Properly trim tree branches. Pruning fruit trees - why, when and how? Starting pruning fruit trees

Trimming fruit trees- one of the very first spring events in the garden. It’s March, and that means it’s time to make an inspection, take a closer look at the trees, and outline the scope of work. According to the timing, there are 2 main prunings: spring and autumn.

Pruning fruit trees in spring

The main rule of spring pruning is to do it before the buds begin to swell/open. The trees are still dormant; sap flow has not begun.

Dates: second half of March - April

When to start:

The ideal time to prune fruit trees in the spring is the second half of March. Starting from the middle of the month, you can start. But! Temperatures according to the forecast should not fall below -10 degrees. This period is recommended for northern regions and middle zone. In the south, pruning can be done throughout the winter.

The dates may be shifted if the winter was frosty and the fruit trees in the garden were severely frozen. Then it is better to prune them during bud break in order to see all the damaged shoots and remove them.

It is recommended to remove old, broken, diseased, and simply unnecessary branches every year. Without pruning, the crown thickens, the branches interfere with each other’s growth, and gradually the leaves and fruits become smaller.

The advantages of early spring pruning are that without leaves the branches are clearly visible and you can easily outline a pruning plan. In addition, in the spring it is necessary to cut out the frost-bitten parts of the tree. And there is a risk of infection of the cut areas in early spring before the start of sap flow is very small.

Pruning of young trees in the spring is kept to a minimum, and older trees are treated more thoroughly. But you shouldn’t get too carried away either - pruning weakens the tree, so it is recommended to thin out heavily thickened crowns gradually, over 2-3 years. Old trees are processed first, and then young ones.

In early spring, broken and excess branches are removed and berry bushes: currants, gooseberries, raspberries (if you didn’t have time in the fall). Also - starting from the second half of March, and also - before the buds begin to bloom.

Should I prune in the fall?

Many authors of books on gardening do not recommend pruning fruit trees in the fall at all, since the cutting areas are in harsh winters may freeze. But! These recommendations relate more to formative, thorough pruning of apple, pear, cherry, and plum trees. Diseased and broken branches should always be removed as soon as they are discovered. It turns out that sanitary pruning of trees is important in the fall.

Dates: until the end of September

But for berry bushes (currants, gooseberries, raspberries), autumn pruning is considered mandatory. In raspberries, shoots are pruned at soil level (remontant shoots bend down), in currants and gooseberries - selectively. Autumn pruning is safe for shrubs, because during the winter they are covered with snow, which means they are reliably protected from freezing.

Dates: September - mid-October

In the fall, whitewashing the trunks, clearing them of old bark, and treating cracks is considered a mandatory measure for fruit trees. It is better to leave thorough pruning until spring.

Pruning trees and shrubs in diagrams

There are a huge number of nuances of pruning fruit trees and shrubs, and in this article we did not delve into the technique of doing it. We were interested, first of all, in the timing - when is the best time to prune. However, in the process of searching for information about the timing, we came across interesting schemes trimmings that will certainly be useful to amateur gardeners 😉

Trees in the garden require care all year round, and longevity and productivity depend on how competently it is carried out fruit crops. One of the most important points in caring for trees and shrubs is pruning, the main task which ensures the correct formation of the crown. Formation begins with young, and its essence comes down to leaving and stimulating the necessary branches for development and fruiting, and removing those that interfere, those that grow incorrectly, old and diseased ones. Along with such care measures as fertilizing and protection from pests and diseases, proper pruning helps the plant to evenly distribute nutrition and strength, so the harvest on trees with a well-formed crown is abundant and the fruits are of high quality.

Fruit tree pruning

Pruning is the complete or partial removal of shoots and branches, a way of caring for decorative and fruit bushes and trees, serving to regulate their development, growth and fruiting. In addition to the formative function, pruning also performs a sanitary function - it thins out the crown and frees the tree or bush from branches that endanger the health of the plant and jeopardize its longevity. And if the tree has reached an advanced age, then timely rejuvenating pruning will give it new strength and prolong the years, practically without reducing the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the harvest.

Tree pruning is done both in spring and autumn; in some cases, trees are pruned even in summer. Let's make a reservation right away: autumn pruning of trees is permissible only in areas with mild, non-cold winters, and in the northern regions it is better to carry out this procedure in the spring, since frosts that occur soon after autumn pruning lead to freezing of the bark at the cut sites and dry out the wood, which, as a rule, leads to plant death. There are types of fruit trees that are pruned every year, or even twice a year, and there are those that do not need annual pruning.

Each agricultural technique has its own rules, and tree pruning is no exception. When to prune trees of certain types and how to prune fruit trees in the fall are the topics of our conversation.

Apple tree pruning

When to prune an apple tree

Apple trees are pruned in the spring, in rare cases in the summer, when there is not enough light for the ripening fruits in the dense crown, and also in the fall. However, if in the spring, before the start of sap flow, the consequences of winter are eliminated with the help of pruning shears - the frozen ends of the branches are removed, while simultaneously forming the crown of the tree, then pruning in November is carried out mainly for the purpose of sanitation of the crown. The procedure begins after all the leaves have fallen from the trees. Pruning of a columnar apple tree is carried out either at the beginning of summer or before winter.

Pruning an apple tree in autumn

In the fall, old branches are pruned, as well as rotten, broken, damaged branches. Since the tree is in a dormant state, pruning branches is stress-free. How to prune an apple tree in the fall? Here's roughly the plan:

First of all, cut off large broken or dried branches;
cut out the weakest branches that grow too close to each other;
trim branches that grow at an acute angle;
cover all cuts with garden varnish or drying oil paint: wounds on dry branches are treated immediately, and on young ones - only after a day;
Burn all cut branches.

In the photo: Growing an apple tree in the garden

Young apple trees are lightly pruned with pruning shears - the current year's growth is shortened by a quarter of the length. After this, the growing apple trees, unless they grow in height too quickly, are not pruned for three to five years, removing only dry and broken branches if necessary. Five to six year old apple trees need moderate pruning: strong branches are cut by a third. Heavy pruning is used in cases of thickening of the crown: to thin it out, the branches are shortened by half.

Rejuvenating pruning of old apple trees is carried out in three stages: approximately a third of the old branches are cut out in one year, the next third of the old branches are cut out a year later, and the last third after another year. The pruning shears will not take strong mature branches; you will have to use a saw. All tools you use to trim branches should be sharp and thoroughly disinfected.

Pruning columnar apple trees

As for columnar apple trees, you should know that the more you cut, the more actively what you left grows. If you cut off more than half of the branch, the remaining 3-4 buds will produce powerful shoots next year. If you cut less than half of the branch, the remaining 5-7 buds will produce 5-7 medium shoots.

You cannot cut off the central conductor of the column, otherwise the crown will branch out. Forming the crown in a columnar manner, in the year of planting the crown shoot of the seedling is tied to a support, and fruit links are formed from the side shoots, and if they are too powerful, they are cut into a ring so that they do not retard the growth of the conductor, and they wait for new shoots to grow from which can be used to form the skeleton of the crown.

Pear pruning

When to prune a pear

Beginners in gardening believe that pruning a pear tree is no different from pruning an apple tree, but this is not entirely true. We will tell you about when and how to prune a pear, and you do it yourself comparative analysis. Pear trees, like apple trees, are not recommended to be pruned every year.

Autumn sanitary pruning of pears is permissible as long as the temperature outside is above zero, but if frosts unexpectedly hit, then pruning must be postponed until spring - trees cannot be pruned in cold weather, since the wounds remaining after pruning not only do not heal, but also lead to freezing of the branches, which is why they die. It is best to prune a pear in the spring, when the air temperature warms up to 8 ºC.

However, if there is a need to do this in the fall, then pruning in September is quite acceptable, but not later. The most convenient crown shape for harvesting is pyramidal, and this must be taken into account when formative pruning of pears.

In the photo: Pears on a tree

Pruning pears in autumn

The formation of the crown of pear trees begins already in the first year of life: it is very important to determine the skeletal branches immediately, so that in the future the crown develops correctly and symmetrically. Annual seedlings cut at a height of 40-50 cm from the ground. In two-year-old trees that have already acquired 6-8 lateral branches, select 3-4 of them as skeletal branches and prune them at the same level. The conductor is cut 20 cm higher than the skeletal branches.

Pruning older trees in the fall primarily serves sanitary purposes: removing branches that thicken the crown, diseased branches, and those damaged during the fruiting period. It also doesn’t hurt to shorten the annual shoots by a third of the length, and even the crown if the pear is stretching upward too much - this will strengthen the tree, enhance its branching and serve as an impetus for enhanced bud development. However, when pruning, try not to disturb the pyramidal shape of the crown. After completing the procedure, treat cuts and damaged bark with garden varnish: on old, dry branches immediately, and on young, green branches only after a day.

To prune to rejuvenate an old pear, you need to start by shortening its top, but if you have been conscientiously pruning the tree from year to year, and the height of the crown corresponds to optimal indicators, then proceed to thinning it: remove dry, old, non-fruiting branches, cut out shoots , growing at an acute angle or parallel to the trunk, and shorten the remaining shoots by a quarter of the length. Treat all sections with garden varnish or drying oil paint.

To be fair, it should be said that rejuvenating pruning of old pear branches is less painful for the plant in the spring, when the air temperature reaches 5 ºC, but the buds have not yet woken up.

Pruning plum

When to prune a plum

Plum, like other garden trees, requires care all year round, and it must be pruned as needed. different time. In the spring, before the buds open, frozen areas are removed from the plum and prepared for the growing season, forming a crown. In the summer, sometimes you have to help the tree cope with a bountiful harvest, preventing branches from breaking by pruning, and in the fall, when leaf fall ends, it is necessary to prepare the tree for winter.

In the photo: Fruiting plum tree

Pruning plum trees in autumn

Autumn pruning of plums, in addition to preparing the tree for wintering, is designed to increase its yield. When the growing season is completed and all the leaves have been shed, and the plum begins to prepare for sleep, dry and broken branches affected by insects or disease are removed from the tree, and if the top has grown above 2.5 m, then it should be shortened. Then shoots that are growing too actively are pruned, competing shoots are removed, which in the spring, having started to grow, will begin to thicken the crown, preventing the penetration of sunlight into it.

In young trees, shoots are trimmed from above and on the sides by no more than a third, and branches growing inside the crown are completely removed. Pruning of old branches is left for the spring, but if you need to do it in the fall, remove the stem branches that are this year did not bear fruit, cut off dead wood and branches infected with fungi or pests. All trimmings must be burned and the cuts processed. Old plums need to be pruned in the spring, as their wounds heal slowly, gum often begins to leak from them, and winter frosts can destroy a tree that could still grow and bear fruit for many years.

Cherry pruning

When to prune cherries

Cherries do not need pruning annually, however, if such a need is ripe, formative and rejuvenating pruning is carried out in spring time, however, this is a serious topic for a long article. In autumn, cherries are subjected to only sanitary pruning. The time for pruning cherries in the fall depends on the weather and climatic conditions of the region, for example, in areas with a cool climate, cherries are pruned in September, and in places with warm winters, pruning in October is quite acceptable.

The main sign that it’s time to start pruning is the end of leaf fall, but if weather forecasters predict the imminent onset of frost, it is better to postpone the pruning procedure until spring.

In the photo: Cherry fruits

Pruning cherries in autumn

Annual seedlings are not pruned in the fall, since they do not yet have enough strength to recover before frost. For older trees, up to five strong branches directed to the sides are left, growing no closer than 10 cm from each other. Mature trees are subjected to sanitary pruning, if necessary - broken, dry and diseased branches are removed. It is also necessary to remove all the growth, which weakens the tree and serves as a refuge for small rodents and harmful insects in winter.

If the cherry is rooted, the shoots can be used as planting material, since it retains the varietal characteristics of the mother plant. The growth of grafted cherries is not suitable for this purpose, and the harm from it can be great, so it must be destroyed. Rejuvenating pruning of old cherries and formative pruning of young trees is done in the spring.

Apricot pruning

When to prune an apricot

Apricots are pruned in spring, summer and autumn, and in the spring the pruning is thorough - formative, sanitary, and, if necessary, rejuvenating. In summer, pruning is done only when there is a danger that the branches may break under the weight of the fruit. The task of autumn sanitary pruning is to prepare the apricot for wintering.

In the photo: Rich harvest of apricots

Apricot pruning in autumn

Before you start pruning, you need to determine what type of crown you want to form on the tree - tiered or non-tiered. If you have limited space, it may make sense to cup the crown, which involves shortening the branches by about half. But no matter what shape of the crown you form, in the fall you must remove all diseased, dry and broken branches, thin out the crown, removing shoots and branches growing inward - sanitary pruning of apricots must be done in the fall. However, it should be noted that apricot is a heat-loving crop, so be careful, try not to make deep cuts to it, and if you do injure the tree, treat the wound copper sulfate and cover with garden varnish to prevent gum formation.

Peach pruning

When to trim a peach

Just like other garden trees, the peach, which until recently was outlandish in our gardens, can be pruned at any time of the year, except winter. In the spring, the tree is put in order after wintering, shaping the crown or correcting it, trimming the frozen ends of the shoots, and doing rejuvenating pruning of old trees. In summer, pruning is carried out only if the need arises. Autumn pruning, as you probably already understood, has the goal of preparing the peach tree for winter.

In the photo: Peaches on the tree

Peach pruning in autumn

In the fall, you will need to trim off all unnecessary and diseased branches so that they do not take away nutrition from healthy branches that are promising for fruiting. When freeing a tree from branches infected with some disease or affected by pests, do not forget to burn such branches so that the disease and pest larvae do not spread throughout the garden. After sanitary pruning, do not forget to treat the cuts with garden varnish or oil paint.

Cherry pruning

When to prune cherries

Form a cherry crown better in spring, however, autumn pruning of cherries is carried out not only for sanitary purposes, like other garden trees, but also in order to rejuvenate the tree - these are the recommendations of most experts. However, there are practitioners who believe that pruning cherries in the fall should be done only in emergency cases - in order to remove diseased or injured shoots. Heavy pruning of cherries in the fall slows down their fruiting.

It’s up to you to decide what to do correctly. You can try rejuvenating pruning in the fall, and if you don’t like the results, next time reschedule the pruning until the spring.

In the photo: Ripe cherries on a branch

Pruning cherries in autumn

Professionals recommend forming the crown of the cherry tree in the shape of a cone with a wide base - it warms up and is well lit, and air circulates freely between the branches. You can also form the crown in a cup-shape or in tiers. In the fall, after the leaves fall, remove all diseased, dry, broken and disease- or pest-damaged branches and shoots. In order to rejuvenate the crowns, branches six to eight years old are cut into rings, and the sections must be treated with garden varnish or oil paint.

Pruning other garden trees

As you already understand, the main, intensive pruning of all fruit trees, except apple and pear trees, is best done in the spring, when the air temperature is already above zero, but the buds on the trees have not yet swelled. Ahead warm days, during which trees recover much faster from wounds and stress caused by pruning. On the eve of winter, it is better to limit yourself to only the most necessary measures - removing branches that will needlessly deprive the tree of nutrition in winter.

The same principle is used for autumn pruning of all, not just the described garden trees - quince, sea buckthorn, serviceberry, cherry plum, viburnum, mulberry and others.

In the photo: Fruit ripening

We offer you a description of some of the techniques used in tree pruning:

Bud cut: Using this type of pruning, you can change the growth of the branch in the desired direction. Select a bud on a one-year-old shoot that faces right side, and cut the branch near it at an angle of 45º so that there is no too large stump left on the side of the shoot opposite the bud - a thorn 1.5-2 mm high is enough, since a taller one may dry out and the bud will not awaken in the spring.
Ring cut: In order to remove an incorrectly growing branch that wastes nutrition from the tree, it is cut off completely along the outer edge of the ring - a kind of influx of bark at the junction of the cut branch with the one that remains. In this way, you will transfer the course of growth from an unnecessary branch to a necessary one, making the side branch the main one.

The following types of pruning are used to care for garden trees: formative, regulating, rejuvenating, restorative and sanitary.

The layer of garden varnish applied to the wound should be no thinner than 3-5 mm. Instead of this time-tested remedy in Lately It is recommended to use latex paints containing copper salts, as well as the so-called artificial bark - a composition that accelerates tissue restoration and protects the wound from drying out, moisture and harmful microorganisms entering it.

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Security proper care taking care of trees and shrubs in the garden will ensure rapid growth and abundant fruiting. The gardener annually needs to prune the trees in the garden, which will not only allow the formation of the correct crown, but also prevent thickening of the crown, which can lead to the development of various types of fungal and infectious diseases. We’ll tell you in more detail how to properly prune trees in the fall, which will greatly simplify caring for the plantings in the garden.

Why is pruning done?

Fruit trees should be pruned in autumn in two ways: thinning and shortening. This improves growth perennial plantings, preventing their mechanical damage from snow, strong wind, forms the correct growth of the crown, and also allows you to remove branches that no longer bear fruit, but are capable of taking away nutrition from the tree, which in turn worsens yield indicators.

Such work is not particularly difficult, so anyone, even a novice gardener, can handle it. It is only necessary to correctly determine the time when this work is performed, and also to correctly identify those branches and shoots that need to be removed and shortened. Having understood the principles of performing this work, you can easily carry out this annual autumn pruning of trees and shrubs in the garden, simplifying your garden care and improving its fruiting performance.

Types of procedure

To date It is customary to distinguish three types of pruning perennial plantings in the garden:

Sanitary.
Formative.
Rejuvenating.

Sanitary pruning involves removing broken, dried out and diseased branches. Such pruning can be carried out in spring and autumn or at the beginning of winter.

Formative pruning of trees and shrubs in the fall is necessary for young and mature plantings, especially during the period of active growth. This work involves thinning and shortening the shoots, which in turn improves the penetration of light inside the crown, the gardener gets the opportunity to control growth, stimulate the development of lateral shoots and fruit formation. Most often, formative pruning is carried out in the spring, but such work can be done in the fall, which allows you to remove all improperly growing shoots and form the correct crown.

Anti-aging pruning is performed on old trees that are beginning to bear fruit poorly and require special attention. When performing this work, the top of the tree is cut off, the crown is opened, and old shoots and branches are removed. All this makes it possible to improve fruiting rates, which in turn extends the life of garden trees.

Tool used

To complete this job you will need the following tool:

You should also take care of the availability of garden varnish, which is used to treat and disinfect the cutting area. You can purchase such a garden varnish in most specialized stores or make it yourself using drying oil.

Step-by-step instructions for pruning young trees

For proper pruning you need:

Scheme for beginners

Pruning mature trees in autumn for beginners it is not particularly difficult and is performed using the following technology:

Rules for caring for old trees

Typically, by 15-20 years after planting trees, their yield indicators significantly decrease. This problem can be solved by carrying out appropriate rejuvenating pruning of the garden. This work is carried out in September or October, after the leaves have completely fallen off. With such rejuvenating pruning, the top is cut off and the lateral shoots that are already five or more years old are removed.

Excess shoots inside the crown are removed, which can interfere with the growth of young shoots. Also, when performing such work, you should remove all broken, dry and diseased branches. Proper execution Such rejuvenating pruning will allow you to obtain excellent yield indicators in just a year or a year and a half, which will last for 4-5 seasons.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes include the following:

The following spring and autumn pruning is performed and fruit trees in temperate regions. But in the northern regions in the fall, when there is already a possibility of frost, such manipulations with trees and shrubs are not recommended.

The timing of autumn pruning will directly depend on the climatic conditions in your region. It is best to do this work in October, when the trees have shed their leaves, the harvest will be harvested, but there will still be 2-3 weeks left before frost.

Autumn pruning of apple trees is necessary after the leaves have completely fallen and the harvest has been harvested. This work is usually carried out by gardeners in October and November. All broken, rotten and old branches are removed. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to remove shoots growing close to each other, which leads to significant thickening of the crown. All shoots that grow at an acute angle or are directed inside the crown are removed.

All cuts after performing such pruning of the apple tree should be treated with drying oil-based paint or garden varnish. Existing wounds on dry branches should be treated immediately, but stumps from young shoots are covered with varnish only after 24 hours.

At making the right choice During this procedure, the apple tree will easily tolerate such pruning, and next year growth will significantly improve, numerous new shoots will appear, the correct crown will be formed, and in the future the gardener will be able to get an excellent harvest from the apple orchard.

One of the features of pear pruning is that it is recommended to perform such work in a year. Sanitary autumn pruning of such fruit trees is allowed only if the weather is stable and there is no danger of frost in the coming weeks. Remember that pears should not be pruned in cold weather, since such trees do not tolerate frost well, subsequently they get sick a lot and do not bear fruit well.

During formative pruning, the top is shortened and no more than five main lateral skeletal branches are left, forming a pyramidal crown. Every five years it is worth performing rejuvenating pruning, which avoids thickening and maintains yield indicators at the proper level.

Correct autumn pruning of plums

Plum and other stone fruit trees will require appropriate attention from the gardener. Proper autumn pruning will ensure high-quality preparation for winter sleep, and subsequently such trees will actively grow and bear fruit well. This work should be performed immediately after the leaves fall, no later than the first days of November.

Pruning a plum tree in the fall is not particularly difficult:

Fruit tree pruning

Autumn pruning fruit trees will significantly improve the fruiting performance of the garden. It is necessary to carry out such work with cherry plum, serviceberry, sea buckthorn, quince and viburnum only after the leaves have fallen. We can recommend that you limit yourself to only the necessary measures, remove damaged branches and shoots growing at right angles to the main crown.

If rejuvenating pruning of fruit trees is necessary, then one or two skeletal branches can be removed, and all branches that are already 5 years old and practically do not bear fruit are pruned. Subsequently, after such rejuvenating pruning, plantings quickly restore their yield indicators, which last for 5-7 years.

Shrub pruning technology will depend on specific type planting in the garden. So, for example, a two- to three-year-old raspberry should be cut right down to the bush, leaving only the rhizome in the ground, after which the soil should be mulched and given high-quality thermal insulation. But red and black currants should be pruned in winter using a different technology, removing only old two- to three-year-old branches, while forming a powerful bush with several skeletal shoots.

When pruning raspberries, you should remove not only old fruit-bearing branches, but also young shoots that appeared in spring and autumn and can reach a height of 2-3 centimeters. Such young shoots will subsequently bear fruit poorly, so they should also be removed, leaving only one rhizome. Strong raspberry plant even after such serious pruning next year will be able to quickly increase green mass, delighting the gardener with a magnificent harvest of delicious berries.

Trimming methods

Pruning fruit trees has various purposes. Gardeners distinguish several main pruning methods:

Formative. Considered the most important. Promotes correct formation crowns and determines the general shape of the trees on the site. It is carried out in early spring, before the sap begins to flow.
Regulatory. Necessary for correcting an already formed crown. Excess shoots that overload the tree and prevent good lighting. The event period falls on summer time.
Restorative. This is carried out if the plant needs rehabilitation. Dry, damaged branches are removed. This increases the influx nutrients to renewed shoots.
Rejuvenating. Allows old trees to renew themselves and increase the growth of young fruit-bearing shoots. Helps awaken dormant buds and activate flowering. Held in early spring.
Sanitary. Designed for the prevention of diseases and healing of trees damaged by exposure to external factors. Plants can become infected with fungus. The branches begin to dry out, the bark turns black and peels off. To prevent the tree from dying completely, all diseased shoots are removed. Some branches may break due to weather conditions and begin to die; these should also be removed.

Treatment of wood after pruning

In order not to weaken the vital functions of the plant, after pruning it is necessary to immediately treat the wounds. On healthy trees, cut areas, especially large ones, can be covered with garden varnish.. It prevents cracking and remains on wood for 2 years.

Small sections up to 3 cm in diameter can be coated with water-based acrylic paint. Oil paint based on natural drying oil or red lead is also well suited for these purposes. If such means are not available, you can use ordinary clay. When pruning diseased plants, tools should be treated with alcohol or manganese solution.

The surface to be treated must be dry, smooth and even. All protruding particles must be removed. The healing of the wound begins from the bark; it should not peel off.

By tightly adhering to the cut surface, the putty provides protection against sap leaking out and the branch drying out. It is necessary to process even small cuts, since the juice flowing down them is a favorable environment for the proliferation of harmful microbes.

Any amateur gardener dreams of harvesting a harvest that the neighbors would envy. But not everyone knows about the secrets of proper care of fruit trees. One of the most important ways To improve fruiting is the correct pruning of fruit trees.

Why is pruning needed?

Proper pruning extends the life of the plant, increases resistance to diseases, and increases productivity. Of course, fertilizing with complex fertilizers and regular watering are also needed. You cannot prune trees without taking into account the periods of plant development; you need to do this at certain time intervals. Otherwise, you may end up with a dried out and stunted garden.

Trimming methods

Everyone who picked fruit in their garden noticed the dependence of the size of the fruit on the size of the tree and the density of its crown. Removing excess branches slows down growth.

Crown formation

From the second to the fourth year of life, the plants are formed in such a way that there are no dense thickets and the sun's rays fall on all shoots of the seedlings. At the same time, they try to preserve the strongest and healthiest branches so that they form a reliable frame. In this way, the correct crown is formed, which in the future will contribute to early and abundant fruiting.

Improving fruiting

All shoots are shortened by several buds. Depending on the variety, the number of buds varies from 3 to 12. The regularity of fruit harvesting when using this agricultural method is stabilized.

Restorative pruning

Every year it is necessary to cut out diseased, old and dried branches.

Anti-aging pruning

Once every four years, obsolete branches are removed. This stimulates the development of fresh, young and promising shoots. This method is most relevant for old trees. The more neglected the plant, the more intensively the shoots that have outlived the period established by nature are destroyed. And the higher the effect of the procedure performed.

How to properly prune?

There are several proven and time-proven methods.

Firstly, young shoots should always be prevented from developing outside the crown. To do this, identify one shoot that grows outward and has two or more buds.

Thus, out of three buds growing on a branch, one must be cut off. Next season, three new shoots will develop on the branch. And one shoot, with a high probability, will grow in the right direction, which is what the gardener wanted.

Namely, parallel to the surface of the earth, and not outward from the crown. This correctly formed shoot is left behind. The two shoots remaining on this branch are cut off.

Thinning

From time to time it is necessary to delete the entire branch. It is cut off at the very base of the trunk. This is done so that the bark at the cut site quickly overgrows. To do this, a special fold of bark at the base of the branch is left untouched, which is usually easily visually identified.

If this rule is followed, the risk of plant disease from the manipulations is minimal.

Tools

Choice the right tools extremely important for garden care. Pruning should be done with clean and sharp tools.

Secateurs are very often used when pruning trees. It must be well sharpened and not weigh too much. When choosing pruning shears, you must pay attention to the specifics of the mechanism.

A special garden hacksaw is required for correct removal old branches. The use of a conventional saw is highly undesirable. This can be harmful to the health of the plant.

An air pruner will help you cut off unnecessary shoots in the most high places, thanks to telescopic design. Otherwise, this is an analogue of the usual garden shears.

A gasoline saw will provide the ability to cope with the thickest branches.

Timing for pruning fruit trees

The pruning time is chosen so that the tree is at rest, in a “dormant” state, until the buds swell. The best time is at the very end of winter or early autumn.

First, old trees whose buds wake up earlier are pruned.

Beginner gardeners often neglect pruning their garden. But after the first two or three fruit harvests, the yield begins to decline sharply. And picking fruit from a thickened crown is not convenient. It is extremely important to prune regularly and correctly.

Photo examples of proper pruning of fruitful trees

It is necessary to care for garden trees throughout the year. On how rich the harvest will be and how many years he will live. garden tree, directly affects the correctness and timeliness of care. Tree pruning is of no small importance, because it determines how correctly the crown of the plant will be formed. It is necessary to begin the formation of the crown already at a very young plant, its main task is to stimulate the strongest branches to grow, as well as to bear fruit, while those that interfere grow in the wrong direction, as well as sick, injured and old ones, it is necessary cutting down. In order for the tree to have an even distribution of strength and nutrition, it must not only be fed in a timely manner and protected from harmful insects and various diseases, but also systematically and correctly pruned in the fall. Yes, on those garden crops Those with a well-formed crown produce more fruits, and they are of the highest quality.

First you need to find out what pruning is? This is the process of removing an entire shoot or branch or part thereof. This method of care is used for both fruit and ornamental trees and bushes. Pruning is involved in the regulation of growth, development and fruiting of such plants. The purposes of pruning can be both formative and sanitary, since after this procedure the tree or shrub is freed from those branches that can harm it. If the tree is old enough, gardeners use rejuvenating pruning, after which the plant gains new strength, while the quantity and quality of the fruit remains almost the same level. This procedure is recommended to be carried out in spring and autumn, but there are times when it is simply necessary for garden crops in the summer months. It should be noted that pruning a tree in the fall is possible only if the area in question is quite soft and warm winter. In the northern regions, experts advise carrying out this procedure in the spring. The fact is that a sharp drop in air temperature after autumn pruning leads to the fact that in those places where the branches were cut, the bark freezes out, and the wood also dries out, and the result of this is the death of the plant. There are types of garden crops that need to be pruned 1 or 2 times a year, but there are also those that do not need such frequent pruning. Pruning, like other agricultural practices, has certain rules. So, you just need to know when and how to prune a certain garden crop.

Features of pruning an apple tree

Apple trees are pruned in spring and sometimes in summer, when ripening apples lack light due to the crown being too thick. It is also carried out in the autumn. In the spring, before sap flow begins, those branches that have frozen over the winter are removed, and at this time the crown is formed. In autumn, the apple tree is pruned in November and, as a rule, the crown is sanitized. In this case, pruning in the fall can begin only after the end of leaf fall. Columnar apple trees should be pruned either in the first days of summer or before winter.

In autumn, you need to remove those branches that are old, injured, diseased or have signs of rotting. Since the plant is at rest at this time, this procedure does absolutely no harm to it.

Approximate plan for autumn pruning of an apple tree:

first you need to remove large branches that are injured or dry;
of the branches growing very close to each other, the strongest should be left and the rest removed;
cut off branches growing at an acute angle;
the places of cuts must be covered with paint on drying oil or with garden varnish, while dry branches are treated immediately, and young ones - after 24 hours;
branches that have been cut must be destroyed.

If the apple tree is young, then only light pruning is done with pruning shears, and the growth of this year should be shortened by ¼ of the current year's growth. After this, these specimens are not pruned for 3–5 years, cutting off only dried and injured branches. However, this is only if the tree does not grow in height too quickly. Those apple trees that are 5–6 years old require medium-intensity pruning - strong branches are shortened by 1/3 of their length. Old apple trees are pruned for rejuvenation in 3 stages. So, in the first year you need to remove approximately 1/3 of all old branches, in the second year another 1/3 of the old branches, and the remaining 1/3 after another 1 year. It is worth considering that pruning shears cannot cope with mature powerful branches; you cannot do without a saw. We must also remember that the tools used to trim branches must be very sharp and should be disinfected.

How to prune a columnar apple tree

Regarding the care of columnar apple trees, we must remember that the more intense the pruning, the faster and better the remaining branches will grow. In the event that you cut off more than ½ of the branch, then from those 3 or 4 buds that remain, next spring strong shoots will grow. If less than ½ of the branch is removed, then from those 5–7 buds that remain, 5–7 average shoots will grow. It is prohibited to cut the central conductor of the column, otherwise the crown will branch. If, when forming, they want to achieve a columnar crown, then after planting the seedling, its crown shoot must be tied to a support. Fruit links should be formed from the side shoots. Excessively powerful shoots must be cut into a ring, because they may stunt the growth of the conductor. After the young shoots grow, they form the skeleton of the crown.