Key points for managing apple trees in February

It is now February of the Lunar New Year of the Snake. After the Chinese New Year, many fruit farmers have begun to take good care of their orchards . February is a critical period for apple tree management. Below are the key points for managing apple trees in February.

1. Clean the orchard

Clean up fallen leaves, diseased fruits, insect-infested fruits, weeds, discarded fruit bags and debris in the orchard in a timely manner, and bury or burn them in a centralized manner to eliminate the pests and diseases hidden in them. Carefully inspect the fruit trees, scrape off the diseased spots and dead skin on the trees and apply medicine.

2. Pruning and shaping

February is the winter pruning time for apple trees. When pruning, pay attention to the cut ends to avoid damaging the bark. At the same time, combine winter pruning with checking and treating rot diseases. For larger branches, you can open them at different angles to bring light in, and control their growth by the angle at which the main branches are opened.

3. Water and fertilizer management

Before the budding period in spring, the plants should be watered sufficiently, with 20 cubic meters of water per mu being the appropriate amount, to ensure a continuous supply of nutrients when the nutrients are consumed during the flowering period. Nitrogen fertilizer is the main type of fertilizer, which is spread and applied in combination with watering. You can choose fully water-soluble fertilizers with high nitrogen content and humic acid, or fully water-soluble biological composite bacteria agents, plus medium and trace element fertilizers.

4. Pest and disease control

Combine winter pruning with cutting off diseased and insect-infested branches, and carry out centralized treatment to reduce the number of overwintering pests. Biological pesticides or chemical pesticides can be used for prevention and control, but scientific and rational principles of use must be followed.

5.Tree trunk protection

Whitewashing tree trunks can not only prevent frost damage, but also effectively resist sunburn, and it also has sterilization and insecticidal effects.

6. Pollination Preparation

The most direct and effective method is manual teaching. If there is excess pollen, it can be made into a suspension for spraying.

7. Antifreeze measures

Water the fruit trees thoroughly 10 to 15 days before freezing to increase soil moisture and maintain normal physiological activities of the root system. Whitewash the tree trunks to protect them and reduce the damage caused by temperature differences to the trees.

In short, through the above management measures, the health of apple trees can be effectively improved, laying a solid foundation for subsequent high yields.