What are the summer pruning methods for cherries?
Are you curious about the summer pruning methods for cherries in terms of horticultural knowledge? If there are any mistakes, please feel free to correct them!
What are the summer pruning methods for cherries?
In fact, pruning is very important in the cultivation process of many crops, as it can also determine the yield and quality of the crops later on. Take sweet cherries as an example; summer pruning is crucial for them. Let's learn about the pruning methods for cherries in the summer.
Pruning Buds
When the bud tip shows green, the cutting depth should be greater than that of apples, otherwise the branch will not grow well. The method is to cut from the top of the bud or leaf cluster branch to the depth of the xylem. The function of pruning buds is to improve the quality of lateral buds or leaf cluster branches, increase the proportion of medium and long fruiting branches, thereby promoting branch growth, preventing light drying. Bud cutting is limited to vigorous young trees, branches missing in the main branches, and branches abundant in branches; the position of cutting the bud should be 0.5 cm above the bud, making it easy for branches with a large opening angle to germinate, otherwise branches with a small opening angle are prone to germinate. Also, early cutting, deep cutting, and strong branching; late bud formation, weak light.
Branch Traction
Pruning is a very important pruning task for sweet cherries in the summer. Winter pruning cannot solve the ventilation and light conditions of sweet cherry trees in one go, while summer pruning can solve the problems that cannot be solved by winter pruning. Pulling branches is beneficial for improving light, preventing fruit movement outward, weakening top dominance, alleviating tree vigor, increasing the number of short branches, and promoting flower bud formation. Pulling branches should be early, usually in June, which is conducive to the formation of fruiting branches and early fruiting. At this time, the sweet cherry tree reacts mildly and does not easily sprout on the back. When the main branch is about 20cm long, the new shoot base angle should be opened horizontally; when it is 30-40 centimeters, pull the branch horizontally, even to 120 degrees°. Different methods, such as pinching and rotating, can be used to pull up the main branch. This work can continue until September, but at least twice a year.
Branch Pulling Management
When pulling branches, it is important to first determine the position of the pulled branch, and not to pull the branch into an "arch shape". Also, soft plastic tie绳 should be used for the branch pulling绳, and the position of the tie绳 should be adjusted frequently to avoid damaging the trunk, causing tree death. Pruning should be done from the sap flow to the budding period in the spring and the sweet cherry growing season.
Pinching the Tips
Pinching is the removal of the top of the new shoot before it lignifies. Pinching is mainly used to increase the number of branches or shape young trees or vigorous trees. By pinching, the vigorous growth of new shoots can be controlled, the number of branches and leaves increased, the crown expansion accelerated, the transformation from vegetative growth to reproductive growth promoted, flower bud development encouraged, young trees fruiting early, and the amount of winter pruning reduced. It can be divided into light, moderate, and heavy.
① Light Pinching
Usually 7-8 days after flowering, when the new shoot is about 15 cm long, only the top 5 cm of the new shoot can be removed. Except for the top 1-2 medium branches, the rest can form short branches and axillary buds. This method is generally applicable to "V" shaped trees and spindle-shaped trees main branches' small lateral branches and columnar tree main branches pruning. The main purpose is to control the crown, cultivate small fruiting branches, reduce the competition for nutrients between young fruit development and new shoot growth, and improve fruit setting rate. When the new shoot grows 10-20 cm, continuous pinching can form fruiting branches.
② Moderate Pinching
When the new shoot length is greater than 40 cm, about 20 cm of the new shoot can germinate 3-4 branches. Moderate pruning is mainly used for the pruning of improved spindle trees and small tree crown open trees' main branches.
③ Severe Pinching
When the branch length is greater than 30 cm, keep the branch around 10 cm, and pinch tightly to form fruiting branches. For small crown open side branches and improved spindle main branches that are not pinched in time, severe pinching is the main method. Moderate and severe pinching is usually done from late May to late July. After pinching in late July, most new shoots are not full, easy to dry, and prone to frost damage, so no pinching is done in August.
Twisting the Tips
Twisting refers to rotating the base of 4-5 leaves by 180 degrees° when the new shoot lignifies, a pruning method that can damage the xylem but not break it, causing the new shoot to droop or grow horizontally. This method is mainly used for pruning upright branches, inward branches, and vigorous back branches, effectively weakening the growth of branches, increasing the number of young branches, and promoting flower bud formation. Twisting must be done when the branch is semi-lignified to master the timing. If too early or too late, it is easy to break and die.
Retraction
Cutting or sawing off a section of a multi-year-old branch is called retraction. Proper retraction can promote branch transformation and improve the growth potential of branches below the retraction site. Retraction is mainly used for old trees, weak trees, or the renewal and rejuvenation of main branches.
Pulling Branches
Pulling branches is a pruning method where branches are gradually pulled from the base to the top, damaging the xylem without breaking it. The timing of pulling young branches is usually from the harvest period to the end of July. Its function is to slow down the vigorous growth trend of young branches, increase the number of branches and leaves, promote flower bud formation, and adjust the direction and angle of 2-3-year-old trees.
Girdling
Sweet cherry girdling is highly time-dependent, carried out within 10 days before and after flowering. Observations show that the degree of sweet cherry girdling on both the trunk and main branches may be slightly heavier than that of apples. After girdling, the number of short branch clusters and flower束 branches significantly increases.
If you also grow sweet cherries and don't know how to control your pruning work, you can learn more about related technical knowledge and consult more experienced farmers!
The above sharing of the specific introduction of the summer pruning methods for cherries is hoped to bring some horticultural knowledge to flower enthusiasts.