Good afternoon, my reader. Spring pruning of fruit trees pursues several goals at once: to improve their health, increase fruiting, and give the crowns an aesthetically attractive appearance. Despite the seeming simplicity of tasks, many gardeners, especially beginners, make a lot of mistakes when pruning trees. Here is the wrong timing for her, and the wrong technique. Therefore, before you take up the pruner and saw, you need to thoroughly understand all these issues.
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When to start pruning in spring
Nobody will name the exact date of this garden event. As a rule, in the middle lane this time is from mid-March to mid-April. But you should be guided by the weather conditions and how much the trees are awakened. The last circumstance is especially important! If you start pruning before the start of sap flow, when the cold has not yet left, then the tree in the places of cuts and cuts will heal for a long time. The delay will force him to spend juice on those shoots that have to be removed.
Pruning apple trees
It begins with the removal of branches damaged during the winter and thinning of the crowns. Thick branches are cut first with a hacksaw, after which small branches are cut with a knife or pruner. A cut of perennial branches is carried out over the branch, which is selected, in annuals it is done above the bud. A reduction in crown thickening is achieved by cutting off all branches that grow vertically into a ring.
Old apple trees
They can find it difficult to remove many shoots at once, so they should do gentle pruning, albeit every season. Many old apple trees develop a dense crown over time and reach great heights, which makes harvesting difficult. Their pruning is carried out as follows:
- the center conductor is cut by about a quarter;
- "forks", sore and overlapping branches, as well as old ringlets are removed;
- the skeletal branches are shortened so that the crown is formed in the form of a bowl.
Such processing of apple trees, which are already many years old, will rejuvenate them, increase fruiting and, of course, facilitate harvesting.
Young apple trees
During the growth stage of young trees, the main goals of pruning are to contain it, as well as to form their reliable skeleton. The nature of pruning largely depends on the variety and stock of apple trees. Many of them differ in the “awakening” of the buds (the number of germinated relative to their total number) and shoot-forming ability (determined by the number of strong shoots from active buds).
For example, Folding and Grushovka Moscow, having a weak shoot formation, but a high degree of bud awakenability, they form a crown on their own, so it is enough for them to periodically shorten or remove branches that break out for crown contour.
But at Antonovka, Welsey and Slavyanka buds awakenability and shoots are average, so they need to be thinned regularly.
Apple pruning begins from the top of the central conductor, after which skeletal branches are selected, which they plan to leave. Their thickness should be about ½ of the trunk diameter above it, the recommended angle of departure from the center conductor is close to 90 degrees. The crowns themselves are formed so that their lateral surfaces have an arc shape (most often slightly convex) - this will allow them to receive more light and air.
Spring pruning of pears
Their crowns are mostly less common than those of apple trees. The awakening of the buds is weak, which makes it possible to safely cut the branches.
In old pears, in addition to removing damaged shoots, all branches growing parallel to the trunk or skeletal branches are cut off. The tops are also cut off, but not all - of them later, if necessary, it will be possible to form skeletal branches. This is advisable if any of the existing skeletal branches dies and needs to be replaced.
The crowns of young pears are formed according to the same pattern as in apple trees: a central conductor and skeletal branches forming several tiers. The latter are left to choose from, all others (competing) should be removed. All tops are also subject to removal.
After pruning the branches of pears and apple trees, the places of the cuts must be treated with garden varnish or a similar agent.
Do you know when to prune fruit trees?
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