Apple trees are, of course, the most popular fruit crop among summer residents. Most modern varieties of such garden trees are capable of producing good yields. However, in order for the apple trees not to get sick and develop well, they, of course, should be properly looked after. Trees need to be watered and fertilized on time. Of course, in the summer cottage, you need, among other things, to prune apple trees on time.
What is the procedure for
There are several types of pruning for different purposes:
- regulating;
- formative;
- rejuvenating;
- sanitary.
Regulatory pruning of apple trees is carried out by gardeners in order to maintain the balance of their fruiting and growth. Such a procedure implies, for example, the removal of old branches that give small yields.
Shaping pruning allows you to make the crown of the tree compact and neat. Thanks to this procedure, the yield of apple trees is increased and the risk of developing diseases is reduced. The crowns of properly pruned trees are well ventilated. At the same time, shading does not occur inside them. In addition, it is much more convenient to harvest from an apple tree with a properly formed crown.
Rejuvenating pruning is done on old apple trees. As a result of this procedure, new shoots grow on the tree, and its yield also increases.
When performing sanitary pruning, broken, rotten or frozen branches are removed. Thanks to this, the tree subsequently spends nutritional resources not on crown restoration, but on fruiting or the formation of new high-quality shoots.
When to trim
Removing branches from apple trees in the summer, of course, is impossible. These fruit trees are pruned in spring and autumn. In late March - early April, all frozen branches are removed from the crown of the apple tree.
In the autumn, after the foliage falls from the trees and before the onset of frost, one more sanitary pruning is done. This time, branches that have rotted over the summer and incorrectly growing branches are removed. At the same time, the shoots that appeared in the current season are shortened.
Which rules to follow
Pruning apple trees must, of course, in compliance with certain technologies. So, for example:
- When pruning branches, do not leave stumps. It is also not allowed to remove shoots under the very "root". With such pruning, the tree may subsequently even die due to infection. It is necessary to cut the apple trees along the ring at the very trunk. The tissues in this place in fruit trees are made up of cells that can multiply. Therefore, wounds on the rings heal very quickly.
- Slices remainingafter removing old branches, you need to cover with garden pitch immediately. The wounds formed after cutting young shoots are treated a day later, after they have dried.
- Pruning apple trees is supposed to be done using only high-quality sharp tools. When removing shoots with a blunt pruner or a hacksaw, the bark of a tree is too badly damaged. Because of this, in the next apple tree, you have to spend a lot of energy on recovery.
How to prune an apple tree correctly
Failure to comply with the established technologies when removing branches can lead to disease and death of fruit trees. To prevent this from happening, cropping should be done as follows:
- first, under the branch of the apple tree, a small cut is made along the ring;
- the shoot is carefully sawn off from above.
It often happens that when sawing off the branches of apple trees simply break and fall down with part of the bark from the trunk. The technology described above avoids such a nuisance.
Saw off branches when cutting should not be at a right angle, but obliquely. Before removing a thick shoot, you should mentally draw lines along the branch and perpendicular to it. Trimming should be done along the bisector of the resulting angle.
Thin shoots, of course, it is better not to cut, but cut with secateurs. In this case, it will be more convenient to work with this tool. This will also reduce the risk of unnecessary damage.
Tips for beginners: when pruning apple trees thanhandle saw cuts?
The cuts left after the removal of unnecessary branches are most often, of course, smeared with garden pitch. This tool can be purchased at any store specializing in the sale of country supplies. Garden pitch should be bought only from good manufacturers. Using a low-quality tool of this variety, unfortunately, can harm the tree.
Instead of garden pitch, paint can also be used to coat the wounds remaining after pruning. However, in this case, it is allowed to use only products made on the basis of drying oil. Other paints may burn the fabric of the wood.
Sometimes saw cuts on apple trees are treated with a mixture of lime and copper sulfate. Compositions such as var can disinfect wounds and stimulate their rapid healing. A mixture of lime and copper sulfate is prepared for processing saw cuts, usually in a ratio of 1:10.
Security requirements
The answer to the question of how to prune apple trees depends primarily on the purpose of this procedure. But in any case, when filing, one should observe, among other things, safety precautions. Before starting such a procedure, you need:
- put on gloves;
-
check the status of those tools that will be used to remove shoots;
- Check the condition of a ladder or ladder used when pruning tall trees.
Pruning apple trees if you want to remove thickshoots, stands not only in gloves, but also in glasses. Otherwise, when sawing off branches, chips may get into your eyes.
How to do shaping pruning
Growing a compact, neat apple tree in a summer cottage is not difficult at all. The first pruning of young trees is usually done in the first growing season. The top of a newly planted annual seedling is removed so that the trunk length is about 80 cm. At the same time, at least 4 living buds are left on the tree.
2 year old apple seedlings usually have side shoots. In this case also, the top is removed first. Next, the shoots are cut about a third above the outer bud.
In subsequent years, the crown is formed in such a way that in the end it resembles a pyramid tapering upwards. When pruning the upper tier of branches, make sure that the top of the tree protrudes about 20-30 cm above them.
In the second year of planting, overgrown shoots are also usually cut off by 1/3. In this case, the central conductor is cut down at about a height of 60 cm above the branches of the first tier formed directly above the kidney. Thanks to this, a second tier will subsequently form on the tree. In the 3rd year, the growth of shoots of the third tier is stimulated in the same way.
Incorrectly growing branches when pruning apple trees must be removed. Such shoots subsequently, under the weight of the crop, usually still break off. Ultimately, only almost horizontal shoots should remain in the crown of the apple tree. trees with crown,shaped in this way usually give the highest yields. They even bloom in spring before other apple trees on the site.
How anti-aging pruning is done
Apple trees usually show signs of aging in the 30th year after planting if properly cared for. If the cultivation technology is violated, this period may come earlier. In any case, the correct pruning of apple trees can significantly increase the yield of an old tree.
Rejuvenating filing is usually performed in autumn, immediately after the leaves fall from the tree. You can also do this pruning in the spring before the buds swell. In the first year of rejuvenation, all barren, diseased, rotten, frozen branches, shoots with brown spots, flaky bark, corrugated areas are completely removed from the tree.
Next, cut the tree in height and remove several (no more than 3 per year) old thick branches, leaving one of the youngest and he althiest "leader". The following year, in the spring, all vigorous upper shoots are removed from the tree, leaving one on each strong branch. On this growth, a crop will be formed in the future.
In the autumn of the same year, the height of the apple tree is again slightly reduced. Perform this operation only when necessary. Then the skeletal branches are cut. Do the same for next year.
Spring pruning
This procedure is usually performed at the end of March. The rules for pruning an apple tree in the spring are nothing complicated. During this period, only frozen ones are removed from the tree.or damaged branches. Before proceeding with this procedure, the apple tree is carefully examined.
Cut frozen branches in such a way that large wounds do not remain at the same level on opposite sides of the trunk. If there are many such shoots, the few remaining he althy branches on the tree should be shortened by 1/3. In this case, spring pruning of apple trees will be a good incentive for the growth of new high-quality shoots.
Autumn sanitary pruning
At this time of the year, improperly growing and broken shoots are usually removed from trees. In addition, pruning apple trees in the fall involves the following procedures:
- cutting the branches of young trees by a third in order to form a crown;
- cutting some branches of mature trees in half to thin out the crown.
Branches are cut off by a third in autumn not only for newly planted trees, but, if necessary, for 5-7-year-olds.
Columnar apple trees: is pruning required
It is believed that such trees do not need crown formation. Indeed, the crown of columnar apple trees itself grows quite neat. However, sanitary spring and autumn pruning is necessary, of course, for such trees. In this case, damaged branches are removed from the apple tree in the usual way in spring and autumn.
It is also believed that in the fifth year of growth in such fruit crops it is necessary to shorten the trunk, replacing it with the strongest new youngescape. Sometimes pruning of columnar apple trees is also carried out during the drought period. This allows you to improve the nutrition of the remaining shoots.
