The primary goal of autumn fruit pruning is to reduce local consumption, encourage overall nutrient accumulation, and enhance air circulation and light penetration, ultimately leading to improved fruit quality. In practical farming, it has been observed that some fruit growers face several issues during the autumn pruning process. These problems are categorized below, along with specific recommendations for improvement.
1. **Incorrect Timing Leading to Unwanted Results**
Pruning too early in the autumn can cause excessive growth of new branches, while late pruning may not effectively slow down the growth rate and could even lead to wasted energy and reduced light exposure.
**Improvement Suggestions**: Adjust pruning timing based on local conditions. Generally, topping and shortening should be done after the autumn shoots have stopped growing, ideally 30–40 days before the fall. If summer growth continues into autumn, any branch that shows signs of active growth should be pruned as needed. Avoid strict time constraints—branches over one year old should be removed only when necessary. Cap trimming should be performed 25 days after the last autumn shoot. Opening up the angle of autumn branches to improve air circulation and tree vigor should be done once the autumn growth has largely ceased.
2. **Over-Pruning and Disorganized Shoots**
A common issue is excessive cap pruning, where all types of shoots—regardless of species or age—are cut at the junction of spring and autumn shoots or between one- and two-year-old branches. This often leads to a "lion's head" effect, where the tree becomes overly vigorous instead of being controlled, which defeats the purpose of pruning.
**Improvement Suggestions**: Around late August, focus on capping the new shoots on auxiliary branches of varieties like Fuji and Golden Crown, especially at the junction of spring and autumn shoots. For some strong branches, consider delaying the cap pruning until the following year. Apple trees, in particular, should avoid excessive capping. When pruning, apply caps to strong auxiliary branches, while using blind cuts on weaker branches with long shoots. Avoid capping main branches and extension heads unless absolutely necessary.
3. **Insufficient Thinning and Blocked Light Pathways**
Some growers only remove inner branches and sprouts from large cuts, leaving other branches untouched. This results in dense canopies, poor flowering, and delayed fruit coloring.
**Improvement Suggestions**: Around mid-September, remove and shorten ineffective, overlapping, crossing, leggy, and competitive branches within the canopy. Focus on cleaning up internal litchi (water sprouts) and annual branches. Avoid heavy pruning. Ten to fifteen days before harvest, selectively prune or remove dense upper branches, mop skirts, and periphytic branches as needed. Ensure that the diameter of any pruning cut does not exceed 3 cm to prevent damage.
By implementing these strategies, growers can achieve better control over tree growth, improve fruit quality, and ensure more efficient use of resources throughout the season.
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