Walnut trees grow and develop very quickly. The first crop is harvested already at 5-6 years of age. In addition, such fruits contain a huge amount of useful trace elements necessary for a person. Walnut pruning is necessary for the proper formation of the crown, and this procedure will also help to avoid the appearance of various diseases.
Choosing the season
Experienced gardeners recommend spring. It is best to prune after the end of frost, but before the start of the growing season. The tree should be in a calm state. Under such conditions, it will be able to recover faster, and the risk of crop damage will be minimized.
Pruning a walnut in the fall is done in order to prepare the tree for the winter as best as possible. At this time of the year, it is necessary to remove all dry and damaged branches so that bacteria or pests cannot settle in them. Sanitary pruning is the best prevention of any disease.
Required tools
Before starting work, you need to prepare special tools, thanks to which the process will be much easier and more enjoyable:
- Secateurs - used to remove the thinnest branches (no more than 20 mm thick). Such a tool looks like scissors with convex blades.
- Lopper - according to the principle of operation and appearance, it resembles a pruner with long handles. Capable of removing branches up to 50 mm thick.
- Garden saw - no different from the usual, except for the sickle-shaped blade, whose length is mostly 30-35 cm.
- Chainsaw - may be needed to remove thick branches, in addition, it will help to get rid of medium-thick knots in a shorter period of time.
- Garden Knife - needed to remove the green part of the plant and soft, one-year-old branches. It is also very convenient to use when cleaning various mechanical damage.
- Stairs - as you know, the height of a tree is much greater than human height. In this case, the simplest and most effective assistant in the implementation of pruning will be a stepladder. Professional samples will help you climb to a height of up to 8 meters.
Because pruning a walnut is a complex and painstaking procedure, one should not forget about personal protective equipment (gloves, goggles, etc.) when working with various tools.
Technology of work
- Before cutting a thick branch, it is necessary to cut it with the oppositesides. This trick will help avoid bark scuffing.
- When cutting thin knots, you need to leave a process 1-2 mm long after the first kidney.
- When removing branches whose thickness is more than 2 centimeters, experienced gardeners recommend lubricating the cut with garden pitch. This procedure will help to avoid infection and withering of part of the tree.
Crown formation
In the first year of life, a crown is formed on a small tree, consisting of 4-5 branches. If there are no signs of any diseases, it is worth removing all other shoots at the stage of bud development. In the event of any disease, the entire shoot should be left until the end of summer. In August, the crown is freed from extra branches.
In the second year, crown formation should be done directly. Pruning walnut trees begins with shortening all branches to two buds. One of them will be the main, and the other spare. If both spawn, then the second must be removed. From the rest, a shoot about 60 centimeters long will grow, it will need to be shortened to two buds.
Then, the central conductor is cut off above the topmost main branch.
As soon as the crown is formed, it is recommended to leave the tree alone and for several seasons carry out only thinning and sanitary work to remove excess growth and unnecessary branches.
Pruning an old walnut. Wood rejuvenation
It often happens that trees simply run and stop producinggood harvest. Fruits begin to appear only closer to the trunk. To cope with this state of affairs, you need to perform anti-aging pruning.
The best time is considered the beginning of spring, but only when the threat of frost has completely passed. In this case, the tree will be able to regain strength and begin to form its crown correctly already in this season.
Pruning a walnut (perennial) begins with the removal of dry knots in the upper part. This procedure will enhance the transmission of light and air into the crown. They are necessary for high-quality fruiting. Next, you need to correctly form a new crown, for this a place is selected where there is a branch to the side. This is necessary so that the future crown grows upward. Pruning techniques and rules will be similar to those needed when working with a young tree.
A small number of young buds will form in the selected place, which will later turn into shoots, they will become the main parts for the rejuvenated tree.
Pruning tips from experienced gardeners
- Before cutting the crown of a tree, you need to learn how to graft it correctly, because after artificial shaping, grafting is strictly prohibited.
- In the first year of life, the height of the tree should not exceed 100 centimeters. The crown should look like a bowl.
- Pruning a walnut should always begin by removing diseased, damaged or rubbing branches.
- In order for the tree to bringthe largest amount of harvest, one of the following crown formation patterns should be used:
- Cup-shaped - the easiest and most affordable option for any gardener.
- Untiered - used for pruning young trees.
- Improved Longline - Requires gardening experience. To give the crown this shape, you need to have a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe expected result and consider how each branch should be cut.
Pruning a walnut is a very painstaking and complex procedure that requires good preparation on the part of the gardener. When working with a young tree, it is necessary to control every action, because one wrong step can cause the complete death of the plant. Timely pruning is the key to a good harvest and the longest fruiting period.
