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Summer pruning

The effects of summer pruning on flower bud formation are extremely variable. This is partly explained by the different techniques of summer pruning employed, the different timings of the pruning and the different responses of scion varieties. On spur …

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Trunk girdling (ringing)

It has been known for many decades that partially girdling (or ringing) the trunks of apple trees can increase the numbers of flowers produced in the subsequent season. The girdling treatments may comprise a single narrow diameter knife cut, made through …

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Root pruning

Although root pruning has been shown, in trials at East Malling, to increase the abundance of flowering on young apple trees ( Webster, et al ., 2000 ), the effects on mature trees are much more variable. Trials in the USA on semi-mature and mature apple …

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Improving flowering on young newly-planted apple trees

If apple orchards are to prove profitable it is important that they begin cropping as soon as possible after planting (i.e. exhibit good yield precocity) and then rapidly build up cropping to high and consistent yield efficiencies in the succeeding years. …

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Improving flowering on mature apple trees

Occasionally, insufficient flower numbers may be produced on varieties which are not usually prone to biennial bearing. This is usually the result of practices of tree management that lead to an imbalance between growth level and cropping. Excessive use …

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Flower quality on mature trees and its improvement

Growers should strive to produce flowers of high quality with an Effective Pollination Period ( EPP ) of 3 days or more.  For optimum flower bud quality: Trees should be thinned early in the previous season to optimum crop loads . Fruit harvesting should …

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Pollination and fruit set

Choice of orchard site and its optimisation Protecting the flowers and young fruitlets from damaging climatic conditions Influence of rain on pollination Planting of suitable pollinating varieties in sufficient numbers Supplementing pollen supply in the …

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Choice of orchard site and its optimisation

Choice of a suitable site for apple production is one of the basic principles of fruit growing that appears in all standard textbooks and articles on apple production. Nothing has changed since this good advice was first put forward centuries ago and, if …

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