How to Prune Pomegranate Trees to Increase Fruit Yield
For netizens who are concerned, this article explains in detail how to prune pomegranate trees to increase yield and related horticultural knowledge about pomegranate pruning and maintenance. Let's learn together.
How to prune a pomegranate tree? This question is very practical. Proper pruning of pomegranate trees can promote their growth and increase fruit yield, making pruning a very important aspect of pomegranate tree management. Let's take a look at the pruning issues of pomegranate trees.
The Best Time for Pruning Pomegranate Trees
Pomegranate trees can be pruned throughout the year, with different pruning focuses for each season, which is more beneficial for fruiting and growth. Let's start with the issues to consider during pruning in all four seasons.
Spring pruning of pomegranate trees: The pruning time for pomegranate trees in spring is usually between April and May. During this period, the trees are in the germination stage and the early bud stage. Spring pruning is mainly to adjust the fruit branch ratio, thin flowers and buds, and prune diseased branches. Overly dense small branches, diseased branches, and old branches on the pomegranate tree should be thinned. When thinning flowers and buds, remove the bell-shaped flower buds, as these will not bear fruit later.
Summer pruning of pomegranate trees: Summer pruning mainly aims to increase the number of female flowers and the fruiting rate. The pruning time is usually from June to July. Since pomegranate trees generally bloom three times, the main task of summer pruning is still to thin flowers, mainly removing bell-shaped flower buds and retaining cylindrical and calabash-shaped ones.
Next is the pruning of branch groups. Summer pruning mainly involves trimming small branches, and it is best not to prune large branches to avoid excessive wounds that could affect the tree's growth. Properly reduce downward branches and side branch groups, and after the pomegranate has set fruit, thin out vigorous branches, dense branches, diseased branches, and weak branches to reduce nutrient loss. Also, pay attention to the opening angle of the pomegranate tree, generally maintaining it between 70 to 90 degrees.
Autumn pruning of pomegranate trees: The pruning time is usually from August to October. In autumn, when the fruits mature, nutrient consumption is very high, and it is mainly necessary to thin and prune the roots. Thinning mainly involves removing new branches, vigorous branches, weak branches, and diseased branches from the base of the branches to reduce nutrient loss. Root pruning is generally done after fruit harvest, in conjunction with topdressing. When fertilizing, the soil is disturbed, and some of the pomegranate tree's roots are cut. This helps with the formation of new roots the following year and improves the tree's ability to survive winter.
Winter pruning of pomegranate trees: Winter pruning mainly aims to shape the tree. First, prune away dead and diseased branches to give the main and side branches enough growing space. Then, during the thinning process, retain fruiting mother branches with flower buds and thin out those that are not growing well. Branches with diseases or pests must be disposed of properly to prevent the spread of diseases and pests.
The above content about how to prune pomegranate trees to increase yield and related pruning and maintenance methods are provided for green plant enthusiasts to refer to, hoping to solve your issues in green plant and flower management.