When is the best time to prune wax apple trees?

Wax Apple Tree Pruning

Pruning wax apple trees can reduce nutrient loss and concentrate nutrients to supply strong branches. It can also expand the tree crown, renew fruiting branches, promote flowering and fruiting, increase yield, and enable it to survive the winter smoothly.

Wax Apple Tree Pruning Time

The first pruning of the wax apple tree is in March in spring, the second pruning is in July, which is after the last batch of fruits are harvested, and the third pruning is from October to the dormant period. Wax apple fruit-bearing trees are generally pruned three times a year. Pruning propagation is more suitable in spring and autumn.

Wax Apple Tree Pruning Method

The main pruning methods for wax apple trees are short pruning, thinning pruning, pinching back pruning, bud removal, ring cutting, branch pulling, and branch bending. Short pruning is to cut off a part of the branches, and thinning is mainly to prune away old branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, weak branches, dense branches, overgrown branches, and messy branches.

Old trees can be pruned back, bud removal means removing the sprouting buds to promote the growth of branches and leaves in all directions, ring cutting means ring cutting the base of the trunk to catalyze fruit setting, and branch pulling is mainly to adjust the distance between branches and increase air permeability and light transmittance.

After the wax apple is planted, a strong primary trunk should be left. When the plant is about one meter tall, it should be topped and pinched to promote the growth of the secondary trunk, and then gradually increased until a complete tree shape is formed.

The wax apple trees in the fruiting period can be pruned in spring, summer and winter. The pruning during this period is mainly to prune away diseased and insect-infested branches, dead branches, old branches, dense branches, overgrown branches, straight branches, drooping branches, crossed branches, weak branches, etc.

Things to note when pruning wax apple trees

When pruning wax apple trees, you should pay attention to the following: spring pruning can be done earlier, preferably when the branches and leaves are sprouting; summer pruning should not be done during the flowering period; winter pruning should also be done early, which will help the wax apple trees to safely survive the winter. In addition, young trees and wax apple trees with poor growth can be lightly pruned, while vigorous trees and old trees should be heavily pruned to reasonably adjust the tree vigor.