What you need to know about the alternation of fruit in fruit trees. – Blog

If you take care of a orchard of fruit trees or plan to do it in the future, it is probably familiar with the phenomenon of alternation of fruiting. In this article you will learn more about the causes of alternative fruiting, but also on how to constantly prevent a generous production of fruit.

What is the alternative birth?

Alternative fruiting is a common phenomenon in orchards and implies variations in fruits. Therefore, the alternation means that after a year of abundant collection there may be one or more years in which trees produce few or no fruit.

As manifested

Fruit alternation is a natural phenomenon that can influence any type of fruit tree. Therefore, in a garden you can see that some trees have repaid, one, two or three consecutive years, with the result that the following year the production will be significantly reduced or empty.

What are the main causes?

The fruits alternation is due to the natural way in which the tree manages its resources. Therefore, if in a year the tree has used maximum resources available in the ground to increase fruits, it no longer has enough reserves to resist the formation of fruit outbreaks. If the outbreaks develop badly or do not appear, the production of next year will obviously be influenced.

Another reason has to do with the genetic structure of each tree. Some varieties will have more likely to have alternating fruit.

At the same time, the alternation can be favored by an incorrect recording of fruit trees, when too many outbreaks are left in the branches and the tree is not strong enough to support the weight of the fruit when it is ripe.

An excessive contribution of nitrogen, which may be due to an incorrect application of fertilizers, can also contribute to alternation. Biochemical regulatory bisicides or erroneously applied can have the same effect.

What species of fruit trees are more frequently affected by fruity alternation?

The most cultivated species in our country, such as apple, pear or plum, are more affected by the alternation of fruiting. This is due to the fact that the alternation is generally aimed at late fruiting variety. Another species in which it is possible to produce alternation are walnuts.

In the opposite pole there are the species that bear fruit at the beginning of the year, like cherries, Burgundy and apricot. If the first apples plants you will see that the alternation strikes them much less than late varieties. In the case of fruit trees, the alternation does not occur at all.

The difference between alternative fruiting and crop losses that may be due to other causes.

There are several reasons why trees do not produce fruit in certain years, alternation is not the only reason. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between this natural phenomenon of alternation, caused by excessive fruiting, which will influence only a part of the trees and a generalized problem at the level of the garden, in which most trees no longer have fruits or produce few fruits For other causes such as frost, defrosting, attack of diseases and parasites, hail or reduction of pollination.

How to avoid alternating fruit in fruit trees?

One of the basic methods that can be used to avoid the alternation of fruiting fruiting is the demolition of trees. Make the necessary cuts every year can be limited the number of fruits. In this way the tree, depending on its age and size, will produce an adequate number of fruits. The manufacture of green cuttings for fruit trees limits the possibility that the tree has too many outbreaks in one year and too many fruits, which will run out and consume all its resources, preventing the fruit from paying the following year.

Important aspects you need to consider during the cut are both the technique and the time in which it performs them, as well as the tools you use. It is recommended to use only tools for the gardener to improvise with kitchen knives or other tools that can cause injuries and infections to the trees and, at the same time, clean and disinfect the tools before use to eliminate the risk of transmission of the disease.

The cuts apply differently, from tree to the tree, depending on their state and the load of yolks. In the year in which the tree has no fruit yolks, the fruits cuts must be moderate. It is recommended to reduce the size of the trees by annual pruning in years in which they have distributed numerous outbreaks of uniform fruit. In this way the growth of the shoots will be moderate and the fruits will also produce in a balanced way.

Another way to avoid alternation is to lose fruit. In principle, a tree whose branches bend due to the weight of the abundantly grown fruits has many possibilities of not paying fruits next year. You can avoid it by examining the tree when the fruits are still small (for example, only about 2 cm in diameter). If the branches of a tree have too many fruits, those who have less development can be removed manually. Subsequently, the tree will use the existing resources to nourish only healthy fruits that will grow in moderate quantities.

Since the rotation of the fruit is closely related to the resources in the field, its application is recommended. Specific fruit fertilizers. A soil too poor in nutrients or that lacks some necessary elements for fruit trees will not be able to resist continuous fruit production every year.

At the same time, thanks to fertilization treatments and periodic exams, healthy leaves are guaranteed. It is an essential factor for the production of quality fruits because the leaves help to feed the branches of the fruit, implicitly the fruit.

Fruit rotation can significantly affect production, especially if you have an apple, a pear or plum. Therefore, the safest way to have lasting fruits over the years is to apply the prevention methods mentioned above. For more information and suggestions on the maintenance of your garden, we invite you to read the rest of our articles on the blog.