How to prune pepper trees

When to prune pepper trees

The Sichuan pepper tree can be pruned during its dormant period from leaf fall to budding, but when the annual average temperature is below 8°C, it is generally better to prune it before budding in early spring to prevent frostbite on the incision.

After pruning the pepper tree and before transplanting it, you need to prepare an appropriate nursery bed. Keep the soil moist before transplanting. Make a slightly oblique hole in the substrate and place the cuttings into the hole. After insertion, compact the soil and cover it with mulch. Generally speaking, it will take root in about a month. Spray foliar fertilizer according to the growth of the roots.

Pruning of Pepper Trees

The pruning methods of Sichuan pepper trees are short pruning, thinning, old tree pruning, and multiple main branch pruning.

1. Light and short pruning: Prune a small part of the branches of the Sichuan pepper tree. This will easily form many medium and short branches. The growth of a single branch is weak, but the total growth of the plant is relatively large. The mother branch becomes thicker and grows faster, which can alleviate the tree's vigor.

2. Medium and short pruning: The pepper tree should be pruned short in spring when the buds are full and slightly above the branches. After pruning, it is easy to form many medium and short branches with high branch shaping strength and strong growth momentum of single branches.

3. Heavy pruning: Shorten the middle and lower parts of the branches of the Zanthoxylum bungeanum tree. It is easy to grow 1 to 2 vigorous branches at the incision. The growth force of the branches is low, but the total growth amount is small.

Tips for Pruning Pepper Trees

Pruning techniques for Sichuan pepper trees: When pruning a Sichuan pepper tree, seven branches must be removed, namely, overgrown branches, dry branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, overcrowded branches, crossed branches, overlapping branches, and thin branches.

After controlling the height of the Sichuan pepper tree, you need to prune off the branches 30-50 cm from the base before it sprouts, and then leave 5-7 branches to grow.

Pruning and flowering of pepper trees

When pruning the Sichuan pepper trees, in order to prevent the inner part of the crown from being empty and to prevent the fruiting parts from moving, strong trees need light pruning, while weak and fruit-bearing trees need heavy pruning. This way the Sichuan pepper trees can grow more vigorously and bloom.

Results of pepper tree pruning

When the peppers on the tree mature in June, you can pick and prune the crown of the pepper tree simultaneously. At a height of about 60 cm from the trunk, cut off the fruiting branches with one knife, leaving 4 or 5 buds on the incision. It is more convenient to pick the peppers from the pruned branches than to pick them from the tree.

Tips for Pruning Pepper Trees

When pruning a Chinese prickly ash tree, the incision angle must be above 30 degrees to ensure smoothness. When pruning in July, each tree must leave several branches with leaves to ensure the normal growth of new branches.