APPLICATION OF PRUNING TECHNIQUES TO VEGETABLES
Pruning is the latest technology applied to horticultural crops to increase the quality of the fruits for fruit bearing plants and vine crops.
Pruning has the following advantages…
1) Minimize sunlight competition, nutrients, and water – These three factors when limited to the plants growth reduces its productivity. Pruning helps them to be available to the plants because some unnecessary plant parts have been removed.
2) Minimizes insect pests and diseases occurrence – When you prune your plants, they are exposed to the total sunlight therefore, reduces pests and diseases attack. Pests and diseases don’t stay long in hot condition as compared to shady place.
3) Minimize spraying – When you don’t spray, you minimize your production cost and at the same time you help for a chemical – free environment.
4) Improve quality of fruits – Pruned plants have bigger fruit size and have a better price in the market.
Pruning Technique For Common Vegetables
- Upo, Patola and Ampalaya
1) 14 – 15 Days after transplanting, remove lateral vines including flowers and fruits from the 1st – 12th node (at least one meter from the plant base.
2) Allow to fruits on the 13th node up (this is the fruiting zone).
3) Do follow-up pruning and remove those kulot (curl leaves).
- Watermelon
1) Cut the terminal bud after the 4th node allowing 4 late5ral vines to develop.
2) Remove secondary lateral vines including flowers and fruits up to the 9th node.
3) Allow to develop fruits on the 10th node up.
4) Remove lateral vines not the leaves that may crop up below the 9th node.
5) Allow 1 fruit each lateral vine to develop a total of 4 fruits for the 4 lateral vines.
- Honeydew and Muskmelon (without trellis)
1) Cut the terminal buds the same as in watermelon.
2) Remove secondary lateral vines including flowers and fruits up to the 5th node.
3) Allow to develop fruits on the 6th node up.
4) Maintain 3 – 4 fruits per plant.
- Honeydew and Muskmelon (with trellis)
1) Remove lateral vines including flowers and fruits from the 1st node – 9th node.
2) Allow to develop fruits between the 10th up to the 20th node (fruiting zone).
3) Maintain two fruits per plant.
- Squash
1) Remove all the lateral vines including fruits and flowers from the 1st up to the 5th node.
2) Allow to develop fruits on the 6th node up
3) Remove leaves below the 6th node once the lateral vines are fully develop.
4) Don’t allow any lateral vines to develop below the 6th node. Follow-up pruning should be observed always.
- Cucumber
1) Remove lateral vines including flowers and fruits up to the 5th node.
2) Allow to develop fruits on the 6th node up.
3) In every secondary vines allow twp fruits to develop then cut the tip after the 3rd node.
- Eggplant, Pepper and Tomato
1) Remove all the auxiliary buds up to the pork.
2) Above the pork allow to develop 4 branches and remove the leaves below the pork.
3) After fruiting stage remove the leaves below the pork.
4) Don’t allow branches to develop below the pork area.
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Cris Ramasasa, Freelance writer, writes about home gardening and Internet marketing tips. You can get a copy of his latest ebook “How to get started in Flower Gardening”and “Vegetable Gardening made Easy” and lots of tips, Free articles, and bonuses at: www.crisramasasa.com
Cris Ramasasa is a retired Horticulture teacher for 29 years and Freelance writer. Writes home gardening tips and resources. Written ebooks titled: How To Get Started In Flower Gardening and Vegetable Gardening Made Easy. www.crisramasasa.com – Still under construction Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/application-of-pruning-techniques-to-vegetables-1554400.html