As summer approaches, the new shoots of peach trees grow rapidly, and the fruits begin to swell. It's essential to carry out comprehensive management during this time. So, how exactly should peach trees be managed in summer? Let's explore the management methods.
Management of Peach Trees in Summer
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Summer Pruning: To ensure high yields, pruning is necessary in summer. Summer pruning of peach trees can regulate transportation, balance nutrition between the tree body and branches, trim and balance tree vigor, enhance permeability and light transmission in the orchard, control excessive growth of unnecessary branches to prevent nutrient loss, promote fruit growth and quality, and induce flower bud differentiation. For competitive or excessively long branches, leave 1-2 lateral branches if there is space available to develop them into fruit-bearing branches. If no lateral branches are available, prune them back to about 30cm to promote new shoot growth. Trim other branches that have grown to 30-40cm to concentrate nutrients on fruit growth and development and prevent fruit drop.
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Fertilization and Irrigation Management: Summer is the period of fruit enlargement or late-stage embryo development for late-maturing peaches, and the trees require a large amount of nutrients. Therefore, fertilization and irrigation management should be intensified. For trees with abundant fruiting but weak vigor, foliar spray with 0.2%-0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.3%-0.4% urea solution every 10 days for 3-4 consecutive times. Apply additional fertilizer 2-3 times during summer, with a post-blossom application of fruit-strengthening fertilizer generally occurring one week after blossom drop, primarily using quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, followed by watering after fertilization. Apply additional fertilizer once during the stone-hardening stage, with a balanced application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, primarily focusing on phosphorus and potassium. Pay attention to drainage during the rainy season, and before heavy rains, timely clear drainage ditches both inside and outside the orchard to ensure smooth drainage and promptly remove accumulated water in the orchard. Cultivate and loosen the soil timely after rain to reduce moisture.
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Soil Management: Orchards under clean tillage management should be weeded and cultivated in a timely manner. Shallow tillage of about 5cm is recommended after entering the period of fruit development to minimize damage to new roots. Weeding is best done before the rainy season, and during the rainy season, only weeding without soil loosening is recommended. Orchard covering is a good soil management practice, with a general coverage thickness of 15-20cm. During deep plowing, mix the decomposed weeds and straw with the soil and bury them to increase the organic matter content of the soil.
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Reasonable Fruit Thinning: Generally, young peach trees should retain 100-150 fruits per tree, while mature trees should retain 200-250 fruits per tree. Fruit thinning method: leave 2 fruits on long fruiting branches, 1 fruit on medium fruiting branches, and 1 fruit on short fruiting branches. For long fruiting branches, leave the middle fruit, and for short fruiting branches, leave the terminal fruit.
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Pest and Disease Control: During the stone-hardening period of fruits, spray 5% methomyl at a dilution of 2000 times to control peach fruit borer, scale insects, leafhoppers, and leaf rollers. During the fruit enlargement period (period of vigorous new shoot growth), spray fungicides every 10-15 days, such as carbendazim, methyl thiophanate, and azoxystrobin, to control perforated disease, brown rot, black spot disease, and anthracnose.
Above are the methods for managing peach trees in summer. It's essential to implement all these management practices to improve the effectiveness of peach tree cultivation.
