Trees and shrubs in any garden need regular corrections in their direction of growth and crown thinning. Such procedures are necessary, because thanks to them, the quality of plant life improves significantly - the amount of green mass increases, productivity increases, etc.
Autumn pruning is an important stage in the formation of a plant's crown, and any serious gardener considers this procedure mandatory. For most plants, formative pruning is done in autumn. This is necessary so that before the onset of spring, the plants have time to get sick and rest.
Pruning greatly facilitates the winter period for trees, since there is less liquid in the branches and the likelihood of frostbite is much lower. However, in order to make the plants comfortable over the winter, gardeners will have to work hard.
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General issues of autumn pruning
Pruning is not only done to ensure a better life for the trees in the garden. In fact, this procedure solves in a complex the problem of wintering and further development of trees.
For instance, if the branches are too thick, then in winter there will be a large amount of snow on the crown. This snow can break the crown and in the spring you will have to actually perform the same pruning procedures, but still associated with the treatment of the plant. Naturally, in such a situation, the issue of fruiting this year looks very doubtful.
On the other side, should not be too zealous when pruning fruit trees. It is well known that properly pruned plants bear very well. However, this does not mean that all plants without exception should be subjected to this procedure.
Some cultures tolerate pruning very negatively (these include, for example, pear and Cherry). These trees should be pruned no more than once every three or four years, and even then, using rather gentle methods of thinning their crowns.
There are even worse cases when an excessive passion for pruning leads to a halt in the development of crops and then they are in the same state for quite a long time (from 1 to 5 years), in which their growth and volume of green mass do not change, and the yield may even decrease.
Each culture has certain features in pruning that must be observed. It should be remembered that even within the same species, the rules for trimming and shaping the trunk and crown may differ.
We should also not forget that autumn pruning also carries some sanitary burden. On the trees, dried, diseased and broken branches appear not only during winter, but also during the warm period. Naturally, such phenomena in the crown need to be stopped as soon as possible.
- thinning (or cutting)
- shortening (or trimming)
General principles for pruning fruit trees
In general, the method of pruning and its intensity depend on the age of the plant and the degree of its density. Often, both of the above methods can be used.
At the same time, even for the same species, it is impossible to give an unambiguous recommendation.which of the pruning methods should be used for which year of the tree's life. Everything will depend on the density of the crown, the degree of its branching and the development of certain branches.
Combination of thinning and trimming shortening plums at different years of life
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A quality tool is the key to success
Consider each of the cropping methods in detail with a description of some of the techniques used in them:
thinning
Actually, it is this procedure that forms the crown, or rather its structure and direction. It consists in removing excess branches from the crown. This category includes not only those branches that grow in the “wrong” direction, but also diseased, damaged, weak, and so on.
The central part of the crown of a tree in need of pruning
Weak branches, deformed, with traces of damage and injury should be removed at the base, leaving no "stumps". In addition to its main task, this procedure allows you to provide good illumination of the inside of the crown of the plant.
This approach has a very good effect on his life: in an excessively dense crown on fruit-bearing branches, fewer buds will be tied and the likelihood of plant infection with fungal infections will be significantly higher.
It should never be forgotten that the shortest way for a fungus to enter any crop is in shaded, cool and damp places. Pruning can significantly reduce their number in the crowns of trees.
- Thinning allows you to significantly improve the light and air content of the crown. This leads to an extension of the active phase of the warm season for the tree, when it blooms and bears fruit as efficiently as possible.
cut on the ring
- If the branches are too branched, they must be thinned out first; while the thickest branch is cut "on a ring", i.e. almost level with the bark of the trunk from which it grew. In this case, the cut plane should be parallel to the influx of the base of the branch.
If the crown was formed in advance and does not need to be adjusted, thinning comes down to the removal of new branches and shoots of this year. A similar procedure, performed annually, will allow you to control the development of the crown in order to avoid uncontrolled growth.
thinning pears with autumn pruning
Shortening
Shortening two-year-old shoots with a pruner
A much less radical method, however, depending on the intensity of its application, is able to control the development of a tree no worse than thinning. Shortening consists in the fact that individual branches are not completely removed from the trunk, and only their ends are cut off, where local growth cones are located.
There are two types of shortening:
- strong. In this case, the branch is cut to about half its length.
- Weak. The branch is shortened by 1/3 of the length
Despite the relatively small difference, it is quite significant, since it is in 1/3 of the length of the branch (located closer to its end) that most of the generative buds are contained. Therefore, in terms of fruiting, both species are almost identical, but there is still a difference, and it is quite significant.
In the case of strong shortening in fruit trees there is a significant growth of the branches of the trimmed part, however, the growth of the total green mass of the entire tree is reduced.
The use of moderate pruning leads to weak growth of pruned branches, but significantly increases the branching of the shoots. Objectively, a strong shortening also leads to branching, however, with it, this process manifests itself very weakly.
Sometimes a combination of both methods is used, or simply shortening of the branches, in which an equal number of buds remains on each of them (for example, 3). Such pruning is most often used to update the entire crown, or if a decision on its shape has not yet been made.
Combination of strong and weak shortening
This method is best used in the spring, because it will immediately be clear which of the buds successfully survived the winter and are ready to form shoots.
- they have a significant increase in thickness.
- the degree of branching increases
- ringlets develop
- significantly increase the rate of laying and formation of both vegetative and generative buds
Shortening is a more time-consuming and complex procedure, however, it is she who leads fruit trees to increase productivity.
An example of shortening individual branches when forming a crown, depending on the age of the tree
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Basic rules for pruning trees in the fall
Autumn tree pruning in full swing
There are general provisions on how to prune plants in the fall.
Let's look at some of the most frequently asked questions:
Working with large branches
Correct cutting of a thick branch
Massive or too thick branches must be removed with a garden saw. In this case, chips or too uneven cuts are not allowed. It is recommended that you first cut the branch a little about 1/3 from the bottom, and only then cut it completely from above. In this case, the branch must be supported by a free hand.
The wound should be carefully cleaned with a knife and treated with garden pitch. This greatly speeds up the healing process.
annual branches
In the process of shortening annual branches, a cut must be made over a fully developed growth generative bud. This cut must necessarily pass obliquely on the opposite side from the top of the kidney to its base.
Correct (1) and incorrect (2 and 3) pruning of an annual branch under a kidney
You need to cut it very precisely so that the stump is exactly at the level of the kidney.
- you can’t leave a stump over the kidney - the wound will heal for a long time
- it is also impossible to leave a stump under the kidney. Due to damage to transport tissues, the kidney will weaken and eventually die.
In the case of the complete removal of annual branches, the rule "leave only the strongest" should not be used. The main thing in forming pruning is to create a crown of the required shape.
The first year is not indicative of the successful growth and development of a branch; in the absence of “competitor branches”, it is the branch remaining after pruning that will grow and develop rapidly next year.
thinning
In the case of thinning fruit trees, it is desirable to make cuts "along the ring". In this case, the cutting of the removed branch is carried out according to the influx on its base.
In no case should you leave stumps, or vice versa, cut the branch too deep, “biting” into its mother branch. In some ways, this process resembles the formation of hemp when shortening the annual shoots discussed earlier.
Influx on a tree trunk
If you leave too long a stump, it will surely begin to rot over time, which can lead to the formation of a hollow and the death, if not of the entire tree as a whole, then of its fairly large branch, perhaps even a skeletal one.And this is the loss of about a third of the crop.
Moreover, a hollow from a hemp appears literally in the 2nd year, it can completely rot into a branch in another 2-3 years. That is, it is highly undesirable to start the process, but it is best not to allow it at all.
Too long stump - the cause of the hollow
A deep cut in the maternal branch can lead to even more unpleasant processes. In the best case, it will overgrow for a long time, but, most likely, it will also begin to rot with the formation of a hollow and the eventual death of the entire branch.
If the stump is formed correctly, and immediately after the cut it is treated with garden pitch, then the cut will be delayed after 1 year.
Pruning old branches
Trimming pattern
This procedure is performed quite rarely, since most often the complete removal of the old branch is performed. However, it can also occur, because sometimes the branching of young shoots becomes inefficient (for example, they are mainly located in the shady zone of the plant, or the branches from which they grow were injured, etc.)
In this case, shortening is performed using a cut over a lateral or simply well-developed branch. The cut itself is necessarily located above the branch and has a slight bevel.
Working with slices
Any cuts heal and tighten more quickly if they have smooth, not torn edges. In addition, it is desirable that the entire cut lies in the same plane.
To ensure the latter, you can use a high-quality saw, and clearly measure and mark all directions of cuts on the branches. Well, of course, the cut itself should be as even as possible.
Processing the cut with garden pitch
The evenness of the cut edges is achieved by processing them with a garden knife. It is desirable to “finish” not only the places where the saw works, but even small branches that were cut with a pruner.
Using a garden pitch
How to use garden var
An alternative material in the form of oil paint is allowed, but this can significantly (up to two times) increase the healing time of the cuts, so this method is recommended for young trees or annual shoots.
Final cutting step
After pruning is completed, all pruned branches must be destroyed. The best way is to burn them at the stake with further processing into wood ash.
Wood ash obtained from scraps can be used as fertilizer
If for some reason it is not possible to burn the cut wood material, it should be completely collected and removed from the site.
The working parts of the tool with which pruning was done must be disinfected so that they do not leave possible traces of fungus or parts of wood infected with some kind of disease.
The disinfectant can be, for example, kerosene.
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tree pruning
Pruning is a mandatory procedure for processing trees. Traditionally, it is performed twice a year. Spring pruning is primarily sanitary in nature and is intended to remove branches that have died or been damaged during the winter.
Autumn pruning is much more important, as it determines the way the plant develops, forms its crown, and prepares it for an easier wintering.
For each type of fruit tree, pruning has its own characteristics and nuances. Methods that are suitable, for example, for apple trees are unlikely to be effective for cherries and vice versa. For each type of plant (and sometimes varieties) there are pruning rules, which are dangerous to neglect for its health.
Video: Pruning fruit trees for beginners
Pruning fruit trees for beginners
Autumn pruning of fruit trees for beginner gardeners: terms and step-by-step description in pictures | (Photo & Video)
In my garden there are: cherries, plums, peaches, honeysuckle bushes, mulberries, a couple of columnar apple and pear bushes, apricots and gooseberries. This year I thank you for doing: crowning, shaping and rejuvenating and sanitary pruning of trees and berry bushes, taking into account all the features of pruning. The scheme turned out to be simple. I managed to whitewash everything, treat with copper sulfate, cut off dry and dried, broken and incorrectly growing branches and even a little top dressing (additional measures). I believe and hope next year my garden will thank me with a generous healthy and generous harvest :)) I consider it necessary to carry out such procedures, given our modern ecology!
I read several articles about pruning trees and now I am at a loss: some recommend autumn pruning as the main one, in other articles they write that autumn pruning is possible only in the south. I live in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the Minusinsk Basin.
Explain whether it is possible to prune now the plum and apple tree (half-apple) - thickening shoots?
Everything and nothing! Before frost, you need to be in time for a long time, but in the photo it is already cut in the snow. Each tree needs its own pruning - here only plum and apricot are highlighted, and the rest of the drawings are common. I think that the article is of little use and was written to advertise the secateurs.