When can I cut branches off trees? Pruning fruit trees and shrubs in autumn in the garden

Recently, in a hardware store, I met my gardener friend, Sergei Ivanovich Stepashin. I talked to him. He bought garden pitch and two new pruning shears. A woman stood nearby and asked: “Why are you going to the garden so early? There is snow up to the waist!” Sergei Ivanovich answers her that it is time to do pruning, otherwise the juices in the trees will wake up.

But the woman again objected in disbelief: “What juices? Apple trees will bloom only in May, there is still a lot of time before that, you will have time. It's hard to cut in the snow. I come to the garden in mid-April, so there are still snowdrifts behind the house.”

Expressing her concern about the inconvenience associated with the snow, the woman was surprised that Sergei Ivanovich chose the most expensive tool. “They would take that secateurs over there, cheaper.What's the difference than to cut the branches? It’s good that my apple trees are young, they don’t need to be cut at all.”

And then an experienced gardener read a “lecture” to a talkative customer. All advice was very valuable, and at my request, he allowed them to be published.

Sergey Ivanovich is an experienced gardener. Everyone goes to him for advice, because in any year he is with the harvest. He considers pruning of fruit crops to be very important. It ensures the health of the tree and good, stable yields. There are three main conditions that must be met.

1. Let's start with the timing. Pruning is carried out in late winter or early spring, when the threat of frost with temperatures below -15C has passed (in middle lane Russia usually from the end of February - until the middle or end of April). Therefore, dear gardeners, if you come to the garden only by mid-April, then this is the deadline for pruning!

Apple trees bloom really late and do not show signs of life for a long time. But hidden processes take place in them, including sap flow. If pruning is carried out during this period, then the wounds do not dry out for a long time and the branches flow through them with juice. Stone fruit cultures awaken much earlier, they must be cut first.

2. Pruning fruit trees should be carried out from the first year after planting. Young apple trees also need pruning, like any other. You can not wait until the crown is overgrown and it will have to be thinned out a lot. This is no longer a pruning, but an execution for a tree. Proper pruning involves the formation of a crown from a “childhood” age, that is, a gradual, annual removal of unwanted branches and shortening, changing the shape of selected skeletal branches.

3. You need to trim only with a sharp tool. You should be aware that not every tool is suitable for trimming. Cheap secateurs and loppers are made of soft metal that quickly becomes dull and burrs. Their blades severely injure tissue. good tool Made from high quality steel that holds a sharp edge very well. This pruner also lasts much longer. Naturally, their price is higher.

Why form a crown

When forming the crown, special attention is paid to the choice of future skeletal branches. They must meet the following requirements: departure angle - 40-60 degrees; in one tier - no more than three branches.

Compliance with the departure angles is necessary so that in the future the tree, without installing supports, holds a crop of up to 500 kg. At acute angles of departure, the connection between the branch and the trunk is weak, and the stress “to tear” is quite large. In especially fruitful years, even large branches break. Sometimes the tree breaks in half.

branches with acute angle the discharges are either cut out or bent over by installing spacers (Fig. 2.).

It is also necessary to observe the condition that there should be no more than three branches in one tier. Otherwise, the crown thickens, and in low light, the yield decreases, the taste qualities fruits, shoots ripen worse and diseases begin to develop.

Pruning young seedlings

Pruning begins in the first year after planting. seedlings of spring and autumn planting cut the same way. The meaning of this pruning is to balance the roots damaged during digging and the aerial part. Sometimes this is done in the nursery.

Annual seedlings without branching are pruned at a height of 80-100 cm above the soil level (Fig. 1, a). This stimulates the formation of lateral shoots from which skeletal branches will be formed.

In a branched seedling 1-2 years old, all side branches are removed at a height of 60-70 cm (Fig. 1, b). Often, gardeners feel sorry for the seedling, believing that "he still has nothing to cut." But such pruning forms the stem of the future tree. All branches below 60 cm are simply not needed. Below, they are poorly lit and produce a small crop. Over time, they will still have to be trimmed, but the wounds will be larger.

Branches located above 70 cm are shortened by 1/3-1/4 part. Usually this is done over the 3-5th kidney, counting from the base of the shoot (see Fig. 1, c). At the same time, the principle of subordination of branches is observed. The central shoot (leader, or conductor) should be 15-20 cm higher than the side branches, and the shoots located higher along the stem should be shorter than those below. Usually two-year-old seedling leave 3-4 side branches that are shorter than the conductor. In the case when all branches are developed approximately equally and the central shoot is not the leader in growth, a strong pruning of the side branches is carried out in order to achieve the principle of subordination of tiers. Sometimes a seedling has duplicate shoots (if two adjacent buds have developed on the stem). Leave one, the most well-located branch, and the second is cut into a ring.

Principles of crown formation. The angle of origin of the skeletal branches is 40-60 degrees; in one tier - no more than three branches; the leader should be higher than the side branches; the branches of the upper tiers should be shorter than the lower tiers.

After the winter, it may turn out that the leader is broken or very cold. In this case, it is replaced by the most powerful, closely spaced shoot, tying it vertically to the stump left by the conductor, or to a peg stuck in the ground.

The same pruning rules are followed for a three-year-old tree and older. Moreover, the principle of subordination of branches is also observed for lateral skeletal branches. Overgrowing branches on them should be shorter than the side conductor. Figuratively speaking, the principle of subordination can be represented as a kind of “rounded triangle”, into which the tree itself must fit after the formation of the crown and its skeletal branches (Fig. 3).

In the future, pruning of a young tree is carried out in order to create a light, sparse crown. This should be done not only in spring, but also in summer. For example, already in the summer you can see which shoots grow inside the crown. They are removed immediately while they are still green. Young shoots growing down, pinch. Duplicate shoots are cut or transferred to another position using stretch marks. ” green pruning” is the most forgiving form of pruning.

You can find this article in the newspaper "Magic Garden" of 2011 No. 6.

Pruning fruit trees: purpose, timing and methods.

Pruning is an important procedure in the process of growing fruit trees. Properly directed shoots form a healthy tree, maintain its strength, which contributes to an increase in productivity and crop quality. Pruning fruit trees must be carried out following certain rules, otherwise the plant may die.

Pruning fruit trees: the purpose of the procedure and the optimal timing

The purpose of pruning is to produce trees of a certain size with a strong, strong trunk that can support a large number of fruits. Removal of dry, damaged branches leads to rejuvenation, good lighting crowns. The flow of nutrients is increased. The productivity of the fruit tree increases, the quality of the fruit improves. Pruning provides additional nutrition to the root system, which stimulates the growth of new branches.

The procedure is individual for each variety of fruit trees. One of the most important factors are optimal timing cutting. They can be conditionally divided into 2 periods:

autumn-winter;
spring-summer.

With the approach of late autumn, from about the end of October, the dormant period begins at the tree. The movement of juice slows down, leaves fall. Pruning is recommended before the air temperature drops below minus 5°C. It is necessary to take into account the fact that in the absence of juice, wounds on a tree heal much worse, and until spring it may not fully depart from the procedure.

Experts advise starting pruning with the onset spring period, when the snow had already melted, sap flow began, and the kidneys had not yet swollen. The most successful period is March - April. At this time, trees and berry bushes that have reached the age of 5 years are pruned. In May, pear and apple trees are pruned. In June, young shoots are thinned out.

It is necessary to adhere to the same pruning dates annually, taking into account seasonal features, such as rainfall, gusts of wind, and the first frosts.

The choice of tool for crown formation

plays an important role in the success of the procedure right choice tools. They should be sharply sharpened and easy to work with, which ensures the least damage to the tree.
The required set of tools are:

Special garden shears - secateurs. It should be light in weight, with comfortable handles. Working qualities depend on the material of the blade. The most popular pruners with blades made of hardened or high carbon steel. They are able to last several years without additional sharpening. There are also secateurs of stainless steel with various coatings. The material of the handle should not rub hands. The presence of a ratchet mechanism allows you to make a cut on a thick branch at a time.
Garden hacksaw. It will be required for sawing off the trunk and thick branches. It differs from the construction one by the presence of gaps between the teeth. At the end of the blade is a tooth - limiter. You should choose a hacksaw with optimal size blades and inclined teeth about 5 mm high. The handle should be rubberized so that the tool does not slip in your hand.
Air secateurs. There are several varieties of this tool. It may have long handles or one telescopic rod. It is used when thinning the crown in hard-to-reach places, on high. When choosing an air pruner, you need to pay attention to the maximum length of the handle.

Other tools may be required depending on the type of trees. For pruning old trees with thick branches, it is better to use a gasoline saw. Live branches are pruned using a bow saw. To eliminate the nervousness of the cut and other small jobs Garden knives come in handy.

Basic requirements for all tools:

safety and ease of use;
the maximum possible sharpness of the blades and a narrowed shape at the ends;
strength and lightness of materials.

Pruning scheme for fruit trees in autumn

The scheme for pruning fruit trees in the fall is aimed at preparing them for the cold winter period. Large amounts of snow can accumulate on long branches in winter, which leads to damage. When thinning and shortening the branches, the vitality of the tree increases.. If pruned correctly, in the warm season it will be ready to bear fruit in full force.

Autumn pruning schemes include thinning and shortening of branches.. For young seedlings, thinning is done in the crown area. New shoots are removed annually, until the tree acquires a lush crown, which contributes to moisture and air saturation. For older trees, this method is used less frequently, after a year or two. Also remove diseased branches, especially those sensitive to frost.

The main purpose of shortening is to eliminate the interweaving of branches and ensure their correct location. Pruning is carried out to the kidney, giving growth to the shoot in the right direction.

When cut in autumn period climatic conditions must be taken into account. Usually, in the northern regions, fruit trees are not pruned in autumn. harsh winter does not allow them to gain strength by spring. This method is used in temperate regions.

How to prune fruit trees in spring

Trees most easily tolerate pruning in the spring. Cut points are less prone to disease and heal faster. After winter, it is necessary to remove dried branches and form branches desired length to get a good harvest.

Pruning in the garden is carried out in a certain sequence, depending on the type fruit trees.First of all, pome crops are pruned, mainly apples and pears. Next, stone fruits are cut off - cherries, plums, peaches, apricots. The last procedure is ornamental plants.

In plants, some of the old branches are removed, which are directed to the center of the crown or depart from the trunk at an acute angle. This gives rise to new young shoots.

Cut the shoots correctly over the eyes growing outward from the crown. If the tree is weak, pruning is done over the third eye. In strong plants, about 8 eyes can be left. All cuts must be even and smooth.

Trimming methods

Pruning fruit trees has a variety of purposes. Gardeners distinguish several main methods of pruning:

Formative. considered the most important. Promotes the correct formation of the crown and determines general form trees in the area. Held in early spring before the juice begins to flow.
Regulatory. Needed to correct an already formed crown. Extra shoots are removed, overloading the tree and preventing good lighting. The period is during the summer.
Recovery. It is carried out if the plant needs rehabilitation. Dry, damaged branches are removed. Thus, the flow of nutrients to the updated shoots is enhanced.
Anti-aging. Allows old trees to renew, increase the growth of young fruit-bearing shoots. Promotes the awakening of dormant buds, activates flowering. Held in early spring.
Sanitary. Designed to prevent diseases and improve trees damaged by external factors. Plants can be infected with a fungus. The branches begin to dry, the bark turns black and flakes off. To prevent the tree from dying completely, all diseased shoots are removed. Some branches are broken by the weather and begin to die off, they should also be removed.

Wood processing after pruning

In order not to weaken the vital functions of the plant, after pruning, it is necessary to immediately treat the wounds. On healthy trees cut points, especially large ones, can be covered with garden pitch. It prevents cracking and remains on wood for 2 years.

Small sections up to 3 cm in diameter can be coated with water-based acrylic paint. Also suitable for this purpose Oil paint on natural drying oil or groundhog. In the absence of such funds, you can use ordinary clay. When cutting diseased plants, treat the tools with alcohol or a solution of manganese.

The surface to be treated must be dry, smooth and even. All protruding particles must be removed. Overgrowing of the wound starts from the bark, it should not exfoliate.

Tightly adhering to the cut surface, the putty provides protection against leakage of juice and drying of the branch. It is necessary to process even small sections, since the juice flowing down them is a favorable environment for the reproduction of harmful microbes.

Do not use varnish, tar and synthetic-based paints for processing.

Pruning fruit trees is an important procedure among the main garden work. It requires a systematic approach and, if carried out correctly, provides gardeners with a good harvest.

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, 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:

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.
You need to cut the shoots above the eyes that grow outward from the crown. Carry out the cut from the inside out.
The branches that are a continuation of the trunk should be longer than the rest.
On weak trees, short pruning is done. Cut off over the second or third eyes.
With strong growth, medium pruning is done. The branches are cut above the fifth eye.
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 about it spring pruning fruit trees can be produced 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 the 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:

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.
Next year, remove the branches damaged during the winter, select three or four strong ones. Delete the rest. This is the second tier.
Therefore, according to the principle, form the third tier already in the fourth year.
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 the tree, you will need to cut the upper part of the 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:

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

For cherries, cherries:

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

For apple trees:

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

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

When removing branches, do not leave stumps, cut off at the very trunk.
A correctly made cut leaves a trace of a neatly overgrown "ring".
When removing thick branches, first make an inscription from below, and then from above. Thus, the bark will remain intact if the branch falls.
The shoot was removed incorrectly, there is damage - clean it, treat the cut with a var.
With pruning of frozen trees, it is better to wait until next spring.
Filling hollows, drilling drainage holes is impossible.
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.

When pruning, the pruner should be held with the narrow part towards the branch.
If you want to form a lush crown of a young tree, shorten the conductor by ¼.
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

Any novice gardener comes to master the principles and rules of pruning fruit trees. Without the procedure, the plant begins to grow with additional shoots and produce fewer fruits, moreover, pests actively multiply on it.

Objectives of the procedure

Even stone fruit trees need to be pruned after some time, despite the fact that they are very young. Post-planting pruning of seedlings leads to early yields, but the "skeleton" necessary for further development is not formed.

Pruning of fruit trees must be carried out according to the rules, otherwise you can only do harm. A large number of fruit on a thin trunk causes exhaustion, the plant begins to wither and eventually may dry out.

Thinning significantly increases the life of the fruit tree. A smaller amount of foliage will allow for effective preventive measures against insects.

A tree that is properly pruned develops better wood throughout the trunk. In addition, plants that have a lot of branches bring a low yield, and the fruits are small. With dense foliage, the flowers do not receive enough light, therefore they often fall off, and the fruits at the ripening stage turn out to be sour, without the aroma characteristic of the tree.

If the plant is not cut, it will begin to stretch upward faster, caring for it becomes more complicated, it is not possible to spray the entire crown. Humidity, which is stored inside a dense crown, is main reason occurrence of fungal diseases. After the rain has passed, the moisture necessary for the development of small spores remains on the leaves. In this case, pruning can be perceived as an additional preventive measure when caring for an orchard.

In agricultural technology, pruning has been and remains one of the most important techniques to form a good, fruitful garden. Removing unnecessary branches leads to durability and resistance to cold.

Trees can be pruned in two ways:

thin out;
shorten.

When thinning, the branches are removed completely, and when shortened, only from the first kidney upwards.

When the gardener removes what he thinks are unnecessary branches, the plant begins to make up for what was lost, and its growth intensifies, numerous growths appear, the main task- it is correct to form a crown at this time, leaving only those branches that are able to create a strong skeleton.

It is the skeletal branches that must be shortened so that growths appear on them, on which fruits will sing in the future. Additional processes should be cut more strongly so that they do not interfere with the main ones. The formation of a tree is carried out within five years, and for some late varieties of apple trees - up to ten years.

During the fruiting period, the number of branches increases, extra shoots thickening the crown appear, so the fruits are located inside behind the foliage, they do not receive enough light there, therefore they ripen unsweetened. That is why it is necessary to shorten annual shoots, sometimes they need to be removed entirely, observing the order of sap flow.

The branches are also cut off at the fruiting stage, when a lot of overgrowing branches form on the crown, as a result, inside the whole tree, the old shoots begin to wither, dry out and break. The gardener is required to systematically thin out the crown, remove small and unnecessary branches. When the fruiting period ends, the tree is rejuvenated, in the future the crop will only grow if productive shoots are left.

Timing

Fruit trees need to be pruned in spring, autumn and summer, they are dormant in winter. At the same time, the time for shortening the branches depends on the region where the tree grows. Not recommended autumn procedure in the northern and central regions of our country, since frosts come early there, and the tree does not have time to close its wounds, sap flow stops, and the plant may simply die.

For these regions, it is recommended to prune in early spring, when the air temperature is already positive. They begin to tidy up the garden with old trees, because buds bloom faster on them. All unnecessary branches should be cut before buds open.

In the south of the country, some gardeners remove extra shoots in winter, as there are no severe frosts. During this period, the procedure helps to rejuvenate the plant, give young seedlings correct form. It is necessary in order to young tree did not begin to bear fruit too early, which negatively affects its development as a whole. If a tree has been fruitful for several years in a row, then it needs to be allowed to rest.

If we talk about the ideal size of a tree, then it should not exceed three meters in height. The width of the crown in diameter should also be 3 meters. Pruning extra branches in the summer improves the quality of the fruit, the wounds on the tree heal quickly, since the juice is actively produced, which completely covers the cut.

Experienced gardeners they prefer the procedure carried out in early spring, because during the summer and autumn the plant has time to recover.

In summer, not all trees can be cut, preferably only those that are three years old. In spring and autumn, crown formation is allowed on annual shoots. After ten years, a tree is considered old, it can no longer bear fruit, as before, so it is rejuvenated by removing most old shoots. There should not be more than three cuts on one branch.

It is better to start shaping cherries, apricots and plums when there are already foliage on the branches, since early pruning leads to fungus damage to the saw cuts.

Types and methods of trimming

An inexperienced gardener does not know what happens different pruning fruit trees. Despite the fact that the process is always reduced to one action - the removal of unnecessary branches, the purpose of such work may vary. She happens:

formative;
regulatory;
rejuvenating;
restorative;
sanitary.

When the main goal of the gardener is to make the correct shape of the crown, this procedure is called shaping. It is best to start work in February and early March, when active sap flow begins. If you are late, then the tree will develop more slowly, there will be practically no harvest.

The gardener is required to correctly place the skeletal guides, which in the future will be a frame that can hold the total weight of the fruit.

A young, actively growing tree needs to be adjusted minimally in order to only provide fruits required amount Sveta. This procedure is called regulatory pruning, it is carried out from February to April or at the end of summer.

Old trees are rejuvenated, the gardener, by removing old branches, stimulates the growth of new, more viable ones. On any tree, you will need to remove old and dried shoots. Such a restorative procedure can be carried out at any time of the year, but it is better in the spring.

If the gardener pursues as his main goal the improvement of the orchard, then it will be required sanitization, which is carried out at any convenient time, but not in winter.

Shoots that are damaged by insects or disease are removed, they are removed at the root, and it is necessary to process the tools after that.

Required Tools

To work in the garden, you will need a secateurs, through which you can quickly and easily remove small branches. These garden shears have ratchet In order for the cut to be of high quality, you need to regularly sharpen the blades.

Construction saws are completely unsuitable for processing fruit trees; it is necessary to use a special hacksaw with shallow gaps between the teeth and high-quality sharpening.

It is necessary to remove processes that are at a distance of two meters, an elongated pruner, the design of which provides for an elongated handle. You can buy a model with telescopic handle, which allows you to adjust the cropping height.

Massive trunks are removed only with a chainsaw. It is also necessary to have a stepladder, special clothing, including gloves, on hand.

It is better to wear goggles so that wood chips do not get into your eyes.

How to cut?

For beginners, there is a tree pruning scheme, as it can be difficult for them to decide where to start. The first to remove the shoots at the top, which resemble crow's feet. Crossing shoots next in line, be sure to cut off those that grow towards the ground. Young growth appears on the trunk over time, it is also removed.

Young and old trees form differently. If this is only a seedling, then before the start of the fruiting period, it is necessary to form a future frame. The crown should grow evenly in all directions, one-year-old branches are removed, which lead to a thickening of the crown. When everything is done correctly, after a few years an excellent fruit-bearing frame forms on the tree.

Pruning of young trees is done every year due to the intensity of growth. It is best to carry out the procedure in the fall.

In adult plants, crown formation is much easier. The main thing is to remove branches that are already old, ovaries practically do not form on them, they only consume vitality plants. The first time the crown is reduced several levels down, the shoots are removed only from the south side.

Later, the "tops" that formed after the previous procedure are removed. The rest of the crown is rejuvenated gradually, best time- late autumn and winter.

Aftercare

After pruning, it is necessary to continue to care for the trees. Treat them from insects, if possible, treat the saw cuts with lime or pitch, which you can cook yourself. This requirement is mandatory for shoots whose diameter was more than one centimeter. You can replace the pitch and lime with paint, which contains drying oil.

In the place where the branch was removed, new shoots will form, they are cut off with a pruner. Plants must be fertilized so that it receives the necessary amount of trace elements for further development. Potassium chloride, phosphorus are added under the root, simple ash can be used.