid infection of branches and diseases during carving.
③ In windy and dry areas in spring, it is best to cut the wound in the leeward direction. Especially rot.
Pruning before flowering
When the flower buds bloom and the bouquet can be clearly seen, add winter scissors and prune them repeatedly. This is because the size of apple trees is not as regular as big-small-big-small; Apples are also difficult to identify flowers and leaf buds. Many fine buds have flower clusters after flowering in the New Year, and some full buds often have no flower clusters after flowering in the next year. Therefore, even people with practical experience will make mistakes in identifying flower buds and leaf buds when cutting in winter. The task of re-cutting before flowering is to cut off the young trees that are mistaken for having flower buds and their over-dense parts; For an annual tree, it is a 1 year-old branch with many axillary flower buds cut short. Its function is to preserve the storage nutrition of the tree, improve the ventilation and light transmission conditions of the tree, and maintain the good growth, flowering and fruiting of the tree.
It should be pointed out that pruning before flowering of apple trees cannot replace the measures of thinning flowers and fruits of apple trees. Because the flower buds of apple trees are mixed buds, the lotus leaves grow after germination, and then the flowers grow at the top. When cutting flower buds, the bouquet and lotus leaf are cut at the same time. Even if only some flower clusters are cut off while keeping the lotus leaves, there will still be too many flower buds in the tree, which can't guarantee the leaf area or the number of leaves required by the fruit of the tree, so too many flowers and fruits should be removed.
Six, girdling
Ring cutting is to cut a circle on the branch with a knife or scissors to the xylem; If you girdle, you need to cut it twice to remove the middle skin. Ring cutting is usually carried out on perennial trunk branches or trunks, and its ring cutting width is mostly 5 ~10 mm.