How to prune Qicheng trees? How and when to prune

Qicheng pruning time

Qi orange can be pruned many times a year. The pruning time varies in different planting areas, which can be divided into areas with frost damage and areas without frost damage. In areas with frost damage, pruning should be done after the spring thaw and before the spring sprouts, while in areas without frost damage, pruning can be done after the fruit is picked. It can also be divided into summer pruning and winter-spring pruning. Pruning during flowering period is rare.

How to prune orange trees

1. How to prune young trees

For the chi orange seedlings, mainly focus on the main trunk, do some simple pruning, and lightly cut the side branches and extension branches. The pruning length should be less than 5cm. For those branches that are too dense, you can thin them out appropriately. Each side branch should have less than 3 branches, and the inner branches should be retained as much as possible.

2. Pruning method of navel orange trees that have just produced fruits

The side branches, secondary branches and other extension branches on the main branches of Qicheng should be pruned back. In summer, the redundant branches should be cut off. In autumn, the vigorously growing branches should be pruned back, and the length should be kept at 10 cm. There should not be too many fruits on each branch, and five or six fruits are enough. Other young fruits should also be thinned out.

3. Pruning during the fruiting period

When the navel orange tree is in its peak fruit-bearing period, those branches that have not produced fruit need to be pruned. If some fruits are attacked by pests and diseases and grow very slowly, they also need to be pruned, and the incisions must be disinfected to prevent them from being infected by bacteria, which will affect the fruit-bearing rate of the tree.

4. Pruning after fruiting

After the navel orange has finished bearing fruit, it needs to be pruned as a whole. Cut off the useless branches, dead branches, diseased branches, weak branches, etc. Do not leave too many side branches on the main trunk. Generally, four or five branches are enough. This will make the nutrients more concentrated and preserve nutrients for the tree.