Trees are pruned to form the crown and stimulate fruiting. It's important to do it right so that the remaining branches grow as they should. You need to understand what reaction will follow to a different method of pruning. Then the crown will develop as intended and the tree will yield a good harvest.
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If a healthy tree is cut off many strong large branches, then it will try to quickly restore the lost. This is manifested in the early awakening of the buds, the appearance of a large number of shoots on the trunk, dense basal growth.
When pruning is negligible, the matter is limited to the growth of shoots on the tree trunk.
Different types of pruning have different effects on the further development of the crown.
The shortening of the branches causes increased growth of young shoots. This is due to the fact that the amount of nutrients with water remains the same, and there are fewer “consumers”, that is, branches. Therefore, the remaining branches develop faster.
Trim to ring
Thinning branches usually do not give much growth. If you cut off a branch entirely, to the base, then the food that went to it is distributed between all the remaining branches, so it is almost invisible.
Side branch trimming
The purpose of this pruning is to reshape the crown. The main branch is cut off, and then the side branch plays its role. Thus, the height of the crown is reduced. The cut should be made flush with the side branch and look like an extension of it.
Pruning for external and internal bud
If the crown is too thick, then the pruning method is applied to the outer bud. The idea is to keep the branch cut next to the bud facing the outside of the crown. If the tree is spreading, then pruning is done on the inner bud so that the new branch looks inside the crown.
It is advisable to cut at an angle of 45 ° in the kidney area. The top edge should be 2 mm above the top of the kidney.
After pruning, shoots appear on the entire branch. More prone to fruiting are those that did not appear from the apical buds.
Trim length
The more the branch is cut, the more intensively it grows. But, despite this, she will not be able to catch up with neighboring, less pruned branches. From strong pruning, the crown thickens, and in the future it will need to be thinned out, which will entail intensive growth. A tree that has been cut many times spends energy on restoration, and this delays the appearance of the first harvest. Therefore, this method is best used to rejuvenate old trees.
Of two equally cut branches, the one that is higher and whose location is closer to the vertical will go stronger in growth.
Garden varnish application
Trees should be pruned during dormancy (autumn, winter) or after the start of sap flow in the spring. Places of cuts should be covered with garden varnish to protect against fungi, microbes and insects. It also eliminates the loss of juice needed to feed the branches. Recently, instead of garden varnish, special ointments containing substances useful for wood have been used.
Do you know the rules for pruning fruit trees?
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How to prune trees in winter read the following article:Rules for pruning carried out in the winter in the garden