Good afternoon, my reader. To enjoy a rich harvest, deciduous fruit trees and shrubs need to be pruned. Part of the work is carried out in winter, when the leaves do not interfere and the plants are at rest. How to do pruning correctly?
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First rule
Before starting work, you must remember: you need to trim only when there is no other way to do it. Thickening, irregular crown shape, damaged branches - this is a reason to take up a saw or pruner.
Highlights of winter pruning
As with any gardening business, pruning has its own nuances. But there are rules that apply absolutely in any situation:
- Work on a dry, sunny day. Then all defects are visible, and moisture will not lead to decay.
- The instrument must be sharp and disinfected.
- Think first, then cut. It is better to leave the excess than to cut off the necessary.
- First of all, dry and diseased wood goes under the blades or saw.
- The smaller one is removed from the two crossing branches.
- "Spinning tops" (vertical outgrowths from dormant buds) and stepsons (growing directly from the trunk or skeletal branch) have no right to exist. They are always cut out.
- Long and non-branching shoots are always cut off.
- The crown must be thinned out so that there is free space inside. Shoots growing inside the crown are the enemy of the gardener.
- After each pruning step, inspect the tree or bush, choose new targets - and decide if you need to work further, or the process is over.
- Consider the variety and age of the plant.
What not to do
There are also things that should not be allowed:
- Leave diseased hemp or growths. They are cut into a ring.
- Get involved in a "curly haircut". For ornamental shrubs this is permissible, for fruit shrubs it is not.
- Prune more than a third of the branches. If the tree is badly neglected, it is better to extend the procedure over several seasons.
- Neglect TB. Wear safety glasses, do not climb to great heights without belay, do not work near power lines.
What plants can you work with in winter
In winter, you can trim:
- ornamental plants that fade in summer - hibiscus, cinquefoil, etc.;
- fruit trees - apple, cherry, pear, etc.;
- all fruit bushes;
- decorative deciduous trees - oak, linden, etc.
Pruning should be done when the frost is no more than -5 ° C.
What is better not to touch
Pruning in winter can harm the following plants:
- everyone blooming in spring - lilac, quince, azalea, hydrangea, etc. It is better to prune them after the spring flowering period has passed;
- plants with "heavy" sap flow - birch, maple, dogwood. In the spring, sap will begin to flow from a winter wound - and this can harm the tree. Therefore, their pruning is carried out in the middle of summer, when the movement of the juice slows down;
- almost all conifers - they are cut at the end of spring;
- sheltered plants for the winter. They are cut off in front of the shelter - and are not touched until spring.
Pruning in winter can be a stimulating factor, giving the plant a beautiful shape and rich fruiting. But it is important to consider the type, species and grade of wood, as well as the time and conditions for correct pruning for them. It is better to leave an extra branch than to cut off the one that will be necessary in the spring.
Are you familiar with the basic rules of winter pruning?
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