The main purpose (both decorative and fruit and berry)- removal of damaged branches and making the garden decorative by forming beautiful crowns.
Even if you like dense, dense bushes, through which not only it is impossible to get through, but it is also impossible to see anything, you still have to take measures to prevent excessive thickening, otherwise the plants will begin to die with a lack of sunlight and ventilation at the trunk.
By pruning and shaping shrubs, a number of decorative forms can be obtained. To remove them, you need to use young plants that are not infected with diseases or pests.
This article focuses on how to properly prune shrubs to form a beautiful, healthy crown.
How to properly prune shrubs to form a hedge
The simplest and most common decorative form in garden plots is. For a free-growing hedge, plant red or golden currants, honeysuckle, or. Cut the bushes very low so that 2-3 well-developed buds remain on the stumps.
It makes no sense to leave the old branches - they will not give a good result. From the regrown shoots, select only the strongest ones, and remove the weak ones, no matter what the temptation is - thickening of the bushes is unacceptable!
In order to preserve fruiting, during the formation of the crown of shrubs, the height of the hedge should be determined by the biological characteristics of the variety, because shortening the growth will lead to loss of yield. You can only trim too strong gains.
The next year, when pruning fruit and berry bushes, all weak shoots must be removed again, and only 2-4 well-located ones should be left from strong shoots. And so every year. When the growths on old shoots become very short, they are cut out completely or transferred to the side branches. This happens about 6-7 years.
Cut shrubs such as golden currants in the same way as regular ornamental shrubs. Plants are planted every 50 cm. To obtain a wider hedge, the seedlings are staggered, the distance between them in a row is preserved. In the first spring, the plants are cut short.
Then they grow freely. The next year, in the spring, they again carry out strong pruning, about half of the increase of the previous year. This is necessary for the formation of a beautiful, dense arrangement of shoots. The higher the hedge, the more it is necessary to shorten the shoots.
To prevent the exposure of the lower part of the bush, the green wall in this place should be slightly wider than in the upper one - that is, in cross-section, it should have the shape of a trapezoid. And of course, you need to remember that the appearance of a molded hedge needs constant care: young plants are cut once in the spring, adults - 2-3 times per season.
Suitable for both a molded hedge and a free growing one. Obviously, in the latter case, when pruning these ornamental-fruit shrubs in the spring, no special work is needed to obtain a given shape. And the whole formation of such hedges is reduced to the removal of diseased and dried branches.
Used only in trimmed hedges. Pruning does not affect the fruiting of this fruit shrub, since the flower buds in the upper part of the shoot either do not form, or are still damaged during the winter. The main flowering and fruiting occurs in the lower and middle parts of the bush.
If you really want to grow varieties that have a tall, spreading bush, then you can form such shrubs on trellises. Plants are planted less frequently - at a distance of 1-1.2 m from each other.
Actions are performed, supports must be installed at the edges of the row. Pull several rows of wire over them at intervals of 0.5 m and fasten all the shoots on it evenly.
Pruning and shaping the crown of shrubs on a trunk
It is not difficult to form a shrub on a trunk. Of course, by their nature, they are not inclined to grow into one trunk, and will do their best to "convince" you of this. But there are plants with which it is quite possible to carry out such manipulations.
Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to raise honeysuckle on a stem, but red and especially golden currants are an ideal material for such work: branches of the zero order live with them for a long time, branching is weak, root shoots give little.
When these shrubs are formed on the trunk, after planting, all existing branches are cut off. When young shoots grow, you need to choose one of the strongest and most directed vertically; the rest are completely cut out. When the left branch is the right size, it is cut off and a crown is formed.
For shrubs, it is enough to leave a bole with a height of 70-100 cm. At the same time, all shoots and buds are removed on the bole, except for the upper ones - from them the crown is formed by pinching the growing shoots after 2-3 leaves. A very large number of branches in the crown should not be left.
You can also get a crown at the desired height by grafting. Having received a stem in the way described above, in early spring, when the buds are just swelling, graft a cutting of the desired variety on it. Take a stalk with 4-5 buds, they will all germinate in the first season, and the crown will form quickly enough.
Japanese quince can also be obtained in standard form, but in this case, the formation process has its own characteristics. It is unlikely that it will be possible to remove the stem from the branches of the shrub itself, therefore, pear or mountain ash seedlings are used as a stem former for it. The seeds of these crops sprout well in the fall sowing into the ground and, with good care, grow quite actively.
Rowan seedlings grow faster than pears, and in the first year they can reach 40 cm or more. Depending on the desired height of the stem, grafting can be done on one-year or two-year-old seedlings. Vaccination is carried out with a handle in the butt or in a side cut in the spring.
Thus, when forming the crown of fruit shrubs on the trunk, you need to ensure that it is uniform, as well as cut out diseased and damaged branches in a timely manner. And, of course, a support must be installed. The branches of the shrubs are not strong enough to keep the crown upright, and even with the harvest.
Pruning shrubs in summer and autumn
According to the rules for pruning shrubs when caring for plants, first of all, you need to remove old branches, the fruiting on which is already becoming less. On red currants and honeysuckle, branches older than 7-8 years are removed. When pruning golden currant bushes in spring, branches older than 10 years are removed. If it is a molded hedge, then it must be trimmed in accordance with the specified shape.
During the summer, the garden should also not be left unattended. At this time, the breaking of tops is carried out on the trees, the pinching of strongly growing shoots to form fruit formations from them, the cutting of heavily damaged branches. Adult hedges are trimmed periodically.
In the summer, they also carry out the main pruning of such berry and ornamental shrubs, such as. This work begins after the end of flowering. On actinidia, old branches and some growths of the current year are removed, which thicken the bush.
In autumn, they carry out sanitary pruning of ornamental shrubs. This procedure should be planned for the end of October, when the plant goes into a dormant state. Pruning other crops in the fall should not be done - this reduces their winter hardiness.
Growing seedlings of unvaccinated shrubs
When growing shrubs, the goal is to form plants with many properly branched shoots extending from the root collar (Fig. 1). To do this, in the second year after planting, in early spring, before the start of sap flow, the shrubs are cut with pruning shears at a distance of 3-5 cm from the root collar (planting "on a stump"). As a result of such pruning, additional shoots develop from the buds located at the root neck, which is of great importance when growing such shrub species that naturally branch very weakly (yellow acacia, lilac, honeysuckle, viburnum, hawthorn).
Rice. 1. Formation of shrub saplings: a - crown laying, b - stem, c - buds, from which the crown will develop, d - seedling with thickening shoots, e - seedling with thickening shoots
The next year, also in early spring, the plants are cut off again, but not the whole bush, but only wildly growing shoots at 1/3 - 1/4 of their length. This contributes to the emergence of new and the development of existing shoots. By the fall of the third year, the grown seedlings, as a rule, reach the size required for planting them in a group or use for hedges. The cultivation of the usual basic forms of shrubs thus ends at the first school. Sometimes shrubs are cut on a stump before planting in school, while shortening the root system. This method is easier and less costly than planting seedlings on a stump in the second year of their schooling. It is recommended to plant short-cut seedlings before planting in the school from the first half of September to the first half of October. This allows them to take root well until the end of the growing season, and in the spring to give a united growth. Some shrubs - red elderberry, yellow acacia and others - develop only one shoot after such planting. When it reaches 15 cm, it is pinched to cause the lateral eyes to germinate. In the second year, in early spring, one-year-old shoots are cut in seedlings with three to four eyes in order to cause additional branching. In the third year, only strongly developed shoots are pinched in order to give the bushes the correct shape. Most climbing shrubs (lianas) are propagated by lignified cuttings. They are transplanted to school mainly in the form of rooted cuttings, less often (lemongrass) - in the form of seedlings. Caring for vines consists in installing supports for garters of plants and in protecting some of them, for example, cultivated grape varieties, clematis, etc., from frost. To do this, in the fall, the shoots are removed from the supports, at the very surface of the soil they are wrapped around them, and from above they are covered with a layer of earth up to 30 cm thick.In early spring, the shoots are opened, raised on stakes and tied up in several places. Planting vines on a stump is not practiced, it is used in case of freezing of shoots or their weak growth.
The peculiarity of growing coniferous shrubs - bush forms of thuja, juniper, yew - is regular and abundant watering until full acclimatization, especially in summer in hot dry weather. To prevent sunburn, the seedlings are covered with shields. Coniferous shrubs are not pruned on stumps.
For replacement plantings, instead of dead shrubs, more developed and powerful shrubs are required, which are grown in the second school by selecting the most developed plants from those dug out in the first school. Selected seedlings are planted in the second school in a square method according to the 1X1 m scheme. To grow such shrubs, an additional 2-3 years are required. When leaving, special attention is paid to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Shrubs are not subjected to special molding pruning.
Architectural forms of shrubs
For the purpose of growing shrubs with an architectural crown - spherical, pyramidal, conical, columnar, cubic - strongly branching, mainly slow-growing rocks are used, which hold the shape given to them for a very long time. The most suitable for this are the single-pistil hawthorn, brilliant cotoneaster, common privet, silver elk, boxwood, common juniper, western and eastern thuja, etc.
These shrubs are transplanted in early spring to the second school in a square way, the distance between the plants is 1.25X1.25 m. After transplantation, the shrubs are subjected to strong molding pruning, giving the crown the intended shape. As a result, young shoots appear near the cut site, which are slightly cut or minted at the end of June for stronger branching. In the early spring of next year, the same pruning is repeated (slightly higher than the first), and in the summer - a small minting. After each pruning, the plants are fed and watered. Such operations are performed within one to two years, which allows for 3-4 years to grow bushes with a compact dense crown of the required shape (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Pruning of shrub saplings for architectural shaping: a - the first pruning, b - the bush after pruning, c - the second pruning, d - the bush in the fall after the second pruning
The most easily formed in the form of a cone or a pyramid are western thuja, eastern thuja, single-pistil hawthorn; in the form of a column - ordinary juniper; in the form of a ball - small-leaved chubushnik, privet, spirea, cotoneaster, boxwood, etc.
Growing seedlings of grafted shrub forms
Grafted forms of shrubs are widely used in green building and ornamental gardening. These include many types and varieties of roses, lilacs, Buldenezh, Chinese almonds, hawthorns and a number of others. Grafted "shrubs on the territory of the mother garden are grown together with unvaccinated, but separate continuous areas or in separate rows in the same school. If grafted shrub-shaped shrubs are grown (for example, weeping acacia or gooseberries on yellow acacia), the rootstocks are transplanted to a second school, where they are ennobled and form their crown.
The formation of the aboveground part of the seedlings is the most important agrotechnical stage in the cultivation of trees and shrubs in a nursery and at landscaping facilities. The basis for the formation of the aboveground part of the seedlings is made up of various pruning of plants at different stages of their cultivation. With the help of pruning in trees, they strive to create a strong straight trunk of a certain height and a crown of skeletal branches, evenly spaced and firmly fused with the trunk, as well as to obtain well-developed shoots of the following orders. In shrubs, by pruning, they form developed skeletal shoots evenly spaced in space and a low tillering node.
Long-term practice and special studies indicate that pruning is an integral part of a single complex of plant cultivation and in no way compensates for the lack of nutrition, water supply, and light conditions. On the other hand, none of the agricultural techniques can replace pruning. This work can only be performed by skilled workers who understand its purpose, who know the structural features of the aboveground part, the age characteristics of the growth and development of the trimmed plant, representing the reaction of a tree or bush to pruning.
The aboveground part of the shrubs is formed in order to obtain a well-developed planting material with a large number of shoots. Therefore, it is especially important to form weakly tillering breeds with a monopodial nature (type) of growth, when the leader shoot develops strongly, and there are few lateral shoots and they grow poorly. Such breeds include hawthorn, lilac, yellow acacia, honeysuckle, viburnum, svidina and some others. Species such as barberry, Japanese spiraea, cotoneaster, snowberry, bush well themselves, but pruning is also carried out for them, only for another purpose - to obtain a homogeneous material.
Before planting in the formation department, seedlings or rooted cuttings are sorted according to the following indicators: development of the root system, which must be healthy, branched and well developed; the total height of the stem, the degree of formed ™ and maturity of the apical and lateral buds; root collar thickness (from 3 to 12 mm, depending on the breed); damage by diseases, pests (should be absent).
To exclude seedlings with a weak root system from production, seedlings with low growth are sorted.
When planting in a school for seedlings of most types of shrubs - seedlings and rooted cuttings - the aboveground part is cut off, leaving 8-12 cm of shoots. In the first year after planting, the shrubs are allowed to develop freely, without pruning. From the second year, they begin to form the aboveground part.
Formation begins in March-April before the start of sap flow. The bushes are cut at a height of 5 - 8 cm from the root collar, that is, they are planted on a stump. By autumn, due to the awakening of dormant buds, new shoots develop on these stumps, which are cut off in the early spring of next year, leaving such a number of buds that by the fall of the third year of cultivation, from four to six (for ordinary seedlings) to six to ten (for shrubs grown as large-sized) new shoots.
With such pruning, two to five eyes are usually left on each shoot, depending on the number of shoots formed after planting on the stump. By the fall of the third year, the plants acquire a standard form and they can be sold for landscaping or planted in school II to obtain material for repair.
When forming in school I, it is necessary to take into account some features of different groups of plants:
caragana, cotoneaster, lilacs can be cut only once and get four to seven skeletal trunks;
in the second year, the breeds that naturally form the crown are not planted on the stump - chaenomeles, magonia, chokeberry, cinquefoil, etc.;
shrubs with poor tillering in the third year are once again planted on a stump (gordovina viburnum, panicle hydrangea, Tatar maple) and grown in school I for up to four to five years.
When transplanting shrubs to school II to obtain large-sized seedlings and architectural forms, proceed as follows. In well-branching ornamental deciduous and flowering shrubs, from which large-sized plants with a freely growing crown should be obtained, all shoots that have completed growth (annual growths) shorten and thin out the crown if it is thickened. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the uniform placement of shoots in space.
Ornamental deciduous and flowering shrubs with weak tillering are cut differently. They strongly cut off all annual growths, leaving three to four buds (or pairs of buds). In plants with short internodes, the number of buds left on the shoot should be 1.5 - 2 times greater.
In shrubs, the crown shape of which should be in the form of a ball, pyramid, trapezoid, annual growths are cut more strongly, leaving bases 3 - 4 cm long. In this case, the pruning contour must correspond to the intended outlines. In the first year after this pruning, the plants are allowed to develop freely so that they recover from the transplant and form new growths. In the next three to four years, the molded shrubs are cut annually according to the pattern two to three times during the growing season. The first haircut is carried out in the spring, before bud break, and the subsequent ones - as the shoots grow. When they grow back by 8 -12 cm, they are cut to half their length. The hawthorn is easier to form in the shape of a cone, cotoneaster and buckthorn - in the form of a cube, ball or cylinder.
Evergreen and coniferous shrubs in school I are not pruned. When formed in school II (thuja, spruce), they are cut twice during the year - before the beginning of the growing season and before the end of the growth of shoots in length.
The western thuja is easier to form in the shape of a cone. A more complex artificial form of shrubs (for example, spiral) is also given using templates.
Non-grafted shrubs can form as standard plants. This method is suitable for golden currants, hawthorn, buckthorn and other vigorous shrubs. The formation is carried out in the department of architectural forms of shrubs of the III school of shrubs, and this stage is a continuation of the formation, which was carried out in previous schools - in I and II or only in I, depending on the speed of growth of the species.
A wonderful way to turn a summer cottage into an aristocratic villa is to create trees and bushes in the garden, skillfully trimmed in the form of a variety of geometric shapes.
Forming the crown of trees and shrubs in the garden is a very exciting experience. Shrubs that are shaped are called topiary. Topiary is a formative pruning, with the help of which trees and shrubs are given a conceived shape from simple geometric shapes (ball, cube, pyramid) to the most complex silhouettes of animals, people and fairy-tale characters. Spirals, letters and numbers are also popular.
Curling bushes requires a lot of patience. Before such a "living sculpture" appears in your garden, you will have to cut off young shoots for several years.
What to train on?
To understand how much you will like hairdressing, you can pre-train on a broom kochia, an annual herb up to 120 cm high. They well tolerate the haircut and crown formation of the varieties "Green Forest", "Sultan", "Summer Cyprus", "Trichophylla" ... Cochia is a pleasure to work with. Closer to autumn, the bush will turn red and take on a very beautiful appearance. At the end of the season, you can simply pull it out and send it to compost in order to grow a new figure in this place the next year.
Another great option for training is the small-leaved elm. The tree grows back very quickly after pruning, so that all the flaws in your work will not be visible. This is also the main disadvantage of the elm: the plant quickly sprouts new shoots, and if the form is successful, then it will have to be maintained in the future with frequent haircuts.
What shrubs to form a living sculpture in the garden.
For curly cutting of shrubs, experts advise choosing plants with slow growth, dense dense crown and small leaves. In cold regions, for the formation of topiary, such bushes as:
- thuja western,
- juniper,
- privet,
- hawthorn,
- cotoneaster.
In the southern regions, the list will be supplemented by:
- boxwood,
- hornbeam,
- holly holly,
- laurel cherry.
- ivy,
- cypress.
In our climate, the ideal plant for shearing is the western thuja. Unlike spruce, it can be formed in just a year! The first haircut of evergreens is carried out in the second half of summer. Subsequent - in March - April, before the start of sap flow. During periods of active growth, it is better not to disturb conifers with a haircut.
In the south, the most popular plant for creating topiary figures is boxwood. It is cut thoroughly twice a year. We advise beginners to plant two bushes at once: one for training, the other - "clean copy".
Conditions and care.
The formed plants, both trees and shrubs, do not tolerate drought and frost well. For most plants, it is best to find a place protected from wind and bright sun. In autumn, the root ball and the base of the trunk are covered with an additional layer of earth or sawdust. “Living sculptures” of complex shape should be completely covered with a cloth, because damaged shoots will be very difficult to replace. In general, it should be remembered that trimming depletes trees and shrubs, so proper care, feeding and adherence to agricultural practices are important for them.
Immediately after cutting the plants, it is advisable to support with the help of stimulants. To accelerate root formation, you can use Zircon, and spray epin on the crown. Do not forget to water and sprinkle the crown of conifers.
Fir and spruce form beautiful cone-shaped figures, but they retain their density only if they grow in the sun. In the shade, the crown will be quite loose. To obtain a thick form, pinch the growths annually, leaving 1 - 2 young needles. The easiest way to do this is when the regrowth has just begun.
How to trim shrubs in the shape of a ball or pyramid
Simple figures with a good sense of shape can be cut without any "eyeballing" devices. The plant is grown to the desired size and then shaped to the desired shape by cutting off any excess. Usually, this is how they give a spherical shape to various shrubs - barberry, derain and spirea.
If you cannot boast of a good eye, for work you will need a template made of bamboo sticks or strips connected with adhesive tape. The template is applied to the plant and all shoots protruding beyond the form are cut off.
If you are planning a particularly complex figure, which will take more than one year to create, you can use a stationary template, which is a wire frame. It is carefully dug in at the planting site, being careful not to damage the roots. The plant itself is placed inside the frame, and everything that turns out to be outside is cut off. The metal walls of the frame serve as clear cut guides. With their help, interesting figures are created from thuja and juniper.
On a note.
There are ways to create garden sculptures that do not involve haircuts at all. All you need to do this is a wireframe modeling the shape. Just plant vines around it, such as maiden grapes or ivy, and sprout along the wire. Soon, the vine will braid the frame exactly in shape.
When to cut.
You can start creating a topiary form when the plant reaches the age of 5 years and its root system is sufficiently developed. The haircut is carried out during the growth of the shoots, removing at a time no more than one third of the green mass, otherwise the plant will start to hurt.
When using the frame, the shoots sprouting through the net are pinched, leaving 3-4 buds on the branch. Thanks to this, the plant begins to branch more actively, the foliage will gradually become thicker.
For cutting plants, you can use not only special scissors (mechanical or battery), but also an ordinary garden pruner. You just need to make sure that its blades are well sharpened and do not "chew" the cuts.
Seasonal care
Shrub pruning and shaping is designed in three types: rejuvenating, sanitary and shaping. Appropriate pruning of shrubs allows the plant not only to give the desired shape, but also to take care of its fertility.
Formative pruning of shrubs
The task of this type of pruning is to give the bush an artificial shape, maintain it in specific parameters, and stimulate the growth of lateral shoots. It is very important to consider the physiology of growth and development of such a plant.
First pruning after planting
In those species, whose flower buds arise from the autumn period on last year's shoots, it is necessary to complete the process of cutting off faded shoots with about half of their length.
And already in the spring, you need to thin out the shoots of such woody plants.
Plants such as Persian lilac, simple lilac, Karagan acacia, Tun Berg barberry, common barberry, oleagus, alpine and golden currant, honeysuckle, spirea, rugosa rose, hawthorn, sea buckthorn are considered early flowering.
Those shrubs that lay flower shoots on the shoots of this year are pruned in late autumn or early spring in early summer before the start of the juice movement. The species that bloom in the summer include bubblegum, Japanese spirea, chubushnik, red and white turf, willow, Douglas and many others.
The pruning process is carried out at an equal distance from the ground, from the side, and at the same time it is necessary to create the desired profile for the bush. Shoots are cut in the first year by about half or by a third of the growth, and in the second and subsequent years by 2/3.
Fruit shrubs give much more yield when shaping pruning. This method is most common among many amateur gardeners due to its ease of implementation. Berry bushes with this pruning method will increase their fertility and transform the external design look.
Rejuvenating shrub pruning
The goal is to renew the plant's body, prevent all signs of aging, and ensure a healthy look of the shrub for a long time.
Removing old branches
The pruning method, frequency, degree will depend on considerations of plant biology, its development cycle.
Anti-aging method. In many cases, shrubs are rejuvenated by planting on a tree stump. This pruning technique is suitable for most shrubs. For grafted plants, pruning is carried out 10–14 cm from the graft site. If the shrub is not grafted, then pruning should be carried out at a distance of 10-14 cm from the root collar once every three years. On the resulting stumps, stem growth is obtained. In many species, both root and stem shoots can form. As a rule, to prevent the density of the bush, the shoots are made less often, while the strong shoots are not touched.
Sanitary shrub pruning
Sanitary pruning, as a rule, has for its task to eliminate damaged, drying out, sick
Removal of dry and diseased branches
shoots and branches. This pruning method is carried out every year throughout the growing season.
Ornamental shrubs, thanks to sanitary pruning, will delight their gardeners with their flowering on designer landscapes for much longer.
All about pruning and grafting trees and shrubs Gorbunov Viktor Vladimirovich
Formation of bushes and pruning of currants
Black currants are called the queen of the garden, since there is no longer such a culture that would accumulate in 100 g of berries up to 330 mg of ascorbic acid. In addition, currant fruits are rich in sugar, free acids, P-active substances, vitamins B, A, E, and K, mineral salts, tannins and dyes, essential oils and other elements useful to humans. Some more unique properties of this crop are high yield, early maturity, unpretentiousness to growing conditions, high quality berries for consumption (both fresh and for making jam).
The best conditions for growing black currant are on sandy loam and loamy soils containing enough humus. Black currant does not tolerate soils with high acidity, as well as wetlands, and reproduces well in moderately humid areas.
Black currants in winter, with normal snow cover, tolerate temperatures down to -40 ° C, but this depends on both the characteristics of the variety and the conditions of the plants.
It is very easy to propagate this culture: horizontal layers, as well as lignified, green, combined and single-bud cuttings.
The best time for planting is autumn. 1.2-2 buckets of peat compost, 200-300 g of superphosphate, 40-70 g of potassium sulfate and 300 g of ash are introduced into a prepared planting pit 50 × 50 cm in size. The aboveground part of the planted seedlings is shortened so that 2-3 buds remain on each branch above the soil, further plant care includes weeding, loosening, fertilizing and watering. A full-fledged bush is formed within 5-6 years, by which time it should have 3-4 branches of each age.
Each variety of black currant is unique and has a complex of valuable qualities, and therefore try to plant several varieties on your site, and with different ripening periods, but equally resistant to pests and diseases.
Red and white currants
In the gardens, black currants are perfectly complemented by another berry culture - red and white currants. They belong to the same species, but can have, depending on the varieties, berries of white, yellowish, pinkish, reddish, dark red and cherry color.
Yielding to black currant berries in the amount of vitamins, red currant has its own advantages: it is faster, more fruitful; its fruits can stay on the branches longer without losing their taste and even improving their beneficial properties due to the accumulation of sugars; it is smaller than black currant, suffers from a lack of moisture and is less demanding on fertilizers.
Red currant berries combine organic acids and minerals very well. Red currant is quite unpretentious, but it does not tolerate heavy soils at all, reacts negatively to waterlogging and grows poorly in the shade. It is more winter-hardy than black currant, and can withstand winter temperatures down to -42 ° C, and the flowers tolerate autumn return cold snaps to -3 ° C well.
In the garden, red currant bushes are usually placed along the perimeter of the plot, at a distance of 2.5-3 m between rows and 1.5 m in a row. Planting is best done in autumn, deepening the root collar by 6-8 cm. To form a strong bush after planting, the aerial part is cut off, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Planting technology and care are the same as for black currant.
Forming a bush, 3-4 of the strongest shoots are left annually. Thus, the bush should have about 20 varieties of branches. Later, when the berries are crushed, the old, 6-8-year-old branches are gradually removed, and the same number of strong annual basal branches are left to replace them. The best dates for cuttings are mid-August. At a later date, rooting does not occur, and the cuttings may die.
Growing currants from your own seedlings
If old bushes in the garden begin to give a small crop, you can grow seedlings yourself, while observing certain rules.
First you need to choose bushes for reproduction, they should be high-yielding, pure-bred, without signs of disease and pest damage.
The easiest way to propagate currants is with lignified cuttings. Cuttings should be harvested and planted in early autumn. If this is done during October, the plant survival rate will decrease.
At the bush, ripe strong annual shoots are cut from 2-4-year-old branches. It is necessary to immediately remove the leaves from the shoots and cut them into cuttings up to 15 cm long. It is necessary that at least 5-6 buds be on each cuttings. The upper cut is made above the kidney, and the lower one is made below it. It is not necessary to use the unripe part of the shoot.
So that the cuttings do not dry out, they are left for a while in a cool place or put in water. For good rooting, cuttings should first be soaked in water for 3-4 weeks. The ends of the cuttings are immersed in water for 1/3 of the length, or they are treated with growth substances.
Planting lignified blackcurrant cuttings: a - one-year shoot; b - lignified stalk; c - planting a cutting
You need to plant cuttings in one or two lines. If the cuttings are planted in two lines, then the distance between them should be 50-60 cm, and if in one line - 8-10 cm. The cuttings are planted obliquely, at an angle of about 45 °. It is necessary to ensure that two buds remain on top of the cutting, and one of them should be at the level of the soil. In order to avoid the formation of voids, the cuttings tightly squeeze and compact the earth between them. After that, it is watered and sprinkled with organic fertilizers. After planting, the garden bed should be covered with mulching materials. For better rooting of cuttings, the beds are covered with dark plastic wrap. The use of a film creates good conditions for the growth of cuttings, since the soil under it quickly warms up and is in a moist state.
Planting currant cuttings
As a rule, currants are planted along fences. The planting site is pre-dug to a depth of 22 cm, having introduced fertilizer in advance. For 1 m2, 3-4 kg of organic matter should be added, granular superphosphate - up to 150 g, potassium sulfate - up to 30 g. Pits are dug 2-3 weeks before planting, up to 40 cm deep and up to 60 cm wide.
Planting a currant seedling
Up to 10 kg of compost (peat or humus), 40 g of potassium sulfate are introduced into the planting pit. It is very important that mineral fertilizers do not come into contact with the roots of plants during planting in order to avoid burns, since this plant does not take root well.
For planting, you need to choose only those seedlings that have a very powerful root system. Such a seedling must have at least three skeletal roots up to 20 cm long. The aboveground part should be characterized by the presence of one or two shoots that come from the base of the seedling.
The most favorable time for planting currants is autumn. The main rule that you need to adhere to is to have time to plant seedlings 14 days before the onset of frost.
The first lower peephole on the replacement knot should be facing outward from the middle of the bush, since the shoot growing from it will be cut into the replacement knot.
On annual shoots, cuts should be made at the node, and not at the internozole. On the node, especially with a tendril, there is an internal septum, a diaphragm, which protects the soft core of the internode from damage by pests, penetration of microorganisms, desiccation and freezing.
Slices when pruning grapes should not be wrinkled, but smooth, for which the cutting, convex cheek of the pruner blade should face the part to be left, and the flat cheek, which crumples the edges of the wound, to the part of the shoot to be removed.
From the book Smart agricultural practices. Miracle harvest on 6 acres the author Zhmakin Maxim Sergeevich
Pruning fruit trees and shrubs Selection and placement of fruit trees and shrubs In the practice of gardening, both separate and mixed plantings of fruit and berry crops are used. In mixed placement, berry bushes, strawberries and vegetables are placed between young fruit Sergey Vladimirovich Makeev Forming, grafting and pruning of trees and Pruning Ornamental Shrubs Some time ago, it was believed among gardeners that ornamental shrubs did not need pruning. However, today it became clear not only for professionals, but also for amateurs that decorative bushes are necessary About planting berry bushes The plot for currants, gooseberries and raspberries is carefully freed from weeds, especially wheatgrass. To do this, they dig it up on a shovel bayonet and select the rhizomes of the weeds. Then organic fertilizers are applied to the soil at the rate of 5-10 kg per 1 m2. Pits Forming and pruning ornamental shrubs Ornamental shrubs, with their abundant flowering, wonderful foliage or delicate needles, play a large role in decorating any garden style. Some novice gardeners mistakenly believe that ornamental shrubs after Formation and pruning of berry bushes Different berry bushes have their own pruning specifics. Therefore, it is very important, when starting pruning, to clearly understand what and why to prune and what to leave. Pruning should begin in the year of planting and continue throughout Pruning and shaping Sparse tiered crown. Pruning after planting is always done in the spring. A stem with a height of 30-40 cm is formed. The crown is formed from a limited number of branches (no more than 5-6), 3 main branches are left in the first tier, the rest are placed with About planting berry bushes The plot for currants, gooseberries and raspberries is carefully freed from weeds, especially wheatgrass. To do this, they dig it up on a shovel bayonet and select the rhizomes of the weeds. Then organic fertilizers are applied to the soil at the rate of 5-10 kg per 1 m2 of the Pit When pruning annual growths, it is very important to cut correctly above the bud. It is made oblique, at an angle of about 45 ° to the vertical axis of the branch. The lower edge of the cut should be 2 - 3 mm above the base of the kidney or at the same level with its center, and the upper edge - 2 - 3 mm above the apex of the kidney. Only under this condition, the cut heals quickly, and the kidney does not dry out and germinates normally. Wounds generally heal better with the smallest cut area. Pruning of annual growths is carried out to enhance growth from the kidney (or kidneys) located under the cut. Pruning is done with pruning shears. Perennial branches are usually cut off from old trees for the purpose of rejuvenation. With a garden saw, the branches are cut from above and below so that the bark does not peel off when it is torn off. This pruning is also called "back pruning". It causes the formation of strong shoots, restoration of the crown. Cutting - removing branches of different orders at their base. This type of pruning is carried out at all stages of ontogenesis. Branches up to 2 cm in diameter are removed with pruning shears at the point where the branch to be removed from the branch of the previous order along the leaf scar. This trimming is called a "ring cut". Most often it is used when removing thickening shoots from a stem. Thicker branches are removed with a garden saw with preliminary saws, as when pruning branches for back growth. Planting on a stump is a special pruning technique, when the entire aerial part of the plant is cut off, leaving only a part of the shoot 5-7 cm long.Used in school I, only on rooted plants, for shrubs - in order to get strong main shoots, in trees - strong leader. At a later age, planting on a stump is carried out with the aim of rejuvenating, mainly shrubs. Shearing is used in order to achieve the desired density of branches on the surface of the crowns of the formed plants (trees or shrubs). For this, the growing shoots or annual growths are strongly cut off with the help of garden shears, leaving 2 - 3 buds at their base. Thanks to this, the plants are filled with twigs and leaves from top to bottom and create a dense leaf surface. The haircut is used throughout the entire period of cultivation of hedges and other topiary forms. Root pruning is carried out during the transplantation process, mainly in the nursery during the formation of trees and shrubs. Pre-planting pruning of parts of the crown is carried out in order to balance the corneal mass in plants during transplantation. With the help of the described pruning techniques, you can enhance the growth of shoots in length, direct their development in the right direction, thin out the crown, and cause abundant formation of shoots on the trunk and in the crown. Heavy pruning can delay the growing time of the seedlings. The timing of pruning in different natural areas is different. In the middle lane, pruning of branches is carried out in the spring, before the buds swell, in late March - early April (spring pruning), and in summer, during the period of slow sap flow in July (summer pruning). In the southern regions, pruning is carried out in the autumn and winter months. D22. Techniques and features of pruning shrubs that bloom in spring and late summer. The aboveground part of the shrubs is formed in order to obtain a well-developed plant with a large number of shoots. Therefore, it is especially important to form weakly tillering breeds with a monopodial nature (type) of growth, when the leader shoot develops strongly, and there are few lateral shoots and they grow poorly. Such breeds include hawthorn, lilac, yellow acacia, honeysuckle, viburnum, svidina and some others. Species such as barberry, Japanese spiraea, cotoneaster, snowberry, bush well themselves, but pruning is also carried out for them, only for another purpose - to obtain a homogeneous material. When pruning flowering shrubs, one must take into account the time of their flowering, the place and time of the inception of flower buds. The beautifully flowering shrubs can be divided into two large groups. The first group includes those in which flowering is observed at the current growth (typical - garden roses), to the second - those in which flowering takes place on the growths of the previous year (lilac, three-lobed almond). Plants of the first group are pruned in early spring before the start of growth, and almost all the annual wood of the last year is cut off, leaving two or three buds at the base of the pruned branches, i.e. carry out strong pruning. After such a radical pruning of the shrub, strong young shoots grow, on which flowering is concentrated. Shrubs of the second group, blooming on last year's branches, grow simultaneously with flowering, therefore, in order not to weaken the flowering, they cannot be cut off at this time. Pruning is carried out after flowering, giving preference to cutting out a part of the branches as a whole, rather than detailed pruning of each branch. Old branches are thinned and shortened, creating conditions for the development of new growths, on which generative buds are formed, which ensure flowering of the next year. D 23.Formation of shrubs in bush and standard form. Pruning ornamental shrubs is an important part of comprehensive care. For decorative deciduous shrubs, formative pruning is mainly used, taking into account the peculiarities of the growth of this plant. If the plant is weak and still young, then radical pruning is done to improve tillering and achieve more lush forms. It is recommended to rejuvenate old plants. These include white dogwood, various varieties of willows, elderberry, viburnum, hazel. The aboveground part of the grafted forms is formed in the same way as in the breeds of the main species - a uniformly developed crown is formed in shrubs, in half-stem and standard shrubs and trees - a stem and a crown. But at the same time, there are features due to the fact that grafts into the root collar, half-stem or stem are included in the growing process. Ornamental grafted shrubs can be formed in shrub, half-stem and standard form. When forming a shrub form, the grafting is done into the root collar. When the scion takes root, all the shoots of the stock are cut out and the crown is formed from the shoots of the scion in the same way as in ordinary, unvaccinated shrubs. Half-stem and standard forms can be formed: from the stock, as for the pyramidal forms of trees (for roses); from parts of the scion, as for the spherical and weeping forms of white willow (in lilacs). When growing lilacs in standard and bush form, budding is carried out in the root collar. In roses, budding in the root collar is carried out only when growing bush plants, and when growing standard and half-stem plants, the graft is inoculated into a stem. The time for budding lilacs falls on the fourth year of growing the stock, and roses - in the fifth or sixth year. Rootstocks of standard roses (dog rose) are grown using trellis supports to raise a vertical stem. All types of vaccinations, as you know, are carried out during the periods of spring or late summer (autumn) sap flow. Grafting of roses and lilacs is most often done during the autumn, descending current. In the middle zone of our country, lilacs have this period at the end of June - beginning of July. Roses have active sap flow from late July to mid-August. For budding lilacs, the eyes are taken from the middle part of the shoot, since the two pairs of upper buds are floral, and the buds of the lower part of the shoot are weak - both of them give poor-quality plants. For budding roses, well-formed eyes are taken from faded mature shoots. Eyes from vigorous, non-flowering shoots (fatty) cannot be taken, since non-flowering seedlings are obtained from them. When forming standard stocks of yellow acacia, hawthorns, tartar honeysuckle and golden currants, plants are cut back for growth in the second year of their stay at school. Of the shoots that have developed after this, the strongest is chosen, from which, with the help of supports (as for roses) and thickening shoots, a stem is formed. D24Cultivation and formation of architectural forms of ornamental shrubs. When planting in a school for seedlings of most types of shrubs - seedlings and rooted cuttings - the aboveground part is cut off, leaving 8 - 12 cm of shoots. In the first year after planting, the shrubs are allowed to develop freely, without pruning. From the second year, they begin to form the aboveground part. Formation begins in March-April before the start of sap flow. The bushes are cut at a height of 5 -8 cm from the root collar, i.e. planted on a tree stump. By autumn, due to the awakening of dormant buds, new shoots develop on these stumps, which are cut off in the early spring of next year, leaving such a number of buds that by the fall of the third year of cultivation, from four to six (for ordinary seedlings) to six to ten (for shrubs grown as large-sized) new shoots. With such pruning, two to five eyes are usually left on each shoot, depending on the number of shoots formed after planting on the stump. By the fall of the third year, the plants acquire a standard form and they can be sold for landscaping or planted in school II to obtain material for repair. When transplanting shrubs to school II to obtain large-sized seedlings and architectural forms, proceed as follows. Plants with an architectural crown in the form of a ball, pyramid, column, cube, etc. from the main plants, unvaccinated, they are formed with the help of systematic pruning, adjusting their growth in height and width to a given size, taking into account the morphology of the development of shoots, their durability and ability to recover. In shrubs, the crown shape of which should be in the form of a ball, pyramid, trapezoid, annual growths are cut more strongly, leaving bases 3 - 4 cm long. In this case, the pruning contour must correspond to the intended outlines. In the first year after this pruning, the plants are allowed to develop freely so that they recover from the transplant and form new growths. In the next three to four years, the molded shrubs are cut annually according to the pattern two to three times during the growing season. The first haircut is carried out in the spring, before bud break, and the subsequent ones - as the shoots grow. When they grow back 8-12 cm, they are cut to half the length. The hawthorn is easier to form in the shape of a cone, cotoneaster and buckthorn - in the form of a cube, ball or cylinder. Evergreen and coniferous shrubs in school I are not pruned. When formed in school II (thuja, spruce), they are cut twice during the year - before the beginning of the growing season and before the end of the growth of shoots in length. The western thuja is easier to form in the shape of a cone. A more complex artificial form of shrubs (for example, spiral) is also given using templates. Non-grafted shrubs can form as standard plants. This method is suitable for golden currants, hawthorn, buckthorn and other vigorous shrubs. The formation is carried out in the department of architectural forms of shrubs of the III school of shrubs, and this stage is a continuation of the formation, which was carried out in previous schools - in I and II or only in I, depending on the speed of growth of the species. D25.
Formationwoodyplants. Technologyformationtrunk The varied assortment of tree species grown in the nursery requires a different approach to the formation of the trunk and
crowns
with
taking into account biological
features of plants - periods of sap flow, the ability to tolerate pruning, restore shoots. So, poplars, willows, lindens, ash-leaved maple have a good shoot-restoring ability, and ordinary ash and its garden forms weakly restore shoots. Formation
trunk. The formation of a stem begins from the moment of planting seedlings in school I in the first two to five years. At this time, first of all, the best conditions for the growth of the central conductor (leader) are created by directing the main nutrients into it with the help of various scraps. During the growing season, trees are examined at least two or three times and, if they are wearing shoots or offspring, they are immediately plucked out. The emerging shoots, competing with the leader in terms of growth force in length or thickness, are cut into a ring. When forming a stem, it is necessary to take into account the developmental features of the leader guide; in many species (poplar, ash-leaved maple, apple trees, etc.), the leader guide tightens growth and often ends with a weak, immature apical bud. In the spring, these buds develop weak continuation shoots that are inferior in growth to the lateral shoots developing from the strong buds located below. In these cases, in early spring, before the start of sap flow (March - early April), the central conductor (leader) is cut over the first, upwardly protruding strong bud. Such pruning in these breeds has to be carried out annually until the trunk of the desired height is obtained. Therefore, in order to get a smooth vertical stem without curvature, with each subsequent pruning, the bud on which the pruning is done should be located above the cut made during the previous pruning and on the side opposite to the one on which the bud was left during the previous pruning. A change of buds is also necessary when pruning rocks with opposite buds - in this case, one of the opposite buds is plucked out. In the third year, the cranking in place of these trims is already invisible, the stem is leveled and smoothed out. Crown formation. The formation of the crown begins 2 years before the release from the nursery. Crown formation usually begins when the seedlings reach a height of 2.5 - 3 m. Usually, highly developed buds are selected for crown formation, which are located in the middle part of the annual growth and in most breeds are located at a relatively large angle to the axis of the trunk. From these buds, shoots develop that are firmly connected to the trunk. The next year, before the beginning of the growing season, the growths that have developed from the left buds are also cut off 5-7 from the base of the bud (or a pair of buds), outer with respect to the axis of the trunk. In this case, the growth located above the trunk is cut off by 1-2 internodes higher than that located below. Such pruning helps to obtain an evenly developed crown. Crown formation is carried out not in all breeds, because in some, the crowns are well formed without human intervention (elm, birch, alder), while in others we deliberately do not violate its natural architectonics (all conifers, horse chestnut, nuts). In household plots, shrub plants, both single and in groups, are necessarily present. In order to obtain a beautiful, well-developed crown with a large number of shoots, the above-ground part of the shrubs is formed. Formation is usually carried out in nurseries within 2-3 years of the life of the seedlings. If you buy 1-2 year old seedlings, then you will have to do the shaping yourself. It is advisable to start this task with the selection of seedlings. When choosing seedlings for planting in a group, it is advisable to select those that have a healthy, well-developed root system. If you purchase several seedlings, then they should have the same total height, the same thickness of the root collar, and there should be no signs of damage from diseases and pests. Species such as barberry, Japanese spirea, cotoneaster, snowberry, bush well themselves, but pruning is sometimes carried out for them, but with a different purpose. Pruning can be done to get the same type of bushes in a group. In the first year after planting, the shrubs are allowed to develop freely, without pruning. From the second year, they begin to form the aboveground part. Formation begins in March-April before the start of sap flow. The bushes are cut at a height of 5-8 cm from the root collar, i.e. planted on a tree stump. By autumn, due to the awakening of dormant buds, new shoots develop on these stumps, which are cut off in the early spring of next year, leaving such a number of buds that from four to six to six to ten new shoots have developed from them by the fall of the third year of cultivation. With this pruning, two to five eyes are usually left on each shoot, depending on the number of shoots formed after planting on the stump. By the fall of the third year, the plants take on a standard appearance. When forming, it is necessary to take into account some features of different groups of plants: - caragana, cotoneaster, lilacs can be cut only once and get four to seven skeletal trunks; - in the second year, breeds that naturally form the crown - chaenomeles, mahonia, chokeberry, cinquefoil - are not planted on the stump; - shrubs with poor tillering in the third year are once again planted on a stump (gordovina viburnum, panicle hydrangea, Tatar maple). To obtain large shrubs with a freely growing crown, proceed as follows. In well-branching decorative deciduous and flowering shrubs, all shoots that have completed their growth are shortened by a quarter (but not more than half) of the length and the crown is thinned if it is thickened. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the uniform placement of shoots in space. Ornamental deciduous and flowering shrubs with weak tillering are cut differently. They strongly cut off all annual growths, leaving 3-4 buds (or pairs of buds). In plants with short internodes, the number of buds left on the shoot should be 1.5-2 times more. In shrubs, the crown shape of which should be in the form of a ball, pyramid, trapezoid, annual growths are cut more strongly, leaving bases 3-4 cm long. In this case, the cropping contour must correspond to the intended outlines. In the first year after this pruning, the plants are allowed to develop freely so that they form new growths. In the next 3-4 years, the formed shrubs are cut according to the pattern 2-3 times during the growing season. The first haircut is carried out in the spring, before bud break, and the subsequent ones - as the shoots grow. When they grow back 8-12 cm, they are cut to half the length. The hawthorn is easier to form in the shape of a cone, cotoneaster and buckthorn - in the form of a cube, ball or cylinder. Evergreen and coniferous shrubs up to 4 years old are not pruned. Then they are cut off 2 times a year - before the beginning of the growing season and before the end of the growth of shoots in length. The western thuja is easier to form in the form of a cone. A more complex artificial form of shrubs (for example, helical) is given using templates. Non-grafted shrubs can form as standard plants. This method is suitable for golden currants, hawthorn, buckthorn and other vigorous shrubs. The formation of standard shrub shrubs is a continuation of the formation that I described earlier.
In household plots, shrub plants, both single and in groups, are necessarily present.
In order to obtain a beautiful, well-developed crown with a large number of shoots, the above-ground part of the shrubs is formed. Formation is usually carried out in nurseries within 2-3 years of the life of the seedlings. If you buy 1-2 year old seedlings, then you will have to do the shaping yourself.
It is advisable to start this task with the selection of seedlings. When choosing seedlings for planting in a group, it is advisable to select those that have a healthy, well-developed root system. If you purchase several seedlings, then they should have the same total height, the same thickness of the root collar, and there should be no signs of damage from diseases and pests.
Species such as barberry, Japanese spirea, cotoneaster, snowberry, bush well themselves, but pruning is sometimes carried out for them, but with a different purpose. Pruning can be done to get the same type of bushes in a group.
In the first year after planting, the shrubs are allowed to develop freely, without pruning. From the second year, they begin to form the aboveground part.
Formation begins in March-April before the start of sap flow. The bushes are cut at a height of 5-8 cm from the root collar, i.e. planted on a tree stump. By autumn, due to the awakening of dormant buds, new shoots develop on these stumps, which are cut off in the early spring of next year, leaving such a number of buds that from four to six to six to ten new shoots have developed from them by the fall of the third year of cultivation.
With this pruning, two to five eyes are usually left on each shoot, depending on the number of shoots formed after planting on the stump. By the fall of the third year, the plants take on a standard appearance.
When forming, it is necessary to take into account some features of different groups of plants: - caragana, cotoneaster, lilacs can be cut only once and get four to seven skeletal trunks; - in the second year, breeds that naturally form the crown - chaenomeles, mahonia, chokeberry, cinquefoil - are not planted on the stump; - shrubs with poor tillering in the third year are once again planted on a stump (gordovina viburnum, panicle hydrangea, Tatar maple).
To obtain large shrubs with a freely growing crown, proceed as follows. In well-branching decorative deciduous and flowering shrubs, all shoots that have completed their growth are shortened by a quarter (but not more than half) of the length and the crown is thinned if it is thickened. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the uniform placement of shoots in space.
Ornamental deciduous and flowering shrubs with weak tillering are cut differently. They strongly cut off all annual growths, leaving 3-4 buds (or pairs of buds). In plants with short internodes, the number of buds left on the shoot should be 1.5-2 times more.
In shrubs, the crown shape of which should be in the form of a ball, pyramid, trapezoid, annual growths are cut more strongly, leaving bases 3-4 cm long. In this case, the cropping contour must correspond to the intended outlines.
In the first year after this pruning, the plants are allowed to develop freely so that they form new growths. In the next 3-4 years, the formed shrubs are cut according to the pattern 2-3 times during the growing season. The first haircut is carried out in the spring, before bud break, and the subsequent ones - as the shoots grow. When they grow back 8-12 cm, they are cut to half the length.
The hawthorn is easier to form in the shape of a cone, cotoneaster and buckthorn - in the form of a cube, ball or cylinder. Evergreen and coniferous shrubs up to 4 years old are not pruned. Then they are cut off 2 times a year - before the beginning of the growing season and before the end of the growth of shoots in length.
The western thuja is easier to form in the form of a cone. A more complex artificial form of shrubs (for example, helical) is given using templates.
Non-grafted shrubs can form as standard plants. This method is suitable for golden currants, hawthorn, buckthorn and other vigorous shrubs. The formation of standard shrub shrubs is a continuation of the formation that I described earlier.
