Right after Tet, taking advantage of the sunny weather, custard apple growers - a specialty tree in Huu Lung district, Lang Son province immediately started pruning branches, shaping the custard apple tree into a "hand" shape, mastering the techniques, custard apple growers confidently entered the production season.
Custard apple trees have the habit of flowering and fruiting at the buds and tips of branches, so in the past, when pruning and canopy shaping techniques were not applied, harvesting custard apples was very difficult because custard apples are often found high up.
Therefore, custard apple growers in Huu Lung have applied pruning techniques to create a canopy so that custard apple trees produce fruit on the trunk and low branches.
In the days after Tet Nguyen Dan 2025, we had the opportunity to return to Huu Lung district, visit custard apple gardens from Hoa Lac, Cai Kinh, Dong Tan communes to Yen Vuong, Yen Son, Yen Thinh, Nhat Tien, Minh Tien... everywhere we saw people using knives and scissors to prune and shape the custard apple trees.
While pruning custard apple branches, Mr. Phan Van Duy in Yen Thinh commune said: After celebrating Tet, from January 15, like other custard apple growing families, my family chose custard apple trees that were 3 years old to prune branches and create canopy.
The cutting process must use a sharp knife or scissors, cut decisively, so that the custard apple branch will have the least sap flow and damage.
Custard apple trees must be pruned to create a canopy from the third year. Photo by Hoang Tinh
The technique of pruning custard apple trees is to choose old, diseased custard apple branches, small custard apple branches, secondary custard apple branches, and branches higher than a person's head to be cut off, leaving only 15-20cm branches.
After pruning, in favorable weather with spring rain, the custard apple tree will sprout and grow new leaves from the trunk and branches, from which it will flower, making it convenient for pollination and harvesting techniques later.
Cutting custard apple branches must be done decisively to avoid damage to the custard apple tree. Photo by Hoang Tinh
Like Duy's family, Doan Van Ngoc's family in Dong Tan commune is also busy cutting and pruning 2,000 custard apple trees. According to Ngoc: Pruning and shaping the custard apple tree must be done on days when it does not rain, because cuts that get wet in the rain are susceptible to fungus and disease, which will affect the growth and flowering of the tree later. This year, due to little rain, we also cut the custard apple branches later than usual.
Sharing more about the effectiveness of pruning and shaping custard apple trees, Mr. Ly Minh Hoan in Dong Tan commune added: Previously, without applying the technique of pruning branches and shaping custard apple trees, the custard apples did not produce fruit evenly. But for more than 15 years now, we have been applying the technique of pruning and shaping the canopy.
This helps the custard apple tree grow strongly, sprout, bloom and flower evenly, actively controlling the flowering process of the tree. Many households have also applied this technique to grow custard apples off-season, bringing very high economic efficiency.
After pruning and shaping the canopy for about 30 days, the custard apple tree will sprout and grow new leaves from the trunk and branch tips, which will facilitate the cultivation process later. Photo by Hoang Tinh
Pruning and shaping the custard apple tree is considered the most important technique in the custard apple growing process, because if pruned too early when the weather is still cold, it will greatly affect the growth of the tree, and if pruned too late, the custard apple tree will sprout and affect flowering.
After being cut and trimmed, the branches and leaves will be collected and burned to remove pathogens so that the custard apple tree can grow and develop best.
After the process of cutting and pruning to promote healthy growth of custard apple trees, people in Huu Lung district will fertilize each custard apple tree with 15-20 kg of chicken manure and manure.
After pruning, the branches of the custard apple tree look like "hands". Photo by Hoang Tinh
After pruning and shaping the canopy, after about 30 days, the custard apple tree will sprout and bloom, and after about 3 months it will flower. At this time, the grower will carry out pollination techniques so that the custard apple tree bears fruit evenly.
Currently, in Huu Lung district, there is an area of about 1,700 hectares of custard apples with an output of 12,000 tons.
In recent years, the Department of Agriculture of Huu Lung district has organized many training courses on custard apple growing, including pruning techniques. Up to now, 100% of households in the district have applied ornamental pruning techniques in production.
Source: https://danviet.vn/vi-sao-cay-na-ra-qua-dac-san-lang-son-lai-dang-bi-cat-trui-canh-la-20250302092600961.htm
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