A novice gardener should know when to cut trees, and be able to cut branches correctly. Pruning helps crown formation processes, thereby eliminating unnecessary branch growth in width and length. Sawing is also an effective way to make the harvest in the garden richer, protect against pests and significantly extend the life of the plant.
When it is possible to prune fruit trees and why do it - popular questions among summer residents. Everyone wants a good harvest and healthy trees.
Pruning apple trees in autumn
The following types of pruning are popular:
- Immediately after planting for faster root engraftment in the planted soil.
- Shortening. It must be used for uncontrolled growth of branches in different directions and for the formation of the crown.
- Healing. Withered, diseased or deformed branches are removed.
- Supportive. Excessively large branches are shortened, which gives the tree an additional influx of air.
The influence of pruning on the life of the tree
Pruning is considered stress for the tree. However, using this procedure, you can adjust the issues of fruiting and the general condition of the plant.
Important! If you remove branches that grow incorrectly and give the crown excessive splendor, but do not use shortening of annual growth, you can speed up the time when the tree begins to produce crops. However, the minus in this matter will be that the crown will become ankle, unstable, branches - weak and few living.
The most common mistake is too shortened branches. So you can greatly expand the crown and slow down the growth of the crop, reduce the number of fruits. Thoughtlessly prune the plant is also not worth it - as it will be unstable to severe frosts.
In order to have large fruits and a beautifully folded crown, it is worth annually intensively cutting off the annual growth. The fruits will be large, but the harvest itself will decrease slightly due to abundant branching.
Rules for forming and trimming crown
When pruning and forming the crown of trees, it must be borne in mind that fruit crops have five stages of life:
- Growth of vegetative parts,
- Active growth and fruiting,
- Balanced growth with fruiting,
- Reduced growth and yield,
- Aging.
Note! When pruning branches of a fruit tree, you should definitely consider its age, stage of life and choose the appropriate pruning method.
Types of crowns that are obtained after trimming:
- Sparse-tiered. Suitable for most fruit trees.
- Spinning-tiered. Makes the tree too tall, making manual harvest difficult.
- Bunkless. Suitable for highly branched plants.
- Combined. It is popular among cherries, pears and apple trees.
- Spindlebush (fusiform). Suitable for dwarf trees.
- Bushy. For overgrown species.
- Half-flat: for plums, cherry plums, apricots.
- Palmettes, cordons (flat). Suitable if you want to increase productivity.
Safety precautions
Safety applies to pruning and gardening issues:
- Sharp, heavy objects should not be thrown, only passed from hand to hand. For each of them there should be a cover during transportation.
- During the procedure, use gloves that will prevent damage, the occurrence of splinters.
- Keep children away from tools that pose a danger to them.
- Timely sharpen secateurs, knives. For storage, hooks are suitable for hanging an item.
- When trimming, use a stepladder or ladder with wide steps. Do not trim in the rain and on wet stairs.
- Wear comfortable shoes so as not to slip.
Tree pruning and cropping
Pruning large branches on old trees
The wood of old trees is usually very dense, so incorrect pruning can damage the bark.
An incision should be made on the underside with a depth of one third. About 3 cm deviate from the lower cut, then a branch from above is cut. In this case, the bark will definitely remain safe and sound, will not be able to peel off.
Technology of cutting and cutting
Branches are shortened by removing this part from the total length:
- One-third of cropping is a slight shortening,
- Half - average
- More than half is strong.
Anti-aging pruning of fruit tree
Technology:
- "Under the ring" - a slice is made on the upper part of the influx on the wood.
- Trimming of whole branches - to get rid of unnecessary branching, with the aim of penetrating the sunlight to the inside of the crown.
- Kerbovka. A rare event that is held to slow down growth processes.
Note! For some time before the end of the growing season, a pinch of the growth bud is done, after which the formation of spruces and lateral strong branches begins.
Crown Formation Scheme
There are a lot of schemes for the formation of the crown of trees. Most popular are:
- Tier-trimmed. Creates a strong plant skeleton.
- Cupped. Perfectly fits apple trees, creating a solid base.
- Fusiform. Requires annual manual labor.
In annual apple trees, crown formation occurs after planting. Seedlings do not differ in strong branches, therefore, at the first pruning, it is important to achieve a good result so that the active growth of new shoots begins.
Trimming Dates
The timing of trimming is best aligned with the lunar calendar and star cycles. So, on a waning moon, the sap flow increases, when the Earth passes the zodiac signs of fish, Aquarius and cancer, it drops significantly.
Additional Information. The pruning season always depends on the type, age of the fruit tree, where the garden is located, and in what climatic conditions the plants are located.
In the Moscow Region, the timing varies: here you can use not only spring trimmings, but also do them in the summer (May, June) and winter (February). In Siberia, trees are pruned only in early spring, in March, then the fruits will be very large and juicy.
Important! In no case is pruning done by a rusty tool, or do branches come off completely with your hands - the plant will become sick and die. It is also necessary to process large sections, cover them with oil paint or var. Apricots or peaches even have small cuts. In this case, the speed of wound healing will increase to 3 cm per year (without treatment - 1 cm per year).
Favorable days in 2019 for pruning in the fall:
- September: 1, 16, 26, 28.
- October: 5, 8, 13, 29.
- November: 4, 9, 25, 28.
December for gardeners is considered a month of rest.
Pruning in autumn
In the autumn, pruning is performed:
- Old branches
- Rotten, broken and spoiled branches.
Trimming scheme for forming a controlled growing crown
In autumn, the tree enters the resting phase, so the procedure will not bring him significant stress. The action plan is as follows:
- Large, broken branches are cut,
- Among the closely growing branches, the weakest are cut,
- Cutting branches growing with sharp corners,
- Smear slices should be: on young - after a day, on dry - immediately,
- The cut branches are burned.
Best time to trim
When it will be best to prune the trees, in autumn or spring, depends on many factors. In the spring, it is preferable to do this, because in these months the tree only wakes up and the wounds heal faster.
Important! Pear, cherry, plum after pruning in the fall can get sick at all. Also, at this time, do not prune young seedlings.
If broken branches suddenly appear after bad weather, they should be removed immediately, despite the time of year. One contraindication for this can be an air temperature of -5 degrees and below.
How to cover up saw cuts
Slices and wounds, as a rule, must be sealed with sealant. This prevents water and germs from entering the cracks. If this is not done, the branch will begin to dry out on the saw, juice will stand out, and water will begin to evaporate. Subsequently, a cavity may appear in the region of the cut.
How can I cover the cuts on fruit trees:
- Garden resin,
- Loam mixture
- If the wound is excessively large, then a solution of cement is used,
- Paint with water emulsion,
- Artificial turf
- Garden Var.
Garden var from the company "Garden Magician"
Putty can be done independently or purchased in specialized stores.
Garden Var at home
Before you prepare a solution of garden var at home, you should prepare fat, rosin and wax.
Additional Information. Each ingredient carries an important function. Fat will help the composition not dry out during heat, rosin is a good bunch with the plant, wax prevents the penetration of moisture.
Options for fat can be drying oil or vegetable oil. Instead of wax, it is possible to take turpentine.
Var for trees:
- Fat and rosin - 1 part, wax - 2 parts. Previously, all the constituent elements need to be melted, after mixing, pour cold water.
- Drying oil (1 part) - Rosin (4) - Paraffin (20).
- Vegetable oil (1 part) and 2 parts of wax and rosin.
If desired, ash can be added to the var.
The use of garden varn in processing
Before covering the cuts, wounds, the var plant for garden trees should be melted. When it softens, applying it in a thin layer to the cut will not be difficult. A thick layer can rot the branches.
Note! During the procedure, make sure that the var does not fall on the bark. Only the cut itself is subject to processing. The bark should remain clean, then the process of forming a crustal roller, which helps the wound to heal, will be faster and more natural.
How to soften a garden var
To soften the "rescuer" of trees is not difficult, it should be heated in a water bath. If this is not available, then you can put a couple of balls of the var in the hot sun, then stretch it with your hands.
Var, as a rule, is very oily, so when applying it to a slice, it is best to use a wooden spatula. Sometimes it is applied even with a finger to control the thickness of the layer. The layer applied to the saw should not exceed 1-2 mm.
Furrowing fruit trees
Furrowing the bark of trees prevents the occurrence of dangerous cracks that contribute to the separation of the bark from the wood. After furrowing, the active growth of the stem begins in thickness, the activity of the cambium is enhanced, and a young elastic cortex is formed. The risk of frost pits is also reduced.
Cracking the bark of an apple tree
Manipulation is performed using a special furrow-knife on the handle with a blade depth of 1.5-2 mm.
Furrowing is carried out by two methods:
- Cuts are made of 10 cm at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other from the crown itself and to the root neck.
- Continuous, long cuts are applied.
The cuts are immediately disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate 2%. Usually the event is first done 3-4 years after planting.
If you correctly prune the tree, seal and process the wood in the right places, then the fruit harvest will not take long. A beautiful apple or pear will be strong and strong and will have an elegant, well-groomed appearance. It is very important to do the procedure for the first time according to the recommendations or under the supervision of knowledgeable and experienced gardeners, so as not to cut branches that are important to the tree and not lead to the death of the plant.
