How to prune litchi trees

When is the right time to prune litchi trees?

Litchi trees can be pruned all year round, but pruning work must be done before the autumn shoots, such as pinching back, renewal pruning and adjusting the crown structure.

How to prune litchi trees

Pruning during the peak fruit-bearing period: Litchi trees need to be pruned, cut back and thinned out during the peak fruit-bearing period. Pruning is usually done on the fruit-bearing mother branches of the year after fruit harvesting in summer and autumn.

Pruning of aging trees : The rejuvenation of aging trees is mainly done through back pruning to renew branches and trunks. Through strengthened management, the tree vigor is restored to achieve the goal of high yield.

Dealing with overcrowded trees : Overcrowded trees are mainly dealt with due to improper pruning, which causes cross-shading of trees in the orchard, decline of tree vigor, breeding of diseases and insects, and decreasing yield year by year.

Tips for pruning litchi trees

Pruning makes growth faster: within 2-3 days after planting, the main branches of young litchi trees should be shaped into rounded heads, and branches should be suppressed by pruning, pinching, thinning, etc. before new shoots sprout. The main methods are to prune off overcrowded branches, bent branches, and weak branches so that nutrients can be effectively used to expand the crown.

Pruning brings more results: timely pruning of the fruit stalks and dry branches damaged during fruit picking, undesirable branches, and late autumn shoots that sprout after the Beginning of Autumn, while retaining strong and horizontal branches, can increase the fruit yield.

Tips for pruning litchi trees

When pruning litchi trees, you should start from the inside to the outside and from large to small. Use pruning shears for small branches and saws for large branches. If the trees do not bear fruit that year, pruning can be done earlier.