Key points of orchard management plan in February

February is the basic month for fruit tree management. The earth warms up and everything recovers. This time is very conducive to pruning fruit trees in the north. At the same time, this time is also the most serious period for the occurrence of branch and trunk diseases of fruit trees , which require timely prevention and control. Here are the key points of the orchard management plan in February.

1. Clean the orchard

Clean up the fallen leaves, diseased fruits, worm-eaten fruits, weeds, discarded fruit bags and debris in the orchard, and bury or burn them in a concentrated area to eliminate the pests and diseases that may be hiding and overwintering in them.

2. Cut off diseased and insect-infested branches

Combined with winter pruning, focus on treating diseased and insect-infested branches, and pay attention to breaking the pest cocoons (such as the yellow thorn moth) on the branches. This measure is very beneficial for preventing the recurrence of apple pathogens such as dry rot, apple rot, anthracnose, powdery mildew, and controlling pests such as apple scale insects, leaf rollers, cicadas, and tent caterpillars. By cutting off dead branches and diseased and insect-infested branches and burning them in a concentrated area, the extent of damage caused by diseases and insects in the coming year can be greatly reduced, and the base number of diseases and insect pests can be effectively reduced.

3. Scrape the old peeling skin

The cracks, old bark and wounds on the trunks and branches of fruit trees are the overwintering places for pests, and often hide a variety of pathogens and pests, such as borers, mites, leaf rollers, scale insects, pear star caterpillars, etc. Scraping off the old bark and removing eggs simultaneously can produce significant results.

4. Handle insect traps or grass bundles

Taking advantage of the habit of some pests to move down trees and into their wintering places, you can tie a circle of wheat straw, rice straw or cloth around the tree trunk in late autumn to induce the pests that hibernate under branches, trunks, cracks and peeling bark to gather in the straw bundles or cloth and hide there to overwinter. In severe winter, concentrated burning can be lifted in a timely manner to eliminate pests.

5. Scrape and treat rot

Combine winter pruning and scraping of old bark, conduct careful inspection, detect rot diseases, and scrape and treat them in time. Key points of scraping: spindle-shaped, sharp knife, and upright cuts. Shave small, shave early, and shave now. The scraping should extend 1.5-2 cm to the left and right of the scar, and 3-5 cm wide above and below. Immediately seal and protect with sealing oil, healing agent, or liquid joint wax. You can also treat it with a fungicide and then seal it with a thicker paint or latex. The scraped diseased bark, diseased branches, and debris should be taken out of the garden together with the old bark and burned or buried deep.

6. Processing of saw cuts

For rough cut edges, use a sharp electrician's knife to smooth them out and treat them with wound protectants in time to prevent the loss of nutrients and water in the tree and prevent the invasion of pathogens. The cut and sawed ends can be treated with commercial sealing oil, healing agent, or liquid wax. The formula is as follows: 100 grams of lard, 300 grams of rosin, 100 milliliters of alcohol, and 5 grams of branch wax. Preparation method: First heat the lard to melt it, then add the rosin powder, and move the heat for 20-30 minutes after it is dissolved.

Then soften the branch-growing treasure with warm water, and then dilute the softened branch-growing treasure with 75% alcohol and pour it in slowly. Pay attention to stirring while pouring. The prepared liquid wax should be placed in a paint box or a thin tin food box. The wax can be used continuously for 4 to 5 years. If it solidifies, you can put the container in hot water and continue to use it after it melts.

7. Whitewashing tree trunks

It is often used for whitewashing young trees and the trunks of large trees (especially the neck), sunburn prevention, frost prevention, sterilization and insecticide. Whitewashing tree trunks can enhance reflection, reduce the trunk's absorption of heat, narrow the temperature difference, and protect the tree from frost damage. Its main function is to prevent "sunburn" and "shoot sprouting", secondly to eliminate diseases and insect pests, and prevent bites from wild animals.

8. Drug prevention and treatment

After apple trees shed their leaves due to pests and diseases, young trees should have soil added to the base of the trunk to prevent the base roots from freezing. You can also apply a layer of quicklime water to the base of the trunk and main branches to form a protective film, seal the pores and prevent shoot pullout. After entering the dormant period, the resistance of the pathogen weakens, while the resistance of the fruit trees begins to increase, so it is necessary to use medication during the dormant period. Spraying mature orchards with 4000 times of 40% flusilazole (Fuxing, Wenjijun) emulsifiable concentrate, or 2000 times of 25% propiconazole (Dilituo, Jinlishi) emulsifiable concentrate + 1000-1200 times of 40% chlorpyrifos (Haoli, Anminle, Mozhan, Lesben) emulsifiable concentrate + 4000 times of Roushuitong mixture in a timely manner can effectively prevent and control a variety of diseases and pests.

9. Winter orchard tillage

In areas where the soil permafrost layer is shallow, when the soil in the orchard freezes during the day and melts at night in winter, the soil can be tilled to expose the overwintering pests and their cocoons and pupae, which will freeze to death. This method destroys the overwintering conditions of the pests and effectively kills many pests.

10. Winter irrigation of orchards

After fruit trees enter their winter dormancy, nutrients begin to flow back from the tree body to the roots. In years with little snow in winter and little rain in autumn, watering them to prevent freezing can promote the decomposition of basal fertilizer, which is beneficial to the growth of new roots and the assimilation of nutrients by the roots in the body. It is also beneficial to the differentiation and development of flower buds in winter and spring, maintaining adequate soil moisture, preventing damage from drought and frost over the winter, and ensuring flowering and fruiting the following year.

That’s it