We have talked about the topic of whether dragon fruit needs to be pruned before. Mainly from the purpose of pruning dragon fruit, we have not talked about how to prune dragon fruit in detail. Today we will talk about the topic of dragon fruit again, focusing on the methods of shaping and pruning dragon fruit.

In fact, dragon fruit not only needs pruning, but also an essential management matter. Because dragon fruit has strong branching ability, the growth of the fleshy stem directly determines the quality of the fruit, so it needs to be pruned to retain a main stem and cut off all branches to ensure that nutrients are not wasted. During the dragon fruit fruiting period, it is necessary to retain 70% of the mother branches and reduce the growth angle of the branches to improve the nutrient supply effect. At the same time, it is necessary to select stronger backup stems and vines, and after harvesting each year, cut off the aging stems and vines to promote the growth of new stems and vines.

In short, the purpose of pruning dragon fruit is to ensure ventilation and light transmission, to realize the interchange of vegetative branches and fruiting branches, to coordinate the contradiction between vegetative growth and reproductive growth, and to reduce the harm of diseases and insect pests. But how to prune dragon fruit and when to prune? We know that pruning of woody fruit trees includes pruning during the growing period and pruning during the dormant period, that is, summer pruning and winter pruning. So, do perennial climbing succulent vines like dragon fruit need to be pruned like other fruit trees?

When pruning dragon fruit, the first thing to pay attention to is not the issue of when to prune, but the issue of distinguishing different ages of the trees. Dragon fruit in the young fruit stage and the full fruit stage each have their own pruning priorities. Generally speaking, after dragon fruit is planted, pruning will be different every year from the first year on. After planting, before the dragon fruit takes root, the sprouted stem buds need to be removed to reduce nutrient consumption. After rooting, only keep the uppermost branch and let it grow into the main trunk. All other side branches are cut off to ensure the supply of water and nutrients to the main trunk. When the main trunk reaches the highest point of the support frame, pinch the main trunk to promote the germination of side branches.

In the first year of planting, more branches of pitaya should be left to allow them to develop into fruit-bearing branches. Then, the number of branches should be gradually increased according to the growth of the plant and environmental conditions. After flowering and bearing fruit in the second year, the main focus is to adjust the tree shape and try to make the branches evenly cover the entire cultivation frame so that it reaches the ideal number as soon as possible. Therefore, the construction in the second and third years is mainly focused on shaping and light pruning. However, unreasonable and problematic branches must be cut off resolutely. After the number of fruit-bearing branches reaches the ideal number, the management of adult trees can be followed. method for pruning.

So how to prune adult dragon fruit? At this time, it is necessary to distinguish the pruning period. The pruning we are talking about here actually includes pruning, so pruning includes pruning during the flowering and fruiting period, as well as pruning during the vegetative growth period. The flowering and fruiting period of dragon fruit is roughly from May to November, when it is in the reproductive growth period. If you must make a division in time, you can divide it into pruning during the reproductive growth period and pruning during the vegetative growth period.

During the reproductive growth period, dragon fruit will bloom and bear fruit in batches without interruption. At the same time, new branches will sprout from the spin base to consume nutrients. The contradiction between vegetative growth and reproductive growth is the most prominent. Therefore, all newly germinated lateral buds on fruit-bearing branches and vegetative branches must be thinned out to reduce nutrient consumption and promote sunlight exposure, thereby ensuring the nutritional needs of fruit development. At the same time, all flower buds on the vegetative branches should be thinned out, the growth angle of the branches should be reduced, the vegetative growth should be promoted, and they should be cultivated into strong preparatory fruiting branches.

If we follow our definition of pruning other fruit trees, pruning during the reproductive period of dragon fruit is just a kind of plastic surgery. If you really want to do major shaping and pruning of branches, it must be done during the vegetative growth period. There are two peak periods of vegetative growth of dragon fruit, which are mainly manifested by the germination of a large number of lateral buds on the spine and the thickening of the stem nodes. One is the spring branches that sprout before flowering and fruiting in April and May, and the other is the autumn branches that sprout after the flowering and fruiting stops in October and November. The purpose of pruning at this time is to maintain the dynamic balance of the total number of reserved branches, update the fruiting branches and vegetative branches in a timely manner, and promote the growth of the fruiting branches. Therefore, pruning during the vegetative growth period can be divided into two periods, the first is in spring and summer, and the second is in autumn and winter.

A Pruning in spring and summer. After the spring stems germinate, they need to be pruned to reduce nutrient consumption. Generally speaking, if a large number of old branches are reserved and the fruiting branches and vegetative branches are reasonably configured, all sprouts should be thinned out as early as possible to promote the branches to enter the flowering and fruiting stage as soon as possible. If you still want to configure pre-fruiting branches, you can reserve side branches from the base of the disc of old branches for cultivation, and thin out the rest. The renewal of diseased and old branches can be carried out in conjunction with spring pruning.

BPruning in autumn and winter. In autumn and winter, a large number of autumn branches grow. On the one hand, the excess side buds must be thinned out, and buds should be left at the base to cultivate side branches. On the other hand, branches that have already carried more fruits in the current year are less likely to bloom in large numbers and concentratedly in the next year. After the fruiting in autumn and winter, all old branches that have once produced fruit should be cut off, and large and strong autumn branches should be re-cultivated at their bases. As the side branches grow and droop, they should be evenly distributed on the disc or support frame. On the horizontal pole, build a new group of fruiting branches to ensure the next year's yield.