Proper pruning of bushes and trees. Pruning fruit trees: purpose, timing and methods

Caring for trees in the garden is very important, because if you let this process take its course, there will be no good harvests, and the aesthetic beauty of the garden is out of the question. Crown formation directly affects fertility, as well as appearance. autumn pruning fruit trees the most important, and a lot depends on how you spend it. Crown formation begins with early age, thus the summer resident determines the strongest branches, which are given priority in development. The tree does not waste energy in vain, so the yield is maximum for a particular variety. In addition to weak branches, it is necessary to remove old, dry ones, and carry out sanitary pruning of the tree.

What is pruning, why is it needed?

Removal of shoots, branches or parts thereof to form a crown for preventive or sanitary purposes, rejuvenation is carried out for old plants. This procedure is subjected not only to fruit trees, but also shrubs, ornamental plants. As a rule, work in this direction is carried out either in autumn or spring, but sometimes, for a number of reasons, a tree can be cut in the summer. Autumn pruning is advisable only in regions with a rather mild climate, for residents of the northern regions, it would be best to postpone work to spring. Why is that? It's simple, immediately after you remove the branches or shoots, a wound forms at the cut site, and if a sharp cold snap occurs, then the bark abruptly begins to freeze, and the wood deteriorates. Thus, the plant may die.

It should be noted that not all plants need frequent pruning, there are crops in which this happens every few years, while others are pruned every season. Therefore, further, we will talk about the features and nuances in the processing of a particular tree.

Apple pruning.

When:

The apple tree is pruned in the spring and less often in the summer (with a very thick crown that interferes with the development of fruits). Sometimes this procedure is carried out in the fall.

Spring. It is important to get to work even before the juice movements through the plant begin. First of all, the branches that have frozen and dried up in winter are removed, then they proceed to the formation of the crown.

Autumn. It is necessary to make the sanitation of the crown, a suitable month for this is November. Don't start pruning before the apple tree has shed its leaves.

The columnar apple tree is pruned either at the beginning of summer, or already before winter.

Autumn pruning of an apple tree

The goal is to eliminate weak, dry, with signs of decay, black cancer, and other dangerous conditions. Do not worry, you will not bring harm, because during this period the plant is already at rest.

Action plan:

• Start with old large branches that have withered or are badly damaged.
• Proceed to remove branches that grow at an acute angle.
• All places of cuts are covered with a garden pitch, if it is not there, then use paint on drying oil. Young branches are not processed immediately, but after a day.
• Burn all cut shoots and twigs.

Young apple trees are processed very carefully, while using a pruner. The shoots that appeared this year are shortened by a quarter, and then they are not touched for 3-5 years. However, this rule should be neglected if the tree is growing rapidly upwards. A plant older than 5-6 years old is pruned on a more serious scale, but still, moderately. Leading, strong branches are shortened by a third.

Rejuvenation of old apple trees takes place in three phases:

1. The first year, we remove a third of the old branches, choose the old ones, and the damaged ones.
2. In the next season, we repeat this procedure, with the same outcome.
3. In the third year - the final phase, we delete all the old branches that still remain.

When rejuvenating, it is unlikely that a pruner will help you, it is best to use a saw. Before use, the blade should be disinfected.

Columnar apple tree.

In this case, there is a direct dependence on the intensity of pruning to the intensity of growth of the remaining shoots. Feel free to remove a third of the branch, three or four buds will remain, from which powerful and healthy shoots will appear already in the graying year. Otherwise, if you leave more buds, the shoots will be of medium strength, and very weak if you leave the tree alone and remove a small part. Do not cut off the center part, otherwise the crown will begin to split in two.

If you decide to achieve a columnar shape, you need to start forming it from the very moment the seedling is planted. To do this, the crown shoot is tied to a support, and fruit links are formed from the side shoots. If the shoots are overpowerful, they are cut into a ring, as they may begin to retard the growth of the conductor. The frame is formed from grown young shoots.

How to prune an apple tree in spring.

The first procedure is carried out in the first year after planting, even if you acted carefully when planting, root system it was damaged anyway, because it is very fragile in apple trees. Therefore, cutting the seedling is necessary to distribute the movement nutrients and juice, only to the right branches. In the photo, you see the processing scheme after planting, with the help of this instruction you can form the correct crown.

A year later, next spring, the second pruning of the apple tree is carried out. This time we leave only 4-5 branches, the strongest and growing at an obtuse angle - these are skeletal branches. But they also need to be cut to form a tiered structure. To do this, leave a length at the bottom more than at the top. The conductor (trunk) is also cut, it should be no more than 25 centimeters higher than the other processes. In the event of a bifurcation of the conductor, one of its parts is cut off.

Third - fifth year.

This is a very important period for the formation of the crown, so you need to act very carefully. The main thing is not to harm future fruiting, act carefully, and do not remove too zealously.

The growth of the conductor every year must be regulated, and not allowed to grow too rapidly.

Pear cut.

Pear pruning has its own characteristics, this procedure is not carried out annually, but regularity is still necessary. Sanitary procedures are carried out in the warm season. With the onset of cold weather, they become impossible, and they are transferred to the warm season. The best period is considered to be spring, when the temperature crosses + 8C. In autumn, pear pruning is done only in September. The pyramidal shape of the tree is a reference in which the collection of fruits is greatly simplified, so it is best to follow this tradition when forming the crown.

The crown begins to form almost from the very beginning, but before this is done, it is necessary to select the branches that will form the base of the pear. An annual plant is cut at a height of about 45 centimeters from the ground. In two annual trees, half of the side shoots are removed, the remaining ones will be the basis for a powerful tree. They are cut at the same level, but the conductor is 20 cm higher than the rest.

In autumn, the pear is pruned only in order to remove diseased, dry, damaged branches, as well as extra ones in the crown that are not useful. By a third, you can shorten young shoots, as well as the crown, but only if necessary, the main thing is not to harm the shape of the crown, leave it pyramidal. Further, the places damaged by a pruner or saw, as well as cuts, are treated with garden pitch. As we said earlier, lubricate young shoots only after a day has passed from the moment of work.

Pruning pear in spring.

In the spring, it is best to carry out rejuvenation procedures. To do this, you must first cut the top, but this is only if you have not carried out the correct pruning procedures before, and if you did everything correctly, then the crown will be of optimal height, and you can only thin out the density, remove the weakest, dry and damaged branches . Shorten the rest by a quarter, cover the cut points with garden pitch or paint based on drying oil. Carry out manipulations before awakening the kidneys, but not too early, the thermometer mark should cross the mark of + 5C.

How to cut a plum.

When pruning a plum.

Carry out this procedure as needed.

Spring:

In the spring, the plums are pruned before the buds open. First of all, remove frozen branches, then the phase of preparation for active growth begins. In this case, start forming the crown: remove weak shoots that make it too thick, and damaged and dry branches should be removed.

In summer:

It is carried out only when a bountiful harvest threatens to break a branch, remove or shorten unnecessary ones.

Autumn:

How to form a plum crown, diagram

Autumn pruning of plums solves two problems at once: preparing the tree for winter, as well as increasing yields in the next season. After leaf fall, all processes in the plant slow down or stop altogether, it is getting ready for bed, right now all the manipulations need to be carried out. It's time to remove damaged, dry and diseased branches. The top is shortened if the plum is higher than 2.5 meters in height. Then comes the moment when it is necessary to shorten the shoots that grew faster than the norm. Also, shoots that in the future may make the crown too thick are also removed. Young trees are not subjected to hard pruning, shorten the shoots by no more than one-third, but with branches that will grow inside the crown, you should not stand on ceremony, they are cut off entirely. Old branches are removed in the spring, but those that did not bear fruit at all can be removed in the fall.

All waste after work is burned, and the places of cuts are treated with garden pitch, or paint based on drying oil.

Old trees are not pruned in autumn, this procedure is transferred to spring.

Cherry pruning.

When pruning cherries:

It makes no sense to carry out this procedure annually. The formation and rejuvenation of the tree takes place in the spring, in the fall the tree is pruned only if it is necessary to remove dry, damaged or diseased branches. IN southern regions with a mild climate, you can cut cherries in October, but in the northern ones - in September. After the tree throws off the leaves, work can begin. But be sure to watch the weather forecast, if you see that frosts will begin very soon, then postpone this procedure for the arrival of spring.

Autumn cherry pruning:

In the autumn period, work with trees that are one year old is not carried out, since they will not have time to heal their wounds before the onset of cold weather. In grown plants, the branches are shortened and carefully removed, while leaving intact the most powerful processes sticking out in different directions. The distance between them should be at least 10 centimeters. We remove all the growth, as it makes the cherry weak, and serves as a shelter for small rodents. In a rooted plant, shoots can be used for transplantation, but in a grafted plant, it is useless.

Spring pruning cherries:

At this time, young trees are formed, and the old ones are sanitized. The most successful moment for this will be the beginning of March, and it will last until the end of April. At this time, the kidneys have not yet blossomed, and the movement of juice along the trunk has not begun. Young trees that have recently begun to bear fruit are pruned very carefully and minimally. If you planted a tree in the fall, then only in the spring you can start cutting it.

Formation of the young:

1-3 year old cherries form in the spring. It is very important to form the crown correctly. Choose well-growing skeletal branches (the distance between them is 8-15 centimeters, they should not grow from neighboring buds). Remove the lowest shoots to the ring, it is necessary to raise the trunk by 30-50 centimeters, then we remove the weak and dry ones, as well as those growing at an acute angle.

Working with old trees:

Caring for 10-15 year old cherries is quite complicated and will require certain knowledge and skills from you. Since fruiting at this age is plentiful, the trunk must be made more stable; for this, old, diseased and dry branches are removed. It is also necessary to first thin out the crown if it is very thick, and then proceed to the rejuvenation procedure.

The total number of branches of the first order is from 8 to 12 (bush-like), and up to 8 (tree-like). The second order is not taken into account, they are removed only when they begin to grow inward and thicken the crown. To change directions, branches are cut to 1-2 buds. If the height of the cherry is over 2.5 meters, it is shortened by cutting off the central conductor.

Apricot pruning:

When and how to cut an apricot.

Spring, summer and autumn are considered suitable for this procedure. The most thorough and thorough is spring, in summer only branches overloaded with fruits that threaten to damage the tree as a whole are removed. In the fall, they carry out sanitary work and prepare for the winter.

Autumn.

Prune the branches during this period very carefully, and only remove the old, dry and damaged ones. Do not leave deep wounds, and those that remain must be treated with garden pitch, if the cut is deep, then first apply blue vitriol on the wound, and then the garden pitch. You can also remove shoots growing inside the crown.

Spring.

This is the best season to start work. Start pruning apricots around April, when the cold has already receded. During this period, the tree itself is formed, preferably in a cupped shape, as well as sanitary pruning is carried out, and a crown that is too thick is cleared. Strongly growing shoots from skeletal branches are also removed.

Summer.

At this time, the procedure greatly affects the future harvest. At the very beginning of summer, last year's shoots are pinched, the length of which exceeds 20 centimeters. Already after 10 days, the number of shoots will increase significantly, which will positively affect the yield. But do not forget to water the apricot regularly, especially if the weather is dry, hot, otherwise all activities will be wasted without giving the desired effect.

How is the process of pruning apricots:

It should be said that in different age groups, different tasks are solved, so it is advisable to break this question into several points, by age.

Young .

When pruning young tree, it is very important to look at correct formation trunk, as well as the location of skeletal branches. The shoots need to be greatly shortened so that the young apricot can easily bear their weight and can develop calmly.

Sequencing:

1. After a year after planting, it will be about September, it is necessary to shorten the whip by 1/4 from the tree.
2. In another year, three large branches will grow in that place, they should also be cut off at the very beginning of autumn. In early spring, pruning is not carried out, otherwise there is a risk that the tree will die.
3. In the third year of growth, the apricot will acquire a spherical shape, at which point it will be necessary to cut off the growth shoots if they stick out and stand out from the rest of the mass.
4. Small, weak branches are pinched at the point of growth.
5. Starting from the fourth year, the gardener needs to cut off the stem shoots that grow faster than others on a regular basis.
6. Fruit branches are removed every few years.

Old :

The apricot rejuvenation procedure is very important if you want to maintain or even increase its yield. When is the procedure needed? In the event that the annual growth of shoots is less than 20 centimeters.

Action algorithm:

1. Twigs that are 5 years old or more must be sawn off at an angle.
2. When a powerful shoot appears at the saw cut, then the branches above it, or grow in different directions, are removed, so the new sprout gets more strength and nutrients.
3. Radical removal does not occur, do this procedure gradually, waiting for the appearance of new shoots, and only then remove the old ones.

Peach cut.

When:

As in most cases, this procedure is carried out with a peach three times a year: in autumn, spring, and summer. In the spring, a plant is formed, and the branches damaged by the cold are also removed. Also in the spring you can rejuvenate a peach. In summer, manipulations are carried out only if necessary, and in autumn they are prepared for winter.

Autumn.

We carry out sanitary removal of unnecessary branches, damaged and diseased. We burn waste away from orchard, treat wounds with a garden var, or paint based on drying oil.

Spring.

The most suitable moment for this procedure is the period between the onset of bud swelling and flowering. As a rule, it does not last long, a maximum of three to four weeks, during which time you need to have time to carry out all the activities.

• Increase the fruiting interval.
• Formation of a decorative look.
• Sanitary.
• Acceleration of flowering and the beginning of fruiting.

Pruning peach by age.

1. The first year after planting, it is necessary to form a vase-shaped crown. To do this, the plant is shortened by 20 centimeters, at a height of about 65 centimeters. Upper growth should have a wide angle of departure. Next, select two more growths that will be located below and have the same parameters as the top one. They need to be shortened by 10 centimeters. Shoots that started on the stem at the point of shortening near the trunk should be removed as soon as the buds open. Those shoots that grow inside the crown must be removed, do it in the summer.
2. In the second year, it is necessary to form correct angle tilt and growth of skeletal branches. New growths are shortened to 65 centimeters. Strong growths growing at the top or bottom are removed. Lateral - it is necessary to thin out, leave every 15 centimeters, and the length is removed by 2 kidneys. In summer, fat shoots growing inside the crown are removed.
3. Third year. At this time, you should choose two powerful branches on the skeletal branch at the top, and cut them 60 centimeters from the bifurcation. Delete the main part of the conductor above the top branch. The most powerful shoots are removed from above and below on the skeletal branches. In the event that the length of young, one-year-old growths exceeds a length of 80 centimeters, they must be thinned out, cut into 2 buds. Thus, a new fruit link begins to form. The rest of them are used on temporary fruit branches, which must be shortened by eight buds. In order for the lower shoot growing to tweezing to develop as efficiently as possible, the shoot located on top must be cut to 50 centimeters. On those branches where two buds were shortened last year, the growth that grows upwards must be shortened for fruiting, and the lower one - for two buds. This is how the fruit link is formed.
4. This Last year peach growth, so the formation of a vase-shaped crown is completed in the fourth year. And so, at the top of the skeletal bifurcation of the 2nd order, we select 2 branches of the 3rd order. We shorten them by a third of their original length. It is necessary to remove strong growths in the upper and lower surfaces of the branching, which are located at the base of the bole. On the branches of the 2nd order, complete the formation of fruit links. On 3rd order splits, thin out the growths, sometimes pruning quite hard, all the way down to the second bud. The rest are left for 7-8 kidneys. These will be fickle fruit-bearing branches. In the first row, remove branches that are no longer bearing fruit. As well as the branches of the lower growth, which were previously cut last year. On top growths, remove about seven groups of buds

Cherry pruning.

When:

They form a tree in the spring, carry out sanitary measures in the fall and, according to tradition, prepare the cherry for the winter, but even in the fall, on the recommendation of many gardeners, rejuvenation can be carried out. But, of course, you should not prune heavily in anticipation of cold weather, it is better to combine sanitary procedures with rejuvenation, and remove damaged, weak and diseased branches. If you did not dare to rejuvenate the cherry in the fall, you can do it in the spring.

The crown, according to experienced gardeners, the cherry should be in the shape of a cone, with a wide base. Thus, the tree receives the maximum amount of heat and sun, while ensuring good air circulation inside the crown.

Autumn.

After all the leaves have fallen, start removing dry, diseased, and damaged branches. The rejuvenation procedure requires the removal of old branches, older than 6-7 years, under the ring. Seal the wounds with garden pitch and linseed oil paint.

Spring.

Early March best time for spring pruning cherries. At this time, she has not yet left the sleep phase, so all procedures will be less traumatic. But wait for the night frost to stop. To prevent the branch from drying out, do not remove its tips and growth buds. Too dense deciduous crown is removed not in one fell swoop, but in tiers. In this way, you stimulate the appearance of side shoots, which in turn will have a positive effect on future yields.

Summer.

Cherry pruning is carried out in the summer, those who do not like to do this in the spring, because of the stress for the tree. Sanitary work can also be carried out at this time.

Pruning garden trees.

As you can see, there is a lot in common in pruning all fruit trees. The main activity in this matter falls in the spring, during this period, as a rule, they form a tree, rejuvenate it. But in the summer and autumn, they carry out additional procedures, and sanitary measures, removing diseased, dry, and weak branches. But, as an exception, one can imagine an apple tree and a pear, in which case autumn is considered the main season of work.

How to trim, techniques:

• Cut on the kidney: It is carried out in order to change the direction of growth of the branch, you can choose the vector that suits you. To do this, on the annual shoot, find a kidney that would be directed in the direction you need. Near it, it is necessary to cut a branch at an angle of 45 degrees, but make sure that the stump opposite from the kidney is not too long (about 2 centimeters). Since if the stump is longer, then most likely it will dry out, and the kidney will not wake up.
• cut on the ring. When you remove an unnecessary process, it must be removed completely, right up to the outer edge of the ring. Thus, you can make the main one, the branch that grew next to the unnecessary one.

Wound care is very important, so do not be lazy to apply garden pitch, or drying oil-based paint, to the cut site. Recently, many similar drugs have appeared that are more effective in their action, you can check this information in your nearest specialized store.

Tree pruning is the key to any gardener's success. Fruit trees need constant and careful care. Only in this case they will give a regular and abundant harvest. Surely, many gardeners have encountered such a phenomenon that a neighbor in the dacha collects more fruits from one plant than you do from the entire plot. This means that your neighbor is doing proper care behind your trees, which you unfortunately neglect. In this article, you will learn why pruning fruit trees is needed and how to do it correctly.

Purpose of tree pruning

This procedure is carried out in order to prolong the life of plants, stimulate their growth and obtain big harvest. After all fruit trees on a personal plot they plant it for the purpose of obtaining fruits. Besides, Pruning your garden helps protect your trees from pests and possible diseases.

In general, plants need comprehensive care, one pruning will not be enough to get a bountiful harvest. It is necessary to fertilize, water and spray the garden. And then your fruit trees will be beautiful, healthy and, most importantly, fruitful.

Just because tree pruning plays a big role in getting a harvest, does not mean that this event should be carried out when it pleases. There are certain terms and methods for carrying out this procedure. Failure to follow these rules will have the opposite effect on the trees and you risk instead blooming garden receive a PIECE OF SCANTED PLANTS.

Trimming types

By removing extra branches from the crown of a tree, you greatly slow down its growth. Experienced gardeners have long noticed such a feature, the larger the tree, the smaller its fruits. The following types of plant pruning are currently practiced:

crown forming

This is done to obtain a bountiful harvest by forming the correct crown of the fruit tree. Typically, such pruning is carried out in the period from 2 to 4 years of the life of a seedling in your area.

Branches are pruned in such a way that stronger shoots form a reliable frame that protects weaker and thinner branches. This should be done in such a way that the branches inside the frame receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. It has been noticed that trees with a properly processed crown begin to bear fruit earlier and give more yield..

Regulating fruiting

It is from this procedure that the regularity of the harvest depends. The essence of such pruning is as follows: depending on the variety of the seedling, the shoots are shortened by a certain number of buds. This number can vary from 3 to 12.

Restorative

It consists in removing old, broken or diseased branches.

Anti-aging

This type of pruning is relevant only for mature trees. Old branches are removed or shortened, only young shoots remain. It is recommended to carry out such a procedure approximately once every four years.

Trimming methods

Novice amateur gardeners are concerned about the question of how to properly prune trees? We have already told you about the types of this procedure. Now it is worth talking about the methods. There are currently two known methods. Let's talk about each of them in more detail.

Shortening

The bottom line is cutting off young shoots. This is done in order to prevent the growth of shoots outside the crown..

This is done as follows: choose a shoot that grows outward and has more than one kidney. For example, if there are three buds on the shoot, it is recommended to cut one. The following year, the cut branch should produce three young shoots. One of them will definitely grow in the direction the gardener needs, that is, not outward from the crown, but parallel to the ground. This shoot is left, the other two are cut off.

thinning

Such pruning of fruit trees is considered the safest for plant health. In this case, the branches are not cut, but removed completely.

It is necessary to delete the branch at its very base. Usually in this place there is a barely distinguishable fold of the bark. This crease should remain intact. Then the cut site will quickly tighten with bark, which will significantly reduce the risk of disease.

Tool selection

The choice of tools for pruning fruit trees plays a big role. Tools should be not only comfortable, but also well-sharpened.. This will allow not only to quickly carry out the necessary work, but also deliver less discomfort to the seedling.

Here is a list of tools that should be in the arsenal of any gardener:

Secateurs

This is probably the most popular and frequently used tool in gardening. When buying such garden shears, you need to pay attention to the following points: weight, sharpening and operation of the mechanism.

If you buy a tool that doesn't fit your hand or works hard, the job of pruning fruit trees will take a lot of time and effort.

Hacksaw

Not experienced gardeners often use ordinary carpentry tools for gardening. This is fundamentally the wrong approach. A construction saw, although it will provide a faster process of work, will cause irreparable harm to the tree. Therefore, it is best to purchase a special garden saw.

Air pruner

This tool according to the principle of operation does not differ from ordinary garden scissors. The only difference is the telescopic design of the fixture. Thanks to it, without using a ladder, you can cut branches located at a decent height from the ground.

petrol saw

This tool is used to trim thick branches from old trees.

How to properly prune to increase the yield of a tree

Many novice gardeners do not pay due attention to this procedure. Why bother with pruning if the tree bears fruit so well, they say. But high yield will be only in the first three years, then it will sharply decline.

The crown plays an important role in the fruitfulness of the tree. It is recommended to cut and form it from the beginning of planting the seedling in the ground. The crown should not be very thick and high. Otherwise, the abundance of branches will not let the sun's rays through, which will impede the development of fruits. In addition, it is very problematic to process and spray heavily thickened trees. Accordingly, the plant will often get sick.

Pruning the garden is also needed so that the branches grow in the same direction. The chaotic pile of branches not only reduces the yield, but also makes it difficult to collect it. Therefore, all shoots that grow strictly up or down are recommended to be completely removed.

Horizontal branches should not be removed, it is on them that the most fruit is formed. In extreme cases, you can cut them slightly so that the branch does not break from the abundance of fruits.

Do not leave dried, broken or frozen branches. They affect not only the yield, but also the lifespan of your garden.

IN winter time, especially with the onset of severe cold weather, it is recommended to trim the crown. This will allow the plant to recover faster after frost and, accordingly, give more yield.

When to prune

Why you need to prune fruit trees and how to do it right, we figured it out. Now we should talk about what time of the year it is better to do this.

pruning garden trees held at any time of the year. But it is worth considering some factors. For example, the region of the country where your garden is located. Considering the vast expanses of our Motherland, each of its regions has its own climatic conditions.

For example, in the south it is recommended to do this, because there are no very coldy. In central Russia, and in the north of the country, fruit trees should not be pruned. Otherwise, during severe frosts, the tree may get sick and die.

Given these features, we can conclude that the optimal time for cutting branches is early. Until the buds start to swell. Therefore, first of all, they pay attention to old trees. Buds on them are formed much earlier than in young plants.

Also has its own characteristics. In general, experienced gardeners and biologists advise choosing for pruning the period when the garden is resting.

It only at first glance seems that haircuts were invented exclusively for people. no less need a similar procedure, and not only for the sake of beauty, but also for health.

A beautiful and well-groomed garden cannot be created without a competent one. But in order to get the desired result, it is important to answer to three main questions: what to cut? when? and why?

This is what we will talk about today, because autumn is the most right time for a similar topic.

Secrets of the garden hairdresser

In fact, the field of activity is very extensive, because almost every garden dweller needs, if not a haircut, then at least a minimal trim. Some plants should be correct, others have to be deprived of their “hair” in order to save them from enemies (and pathogens), others have suffered from the machinations of the elements during the growing season and they urgently need the intervention of a “traumatologist”.

Advice: start autumn pruning after leaf fall, when sap flow stops and plants go into dormancy. Well, you need to finish the process before frost. Only in this case, the haircut will not weaken the plants, but, on the contrary, will strengthen their immunity. And don't be too zealous - pruning should be gentle so that your pets do not get too much stress.

Wintering with an injured or thickened crown is dangerous for plants, so in the fall it is first of all necessary sanitary and thinning pruning all cultures.

In the first case, trees and bushes get rid of broken, barren and dried branches. Special attention should be given to branches affected by pests and diseases. Such areas are especially visible after the trees part with their foliage.

Pruning inside the crown often call thinning(cut branches that block light or cross and rub against each other, damaging the bark). Superfluous can also be called shoots extending upward from the trunk at an acute angle. And don't forget to ruthlessly cut tops- shoots that grow on the central conductor and skeletal branches.

Another type of autumn pruning can be safely called address, that is, acceptable for a particular group of plants. And here, as usual, how many groups, so many subtleties of the process. Let's review everything possible options.

Pruning berry bushes

Harvest largely depends on regular pruning, which forms bushes, gets rid of aged and diseased branches, opens the crown to light. Such work should be done in the fall, because in the spring these plants wake up very early, and you risk not having time to finish the preventive haircut before the sap flow and swelling of the kidneys begin.

Operating principle approximately the same for all representatives of this group: remove the aged branches of shrubs “on the ring” to the very root, leaving no stumps, close to the ground, or even a little underground. More about this method is written in the article. In the same way, get rid of unripened green and weak shoots that are unlikely to overwinter (in cold weather, they usually freeze out and reduce the winter hardiness of the whole plant).

Advice: the number of ripened young shoots left should be equal to the number of removed ones, then the necessary balance will be observed.

Important: during autumn pruning, do not shorten healthy shoots of berry bushes, postpone this matter until spring, because not only the cut point, but also a significant part of the shoot can freeze slightly.

Sanitary pruning is relevant for any woody plants, therefore, in the fall, trees and shrubs must be rid of dried and broken branches. Such a haircut will help them survive the winter more easily.

Trimming ornamental shrubs

Many in autumn they need sanitary pruning and thinning. But if the first process is mandatory for everyone, then certain problems may arise with the second, because not everyone can shorten shoots in the fall. So when can you bring beauty? The answer to this question depends not only on the characteristics of the species, variety, but also on the time of their flowering.

Remember: at the end of the season, only shrubs that bloom on the shoots of the current year should be cut. Plants that please with their lush color already in early spring, in autumn it is strictly forbidden to touch - here flower buds are formed on the growths of last year, so all "hairdressing procedures" should be performed in the summer, immediately after flowering ends.

In autumn (or early spring), prune shrubs that bloom from mid-summer to autumn, which form flower buds on the growth of the current year. This is blooming in summer, brilliant cotoneaster, rowan-leaved fieldfare and others.

In autumn, it needs preventive pruning to free the plant from an unnecessary load of dry, diseased, and infertile branches.

in autumn it needs only sanitary pruning, and it is better to leave dried inflorescences on the bush until spring.

You will learn how to properly trim a hydrangea from the article. In autumn, doing sanitary and thinning pruning, you can also remove or shorten summer growths - new shoots will grow in spring.

The shearing of ornamentals, whose branches adorn the fruits in autumn, is often postponed until early spring. For example, it blooms from July to September, and in August and September fruits appear that can remain on the shoots all winter.

By the way, the snowberry perfectly tolerates rejuvenating autumn pruning "under the stump" 40-60 cm high - next summer, young shoots will grow from sleeping buds.

Needs both sanitary and thinning pruning. Schedule these jobs for the fall.

Queens of our gardens- - very demanding on wintering conditions. Proper pruning helps them to endure natural disasters. Almost all representatives of this family need a sanitary and thinning haircut in the fall.

• According to the weather (usually at the end of October), remove shoots that have not matured and are directed inside the bush, old, broken, diseased and pest-damaged branches, cut off the remaining flowers, buds, leaves.
• Get rid of the grafted roses from the basal growth, which constantly grows throughout the season, otherwise the wild rose rootstock will crush the grafted variety.
• A comfortable wintering for varietal roses (floribunda, hybrid tea, polyanthus) will be provided by a water-dry shelter, before which all branches will have to be significantly shortened.
• Before proceeding to the “hairdressing procedures”, install a shelter frame over the bushes, on which you need to temporarily throw a rain film on top - it is contraindicated for roses after an autumn haircut.
• Shoots do not shorten to the height of the shelter. This is not necessary, since for the winter the plants are removed from the supports and covered in a horizontal position. They need sanitary pruning: removal of the remaining flowers, buds, leaves, injured, diseased or pest-infested lashes.

A series of articles will help you to understand in more detail the intricacies of the image of "decorators":

Pruning climbing plants

quickly spread in all directions, without taking a definite form. If left at the mercy of nature, they will crawl along the ground, and from there they will move to neighboring trees. To prevent them from suffocating their neighbors in the arms, let these climbers climb a wall or fence.

( , And ) It is recommended to prune only in autumn.- in the spring, a haircut is unhealthy, because in the stems "juice is bubbling". Remove old, weakly branching, unripened, withered, weak and superfluous lashes and, of course, unripened shoots, otherwise they will freeze and reduce the winter hardiness of the whole plant.

Pruning time depends on the period of their flowering. If buds appear on last year's shoots, trim immediately after flowering is complete: completely remove weak and dried shoots and shorten faded ones, then the plant will have time to grow shoots and lay new buds before the onset of cold weather.

Clematis that bloom twice (at the beginning of summer - on the shoots of the previous year, and then from July to autumn on the shoots of the current year) are also cut twice a season. After the first flowering, shorten or even cut off some of the last year's shoots to encourage the growth of new ones, and in the fall, remove weak and diseased shoots, leaving a few of the strongest ones.

Clematis, blooming from July to mid-September on the shoots of the current year, in the fall, cut "on a stump" 20-50 cm high above the second or third pair of buds.

hedge trimming

cut to make it thick and even.

• Hardwood "fences" are recommended to be cut already in the first year after planting, best of all in late autumn.
• Fast-growing crops (for example, or) are trimmed as shoots grow throughout the summer.
• Shrubs that are not in a hurry to grow are sheared 2-3 times per season: in autumn and early spring, and, if necessary, in summer to maintain a given shape.
• Fences made of tree species are not cut before winter. If you need a formative pruning, do it either in early spring before the growth of new shoots, or in late summer, but no later than mid-August. At the same time, carry out sanitary pruning: remove shrunken and damaged branches. Do not rush to prune young conifers - they will need at least two years to fully acclimatize.

Advice: cut bare, needleless branches - they will dry out anyway, since most of these plants do not have dormant buds on old shoots and new needles will not grow instead of fallen ones. By the way, it is for the same reason that the crown of conifers cannot be restored after heavy pruning, so limit yourself to removing dying and dead shoots.

Important: Not all conifers welcome pruning. Handles haircut well

Planting a garden is only the first step to harvest. In order for it to bear fruit well and not get sick, pruning of fruit trees is needed. Do it in spring and autumn. Let's talk about spring.

ABOUT when cutting a plant, you injure it. Therefore, it is very important to choose the type and quality of the tool that you use. It depends on them whether the tree will quickly recover.

You will need:

• garden knife;
• hacksaw.

Branches are recommended to be cut with a knife. Secateurs are easier, but they cause more damage: they strongly compress the wood, and then the wound heals longer. In order for the garden to recover faster, the cut must be even. This can only be achieved with a garden knife.

Amateur gardeners often have a question: when to prune fruit trees in spring, is it possible after the start of sap flow? It all depends on the state of your garden. The trunk split, branches broke under the weight of snow? Of course, pruning is inevitable. When there is nothing of the kind, then it is not worth injuring the trees. After all, pruning is not an end in itself. If you form trees according to the rules, you will only need a minimal corrective operation, without which you can do without.

Pruning of fruit trees important factor for a healthy and fruitful garden. And you need to do it skillfully. First of all, you should remove the shoots:

• which depart from the trunk at an acute angle;
• directed to the center of the crown;
• which do not bear fruit (top).

There are several rules that professional gardeners always adhere to:

1. Pruning should begin immediately, as soon as the big frosts subsided (most often this is the end of January, the beginning of March). Thus, the wounds will not freeze, and when the sap flow begins, they will heal quickly. The cuts should be even and smooth. They must be lubricated with garden pitch.
2. You need to cut the shoots above the eyes that grow outward from the crown. Carry out the cut from the inside out.
3. The branches that are a continuation of the trunk should be longer than the rest.
4. On weak trees, short pruning is done. Cut off over the second or third eyes.
5. With strong growth, medium pruning is done. The branches are cut above the fifth eye.
6. For vigorous trees, a long pruning is carried out, leaving eight or more eyes.

crown formation

Forming the crown of a young tree can begin in the second year of its life and continue for several years. Fruits on apple trees, pears appear on perennial shoots, and plums, cherries bear fruit the next year after planting. Knowing this, spring pruning of fruit trees can be done without much damage to the future crop. Untiered and sparse-tiered crown formation systems are widespread. The latter is ideal for cherries, plums, cherry plums. The basis of such a crown is a trunk and up to a dozen side branches that grow from the trunk in tiers at a distance of up to twenty centimeters from each other.

And so, how to properly prune fruit trees in spring and form a crown? Proceed as follows:

1. The conductor is the central shoot, cut off at about 80 cm from the base. The main thing: up to a dozen buds should remain on the conductor. From them will go new shoots, side branches. This is the first tier.
2. Next year, remove the branches damaged during the winter, select three or four strong ones. Delete the rest. This is the second tier.
3. Therefore, according to the principle, form the third tier already in the fourth year.
4. The tree has reached a height of four meters (short fruit trees - maximum), remove the conductor above the upper branch. Thus, stop the growth, completely form the crown of the tree.

Trees should be pruned regularly: once a year or in spring and autumn. At any time, as needed, sanitary or corrective pruning is performed.

Pruning fruit trees in the spring, the timing of its implementation is the end of winter or early spring. This is especially important for apricot, cherry, peach, cherry plum. In summer, pruning is done only to remove tops, branches that contribute to unnecessary crown density.

Description: a - shortening of shoots in the first year; b, c - shaping pruning of crown shoots along a given contour; g - sanitary pruning (removal of dry branches); e - pruning and thinning in order to improve aeration (before and after); e - rejuvenation of old trees.

Pruning mature fruit trees

Your garden is already fruitful. But he, like young trees, requires care and removal of dried or diseased branches. How to prune fruit trees in spring?

The thickened crown of a fruit tree needs to be thinned out. After five years, the conductor is removed. This will limit upward growth. Delete a branch in whole or in part. Partial removal will contribute to the growth of the branch that is located nearby. It is also necessary to cut off diseased, dried branches - the illumination of the crown improves, the fruits are distributed evenly.

Pruning is best done when the tree is at rest, until sap flow has begun.

If the crown is pyramidal (pear - branches grow upwards), the growing branches must be lowered down: those that are directed downwards are left, and those that are upwards are cut off. In other fruit trees, the branches are directed downwards - they need to be lifted: remove those directed downwards.

To rejuvenate a tree, you need to cut upper part trunk and thin out the crown. To do this, remove the old, going inside the crown, branches that are intertwined. A very dense crown, so as not to greatly injure the plant, should not be thinned out overnight, stretch the operation for two to three years.

Pear, cherry, apple pruning schemes

Pruning fruit trees in spring scheme for pears:

1. In winter, branches freeze and tops appear. They are completely removed or cut.
2. Pruning too much will weaken the tree and fruit will appear much later than expected. It is better to do a moderate pruning.
3. It is useful to shorten annual branches slightly. It will only make them stronger.

For cherries, cherries:

1. In young trees, five to seven strong branches are left, “looking” in different directions. The distance between them is up to 10 centimeters.
2. All weak branches are removed.
3. The conductor should be longer than the rest by 20 centimeters.
4. Cherries and sweet cherries are pruned only in spring.

For apple trees:

1. Before you start pruning, you need to clean the trunk, the main branches of the shoots.
2. Rejuvenate an old plant, increase productivity by removing a third of branches and shoots - the main thing is not to overdo it.
3. It needs to be pruned over several years.

When working in your garden, consider the experience of other gardeners and do not forget:

1. When removing branches, do not leave stumps, cut off at the very trunk.
2. A correctly made cut leaves a trace of a neatly overgrown "ring".
3. When removing thick branches, first make an inscription from below, and then from above. Thus, the bark will remain intact if the branch falls.
4. The shoot was removed incorrectly, there is damage - clean it, treat the cut with a var.
5. With pruning of frozen trees, it is better to wait until next spring.
6. Filling hollows, drilling drainage holes is impossible.
7. If there is a danger of branches breaking under the weight of the fruit, do not put props. It is better to cut off part of the fruit. Otherwise, the plant will get used to it and will not be able to hold the branches on its own.

You will learn how to properly cut the plant and not damage it by watching the video at the end of the article.

1. When pruning, the pruner should be held with the narrow part towards the branch.
2. If you want to form a lush crown of a young tree, shorten the conductor by ¼.
3. There should be only one conductor. There are competitors - liquidate.

A year after planting the plant, shorten its trunk by 20 centimeters, and the branches up to 7 centimeters. Please note: the branches at the bottom should be longer.

Spring pruning of fruit trees video

Pruning fruit trees in the photo

For the normal development of the fruit, a lot of light is needed, the fruit must literally “bathe” in the sun. Otherwise, the crop will be concentrated only on the periphery of the crown, and in the center there will be only foliage on weakened and withered branches. In addition, for diseases and pests - a poorly ventilated crown is simply a paradise, where all conditions are created for their rapid reproduction. That is, pruning fruit trees is also an important measure for disease prevention.

There are 11 basic rules for pruning fruit trees.

1. Measure seven times - cut one. With regard to pruning, the proverb can be paraphrased: Measure seven times - cut one. It is impossible to “glue” back a remote branch or part of it. If you have the slightest doubt, don't cut! And remember that an illiterate "circumcision" is even worse than a complete lack of pruning.
2. Hurry up and make people laugh. Take your time, pruning does not tolerate fuss. This is a meticulous and painstaking work that can be compared to a surgical operation. It is unlikely that you will trust the ever-hurrying and fussy doctor - and during pruning you are a doctor for your plants, and also to some extent a teacher, because with the help of pruning you direct and regulate their growth and development. Perhaps you will stretch the pruning process for several days, especially if you are just mastering this art, because the eye is “blurred”, tired - there is nothing to worry about. Impact rates are not suitable for pruning, but for cutting firewood. In the case of old trees, it is absolutely normal if it takes several seasons to reach the goal.
3. There are no universal recipes. Each tree and even each cut requires an individual approach.
4. Another rule for pruning fruit trees is to always start with sanitary pruning. It is possible that this pruning will be completed before the next season.
5. Pruning the crown of fruit trees is a regular activity. If you have started trimming trees and shrubs, you will have to do this year after year.
6. Sections are made on the ring or on the kidney(often external), and not in an arbitrary place, which is discussed in more detail in the corresponding section of the article.
7. Another principle of pruning fruit trees is to make sure that the rays of the sun penetrate into the middle of the crown. A sparrow should fly through a correctly cut crown. That's what the trimmers say. Common Mistake- a thickened crown, in the center of which the branches, deprived of the sun, begin to die off and become easy prey for pests and diseases. And then the gardener complains - there are a lot of branches, a lot of leaves, and a small harvest. Fruit growers believe that from the point of view of productivity, a sufficient height and diameter of the crown is 3-3.5 m, only such a volume is well lit by the sun, and all the “surpluses” are unproductive.
8. In the process of pruning fruit trees, remove no more than a quarter of living branches in one year. Of course, the tree will always try to restore balance and build up the above-ground part, but too radical pruning weakens the tree, can reduce its winter hardiness and even lead to death. Pruning in the "high stump" style, which is often used in cities to combat poplar fluff, is unacceptable for fruit trees, moreover, it can be fatal. Plants of the willow family, which include poplar, have a lot of dormant buds and a high shoot-forming ability, so they quickly recover and grow their crown. In fruit trees (all the most common fruit trees belong to the rosaceae family, with the exception of sea buckthorn from the sucker family), the shoot-forming ability is many times lower.
9. Correctly pruning fruit trees, as practice shows, is necessary according to the principle "better less, but better." That is, it is better to remove one large branch than several small ones - it is physically easier for you and easier for the tree. The total area of ​​the cuts is smaller, and it is faster and easier for the tree to heal the wound.
10. If you want to remove at least two large branches that are close, it is better to cut one branch into a ring, shorten the other, and finally remove it after a year or two. This is especially important when we are talking On skeletal branches, large cuts can weaken the tree and cause the part of the crown above the cuts to dry out.
11. It is obligatory to disinfect the instrument and cover up the wounds, especially if the tree is not very healthy. Ideally, after each cut, the tool is disinfected, and all cuts with a diameter of more than 1 cm are covered with garden pitch or similar compounds.

The scheme of pruning fruit trees in the photo

Having become acquainted with general rules pruning fruit trees, it is important to find out which branches must be removed.

How to prune the branches of fruit trees?

There are 8 types of branches that must be deleted:

A weak branch of two, located side by side and going in the same direction:

• Contiguous large branches going in the same direction interfere with each other. To prune the fruit tree properly, you will have to leave only one - which is stronger.
• If the branches are approximately equal in strength and both are still needed, you can redirect them, “spread” them in different directions by pruning for translation.

Branches that pose a threat to the safety of people and property.

Basal shoots and all shoots growing below the grafting site :

• Basal shoots must be cut in a timely manner, without waiting for the apple tree to turn into a multi-stemmed tree

Branches extending from the trunk at an acute angle:

• These are potential fault points, and the sharper the angle, the more dangerous. Optimal Angle branch of the fruit tree from the trunk - about 60 degrees, the allowable range is -45-80 degrees
• Consequences of sharp corners. Such a huge wound will remain until the end of the tree's life.

Branches pointing down, that is, attached to the trunk at an obtuse angle. The exception is the branches of weeping forms:

• Downward branches receive less nourishment and are in worse light conditions. And although at a certain stage downward-pointing branches may produce more crops, they die off faster, thicken the crown and are loosely attached to the trunk.
• Sharp corners in the crown. Despite the fact that the branches look strong and durable, a break can occur at any moment.

All intersecting, rubbing against each other branches or one of them:

• With constant friction of the branches, significant damage is imperceptibly formed.
• Intertwining and intersecting branches interfere with each other. They need to be "untwisted" by cutting off one or more branches

Branches growing inside the crown. Weak branches. Tops:

• Weak branches, branches growing inside the crown, a few tops. Pruning such a neglected tree should not be done in a “short time”, it is better to stretch it for two or three seasons. And avoid many mistakes, and you will have to injure the apple tree less.
• Tops. It is impractical to get rid of all, of those that are relatively well located, you can try to form fruit-bearing branches by systematic pruning.

The photo "Pruning fruit trees" shows which branches should be removed:

fruit tree pruning technology

There are two main techniques for pruning fruit trees - pruning (shortening) and cutting (removing). When thinning - removing a certain number of branches - the volume of the crown changes little, but in appearance it becomes more openwork. As a result, the illumination of the crown improves, and, consequently, more generative buds are laid. In many cases, when deleting a branch, you have to think about replacing it. Removal a large number large branches upsets the balance between the aboveground and underground parts, the tree seeks to replenish the lost volume and reacts with rapid growth, most often with the formation of tops, and if the situation gets out of control, then in a couple of seasons the crown will be even more thickened than before pruning. It is wiser to stretch radical thinning over several seasons, or first shorten the branches, and then gradually cut them out.

When pruning fruit trees correctly, you need to be very careful. The stronger the shortening, the more branching will be next year. If the tree tends to branch heavily (this depends on the variety), shortening is not recommended, it is better to cut the entire branch. With a short pruning (about 1/3 of the branch is removed), a few shoots will grow in the upper part. With a strong pruning of fruit trees (1/3 of the branch remains), few shoots form in the remaining part of the branch, they will turn out to be powerful and will diverge at sharp angles. In most cases, growths less than 40 cm long are not shortened. On the other hand, if it is necessary to stimulate growth, then it is necessary to prune heavily.

Some varieties have long annual growths, but low awakening of the buds - branching occurs only in the upper part, and the lower buds remain in reserve, as a result, the crown becomes "ankle-like" and voluminous. In this case, a strong shortening stimulates branching and makes the crown more compact.

Observing the technology of pruning fruit trees, it is important not to overdo it when shortening the shoots of a young tree. Excessive zeal can delay the entry into fruiting - the tree will need to restore the lost shoots, spending a lot of effort on this.

The video "Pruning fruit trees" clearly demonstrates how pruning and cutting of branches is performed:

Tools for pruning fruit trees in the photo

Choosing a tool for pruning fruit trees should be carefully and meticulously, like a cold weapon. A significant part of the price is the cost of the metal, so a quality tool is never cheap. Buy the most expensive one you can afford. Saving will do more harm than good A quality pruner cannot cost as much as a kilogram of apples. A hacksaw tool, a grafting knife, a pruner must have bright details so that it is easy to find, leaving it in the grass or in the snow. Another useful detail is a loop that is worn on the wrist and prevents the pruner or hacksaw from falling if you accidentally open your fingers.

For pruning fruit trees, when choosing a tool, novice gardeners can be given the following advice: in the store, take the tool in your hand, listen to your feelings - does it fit comfortably in your hand? If not, refuse to buy right away - during the season you will make at least several hundred cuts a day, and you can literally wipe your hands in blood, working with an uncomfortable pruner, in just ten minutes. If so, move your hand as you would during work, squeeze and unclench the handles several times, make several imaginary cuts on different height. Did you have the feeling that you were born with this instrument in your hands, that it is an extension of your hand? Take it without hesitation!

Loppers on rods exist for working at height, if there is no possibility or desire to climb the stairs. In the recent past, a lopper was mounted on a stick available on the farm and pulled on the rope, now there are comfortable and light telescopic rods. At modern models you can adjust the angle of installation of the cutting part.

A hacksaw is necessary for working with branches large diameter(a photo)
Hacksaws in the photo

Some models of hacksaws may also have a telescopic handle. A hacksaw is necessary for working with branches of large diameter. For trimming, you can not use tools from the arsenal of carpenters and joiners, which are adapted to work with building materials. Hacksaws should be designed for live wood and have smaller teeth sharpened on both sides, which ensures a smooth cut - and the higher the quality of the cut, the faster it overgrows. Folding models are very convenient, besides, they are safer in work and storage. And it is categorically impossible to use a chainsaw for trimming - it is absolutely unrealistic to make an accurate, neat and smooth cut with this worthy unit, and the cuts made by a chainsaw will, in the vast majority of cases, remain huge non-healing wounds until the end of the tree's life.

A garden knife will be needed to clean the cuts. It must be perfectly sharpened - after all, you have to cut wood. The old masters skillfully cut branches with a garden knife, but a pruner for this purpose is much more convenient and safer.

In order for the equipment for pruning garden trees to serve for a long time, pay attention to it after work. Wipe the blades with a soft cloth, if necessary, lubricate and check the quality of sharpening. Many secateurs have detachable blades, making them easy to sharpen. If the secateurs "bite" the cuts, most likely, you need to adjust the gap between the blades.

To cover cuts and wounds, garden pitch is needed (photo)

To cover cuts and wounds, garden pitch or similar compounds are needed (for example, Rannet paste). Material costs are small, and making the pitch yourself, as recommended by the old manuals, with state of the art industry is not needed. In extreme cases, you can use oil paint(strictly on natural drying oil, all other bases will not "stick" to live wood).

The right pruner for trimming the crown of garden trees

Secateurs for pruning fruit trees in the photo

The fruit tree pruner is the safest and most convenient tool. It appeared only two hundred years ago, but now it is in the arsenal of every gardener. Some manufacturers claim that their secateurs can cut fairly large branches - up to 3 cm in diameter, but for a woman's hand this is almost always an impossible task, so it's better to use a hacksaw. A good and properly sharpened tool makes smooth cuts, the pruner cuts both the branch and paper equally easily, smoothly and evenly (of course, it is more convenient to cut paper with ordinary scissors, but you can make a couple of cuts to check).

There are also pruners for left-handers, special pruners for florists, for those who practice the art of bonsai, and so on. If you need only one pruner for all occasions, take a closer look at the universal models.

If several family members use the same secateurs, it makes sense to pay attention to models with adjustable handle opening width (turn the adjustment knob only when the secateurs are closed!).

Bypass secateurs are the most common models with curved blades. They work like scissors. The upper sharp blade is a working, cutting one, and the lower one is a support one, it is offset relative to the upper one. The blades of the right secateurs are designed so that they minimally injure the plant tissue and are optimal for working with live wood.

Anvil secateurs are easy to recognize by their straight blades, the working blade falls directly onto the support blade like a guillotine knife. They lose to bypass secateurs in terms of accuracy, but win in strength - they can remove thick branches, and they are optimal for removing dried branches. Some models of secateurs have a ratchet or gear train- they reduce muscular effort, and it is much easier to work with them. Secateurs with long handles (including telescopic ones) are convenient for working with prickly bushes.

What else does a gardener need to trim fruit trees?

Before you properly prune fruit trees, prepare the following clothing and accessories:

• Comfortable clothes for the weather, not restricting movement and not clinging to branches.
• Comfortable shoes with low heels and non-slip soles.
• Headdress, preferably with a visor.
• Gardening gloves (knitted or leather) that provide a tight grip on the tool in the hand.
• Goggles or a mask that you use, for example, to work with a saw or lawn mower. They will protect your eyes from accidental movements of branches or sawdust.

Also for pruning fruit trees on suburban area you will need a ladder-ladder, standing steadily on the ground, or a stable and sturdy table.

And last but not least, in such a responsible matter as pruning garden trees with your own hands, this is a reliable assistant!

How to properly prune fruit trees: safety precautions

To comply with safety regulations when pruning fruit trees, the tool must be well sharpened. Paradoxically, when working with a blunt tool, the likelihood of injury is incomparably higher.

From the moment at least one of your feet leaves the ground, you need an assistant who will belay you when you are on a ladder or table and serve you everything you need. Again, one head is good, but two is better.

If the legs of the ladder dig into the ground, take two wide boards and put a ladder on them to reduce the pressure per unit area. Before climbing, make sure the ladder is stable and level. Do not neglect this important measure: pruning is a combination of surgery and acrobatics, getting carried away and reaching for a branch, you risk falling along with the stairs. You can not use the ladders on which the builders work - the crown of the tree is very fragile, it is not a reliable ‘wall of the house.

Make sure you have a bottle of water and medication with you at all times. Keep in mind that while pruning trees, you will have to spend a lot of time with your head thrown back.

When to prune fruit trees in spring, summer and autumn: optimal timing

The main rule regarding when to prune fruit trees and shrubs is to perform this agricultural technique at rest until the crops have woken up - then the wounds heal faster and the plants do not bleed.

In winter, look closely at the crowns, mark the branches that need to be removed or corrected. After heavy snowfalls, shake the snow off the branches to reduce the risk of breaking. Check the condition of the tool, sharpen it if necessary.

When to prune fruit trees in spring so as not to harm the crops?

Early spring (before the start of sap flow) is the optimal time for pruning fruit trees. A prerequisite is a positive air temperature, since at temperatures below zero, the properties of wood change - it becomes more fragile and prone to breaks and cracks. The exact date difficult to name, because the weather can move optimal timing pruning for two to three weeks. Depending on the weather in the middle lane, the trimming season is usually the second half of March - the first half of April. You can also take advantage of the February thaws. But this is a certain risk, since even in March there are severe frosts.

Considering when to prune fruit trees, start with a sanitary pruning, then remove all weak, thickening and interfering branches, as well as branches extending from the trunk at an acute angle. In the future, act, taking into account the purpose of pruning and the characteristics of a particular tree or shrub.

From the beginning of bud break to the full deployment of leaves and the end of flowering, fruit plants are most vulnerable. During this period, it is important to pause: put down the pruner and hacksaw, admire the flowering. If necessary, you can only deal with sanitary pruning and normalization of flowers and ovaries.

IN summer period pruning is also predominantly sanitary. You can pinch or trim the tips of young growths if you need to limit their growth. It is undesirable to cut large branches, wait until spring.

When pruning fruit trees in the summer, tops that appear should be removed. You can pinch (pinching) when the length of the shoots reaches 15-20 cm or they have 5-6 well-developed leaves. If in two or three weeks the axillary buds awaken, then the shoots grown from them must be pinched over the 2nd or 3rd leaf.

The beginning of summer is the time for pruning fruit vines - grapes, actinidia and magnolia vine. At an earlier date, they may weaken or even die due to "crying" - large losses during intensive sap flow.

And when to prune trees in the fall, and how expedient is it to do this before the onset of cold weather? In autumn, trees are often pruned in the southern regions. After the completion of leaf fall, shaping, rejuvenating and restorative pruning is carried out, but in most of the territory of Russia you will have to wait until spring so as not to risk the life of trees, since autumn pruning significantly reduces the winter hardiness of the tree. But even in the southern regions better in autumn remove only old and weak branches, and form the remaining better in spring. It is recommended to leave protective links - hemp 20-30 cm long, and in the spring to complete the pruning and cut in the right and right place.

In late autumn, if possible, remove and destroy all mummified fruits remaining on the branches and leaves remaining after leaf fall. They overwinter pathogens that are activated with the arrival of spring heat.

Before shelter, at positive temperatures, you can cut the grapes.

All year round, as necessary, only sanitary pruning is carried out and branches that threaten the health and safety of people and the safety of property are removed. If, for example, you find a dried branch affected by cytosporosis on an apple tree in the middle of summer, do not wait until spring. In this case, it is necessary to shift the timing of pruning fruit trees so that the spores of the fungus do not scatter throughout the garden. Sanitary pruning is often "first aid" - for example, a fracture with a gaping open wound - and in this case it is also unwise to postpone it.

Sanitary pruning of fruit trees- this is the removal (cutting) of diseased and damaged branches; forming - the formation of a strong crown of a young tree in order to obtain high yields and ease of care.

Supporting (regulating) type of pruning of fruit trees- this is a restriction of the size of the tree (shortening or pruning of branches), preventing thickening of the crown, maintaining the ability to regularly bear fruit, thinning (normalization) of flowers and ovaries.

Formative pruning of fruit trees is a creation decorative forms from trees on dwarf rootstocks with the help of a frame and through repeated pruning (cordons, palmettes, three-dimensional forms).

Rejuvenating pruning of fruit trees- this is the return of the ability to grow by significantly shortening the branches in places where the length of the annual growth was optimal.

Restorative pruning of fruit trees- this is the rejuvenation of old trees, the restoration of the ability to bear fruit, the reduction in the height of the tree, the restoration of the tree after severe damage, the formation of the crown or part of it from tops.

These photos show how to prune fruit trees in various ways:

Sanitary pruning of fruit trees in the photo

Anti-aging pruning of fruit trees in the photo

Additional ways to prune fruit trees

There are other techniques for regulating growth, fruiting and crown formation. These are methods that replace pruning of fruit trees, or are used in addition to it.

Kerbovka ringing, fruit belt are special, additional ways to control the traffic flows of a tree. Kerbovka is a rarely used technique, its essence is to remove a small piece of bark above a bud or one-year-old branch in order to stimulate their growth. Blinding of the kidneys - removal of the kidneys before the development of the shoots. Pinching (tweezing) - removal of the tops of young green growths. Pinching and breaking of young shoots is also sometimes called green operations, since they are carried out with growing shoots.

In some cases, instead of pruning, it is advisable to bend the branches. In the spring, at the beginning of the growth of the shoots, the branches are given the desired position and fixed. To prevent the rope or wire from cutting into the bark, planks or pieces of rubber are placed. At the end of the summer, the fixation is removed and, if necessary, repeated in the next season.

In practice, several types of pruning are usually combined to one degree or another.

A young tree has only growth processes. A fruit-bearing tree establishes a certain balance between fruiting and growth, with age, growth processes fade, the tree is overloaded with harvest, sheds many ovaries, because it cannot “feed” them due to exhaustion. Rejuvenating pruning helps restore lost balance.

Removal and shortening of branches are carried out according to strictly defined rules. Cutting in the style of "as God puts on the soul" is completely unacceptable. If the cut is made incorrectly or in the wrong place, then the wound may heal for a long time or not heal at all, and in the most unfortunate cases, cause the death of the tree. In other cases, when one branch is removed, a whole “bouquet” grows in the same place.

Plants have a wonderful ability to heal wounds. Wounds heal thanks to the wound meristem - an educational tissue that occurs at the site of any damage, from which all other tissues are then formed. If the cut is too low, then the place where the wound meristem should form is removed, and the cut will take longer to heal. Too big a “stump” is also bad: it will dry out anyway and become easy prey and a source of infection, after a few years a hollow may form in place of the stump, and rot will spread throughout the tree. Nature does not tolerate "dead ends" in the plant organism, this is contrary to the anatomy and physiology of plants, so the cut is always done in such a way as to "redirect traffic flows" to another branch.

That is, it is performed either on a kidney or on a transfer, that is, with the help of a pruner, they remove the excess and transfer the growth of the branch to strong branches growing in the direction we need. You can compare the sap flow of a tree with the flow of water through a system of channels - where the water is flowing, it is clean and transparent, and in nooks and dead ends, where the water is stagnant, decay processes begin.

Watch a video on how to prune fruit trees to better understand the technology for doing this work: