How to Prune Lychee Trees
Today's focus is on introducing how to prune lychee trees and the related knowledge of detailed pruning and maintenance techniques for lychee trees. Let's take a look together.
Lychee trees are a type of southern fruit, known as one of the "Four Great Fruits of the South," and are very popular among people. Lychee trees often need to be pruned during cultivation, and different pruning techniques are required for lychee trees at different stages. Next, I will talk specifically about the pruning methods for lychee trees.
1. Pruning Time
Unbearing lychee trees can be pruned throughout the year, but for mature fruit-bearing lychee trees, the best pruning time is within 15 days after harvesting the fruit. This means that pruning lychee trees must be done before the autumn branch tips sprout, otherwise, the best time for pruning lychee trees will be missed. Pruning after harvesting fruit is a comprehensive pruning, such as crown reduction and structural adjustment.
2. Pruning of Young Lychee Trees
The principle of pruning young lychee trees is light pruning, with a certain number of branches and leaves retained for photosynthesis. The pruning mainly involves removing crossed branches, dense branches, weak branches, and residual branches. Removing excess branches and leaves allows the plant to supply nutrients more effectively to other healthy branches and expand the canopy. Techniques for pruning young lychee trees also include pinching, pulling branches, and hanging branches. The best time for pruning is in spring or autumn.
3. Pruning During the Fruit Bearing Stage
Pruning of lychee trees during the fruit-bearing stage mainly includes shortening pruning and thinning dense branches and leaves. The timing for shortening is generally after harvesting in spring and autumn, and the specific pruning location depends on the variety, planting density, and the strength of the branches. Weak branches should be pruned lightly or not at all, while strong branches should be pruned more heavily. In addition to shortening, thinning can also be done to remove drooping branches, diseased branches, and dense branches around the canopy.
4. Pruning After Harvesting Fruit
After harvesting, it is necessary to promptly cut off the fruit stems and the withered branches lost during harvesting. The late autumn branches that sprout after the end of heat should also be pruned, preferably retaining the sunny branches, strong branches, and well-growing horizontal branches. After pruning, the orchard should be cleaned up in time and the pruning concentrated for harmless treatment. After pruning, the cut surfaces need to be coated with a healing and antiseptic film to allow the wounds to heal quickly.
The experience and knowledge of how to prune lychee trees and the detailed pruning and maintenance techniques shared above, I hope this article can bring you some help!