Producing high-quality apples starts with the careful selection and cultivation of suitable apple tree varieties. In the early stages of growth, it is essential to focus on medium or small-crowned tree types. These compact trees are ideal for intensive farming, as they make efficient use of sunlight and nutrients, ultimately leading to better fruit quality.
**Tree Types**
1. **Small Crown Sparsely Layered**
This type is commonly used with semi-dwarf rootstocks. Trees are spaced 4–5 meters apart in rows and 3–4 meters between plants, resulting in about 33 to 55 trees per acre. The tree height should be around 3 meters, with 5–6 main branches. The first layer has 3 branches, the second has 2, and sometimes a third. The spacing between the first and second layers is 80 cm, while the second and third layers are 60 cm apart. On the first-layer branches, 1–2 small lateral branches are left to grow outward, while no side branches are allowed on the upper layers.
2. **Free Spindle Shape**
This is one of the most widely used tree forms today. It is ideal for short-stemmed or semi-dwarf varieties that have strong growth. This shape supports dense planting and is suitable for spacing of 3–4 meters between rows and 3 meters between plants. The tree height ranges from 3 to 3.5 meters, with 10–15 small main branches. The central trunk remains dominant, and there are no side branches on the main ones, giving the tree a wide conical shape.
3. **Slender Spindle Shape**
This type requires denser planting, with 83 to 133 trees per acre, using 2.5–4 meter row spacing and 2 meter plant spacing. The central trunk has 15–20 evenly distributed lateral branches (also known as small main branches), with no side branches on these. Lower branches should be about 100 cm long, middle ones 70–80 cm, and upper ones 50–60 cm. The crown is large at the base but becomes slender as it rises.
4. **Main Stem Shape**
This is a smaller tree type, ideal for high-density planting. The tree height is between 2.5 and 3 meters, with a crown width of about 1.2 meters. Its structure is similar to the slender spindle, but more compact.
**Pruning Practices**
For adult trees producing high-quality apples, pruning should focus on balancing growth and fruiting. The ratio of fruit-bearing branches to leafy branches should be around 1:3. New shoots that are 30–40 cm long should make up roughly 10% of the new growth. Pruning strategies include control, adjustment, and renewal.
1. **Control**
Controlling growth helps maintain balance between fruit production and tree vigor. Before flowering, excess flower buds should be removed. During bloom, thinning and fruit setting help manage the crop load. Overall control involves delayed pruning and staged cuts. For example, during dormancy, only inner branches are cut, and after bud break, outer branches are pruned. Strong shoots can be pruned again after leaves unfurl. For overly vigorous trees, removing strong branch groups in winter and cutting back vigorous shoots in summer can prevent canopy closure.
2. **Adjustment**
This involves adjusting both the group and individual structures of the tree to improve air circulation and light penetration. Rows should have at least 80–100 cm of space between them. Tree height should be controlled by heading back the top, ensuring it doesn’t exceed the distance between rows. Leaves should have 60–70 cm of space around the outer edges. If the canopy is too dense, lower branches can be angled outward, and overcrowded branches removed to create a thin-and-dense structure with good light distribution.
3. **Renewal**
This focuses on updating branches to ensure they remain productive and healthy. Each branch should have well-developed side branches, a central growing shoot, and full fruiting sections. When renewing, base branches should be encouraged to develop into strong leaders, helping maintain a compact and structured tree.
Chinese Traditional Medicine Powder
Chinese Traditional Medicine Powder,Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome Extract,Traditional Medicinal Herbs,Atactylodis Macrocethalae Pe
Sichuan Aibang Weiye Biological Engineering Co., Ltd. , https://www.aibangpharm.com