Peach tree management measures in January

January is already a cold winter and most peach trees have entered a dormant period. At this time, many fruit farmers think that the peach trees do not need to be managed. In fact, there are management points for peach trees in January. Let’s learn about the peach tree management measures in January.

1. Winter pruning

For young trees, pruning should be carried out according to the natural open-heart shape of the three main branches, keeping the main trunk height at 30-40cm. The azimuth angle of each main branch should be maintained at 120 degrees, and the vertical angles are 50 degrees for the first main branch, 40 degrees for the second main branch, and 30 degrees for the third main branch. The spacing between the main branches should be kept at 10-15cm, and each main branch should be equipped with 2-3 staggered side branches to form a good crown structure.

For fruit-bearing trees, the focus of pruning is to equip the main branches and side branches with more fruit-bearing branch groups and branches to improve fruit-bearing ability. For vigorously growing trees, thinning and light pruning should be the main approach; for aging or weakly growing trees, pinching should be the main approach. When pruning, first remove inward branches, overgrown branches, whorled branches and crossed branches, then start from the tip of the main branch and prune downwards in order to keep the crown ventilated and light-permeable.

2. Apply protective agent

For all cuts and saw cuts larger than 1 cm, protective agents such as white paint and lime sulfur should be applied in time to prevent water loss and invasion of pathogens and promote wound healing.

3. Clean up the orchard

Remove weeds and cut dead branches and leaves in the peach orchard in a timely manner and burn these materials in a centralized manner to eliminate hiding places and overwintering places for pests and diseases, and reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases in the coming year.

4. Deeply plow the soil

Before the soil freezes, deep plowing the soil will not only help improve soil structure, increase soil aeration and water permeability, but also destroy the overwintering environment of pests and reduce the number of pests.

5. Whitewash the tree trunks

Whitewashing the trunk of a peach tree can not only reduce frost damage and sunburn, but also prevent pests and diseases from overwintering on the trunk. Whitewash is generally made of lime , sulfur, salt and water in a certain proportion.

6. Reasonable fertilization

In winter, apply appropriate amounts of organic fertilizers , such as compost and green manure, to improve the soil and provide long-term nutrition. Fertilization should be done before the soil freezes to ensure that the fertilizer can be absorbed by the roots.

7. Watering

Before the soil freezes, give the peach tree a good watering to meet its winter moisture needs and help prevent frost damage.

In short, if you plan to carry out grafting propagation, you can start preparing scions and rootstocks in January to ensure the quality of the grafted materials. Summarize the orchard management of the previous year, record the growth, yield, occurrence of diseases and pests of peach trees, etc., to provide a reference for next year's management.