In the past, the loquat trees we usually saw were relatively tall, and the growth of loquat branches had certain rules. If we let them grow, the shape of the tree will not be disordered, and the old tree can continue to bear fruit. So we have always suspected that loquat trees don't need pruning. But in fact, if loquat trees are not pruned, there will still be the same problems as other fruit trees, such as many layers of inner branches, dense and messy branches, bare lower branches of old branches, closed and empty inner cavities, thin upper and outer branches, resulting in upward and outward movement of fruit parts, declining fruit quality and so on.
In fact, loquat can also be used in dwarfing culture, and dwarfing culture is a trend. Dwarf pruning of loquat crown is not only beneficial to reduce fruiting parts, fruiting branches, thickening leaf curtain layer, and improving effective volume and effective photosynthesis area of the tree. Moreover, dwarfing the crown is conducive to manual operation, which can improve daily management benefits, reduce labor costs, improve the wind resistance of trees, and achieve early fruit, high yield and high quality.
If our cultivation is in dwarfing culture, then we need to prune loquat in a timely and appropriate way to make loquat trees harvest every year. Since pruning is needed, when is the best pruning time for loquat? As we all know, most fruit trees advocate dormancy pruning, that is, winter pruning. So can loquat be pruned in winter?
Generally speaking, loquat, as an early-bearing evergreen fruit tree, has a different pruning period from other fruit trees. In most cases, it is necessary to avoid pruning in winter. Why? Because loquat blooms in winter and bears fruit in early spring of the following year, the pruning time of fruit trees harvested in March-May should be strictly different from other fruit trees. Winter is in the flowering period of loquat. Pruning at this time will not only consume the nutrients of the tree, reduce its stress resistance, but also affect the fruit setting rate.
So generally speaking, loquat is not pruned in winter. Some people say that spring is the growth and development period of loquat young fruit, which needs a lot of nutrients and photosynthetic products and should not be pruned. In late spring and early summer, although the fruit is ripe for picking, pruning at this time will affect the differentiation of flower buds and disturb the crown. Therefore, it is considered that the most suitable pruning time of loquat is September-165438+1October, that is, it is better to prune loquat before the flower bud differentiation ends and the bud stage comes.
In fact, loquat can be pruned in other periods except in hot summer and cold winter, which are generally divided into spring pruning, summer pruning and autumn pruning. The pruning period and degree should be based on local climate conditions, tree age, tree potential, fruit yield and pruning purpose. Generally speaking, spring should be timely, summer should be early and autumn should be late. Spring pruning is to promote the robust and plump spring shoots and rapidly expand the crown; Summer pruning is to promote the early emergence of summer shoots and cultivate new fruiting branches; Pruning in autumn is to adjust the ratio of fruiting branches to vegetative branches, solve the contradiction between reproductive growth and vegetative growth, promote the development of fruiting branches and improve the fruit setting rate.
Generally speaking, the pruning period of loquat varies from place to place, some are pruned after fruit picking, some are pruned in September-165438+10, and some are even pruned in March-April. The specific period varies with site conditions and cultivation management measures. Some orchards that are vulnerable to freezing injury should be thinned at the same time in March-April after freezing injury. At this time, it is possible to distinguish whether young fruits are frozen or not. But in most areas, it is carried out in August-10 when the flower bud differentiation ends and the flower bud begins to appear.
Therefore, the reasonable pruning period should be pruning or cutting off some branches after harvest, and the rest should wait until the flower bud differentiation is over and the buds begin to appear. Loquat pruning should be moderate, and the principle of pruning is "sparse and sparse, weak and strong".
Plums after picking fruits. It is mainly to cut off weak branches, dead branches, pests and diseases, dense branches, cross branches and strong branches to improve the lighting and ventilation conditions inside the crown. For the fruiting branches with excessive elongation and no leaves or few leaves at the base of the branches, after the fruits are harvested, they are cut from the base of the branches to 10 cm, and the crown is reduced to rejuvenate the trees.
Pruning at heading stage. That is, September-1 1 month, after the ear of the bearing branch is extracted. According to the number of spikes per plant, spike development, local winter climate characteristics and tree requirements, combined with ear thinning. The key point is to cut off the dense branches, drooping branches, disease and insect branches, secondary branches at the base of the ear, short fruit branches and long branches. , so as to adjust the amount of results and transform the tree.
Pruning of young fruits. The pruning period is determined according to the climate characteristics of the cultivation area, which is generally combined with fruit thinning.