Trimming garden trees no mistakes

In order for an orchard to please, it must be properly cared for. Proper shaping and reasonable pruning of the tree is an indispensable element of such care. But pruning is a kind of surgical operation that is painful for the plant, especially if it is not performed competently. Inept intervention can lead to results that are difficult to correct, even death.

Correct formation and reasonable, competent pruning of a fruit tree- essential elements of garden care. Many mistakes can be avoided by knowing the structure of a tree and the functional significance of its main organs and tissues, which act interconnectedly and do not replace each other.

Let's look at all this at typical trees apple or pear trees, simply calling them a tree.

Basics of biology

An ordinary varietal tree consists of a root system and an aerial part. Each of them has its own “responsibilities”. The roots are both the breadwinners and the foundation of the tree. They fix it in the soil, and most importantly, provide it with water with minerals dissolved in it. As the tree grows, the root system also grows both in breadth and depth, going far beyond the planting hole (Fig. 1-1).

Rice. 1

The place where the roots pass into the above-ground part is called the root collar (Fig. 1-2). In ordinary (not dwarf) trees, it cannot be buried during planting and subsequent care. The grafting site is often mistaken for the root collar, but it can be located at a height of 10-15 cm or more from it.

Varietal trees are obtained by grafting onto a rootstock, which is usually grown from seed. Seed offspring do not retain the characteristics of the variety; trees grown from them are most often wild, with fruits unsuitable for use. Therefore, the rootstock is usually called wild, and the grafted variety is called the scion.

The grafting site is usually clearly visible in seedlings and young trees. It is usually distinguished by noticeable curvature and scarring or a slight influx at the junction of the rootstock and scion. All shoots growing below the grafting site are not varietal shoots; they are called wild shoots. Such growth must be removed in a timely manner, as it develops to the detriment of the tree.

The ground part of the tree consists of a trunk (Fig. 1-4), usually growing vertically, from which lateral branches extend, forming the crown. The trunk is the central part of the tree from the root collar to the very top. It is a support for the crown, and its inner fabrics serve as a “overpass” for the movement of water and various nutrients.

The lower part of the trunk from the root collar to the first skeletal branch is called the trunk (Fig. 1-3). Its height can be different, usually not lower than 50 cm (for ease of maintenance) and not higher than 1 m (for an acceptable tree height). The trunk above the trunk and to the very top is called the central conductor, or leader. It ends with an annual continuation shoot (Fig. 1-7).

The branches extending from the trunk form the backbone of the crown, which is why they are called skeletal (Fig. 1-5). They contain branches of the second, third and subsequent branches, which end in overgrown branches with annual increments (shoots) (Fig. 1-6). The boundaries of the growths are noticeable on the outer annual rings in the form of narrow bark scars. From them you can determine the age of the branches. Each growth ends with an apical bud, and vegetative (growth) buds are formed in the axils of the leaves. In spring, leaves and new shoots sprout from them. In early-fruiting varieties, flower buds are also formed on annual growths, which are larger in size.

In most varieties, the harvest is formed on the fruit formations of overgrowing branches. The shortest of them (1-5 cm) are ringlets, which then grow into branched fruits. Their productive age is about 10 years. Longer fruit formations (5-15 cm) are called spears, and the longest (from 15 cm) are called fruit twigs. They end in flower buds that simultaneously produce fruits and rosettes of leaves or new shoots. Most varieties have a mixed type of fruiting.

Varieties with ring type fruiting are most preferred. As a rule, they are early-bearing, productive, with a compact, non-thickening crown. But due to overload with flowering and harvest, varieties with ring-type fruiting experience attenuation of growth and a deficiency of leaves, which leads to crushing of the fruits, their shedding, and reduced winter hardiness. In such cases, special pruning is necessary to stimulate shoot growth.

It is the shoots that are the main base of leaves, and they are the same breadwinners of the tree as the roots, only they provide different food products. From the soil, along the wood of the trunk and branches, water with minerals dissolved in it flows to the leaves. And in the process of photosynthesis, they form organic substances (assimilates) necessary for the growth and development of the entire tree (including roots), the creation of a harvest and a successful wintering. Assimilates enter all organs of the tree by a descending current through the vessels of the bark of the branches and trunk.

Between the bark and wood there is a special “building” tissue - cambium. It is invisible to the eye, but during the period of sap flow, in late spring and summer, it is a delicate slippery layer under the bark. From spring to autumn, the cambium actively works, laying bark cells outside and wood inside, due to which the trunk and branches thicken. Thanks to the cambium, grafts grow together and wounds heal: on the wounded surface, its cells quickly divide and form an influx of callus, and from it - the bark and other tissues with blood vessels.

Any annular damage to the bark along with the cambium on a branch or trunk leads to their death, as it interrupts nutrition. Therefore, it is impossible to allow any harnesses, ropes, etc., which cause constrictions, to cut into the bark.

Purpose and objectives of pruning

Pruning is the partial or complete removal of some branches in accordance with the purposes for which the plantings are grown. For example, ornamental trees and shrubs are trimmed to create different shapes and configurations. Mother-cutting plants are specially pruned very heavily for the purpose of massive regrowth of young shoots necessary for propagation in nurseries. Such techniques are completely unsuitable for consumer gardens.

The main goal of pruning a fruit tree is the formation of a correct, strong crown at a young age and its correction during the fruiting period to obtain high-quality harvests as quickly as possible and for a long period.

Specific pruning tasks may vary as plants age. At a young age (conditionally up to 8-10 years), pruning should be minimal and only auxiliary for the formation of the correct crown. During this period it is important:

Ensure optimal development of the central conductor for the timely growth of a strong crown on it.

Place the branches evenly on the trunk so that each of them is in favorable conditions solar lighting and aeration (i.e. free access of air).

During full fruiting, in addition to those mentioned, new tasks appear:

Regulate optimal growth and fruiting.

Protect the crown from thickening and growing in height.

Extend the productive period of the tree.

During the aging period of a tree (if it is winter-hardy and not damaged in any way), the crown can be renewed with rejuvenating pruning.

Timing of pruning

Tree pruning is one of the earliest jobs in the garden. Best time for this - the beginning of spring, when there is no longer any danger of frost and the buds have not yet begun to bloom. In winter, pruning is carried out only in those southern regions where the risk of frost damage is low. In the central part of Russia, winter pruning is dangerous due to the unpredictability of the onset of frost, during which not only the exposed tissue of the cuts is damaged, but also the bark and cambium near them. Sometimes, even in so-called mild winters, after long thaws at the end of February - beginning of March there are frosts down to -20-25°. In such cases, it is especially dangerous to cause large wounds when cutting skeletal branches in the lower part of the trunk, close to the surface of the snow, where the temperature is always lower, and it can be critical for the surface of the cuts.

Specific calendar dates for the optimal spring pruning period may vary depending on weather conditions. In the Moscow region, they usually begin in mid-March, when the snow has not yet completely melted and your feet do not get stuck in the slushy ground. But the main criterion for timely pruning is to have time to do it before the sap begins to flow. What it is? When the average daily air temperature is above 5°, plant growth begins. It is accompanied by active spring sap flow, i.e. by the roots supplying water with minerals dissolved in it up through the vessels of the wood to all organs and tissues of the above-ground part. It is easy to verify the intensity of sap flow by looking at known fact secretion of birch sap.

With timely pruning before the start of sap flow, the surface of the cuts is dry, and garden varnish easily sticks to it, which is necessary to protect exposed tissues from drying out, freezing and the entry of pathogenic microorganisms for the entire period until the wound heals. In addition, the vessels cut at this time are immediately filled with air, which, like a cork, clogs them and prevents the juice from flowing out during subsequent sap flow. And with belated pruning during sap flow, all the vessels are already filled with moisture. Var by itself does not stick well to a damp surface, and is also rejected as if by juice gushing out of the wound. Such “crying” trees are being depleted in vain. In addition, the sap flowing down the bark becomes a breeding ground for harmful pathogens, and in particular sooty fungi. Their black dense coating clogs the stomata (small holes) of the bark, disrupting the necessary air exchange and reducing winter hardiness. Therefore, an optimal period has been set for pruning.

But if the winter was frosty, pruning should be delayed until obvious damage appears. Only clearly dead parts of the crown should be removed immediately.

Regardless of the season, only so-called sanitary pruning is carried out - forced, unplanned removal of broken, diseased, drying, etc. branches or parts thereof. Sanitary pruning is carried out immediately as dangerous defects are identified in order to prevent further deterioration of the tree’s condition. For example, strong winds and sticky wet snow often cause branches to break and the bark to tear on the trunk. If such a branch “hanging by a thread” is not cut off in a timely manner, damage to the bark will intensify.

If it becomes necessary to trim winter time, then it must be done during the thaw period. In frosty weather, wood can be brittle; cutting tools cause it to chip, damaging underlying tissues. When cutting down a thick branch, you must first leave a stump 15-20 cm long so that it takes the frosty blow rather than the exposed surface of a large wound. And in the spring this stump must be removed according to all pruning rules - into a ring.

What is needed to perform pruning

The main tools for pruning are pruning shears (for thin branches) and a garden (but not carpenter) saw for thick branches. All tools must be in good working order and sharpened. Not only the ease of performing the work, but also the correctness of the cuts with better wound healing depend on this. Therefore, you will also need a whetstone (sharpening stone), a whetstone and a file to sharpen the saw. Garden pruning shears should have blades that are narrowed at the ends and diverge widely in the working position. Secateurs with wide blade tips are difficult to bring closer to the cutting lines; stumps that are difficult to overgrow remain. The pruning shears must be adjusted in such a way that a gap does not form between the cutting blade and the shear plate during operation, leading to jamming and crumpled wounds on the branches. Good pruner must cut correctly with the entire surface of the blade, especially with the tip.

For more precise and neat cuts of thick branches, it is better to use a special garden file rather than a lopping pruner (with long handles), which often leaves stumps. Good garden saw there must be a high-quality cutting blade with a tapered end and a strong attachment to the handle (there should be no gaps at its base when checking with a left-right movement). A proper saw has widely spaced teeth (slightly more than double the thickness of the blade) and sharply sharpened teeth, making it easy to make forward and reverse strokes.

In some cases, a sharpened garden knife (crescent-shaped) is also necessary to smooth out uneven cuts, cut the bark during certain operations, etc.

All cuts or other wounds with a diameter of more than 1.5-2 cm require superficial protection of the exposed tissue from drying out and the entry of harmful pathogens. To do this, use various garden putties, the best option which is a garden var. A good varnish is always soft (even in the cold), easy to apply without preheating and adheres normally to cuts. It is necessary to thoroughly cover all surfaces of the wounds with varnish, but do not apply too much of it, a thin layer of its fatty base is sufficient. Excess pitch is harmful, since, melted in the sun, it will flow down the bark, clogging its microscopic openings (stomata) and complicating the necessary air exchange. Do not forget that all work in the garden must be carried out intelligently, without disturbing the natural physiology of plants.

Cutting technique

Before you start pruning, you must master the technique of performing its techniques. Don’t rush to approach a fruit tree with cutting tools; practice first, at least on wild trees.

When pruning, two main techniques are used: removing the entire branch and shortening it. In both cases, you need to learn how to make cuts correctly. Annual growths and thin, up to 2-3 cm thick, branches are usually pruned or removed with pruning shears. The pruner must be held so that four fingers are on the handle of the cutting (wide) blade. In this case, the handle of the shear plate should rest on the palm under the thumb (Fig. 2). If the position of this tool in the hand is incorrect, when the fingers grasp the handle of the counter-cutting (narrow plate), firstly, additional effort is required, and secondly, this leads to crumpled wounds on the tree and rejection of the bark.

Rice. 2. Cutting branches with pruning shears: A- correct; B- correct cut with pruning shears; IN- Incorrect position of the pruner (it cannot be installed from top to bottom)

To remove a branch, bring the pruner from below, placing its lower blade on the surface of the annular bead. Lightly pulling the branch with your hand makes the cut easier, and it turns out even.

Remember an important rule - any cut should be made not just anywhere, but only above a well-developed bud or branch directed in the direction required for the crown. In such cases, they usually say: pruning to a bud or transferring to a branch.

To expand an overly compressed crown, prune to the outer bud (or branch), that is, make a cut above the bud that is located on the outside of the branch. A drooping crown can, on the contrary, be raised by cutting to an internal bud or branch (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Results of pruning a tree to the outer (A) and inner (B) bud. The previous direction of growth is shown in black.

It is important to make the cut itself above the kidney correctly (Fig. 4). It should be slightly inclined to drain water falling on it, but with a minimal surface. The upper part of the cut should be at the level of the apex of the bud or 2-3 mm higher. You cannot leave a taller stump above the bud, as it will interfere with overgrowth. You should also not make an oblique cut that is too low - its large surface will cause the bud located opposite such a cut to dry out. The same principle is preserved when shortening branches, when by transferring to various branches it is possible to direct growth to the desired place in the crown. If it becomes necessary to remove the entire branch, then cut it “into a ring.” What does it mean? Look at the base of a branch extending at an angle of more than 30° and you will see a ring bead (Fig. 5).

Rice. 4. Bud pruning: A- correct; B- incorrect (too high, the stump will interfere with the healing of the wound); IN- incorrect (cut too low and too large)

In older trees with elastic bark, the influx is slightly wrinkled and folded. It is there, under the influx bark, that special tissues are concentrated, due to which the wound heals. Therefore, the cut must be made, oriented along the top of the overhang (Fig. 5 A), without leaving a stump and at the same time without touching the trunk, that is, without going deep beyond the overflow. Since in this case the cutting surface increases (and it should always be reasonably minimal), but most importantly, such a valuable “ring” is cut off and a difficult-to-heal wound is formed (Fig. 5 B).

Rice. 5. Cutting for the ring: A - correct (along the top of the ring bead); B - incorrect (stump left); B - incorrect (too large, ring bead cut out)

A common mistake is leaving a stump when removing a branch (Fig. 5 B). A stump that is too long, usually left “out of pity,” grows new shoots in the first year. As a result, instead of one branch cut off to thin out or reduce the crown, many new ones are formed.

A short stump, as a rule, does not produce new shoots; most often it dries out. But when the bark dries, it gradually “slides down,” exposing the wood. If the error is not corrected in time by cutting off the stump as expected, the “sliding” of the bark and drying out of the wood can destroy the trunk through tissue necrosis, hollowing, and the introduction of diseases and pests, so even if it becomes necessary to temporarily leave the stump (thorn) in order to tie a shoot to it, do not forget to delete it later.

If you need to cut a branch growing at an acute angle, around which the flow is invisible, to determine the right line When making a cut, use a simple technique (Fig. 6) - with chalk (or mentally) draw a line along the trunk or branch from which the branch to be cut departs (AB), and a second line perpendicular to the branch to be cut (AG). Divide the angle between them in half and guide the cut along this line (AB).

When cutting branches, cut them from below first, otherwise the bark will scuff, after which the wound will be difficult to heal (Fig. 7A). It is better to remove large, heavy branches in parts: first, cut the branch as deeply as possible (until the file jams) from below at a distance of 30-40 cm from its base. Then, stepping back another 10-15 cm from the base, saw the branch from above. It will break off under its own weight, but the bark will not tear due to the bottom cut. After this, it is not difficult to remove the remaining stump onto the ring according to all the rules (Fig. 7 B).

Rice. 6. Determining the correct direction to cut a branch extending at an acute angle

All cuts and cuts must be smooth and flat; do not make any curves on them. And do not forget to immediately cover them with garden varnish.

Near large wounds, new sprouts usually begin to grow. If they are not needed to replace branches or otherwise correct the crown, they must be broken out in a timely manner, not allowed to grow, otherwise they will have to be cut out again later.

Rice. 7. Sawing off large branches: A- wrong; B- Right; 1- the first cut from below; 2- second cut from above; 3- hemp clipping

When pruning, you cannot inflict many wounds on the trunk in one year, especially those located closely. This violates the integrity of the cortex, through the vessels of which there is a downward outflow of photosynthesis products to the roots. As a result, they begin to starve and, as a reaction to this, wild growth appears, which will weaken the tree.

"Self-destruction" of unnecessary branches

It happens that shoots begin to grow in places that are difficult to reach for cutting, for example, between the trunk and the skeletal branch. They must be broken out in a timely manner, before they have time to become lignified. But usually they are not noticed at first, and attention is paid to when they already become strong branches and create the threat of dangerous sharp corners. Neither a file nor a pruning shears can get to the place of the required cut: either the wound will be too large, or a drying stump will remain, and this will cause damage to the bark underneath. What to do?

In such cases, I use my own technique of “self-destruction” of an unnecessary branch based on the principle of constriction. To do this, you need to pull it tightly with wire in the place where the cut should be. Such a specially designed ring will gradually cut into the thickening branch, and it will then easily break off in the right place. The wire must be flexible to tightly wrap around the circle and not thin (at least 3-4 mm), otherwise the edges of the cut bark will simply close together and growth will continue. To prevent the wire from slipping, it can be secured with a cut on the bark in any convenient place.

No sharp corners

For a fruit tree, the strength of the crown, which can withstand the weight, is especially important. big harvests in summer and stuck snow in winter, strong gusts of squally winds, etc. Strength depends on winter hardiness: damaged wood of trunks and branches gradually becomes rotten and therefore easily injured. But why do branches often break off even on the most winter-hardy varieties without the slightest signs of freezing, as evidenced by light thick fabrics on the scraps? Typically, such breaks occur in trees with sharp angles of branches from the trunk.

Many people do not pay attention to the plant from a young age, letting its development take its course. It leads to various defects crowns, the most dangerous of which is a forked trunk or skeletal branches closely pressed to it. In such cases, sharp corners are formed between them, which are dangerous for the structure of the tree. Their harmfulness manifests itself gradually and is as follows.

Branches extending from the trunk at an acute angle have a weak fusion at their junction and break off over time. Figures 8 and 9 clearly show the reasons for the branch breaking off due to the acute angle of departure. In the first case, the branch departs from the trunk at an angle close to a straight line (Fig. 8). The numbers indicate the sequential formation of wood in each year of growth. The growth of annual layers occurs due to the activity of the cambium (indicated by the letter C), located between the bark and wood. Let me remind you that cambium is a special, very thin, but extremely important plant tissue. By dividing its cells, new layers of wood and bark are deposited, so the branches thicken.

Rice. 8. Fig. 9.

At a large angle of departure of the branches from the trunk, the wood tissues grow together without hindrance, and the connection at the points of their connection is strong. Such branches can bend all the way to the ground, but do not break off from the trunk.

In another case (Fig. 9), the annual layers of wood on each branch are visible, but they cannot grow together. This is prevented by the lower sections of the bark (Ko), which gradually, as the branches thicken, become sandwiched between them. As it grows, the thickness of the bark sandwiched inside increases and becomes, as it were, a spacer between the branches. In addition, moisture accumulates in the fork and harmful microorganisms settle. As a result, the already vulnerable spot inside rots (GK), which further reduces the strength of the attachment of the branches. Therefore, do not allow sharp corners to form in the crown, shape the tree from a young age, and correct any violations in a timely manner.

Particularly dangerous can be a bifurcation of the trunk at the top, which must be corrected immediately after its appearance by removing one of the parts (Fig. 10). If time is lost, then as the tree matures, a tear will begin between the oppositely located trunks. At first it is noticeable by the crack that forms, which can subsequently lead to the trunk splitting down to the ground. Fastening the emerging tear with metal staples or various tourniquets, as is usually recommended in such cases, will not save you for long.

Rice. 10.

To prevent this, it is necessary to select the better developed part of the trunk, and first shorten the other significantly. After two years, the dominant part, left without pruning, will become much thicker than the previously shortened one, and then the former competitor can be cut down to the base into a ring. In this case, the wound will heal faster, because it will be smaller than the diameter of the trunk.

Bending branches

Unformed five-year-old tree with a forked trunk: 1- a branch cut to the base; 2- branch left to form a regular crown

Bending back the branches of young plants while they are thin and flexible will help to avoid sharp corners. To do this, they use tying branches to the trunk or to stakes driven into the ground, pulling them back with spacers or weights (Fig. 11). Bending should be carried out before the shoots become lignified, which begins in July. Then the bent branches maintain their specified angle of departure from the trunk. This technique also speeds up fruiting, limits the size of the tree, and provides good lighting inside the crown. As a result, the harvest is more abundant and of better quality.

Rice. eleven.

In many countries with developed fruit growing, branch bending techniques are used on very young trees. In Poland, for example, such formation is carried out at a very early age, when the lateral branches of an annual plant are just beginning to grow and are only 15-30 cm in length. Moreover, they use ordinary clothespins (only wooden ones) for this. The clothespin is attached to the stem in such a way that its fork rests against the base of the shoot, deflecting it to a horizontal position, that is, the clothespin serves as a spacer between the trunk and the shoot. This work must be carried out in a timely manner, approximately in mid-summer (depending on weather conditions and the degree of plant development). It is important to have time to influence young shoots before they become lignified, when they are still flexible and easy to bend, so as not to injure or break them.

Clothespins are also used to attach small cement weights with a short loop to already woody shoots (so as not to injure the plants when the weight swings). Of course, the size of the weight must be commensurate with the shoot so that it does not break off.

You can simplify all this by putting, for example, small stones in rag bundles and securing them in such a way that side shoots assumed a horizontal position.

However, the effect will be achieved only if the branches are given a strictly horizontal direction, and not bent at random. If, for example, they take an arched position, then in the very high place arcs, strong vertically growing shoots will appear - tops, which will only thicken the crown. Therefore, you should not nail branches or tie them to the trunk by the ends - in this case, arcs that are unnecessary for the tree are formed. You need to pull the branch back by tying the twine to its middle or closer to the base.

Branches 2-3 cm thick in diameter are already difficult to bend; they break off with the bark on the trunks scuffed. Their angle of departure from the trunk can only be increased with preliminary filing (Fig. 12). The undercuts are made from below near the very base of the branch at about 1/4 of its diameter. Using a thin sharp file from the bottom of the branch near its base, make 6-8 cuts at a distance of about 2 cm from one another. After the branch bends, it must be secured with two guy wires to the pegs. The wounds from sawing when bending are pinched and quickly heal.

Rice. 12.

To understand the essence of this technique and experience its benefits, first practice on some other tree with branch flexibility similar to an apple tree.

All of the above rules and techniques will help in the correct formation and pruning of the tree.

Forming new seedlings

There are various systems for forming trees, but for amateur gardening the main type is a free-growing tree, round, with some subsequent size restrictions. The crown must have the correct ratio of skeletal branches and the central conductor (upper part of the trunk). It should dominate the branches in height and thickness. After reaching the desired height of the tree, the conductor is shortened.

In an adult tree, the skeletal branches should be located evenly along the trunk on all sides at a distance of no closer than 30-40 cm one above the other for their normal illumination and general development. The branches should not overlap each other, intertwine, etc.

Formation must begin with new plantings - this is what young trees are called during the first two to three years after planting. Already in the spring, they may have unequal development associated with different survival rate, freezing, drying, etc., therefore, the approach to each plant must be individual.

The ideal option for a one-year-old is when all the buds open, including the apical one (Fig. 13), and already at the end of June there are growths of 20-30 cm. In such a one-year-old, you just need to cut out the spine - the stump left from the wild bird when tied in it shoot (the cut is shown in the figure with a solid line).

Often, unripe tops of annuals freeze slightly (Fig. 14). In the spring, cut off the frozen part into a strong bud, leaving about 10-12 cm as a spine for tying to it a shoot that will appear from the upper living bud (dotted line). Subsequently remove the spine.

If the ground part has frozen to the snow level, the plant can be restored in a similar way (Fig. 15).

But if such freezing occurs annually, this is a sign of the variety’s lack of winter hardiness and its unsuitability for the given area.

Rice. 13. Fig. 14. Fig. 15.

Some trees may bloom in the first season after planting. This is characteristic of early-fruiting varieties, in which flower buds are formed on annual growths. Due to the fact that the flowers of a young plant consume the supply of food that is required for the development of the tree, the buds must be cut off before they bloom. And next year the flowers can be left, if, of course, the tree grows and develops normally.

Now let's look at the most typical malfunctions of the crown of two-year-old plants, schematically presented in the figures. The lines indicate the places of the necessary cuts. You should pay attention to the different angles of inclination of the lines, indicating the correct inclination of the cut above the kidneys.

In Fig. 16, the central shoot ends with poorly formed buds and becomes very thin towards the apex. It must be shortened by pruning it above a strong, well-developed bud. For the same reason, branches 1, 3, 4 and 5 are cut in the same way. In this case, the 3rd, 4th and 5th branches are cut to the outer bud to expand the crown, and the drooping 1st - to the inner bud to raise it. Branch 2 is not pruned, since it ends with a well-developed apical bud.

Rice. 16. Fig. 17.

In Fig. 17, the upper side shoot (5) is not inferior in growth strength to the central conductor (6), has become its competitor, and it branches off at an acute angle, which will inevitably lead to a break in the trunk. Therefore, the competitor must be removed or severely trimmed to the outer bud. Shoots 3 and 4 are pruned to a strong outer bud at approximately the same level of the crown, taking into account the subordination of the branches, but shoots 1 and 2 are not pruned, since they end in well-developed apical buds.

In Fig. 18, the central conductor is too strong and grows to the detriment of the lower side branches. Therefore, we shorten it by almost half. The lower shoots are lightly pruned to a strong bud only if their apical buds are less developed than the underlying ones.

In Fig. 19, the central conductor turned out to be shorter below the lateral shoots. There are two ways to correct the crown. If the central conductor is strong enough (normal thickness, well-developed buds), but the top has been broken, it can be left, accordingly shortening the lower shoots to subordinate the branches in the crown. If the lower shoot, the competitor (3), is more developed, then it is transferred to a vertical position (shown by the dotted line), attached with garters to the central conductor (5), which is subsequently cut out. To prevent shoot (4) from becoming a competitor, it can be removed, but given the bareness of the crown, it is left, greatly shortened to the outer bud. The remaining shoots are shortened if necessary.

Rice. 18. Fig. 19.

In Fig. 20 shows the case when the central conductor is missing. Here the strong lower shoot (6) must be moved to a vertical position. But since there is nothing to tie it to, a lath is attached to the upper part of the trunk, to the end of which a shoot is tied with a figure eight.

Pruning of the remaining shoots is carried out according to the same rules as in the previous examples. All branches left in the crown, extending from the trunk at an acute angle, must be promptly bent to a horizontal position, while achieving an increase in the angle of departure.

Rice. 20.

Rice. 21. Varietal characteristics of two-year-old apple tree branches: A- bud awakening and branching are good (Melba); B- kidney awakening is good, shoot performance is weak (Grushovka Moskovskaya); IN- bud awakening is poor, branching is weak (Cinnamon striped)

During subsequent formation and pruning, one should take into account the awakening of buds and shoot-forming ability, which depend on the varietal characteristics and age of the trees (Fig. 21). In apple tree varieties with poor bud awakening and weak branching (Cinnamon Striped, Mayak, Medunitsa, etc.), without pruning, the branches turn out to be ankle-shaped (bare), the crown is fragile, consisting of forks, and fruiting quickly moves to the periphery. In varieties of this type, to enhance branching and the formation of fruit branches, it is necessary to use transfer to lateral branches on two-year-old wood (Fig. 22).

Rice. 22.

Trees of varieties with good bud awakening, but weak shoot-producing ability (Grushovka Moskovskaya, Borovinka, Bessemyanka Michurina, etc.) usually form a crown well themselves and do not need much thinning. In them, only if necessary, it is necessary to remove “competitors”, subordinate the main branches to the central conductor and slightly shorten strong annual growths.

Trees with good bud development and average branching (Antonovka vulgaris, Papirovka, Welsey, etc.) require moderate pruning during the formation period. Their skeletal branches are subordinated to the central conductor, and pruning is carried out on the side branch.

Varieties with good bud awakening and good branching (Streifling, Melba, Zvezdochka, Northern Sinap, etc.) are prone to thickening. Their strong branches should not be shortened at a young age, as this will increase thickening, but the crown must be constantly thinned out in the future.

Garlands of fruits- good or bad

Abundant flowering of trees, and then garlands of fruits on them, usually make everyone happy. Indeed, this is evidence of their good overwintering, as well as a high level of adaptation to the bad weather of past years. This means that the varieties have been selected correctly; they are both winter-hardy and productive.

And now we need to look from a different perspective: if all the branches are covered with flowers to the very tips, it means there are no young growths with nurse leaves at all. In this case, the crop is forced to develop only due to those few leaves that are next to the fruits. But this is too little, especially for varieties that bear fruit in “garlands” (photo on the cover). Special studies have established that for the normal growth and development of one apple or pear fruit, at least 30 leaves are required. They are also necessary for the general development of the tree: feeding the roots, laying the future harvest, preparing all organs and tissues for overwintering, etc. Therefore, a deficiency of leaves creates problems for both the tree (reduced potential winter hardiness and productivity, general depressed state, weakened resistance to pests and diseases) and the gardener (too small fruits, their premature shedding, poor storage, etc.).

What conclusion follows from all this? You cannot let a tree grow to the point where it has no growth. This is usually observed in trees of venerable age that require crown rejuvenation. But attenuation of growth can also occur in not yet old trees with a predominance of the ring type of fruiting. This is most typical of many pear varieties (Lada, Chizhovskaya, Petrovskaya, Yuryevskaya, etc.). Annual harvests from an early age deplete them, and in addition to proper, balanced nutrition, they require periodic corrective pruning to stimulate shoot growth.

Shoots with a length of at least 50-60 cm in the upper part of the crown (here they are always stronger), 30-40 cm in the middle part and 20 cm in the lower part are considered optimal for a fruit-bearing tree. A decrease in these sizes is a signal for timely pruning, which will help restore the necessary balance between the generative (fruit-forming) and vegetative (growth) parts of the tree.

Rice. 23.

For a neglected tree, such pruning is carried out according to the principle of reducing, thinning and general rejuvenation of the crown. It is shown schematically in Fig. 23 before and after pruning. Please note that when the crown decreases, you cannot leave opposite branches on top - the weight of the harvest will cause a break. In the picture shown, the trimming was done correctly.

Without tops

If you form it correctly and trim it in a timely manner, you won’t have to remove too much, and this will only benefit the tree. It is not for nothing that one authoritative scientist wrote: “Large piles of pruned branches under fruit trees ... serve as an accusation against the owner of the garden and indicate that in previous years he did not fulfill his duties.” And indeed, pruning a tree means destroying the work it has already done, a wasteful loss of accumulated nutrients. But the main thing is that strong pruning stimulates the growth of many new shoots, which are called tops.

Tops are powerful “fat” (that’s why they were nicknamed “wen”), shoots that grow rapidly upward. They appear on various reasons: after mechanical damage to the trunk or crown of a tree, with incorrect (arched) bending of branches, unbalanced nutrition (with excess manure, nitrogen fertilizers), in aging trees, etc. But most often, the formation of tops is a natural reaction to severe pruning of roots, seeking to restore their relationship with the previous volume of the crown.

Surely many have encountered such a phenomenon when, after strong reducing and rejuvenating pruning of an old tree, in the first season a whole forest of tops grows up to 1.5-2 m in height and is much larger in thickness than usual growths. And the next year they already branched out and built up unnecessary 2nd and 3rd “floors” of the tree instead of the necessary reduction of the crown. Not only has the tree now become taller than before, but these young floors are also developing to the detriment of fruiting and crown development, shading it, taking away valuable nutrients (hence the name - tops) and weakening it in general.

Therefore, it is better to carry out thorough pruning to reduce or rejuvenate the crown not immediately, but gradually over 2-3 years, then the topping will be less. In the first year, it is necessary to open the center of the crown, shortening the central conductor from above by transferring it to a strong side branch (Fig. 24). In the second year, cut out large thickening branches from the middle of the crown. After this, shorten the remaining branches to the first or second tier of branching by transferring to branches oriented towards the periphery of the crown, and remove the lowest drooping branches. Naturally, you should also cut out all the diseased, dried out branches that are rubbing against each other.

Rice. 24. Scheme for pruning an adult tree with a narrowed crown. The branches to be removed are shown in black: A- crown periphery; B- central conductor; IN- large thickening branches; G- lower drooping branches

Unnecessary tops must be broken out immediately after they begin to grow, preventing subsequent lignification. In the middle - late summer, it is already too late to remove them in this way, and cutting them into a ring with pruners is risky, since there will be too many wounds that will not have time to heal before the fall. But you can trim it, leaving stumps 5-10 cm long, and in the spring, do not forget to remove them according to all the rules. Please note that young shoots may appear on such stumps even at the beginning of autumn; they should be broken out without fear.

No wild growth

One of the essential elements of spring pruning is the removal of wild growth, i.e. shoots growing below the grafting site. They become a competitor for water and food and therefore deplete the tree.

Typically, wild branches differ markedly from cultivated varieties in leaves, buds, bark color, and other characteristics. But this is often not noticed, and as a result, both a cultivated variety and a wild variety grow on the same tree. And only when its branches begin to bear fruit, bewilderment arises: why have the apples become completely different, or has the variety been degenerated?

To prevent this from happening, shoots of wild growth must be broken off at the very base as soon as they begin to grow. Unfortunately, attention is often paid to them when they have already become woody and require cutting with pruning shears, and in advanced cases, with a saw. If this work is carried out simultaneously with pruning in early spring, when the snow around the tree has not yet melted, stumps usually remain. Soon they are overgrown with many new young shoots, turning into entire bushes around the tree. To prevent this, as soon as the snow melts, the stumps must be cut down to the ground. If necessary, you will have to dig up the ground to get to the place where the shoots are growing. Cover the cuts with varnish and cover them again with soil.

However, it is important not only to properly remove wild shoots, but to identify, eliminate and prevent the causes of their appearance in the future. They can be different, most often the following.

The result of severe pruning of many branches at once. Shoots appear in response to an imbalance between the roots, programmed to retain the same volume of leaves in the crown, and a sharp decrease in the nutrition supplied from them.

Trims, labels, etc. not removed in a timely manner. cut into branches that thicken as they grow. In this case, the downward outflow of plastic substances, which occurs along the outer tissues from the leaves to the roots, is interrupted. Roots, deprived of necessary nutrition, are forced to help themselves by forming shoots. Therefore, do not tie anything close to the trunk or branches.

A consequence of root starvation due to physiological incompatibility of the rootstock and scion, when the exchange of nutrients between them is disrupted. This phenomenon is usually accompanied by a noticeable thickening above the grafting site, too early entry into fruiting and at the same time weak or absent growth, premature autumn coloring and leaf fall, and decreased winter hardiness. Such trees are gradually dying.

A signal about winter and other damage that was not noticed in time: frost damage, sunburn and cracking of the bark, damage to it by cytosporosis, black cancer and other diseases. In case of severe damage, the above-ground part gradually dies, and healthy roots, which require plastic substances, produce shoots. In the last two situations, drying trees must be cut down to the ground, and strong growth can be used to graft a more winter-hardy variety.

N. Efimova , Candidate of Agricultural Sciences

(Garden and vegetable garden, newspaper library No. 3, 2008)

Planting a seedling in the ground does not guarantee that the garden will grow lush and productive. All crops grown on the site require constant attention of the owner, regardless of the season.

Pruning fruit trees is one of the main stages of garden care. It allows you to form the correct crown, regulate growth and fruiting. In addition, proper pruning of fruit trees can prolong their productivity. You will find all the necessary recommendations in our article.

Proper pruning of fruit trees

Pruning refers to the removal of dry and damaged branches and shoots. In addition, during the process, excess branches are cut out, which thicken the crown and reduce the quality of the crop (Figure 1).

Why is it carried out?

Proper pruning also performs a sanitary function. Removing excess branches helps prevent disease, and a rejuvenating procedure can extend the life of the plant.

Figure 1. Types of pruning of fruit crops

It is important to choose the right time to remove branches. It is best to do this in the fall or early spring, when the sap has not yet begun to move in the trunk. At the same time, autumn thinning is possible only in regions with a mild climate, since severe frosts can lead to damage to the crop at the cutting site.

Methods and techniques (shortening, thinning)

There are two main methods of pruning: thinning and shortening (Figure 2). Each of them has its own characteristics.

Figure 2. Pruning techniques: shortening and thinning

Shortening involves partial removal of branches and shoots. For example, if 1/5 or ¼ of a shoot is cut off, such shortening is called weak; if 1/3 or ½ is removed, it is called medium, and from half to 2/3 is called strong.

In the process of shortening, rejuvenation is also carried out. For a light branch, the growth of the last 2-3 years is cut off, for a moderate one, 4-6 years of growth is removed, and for a strong one, almost the entire part of the skeletal branches is removed.

Note: By shortening, you can stimulate the growth of buds and shoots, as well as make fruiting branches thicker. However, shortening too much can cause the plant to weaken and yields to decrease.

Thinning allows you to remove excess branches from the crown. Using this method, you can increase the size of the fruits and make the tree stronger and more productive. This reduces the number of buds that only consume the juices of the crop but do not produce fruit. The juice flows faster from the roots to the leaves, the crop grows faster and bears fruit more intensively.

More useful information You will find information about pruning in the video.

Types of pruning

Depending on the purpose for which excess branches are cut, there are several types of pruning. For example, using this procedure you can form a crown the right size and shape, extend the fruiting period of the tree or prevent the development of disease.

Each type has its own characteristics, although it is carried out using the same garden tools and techniques.

To form the crown

This procedure is called formative. It is especially relevant for small garden plots. Using these manipulations, you can create a compact crown while maintaining a high level of fruiting (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Formative pruning technique

Removing branches to form a crown allows you to give the plant a suitable silhouette. In addition, the formed skeletal part becomes more resistant to stress. Depending on the timing of formative pruning, growth can be slowed down or increased. When removing branches in February, growth will be more active, and cutting in early spring will slow down the development of the crop.

Regulating fruiting

Most often it is carried out in late winter or early spring, but in regions with a mild climate, branches can be removed in the fall.

The main purpose of regulatory pruning is to maintain the contours of the crown and maintain optimal lighting of the branches. In addition, the skeletal branches are strengthened in the process. They are not overloaded with young shoots, and the fruits become larger and ripen evenly.

Restorative

During the process, branches and shoots with mechanical or any other damage are removed. Typically, they are removed in the spring as part of the garden inspection process after winter.

Some branches may freeze, so they need to be shortened to healthy wood. All shoots with signs of disease or damage are also cut off. This will preserve the viability and fruiting of the crop.

Rejuvenating

Required by old trees that, due to prolonged growth, stop or significantly reduce fruiting. In the process, all old branches that form too small fruits or an insufficient number of ovaries are removed (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Features of anti-aging pruning

Rejuvenating pruning stimulates the growth of new branches. Typically, the process removes annual growth (approximately 10-15 cm), which stimulates bud growth and increases yield.

Timing for pruning fruit trees (when is the best time to do it)

Wondering when is the best time to prune? orchard, we can say that optimal time autumn, winter and spring are considered, when the movement of sap in the trunk stops and the plant is at rest.

In regions with harsh winters, it is recommended to remove branches in the fall or spring, so that the cut site is not damaged by frost and the tree does not die. Let's consider the features of this procedure by season.

Autumn

Experienced gardeners advise pruning garden crops in the fall only when absolutely necessary. For example, stone fruit crops tolerate such an event very poorly and may even die before they have time to get stronger before frost.

However, these warnings do not apply to sanitary cleaning. If you find diseased or damaged branches, they must be removed immediately to save the rest of the plant.

The author of the video will talk about the main features of autumn pruning.

in winter

In severe frosts, the wood becomes very fragile, so it is not recommended to remove it. In fact, this is the only limitation, because in winter all plants are dormant and branches can be removed freely if the weather is relatively warm and calm.

Figure 5. Pruning an orchard in winter

The main advantage of the procedure is that the tree experiences less stress and the wound heals faster. In addition, damage is much more visible on branches devoid of leaves (Figure 5).

in spring

It is believed that pruning can be started at any time with the onset of spring. Actually this is not true. It is better to start the procedure when sap flow has not yet begun, but the tree is already ready to awaken. In this case, the crop will not experience severe stress, and the wound will heal faster (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Spring pruning orchard

Since the timing of removal of damaged branches and growth differs for different crops, the gardener has the opportunity to plan the work in such a way as to provide all the trees with the necessary care.

It is advisable to start work on a quiet, windless day at a temperature of at least -5 degrees. All wounds are covered with garden pitch or yellow clay to speed up the formation of colus.

Summer

In summer Special attention given to seedlings. They need to remove the tops of growing shoots to form a crown.

However, if diseases are detected, infected branches are removed without waiting for the sap flow to stop. If this is not done, the disease can quickly spread throughout the garden. All removed branches must be burned immediately.

Pruning fruit trees in winter

The most important requirement for pruning fruit trees in winter is the absence of severe frost. If the air temperature is below -8 degrees, work cannot be carried out.

Note: Despite the fact that in winter the plants are dormant and can more easily withstand stress after the branches are removed, in severe frost the wound will take too long to heal and can lead to the death of the entire crop.

However, in winter it is much easier to detect damage, since the crown is completely devoid of foliage and defects become more noticeable. This also allows for a smoother and more precise cut. It is better to remove thin branches with pruning shears, and cut thick ones on both sides so that the cut is even and does not damage healthy wood.

Choosing Trimming Tools

To remove branches, you need to use special tools. The main garden tools include (Figure 7):

• Secateurs- it is better to choose a regular model rather than a tool with a ratcheting mechanism, since you will have to press it several times to cut it. Using a simple pruner is much easier and more convenient.
• Hacksaw with spaces between the teeth. This design will prevent the accumulation of sawdust and will allow you to keep your equipment clean. For work in the garden, only a special hacksaw is chosen, which is not recommended for use for other work, so that the blade does not become dull.
• Air sector- a tool with a telescopic handle to which the blades are attached. To make a cut, just use a special lever. This tool will be very useful for cutting the upper branches.

Figure 7. Basic garden pruning tools

In addition to the equipment, you need to buy garden varnish - a special ointment that is used to cover wounds on branches for faster healing.

Pruning and pinching trees and shrubs in the country

Regular pruning is one of the elements of caring for garden trees and shrubs. It is of great importance for plants. Depending on the method, extent and timing, age and condition of the plants, weather conditions and variety, pruning can achieve different effects.

❧ According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most Big apple in the world has grown the size of soccer ball. The weight of the beautiful red fruit was 1.8 kg. The apple was grown in the Japanese city of Hirosaki by farmer Chisato Iwasaki.

Why is it necessary to prune trees and shrubs?

There are several types of pruning

1. Formative pruning. It is carried out more often on young trees. It forms a strong skeleton of a tree with evenly distributed branches. Semi-skeletal and overgrown branches are pruned. Tops are removed from old trees. After such pruning, the lighting inside the tree crown improves and the trees begin to bear fruit earlier.

2. Pruning to improve yield. This type of pruning causes renewal of overgrown branches. After it, the trees produce a consistently good harvest.

3. Anti-aging pruning. It is carried out near those Trees that stop growing.

4. Restorative pruning. It is carried out if the tree has suffered from frost or mechanical damage to the crown has occurred. Pruning restores the tree canopy.

5. Sanitary pruning. This is the removal of dry, broken, diseased branches and their parts.

In young plants, branches are pruned to form a crown; in adults, to maintain the shape of the crown and remove dry and diseased branches. Old trees and shrubs are pruned for rejuvenating purposes. Many valuable varieties of fruit trees for obtaining good harvest needs to be pruned every year.

Pruning reduces the height of plants, the number of harmful insects on them and the frequency of diseases. It makes the fruiting periods of trees and shrubs more uniform. The gross yield of fruits may decrease when pruning, but the size and quality of the fruits increase. For example, the color of fruits improves. Improves after pruning general state plants, the light-air regime is optimized. This makes trees and shrubs more resistant to insect pests and diseases without the use of chemicals.

When is the best time to prune trees and shrubs?

Trees and shrubs are pruned in different terms. In early spring, pruning is done in March - before the juices begin to flow in the plants. Otherwise, the plants will lose a lot of nutrients when pruned and become weak. At this time, pome crops (pears, apple trees) are usually pruned. Red and black currants are pruned as soon as the depth of the snow cover decreases.

From March to May, mainly in March - April, pruned most fruit trees. First pome crops, then stone fruits.

Mature trees can also be pruned at a later time - from May to June. They are pruned even during the flowering period and after it. Reducing the crown of mature trees reduces the cost of recovery after winter and growth.

Some fruit trees, such as apricot, can be pruned in the summer. As a result, they will bloom later next year. This will help protect the crop from spring frosts.

In the summer, from June to July, pinching (pinching) and breaking of shoots are carried out. At the same time, unnecessary shoots are removed. They will be completely removed during the next spring pruning.

In autumn, sanitary and anti-aging pruning is usually carried out. They are carried out after the beginning of leaf fall. It is in the fall that old and neglected trees are pruned, as well as berry bushes - all types of currants, raspberries, gooseberries, etc.

In winter, fruit trees are pruned only in the southern regions, where there is no risk of frost damage to the trees. In central Russia, forced pruning of trees is sometimes carried out in winter. At the same time, protective sections of branches are left on the tree. With this pruning, tree branches damaged by adverse effects (strong wind, rain with icing, etc.) are removed. This reduces the load on the trees and prevents future breaks and splitting of branches.

Trees and shrubs are pruned for the following purposes:

✓ get a small healthy tree with a compact crown that would bear fruit perfectly every year;

✓ create a tree with a strong skeleton - branches evenly distributed in space;

✓ maintaining crown size at a certain level;

✓ creating good lighting in the crown;

✓ regulation of growth and fruiting, reducing plant height and fruit shedding;

✓ increasing the quality of fruits - weight, size, color;

✓ easier harvesting;

✓ reducing the frequency of diseases and the number of insect pests;

✓ creating conditions for physiological balance between growth and fruiting in different periods of plant life; increasing the supply of nutrients to the remaining tree tissues;

✓ rejuvenation and increase in the life of the tree.

If you do not regulate the height of the trees, they will be very tall, and the fruits will be crushed. Their winter hardiness will also decrease.

Trees and shrubs are pruned in two ways:

1) thinning, or cutting (Fig. 1). With this pruning method, competitive, crossing branches, as well as very closely located and touching ones, are removed. Thinning is performed using the “ring” method or transfer to a side branch. When cutting “on the ring”, a cut is made at the base of the branch along the annular bead. The stump is not left behind. You should not make a cut deeper than the annular influx, as this creates a larger wound surface that takes longer to heal.

When removing large branches, use the “three cuts” method. First, the branch is cut from below to a quarter of its thickness. The cut is made at a distance of 20-30 cm from the trunk. Then the branch is cut down from above. In this case, the third cut should be 5 cm further from the trunk than the bottom one. Then the remaining stump is cut down. This gradual cutting prevents stripping and splitting of the bark and leaves a minimal wound that heals well;

Figure 1. Thinning

2) shortening (Fig. 2). With this pruning method, the end part of the branch is removed. After pruning, the nutrition and provision of moisture to the remaining part of the branch and, accordingly, the buds on it improves. Therefore, shortening has a stimulating effect on the shoot-forming ability of the tree. It reduces the size of the crown and ultimately makes the tree more branched. Shortening is carried out using the “kidney” method. The branch is cut obliquely above the bud. In this case, the cut should not be very oblique, otherwise the bud may dry out or give a weak shoot. They resort to shortening the branches if they were not pinched in a timely manner.

Figure 2. Shortening

When pruning, the following rules must be observed:

1. When cutting, large, long and heavy branches must be supported by hand.

2. The cut should not be made flush with the surface of the trunk or main branch.

3. Large thorns should not be left on branches.

4. The branches are cut at a slight angle relative to a line parallel to the main branch.

5. When cutting down large and heavy branches, they are first lightened (smaller branches are removed). It is advisable to remove them piece by piece.

6. Heavy large branches after pruning should be lowered using ropes. This will prevent damage to the tree and neighboring plants. First, the upper end of the rope is secured above the branch to be cut, and the lower end is secured to the branch to be cut closer to the trunk.

7. The edges of cuts with a diameter of more than 2 cm should be cleaned, treated with disinfectants and covered with an insulating layer.

8. There should be no grooves on the cuts, as moisture accumulates in them and the wood may rot.

9. You should not leave large stumps after trimming branches. They do not grow like full-fledged branches and gradually die off. As a result, branches form in their place.

10. You cannot remove a large number of large branches at once, as this will delay the growth of the tree or lead to its death. They are removed 1-2 per year

11. When pruning slow-growing trees (apple, linden, elm, Norway maple), 20-50% of the growth over the last year is removed. In trees that grow quickly (poplar, green ash, ash maple), 60-70% of the growth is removed.

Pinching plants, or pinching, is the removal of the top of a growing shoot (Fig. 3). It causes the branch to stop growing for 2-3 weeks.

Figure 3. Pinching a shoot

Pinching is done by hand or with pruning shears. It is carried out mainly to form the crown of young trees. With the help of pinching, they make the branches subordinate and prevent the growth of shoots in inappropriate places. Pinching is carried out before the shoots become woody.

On young trees in the spring, competing shoots appear on each shoot that continues the skeletal branch. They reduce the flow of juices to the main shoot and are the same as it in terms of development. Competitor shoots are pinched or broken out when they reach 10-12 cm. After pinching, the growth shoots become fruit-bearing within 1-2 years - they begin to bear fruit. This is due to the fact that after manipulation on the shoots, the development of the lower buds increases. When several strong shoots appear below the pinching site, the branch is cut off above the strongest of them. The shoot that remains is pinched above the 3-5th leaf. When one long shoot is formed, it is cut off above the 3-5th leaf. When several short shoots are formed, all are left. Unnecessary shoots and tops are also removed. In the future, they will unnecessarily shade the crown, so you should not leave them. If at the end of summer the shoots have not completed their growth, then the tree’s resistance to frost decreases. Therefore, the tops of the shoots are pinched and then lignification of annual shoots occurs.

When pruning and shaping the crown of fruit trees, it is important to consider several important factors. There are five periods in the life of fruit crops: the first is the growth of vegetative parts, the second is active growth and fruiting; the third is balanced growth and fruiting, the fourth is a decrease in growth and fruiting, the fifth is the aging period. Before pruning the branches of fruit trees, you need to choose a method that corresponds to the given period.

In the first period of life of a culture grafted onto a seed rootstock, which, under conditions middle zone lasts on average about six to seven years, formative pruning is performed.

The following tasks are set before formative pruning of fruit trees: creating a strong skeleton of the tree crown for its normal growth and fruiting; creating conditions for good lighting of leaves not only along the periphery, but also inside the crown to increase their productivity; creation of a limited number of non-productive main skeletal branches growing strongly upward, necessary to accommodate fruit-bearing, more horizontal branches in space; Creation large quantity more horizontal, fruiting, semi-skeletal branches on which the main mass is located fruit branches, which includes ringlets, spears, fruit twigs; the creation of low-volume crowns with a tree height of no more than 3-3.5 m as a necessary condition for increasing labor productivity in tree care and harvesting.

When forming the crown of fruit trees, it is necessary to take into account the biological characteristics and structure of the crop. The above-ground part of the tree consists of the trunk and its branches, which form the crown. The lower part of the trunk, from the soil to the first branches growing strongly upward, is called the trunk. The rest of the trunk, above the trunk, is called the central conductor, which ends at the top, during the dormant period of the fruit tree, with the growth of the previous year, or in the growing season of the current year - with a continuation shoot.

Large upward growing branches extending from the central conductor are called skeletal branches of the first order. Branches growing upward, extending from the skeletal branches of the first order, are called skeletal branches of the second order, etc.

In addition to branches that grow strongly upward, the crown contains more horizontal, less durable, and weaker-growing branches. They are called semi-skeletal branches. Semi-skeletal, horizontal branches bear a large number of small overgrowing branches, the bulk of which consists of fruit formations - ringlets, up to 3-4 cm long, spears 10-15 cm, fruit twigs from 15 to 25 cm, on which fruiting is formed. Therefore, semi-skeletal branches are also called fruiting branches.

In dense plantings of intensive amateur gardens, the best crown that meets the requirements for the formation of fruit trees is a sparse-tiered, low-volume crown with six skeletal branches, with one order of their branching, with a large number of semi-skeletal, fruit-bearing branches, with a tree height of 3-3 .5 m.

Pruning of fruit trees to form a crown begins in the first year after planting.

On the central conductor, at a height of 50 cm from the soil, select 2 - 3 skeletal branches, located close to each other (possibly from adjacent buds), from different sides of the trunk, directing their growth further in different directions at an angle of 45° to the row line . They form the first tier. For fastening strength, the angle of departure of the skeletal branches from the central conductor should be 45-60°. When forming young fruit trees, you cannot choose as skeletal branches those that extend at sharp angles (less than 45°), since such branches have little connective tissue formed at the point where they depart from the trunk. The result is a fragile fusion, and under the weight of the harvest they break. Obtuse branch angles (more than 60°) lead to the fact that the branch quickly begins to bear fruit and cannot fulfill the role of a skeletal branch.

How to properly prune fruit tree branches with an acute branch angle? In the first tier they are cut into a ring, and the extra skeletal branches are good angle branches and branches with angles greater than 60° are converted into fruit-bearing ones and cut into lateral branches.

How to prune a fruit tree to create a large number of semi-skeletal, fruit-bearing branches? To do this, last year's growth of skeletal branches up to 60 cm long is shortened by pruning by '/3 of its length, and growths of 70 cm or more are cut by half.

Pruning of skeletal branches of fruit trees is carried out at the same height, the central conductor is cut 25 cm above the skeletal branches. This subordination ensures the strength of the attachment of the skeletal branches to the central conductor, since in this case the cross-sectional diameter of the skeletal branch at its origin is almost twice as thin as the diameter of the cross-section of the central conductor.

The next year, after shortening pruning of fruit trees in spring or autumn, in most cases, several vegetative growths and individual overgrowing branches without flower buds are formed on the skeletal branch.

How to properly prune young fruit trees in spring

When formative spring pruning of fruit trees, select one growing growth from last year on each skeletal branch as its continuation and shorten it by 1/3 or 1/2 depending on the length of the growth. If there is a competitor - a second growth that grows strongly upward, then it is removed to the ring. Last year's growths growing inside the crown are removed onto the ring. More horizontal growths of the previous year, growing from the skeletal branch to the sides and to the periphery, are left as semi-skeletal.

In order to prune fruit trees correctly, as practice shows, it is necessary to leave for fruiting the horizontal branches located on the central conductor between the skeletal branches of the first tier and subsequent skeletal branches, if they do not interfere with the growth of the main skeletal branches. The fourth skeletal branch on the central conductor is laid 80 cm above the first tier. The distance between the fourth, fifth and sixth skeletal branches is recommended to be 40 cm. Thus, the first lower three skeletal branches, located close to each other, form a tier, and the next three upper skeletal branches are located sparsely. This is where the sparse-tiered crown got its name.

Pruning the upper skeletal branches is carried out in the same way as pruning the skeletal branches of the first tier. Every year, last year’s growth of each skeletal branch up to 60 cm in length is cut off at one third of its length, from above. Growths of 70 cm or more are cut in half.

Look at the photo - when pruning fruit trees, all skeletal branches are cut at the same height, and the conductor is always cut 25 cm above all skeletal branches:

After the formation of the crown of six skeletal branches has been completed, and the upper skeletal branch with its upper end has moved one and a half meters to the side from the central conductor, the central conductor for better lighting internal parts the crowns are removed, leaving a protective link, which consists of part of the central conductor, 15-20 cm above the skeletal branch, with a small side branch at the upper end.

In the process of pruning fruit trees, the upward growth of skeletal branches must be directed so that, after completion of formation, the upper end of each skeletal branch is located from the central axis of the crown at a distance of 2.5 m, which ensures the strength of the skeletal branch during fruiting and frees from extra work on installing supports for skeletal branches. Skeletal and semi-skeletal branches should not be located one above the other, as this will make it difficult to illuminate the leaves sunlight lower branches.

Formation of the crown of young fruit trees

In the 7-8th year after planting, apple trees are transferred to the fruit-bearing group. The second stage in the life of a tree begins - the period of growth and fruiting. During this period, active growth and increase in yields are observed. It lasts approximately 3-4 years until the trees are 10-11 years old. How to prune young fruit trees entering fruiting?

The formation of the crown has already been completed by this time. The task of pruning comes down to the following main points: carry out sanitary pruning; remove dead and broken branches; keep the crown in a certain volume by trimming branches that grow strongly upward into lateral branches.

In thickened crowns of varieties with good shoot-forming ability (apple trees - Anise and some others), thinning is carried out, that is, part of the excess branches that thicken the crown are removed onto a ring or side branch directed to the branch-free part of the crown.

How to properly prune fruit trees with weak shoot-forming ability? For such crops, shoots are further shortened in order to create additional semi-skeletal branches.

The video “Pruning Fruit Trees” shows how to form the crown of young crops entering the fruiting period:

How to properly trim branches of medium and old fruit trees (with video)

In the third (middle) period of the life of a fruit tree, which for apple trees in the middle zone lasts approximately from 11 to 16 - 18 years after planting, sanitary pruning is carried out, broken and dry branches are removed. Thinning is carried out as necessary. They maintain a certain volume of the crown by transferring it to the side branches. To prune a fruit tree during this period correctly, as advised experienced gardeners To ensure balanced growth and fruiting in the lower part of the crown, branches that hang down and interfere with soil cultivation are removed.

The period of fruiting and growth decline in apple trees in the middle zone lasts approximately from 17-19 to 25 years after planting. At this time, there is a decrease in the annual growth of shoots to 25 cm or less. This leads to an overload of the tree with the harvest, which in turn causes a decrease in winter hardiness, an increase in the frequency of fruiting, and shredding of the fruits. How to prune old fruit trees correctly? The main task This agrotechnical technique in this period is the rejuvenation of wood, shortening the branches to the strong growth of previous years (more than 30-40 cm), which is cut to 1/3 of its length from above. This restores shoot growth activity.

In addition to anti-aging pruning, during this period sanitary pruning, thinning and removal of branches hanging down that interfere with soil cultivation are carried out.

In the fifth period of the tree's life, the branches die off. Productivity drops sharply, so the garden is uprooted.

Watch the video on how to prune fruit trees in the third and fourth stages of life:

How to properly prune stone fruit trees

Separately, it is worth telling how to properly prune stone fruit trees, since agricultural practices for these crops have a number of differences from the formation of pome-bearing plants.

They are divided into bush-like (Lyubskaya; Dessertnaya Volzhskaya, etc.) and tree-like (Amorel early, etc.). Fruiting of bushy cherry varieties predominates on long annual growths. Flower buds are located on the sides of the branches. Fruiting of tree cherry varieties is concentrated mainly on bouquet branches. Due to the good branching of cherries in the first age periods of the tree’s life, the shortening of growth is limited. Over the years, the crown thins out. When pruning cherries, you must avoid causing large wounds, which usually leads to gum formation. The height of the cherry trunk is given at 40-50 cm. Trees of tree-like cherry varieties are formed, like an apple tree, according to a sparse-tiered system.

Bush varieties are also formed according to a sparsely layered system, but the distance between the tier and the next skeletal branch is given at 40 cm. The same distance is given between single skeletal branches.

How to prune stone fruit trees during the period when shoot growth is declining (less than 25 cm)? At this time, shaping is carried out on the side branches located on 2-3-year-old wood.

How to properly prune frozen fruit trees

Pruning frozen trees. In severe winters, freezing of fruit trees is observed to one degree or another. It can be strong, medium and weak.

In case of severe frost damage to the bark, cambium and wood of young apple trees, from 1 to 3 years after planting (dark brown color of the bark, cambium and wood), the above-ground part of the tree is cut off to the snow line. The part of the trunk above the graft, located under the snow, in this case produces good annual shoots. In the spring of next year, in order to create a crown, one shoot is selected, cutting it at a height of 90 cm from the soil surface. The remaining shoots are removed into a ring. On a trunk up to a height of 50 cm, all growth increments are removed. The next year they begin to lay the first tier of three skeletal branches. Next comes the usual formative pruning, as described above.

Having a good root system, trees quickly restore their crown, which does not have any signs of freezing.

Young trees with a slight degree of freezing are pruned as usual. Trees from three to eight years old, not overloaded with harvest, are rarely subject to severe frost damage. Apple trees at fruiting age that have slight frost damage (light yellow color of wood, light green color of cambium) are pruned as usual. Fruit-bearing trees with severe frost damage are pruned a little later, when a zone with good shoot regrowth is identified. Pruning is carried out on the living, well-growing part of the branch.

When to prune fruit trees: the correct timing

Many novice gardeners are interested in when to prune fruit trees so that they bear fruit better? The best month for pruning in the middle zone is March - early April, before the sap begins to flow, when the danger of severe frosts has passed. Acceptable and autumn pruning, but subject to certain precautions. Large wounds should not be caused when pruning fruit trees in the fall on the central conductor and on the skeletal branches. In this case, if it becomes necessary to remove one or another large branch, then it is not removed into a ring and a protective link is left, consisting of a small lower part of the branch being removed with a small side branch at the end. If there is no close branch, a spike 10-15 cm long is left, which can be cut out in the spring.

Pruning in autumn is mainly sanitary pruning: removal of dead, broken, diseased branches, removal of rubbing branches, subject to the described precautions. Rejuvenating pruning of fruit trees during this period is carried out along the periphery of the crown, when large branches are not affected, and can also be carried out during autumn, warm winter days and in spring before sap flow.

Pruning of stone fruits is done in the spring, and the wounds are sealed immediately after pruning.

To putty wounds, garden pitch, petrolatum, and oil paint diluted with natural drying oil. When using oil paint, diluted in artificial drying oil, bark burns are observed. For the convenience of covering wounds with oil paint, take a light stick about 1.5 m long, at the end of which a brush is tied perpendicular to it. Oil paint is poured into a small bucket. With this device you can paint over a wound at any height without climbing a tree. Petrolatum needs to be warmed up a little when working so that it is soft. Cover wounds with a diameter of 1 cm or more.

Watch the video “Pruning fruit trees in autumn and spring” to better understand how to properly perform these agricultural techniques:

Fruit tree pruning technology

The technology for pruning fruit trees involves cutting into a ring, a protective link, a bud and a side branch.

A ring cut is a cut where it is made parallel to the thickening present at the base of the branch. The branch is removed, but the thickening remains.

The thickening is a storehouse of nutrients necessary for rapid overgrowth of brine. Incorrect ring cuts are those cuts when a thickening is removed along with the branch, which causes a large wound that does not heal for a long time, or when, along with the thickening, a stump without buds and side branches is left, which often forms a hollow when it dries out.

When removing a branch for a ring, you must first saw it from below, and then saw it from above. In this case, there will be no scuffing of the bark.

When removing a thick, large branch, the cut is made in two steps: first, the upper half is sawed off, and then the lower half.

Pruning to a protective link is used when removing large branches in the fall, when removing the central conductor after completion of shaping, when transferring a thicker branch to a thinner side branch. It is better to cut annual growths of an apple tree into a bud, leaving a spine about 2 mm above the bud left on the growth. A side branch with a raised position is pruned to the outer bud, and branches with a greater slope are pruned to the inner bud, which, when the branch is tilted, occupies the upper position.

Equipment for formative pruning of fruit trees

Before pruning fruit trees, you need to acquire the necessary equipment. To trim shoots and branches, use a hand pruner. It consists of two parts: one part of the handle with a convex cutting blade at the end and the second with a concave supporting blade. Both parts are connected by a hinge with a nut at the end. Using a nut, the gap between the cutting blade and the support blade is adjusted. To trim branches located high in the crown, use a lopper, which is also called an air pruner. The cutting part of the lopper is driven by a string.

Larger branches are cut with garden saws, which come in various shapes. When cutting thorns, use a garden knife.

In order to trim the branches of fruit trees correctly, as required for good growth and fruiting, as well as to increase labor productivity and cut quality, garden tools must be well sharpened. To sharpen and straighten the tool, you need to have a whetstone, a whetstone, a file, and a routing for files.

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About what fruit trees and shrubs need regular care, every gardener knows. Moreover, this is known even to supporters of pristine natural beauty. The main function of plants in the garden is fruiting, and its fulfillment is possible only under one condition: if the gardener knows how to prune the trees, and, most importantly, when to do it.

Completing this procedure will allow the crown of the plant to form correctly for its optimal further development. Only a correctly pruned branch will be able to receive a sufficient amount of light and air, which will have a positive effect on its fruitfulness. In addition, with the help of pruning, the plant is sanitized, activating its protective mechanism against various diseases. This article will talk about pruning plants and the main features of this procedure.

The key to success when pruning trees and bushes is the right tools. So, you can't do without:

• garden hacksaw;
• pruning shears;
• air pruner;
• garden var.

Now let's look at the gardener's arsenal separately.

Garden hacksaw

A garden tool with a saber shape, the blade of which tapers at the end. Characteristic feature hacksaws are special teeth with spaces between them. The purpose of these spaces is to prevent sawdust from accumulating on the blade when cutting.

This is what a garden hacksaw looks like

If possible, choose a special hacksaw for pruning trees, rather than a regular construction saw. The difference between them is the angle of the blade for convenience. In garden tools, the blade has a specific shape, which greatly facilitates the work process.

Secateurs

A pruner is called a hand pruner. garden tools, designed to remove shoots. The shape and principle of operation of pruning shears is similar to ordinary scissors, which is why it is also called “garden shears”.

Secateurs are an essential attribute of every gardener.

When choosing pruners for gardening work give preference to a regular tool, without a ratchet mechanism. Firstly, it is much more expensive than a regular pruning shear, and secondly, a pruning shear with a ratcheting mechanism is not very convenient for garden work.

Air pruner

A type of pruning shears designed for cutting branches at high heights. The principle of operation is the same as that of a lopper, but the blade is driven by a cable, rope or wire (depending on the model).

Used for hard to reach branches

Pruning trees with air pruning pruners requires some skill, as you will need to keep an eye on the rope the entire time so that it does not get stuck among the branches. In addition, you have to maintain your balance, which makes the task a little more difficult.

Important: When pruning trees, you must use only sharp and clean blades. This is the only way you can avoid the appearance of torn surfaces, which is fraught with the appearance of diseases on the branches. Upon completion of work, all blades should be cleaned and lubricated with a small amount of oil.

Garden var

Having got everything necessary tools, do not forget also garden var. This is a special substance for applying to tree cuts. The structure of the substance is thick and does not dissolve in water. By covering the “wound” on the plant, you will protect it from bacteria, small pests and insects. In addition, garden pitch can prevent juice from leaking out.

You can buy a “miracle ointment” in a store or make a garden varnish with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself Var Zhukovsky

To prepare garden varnish you will need:

• wax;
• rendered beef fat;
• rosin.

The quantities of all components of the recipe should be the same. If you were unable to get beef fat, you can replace it with lamb fat - this will not make the effect worse. So, having obtained all the necessary ingredients, we begin to prepare the brew.

Application of garden varnish

Preparation

Step 1. Melt all ingredients in different vessels.

Step 2. Drain everything into one container and stir well.

Step 3. After cooling, pour the resulting mixture into a bucket filled with cold water.

Step 4. IN cold water the mixture should curl into a single pile.

Step 5. Take out the mixture and, stirring constantly, wrap it in paper greased with vegetable oil.

You don’t have to bother and buy garden varnish in the store

It is recommended to use such a pitch during the warm period, since the cold negatively affects its structure (garden pitch hardens at low temperatures). After treating the wound, cover it with a rag. This must be done to protect against bees that fly to the wax.

Cutting techniques - what are they?

Depending on the purpose of pruning work, a specific cutting technique is chosen. There are three types of cuts:

• on the kidney;
• on the ring;
• to the side branch.

But let's take things in order.

Bud cut

The use of this pruning technique will allow you to make adjustments to the growth of the branch, changing it in the required direction. Take a one-year-old growth shoot and select a bud on its plane that grows in the direction you need. Hold the pruning shears with the cutting blade facing the part you want to keep. The cutting angle should be small to avoid the formation of a stump. The guideline for the correct cut will be a conventional perpendicular drawn from the bud: it should not coincide with the cut line.

How to cut a kidney

Important: Do not cut at a large angle, as this will cause the bud to dry out (it will not receive enough nutrition). You should also not leave a stump that is too large - it will also dry out soon.

This type of cut, leaving a stump, can also be used on shrubs.

Cut to ring

This type differs from the previous one in that an entire branch, the development of which is not proceeding correctly, must be removed. For example, it grows inside the crown, which depletes the tree. In addition, such a branch practically does not bear fruit, so removing it is the most rational solution. If possible, prune with pruning shears. If the thickness of the branch does not allow this, use a garden hacksaw.

The first number shows an example of a ring cut

You can find unusual accumulations of bark at the junctions - these are the so-called rings. Make cuts along their outer side. Otherwise, there is a high probability of a wound, the healing of which occurs very slowly.

Side branch cut

The peculiarity of this type of cut, in principle, as well as its main difference from other types, is the transfer of the main branches to lateral ones. As a result, the lateral branches become the main ones. The pruning process occurs in such a way that the cut is parallel to the direction of growth of the side branch. Thus, will be created optimal conditions for quick healing of the wound. The purpose of this technique is primarily aimed at reducing the height of the crown, limiting it, and so on.

Performing a transfer to a side branch

Throughout the work process, everything must be done according to certain rules: start trimming from the bottom and gradually work your way up. Try to avoid stripping the bark by pruning thick branches in several stages.

1. Step back 10-12 centimeters from the intended cut location and make a small cut. The cut must be made from below.
2. Carefully cut the branch.
3. Get rid of any stump that has formed.

Use garden varnish to treat cuts whose diameter exceeds 3 centimeters. They should first be cleaned with a knife.

How to trim trees: types of pruning

There are different purposes that force gardeners to resort to pruning. Depending on the purpose, there are several types of pruning.

Formative

Used to increase the resistance to physical stress of the skeletal part. Thanks to formative pruning, you can create a crown with the required dimensions.

Formative pruning with pruning shears

Using this type at the end of the winter season - in February, you will make the regrowth of branches more intense and faster. But be careful not to delay with this type. The fact is that carrying out similar operations in March or early April will stop the growth of the plant.

Regulatory

This type is used for the entire plant, and not in relation to its individual parts. Its job is to maintain the open center of the plant by removing tangled, diseased and dead branches. You should not trim conductors whose formation has just begun. The only exceptions include some slow-growing varieties, the development of which is impossible without radical pruning.

How to perform regulatory pruning

The skeletal part of the tree should also not be overloaded - the distance between first-order branches should not be less than 50 centimeters. This also applies to small branches. The most favorable periods for this type of pruning are considered to be the beginning of April and the end of August.

Rejuvenating

An ideal option for increasing the fertile period of a tree and extending its life in general. The scheme is quite simple: when the shoots increase by 12-15 centimeters per year, the branches are shortened. This allows you to awaken dormant and accessory buds. The most favorable periods for this procedure are spring, late winter and early autumn.

Limiting the crown height of an adult tree

Having carried out anti-aging pruning, your “favorites” will certainly soon be able to reciprocate your love, which will manifest itself in the form of beautiful and juicy fruits.

Restorative

There are many reasons why gardeners use restoration pruning. These include:

• branches have not been shortened for a long time;
• the plant suddenly grew tall or wide;
• the middle of the crown is bare;
• decrease in yield;
• the tree was a little frozen.

The purpose of this tree pruning is to return to the original dimensions

All these cases force us to resort to restorative pruning, the purpose of which is to improve the yield of the tree and restore normal shoot growth. The word “normal” means shoot growth of at least 25 centimeters per year. To achieve all this, you will only need to sacrifice a small number of branches and a few hours of personal time. As a reward, your plants will once again develop normally, bloom and bear fruit.

Sanitary

The whole point of sanitary pruning of trees comes down to the removal of rotten, diseased and dry branches, which improves their health. Main points of sanitary pruning:

• removal of "pins";
• cutting of top shoots;
• cutting out rotten, twisted, broken, dry and diseased branches;
• creating a crown favorable for tree growth with good ventilation and light transmission.

Getting rid of diseased branches improves the general condition of the garden dweller, increasing his immunity.

Pay attention to rotten and diseased branches

It is necessary to pay attention to the location of the branches. Sometimes shoots appear on young trees (in their crown), growing at an acute angle relative to the trunk. As they grow, they reach a fairly large thickness, sometimes reaching the thickness of a tree trunk.

Strong gusty winds can easily tear off these branches, causing lacerations. Firstly, they (wounds) spoil appearance, and secondly, they increase the risk of the tree becoming infected with fungus. To prevent such troubles, there is no point in allowing large growth of branches of this kind.

Sanitary pruning can be carried out all year round, with the possible exception of frosty days.

Pollarding

Enough interesting view tree pruning, the essence of which is the regular cutting of young shoots. As a result, 10 centimeter stumps should remain. This procedure is carried out annually.

So unusual name for type of trimming

The pruned tree takes on a very neat appearance, both in the leafless state and in the green crown. Fun fact: this method was originally used by Dutch peasants to extract twigs for weaving baskets or to feed livestock.

Utilitarian

The essence of this type is to trim individual branches and (or) change the shape of the crown. If you want to create a free corridor without branches hanging over it, then sanitary pruning is performed.

Which branches are cut off:

• that they rest against structures;
• that hang over buildings;
• that they obscure traffic lights, road signs or reduce visibility at intersections;
• that they obscure the windows, thereby worsening the lighting in the room;
• that grow dangerously close to power lines;
• that they are located too low to the ground, interfering with the normal movement of pedestrians.

A good example utilitarian pruning

The last point is called “lifting”, that is, raising part of the crown by trimming branches at the lower level.

When to prune a tree?

Experts strongly recommend restoration of lost branches of the crown and rejuvenation in early spring. This helps to enhance the growth of branches, which has a positive effect on the fertility of the tree. When forming young trees and rejuvenating at the end of spring, the result will not be so convincing. This is due, first of all, to the accumulation of nutrients that are located in the roots. They are evenly distributed over all growth points that remain.

Late pruning is cutting off the blossoming buds, which have already received reserve nutrients. But those kidneys that remain also have a small amount of reserve substances. Their number is quite small, so the growth rate of new shoots will decrease. This pruning period, despite its disadvantages, is used by gardeners (albeit extremely rarely) to reduce the height of the tree. In this case, the presence of strong recovery shoots is not required at all.

The timing of pruning depends on the gardener’s choice of method and type, so it is carried out throughout the year. But the main pruning is carried out during the period when the buds have not yet had time to swell, namely in early spring. A little later (autumn-winter) territorial pruning is carried out. Then trees are processed only in areas with a warm climate. Otherwise, the bark may be damaged by severe frost.

Throughout the entire summer period, only the removal of tops (regenerative shoots) formed at the site of large cuts and pinching of the shoots is carried out. No further measures are taken to prune trees in the summer.

Features of winter pruning

There are practically no restrictions when pruning in winter, with the exception of one thing: it is not recommended to carry out work in severe frost, since in such weather the tree becomes very fragile. Consequently, you can easily damage branches, which heal very slowly at low temperatures. Keep an eye on the thermometer outside - when the temperature drops below 8 degrees below zero, carrying out such work is highly not recommended.

Tree pruning in winter

Main features:

• Pruning, as in all periods, must be done with a lopper or pruning shears;
• the first step is to get rid of damaged and dead branches;
• leave the middle of the branches open - this is necessary to access large branches;
• in winter you can control the height of the tree by removing excess;
• start pruning around February;
• for quick wound healing, use only clean, sterilized garden tools;
• Upon completion of work, treat the cut surfaces with garden varnish.

Benefits of pruning in winter:

• obtaining accurate and high-quality cuts;
• the trees are in a sleepy state, so they experience virtually no stress.

In the absence of leaves, you will be able to assess the condition of the crown more accurately and detect all sorts of shortcomings. Use a saw for thick branches. Pre-cut the branches to be cut from the opposite side. This will help protect the tree from scuffing and, as a result, from injury.

Features of spring pruning

It is recommended to begin spring mass pruning of fruit trees before sap flow begins. The ideal time period for this procedure is considered to be the period when there is no sap flow as such, but it should begin soon.

Sap flow- this is the increased movement of dissolved mineral and organic substances in trees, which is accompanied by the accumulation of sap in the wood and roots. This process intensifies in summer and spring.

Why do you need to choose the right time? First of all, at this stage, wounds on the plant’s body heal much faster. This will reduce hassle. The optimal time to prune trees varies depending on the species. This makes it a little easier for gardeners when planning their work.

If the wound is treated correctly, within two weeks from the moment sap flow begins, callus will grow (a scar that insulates open wound). Under correct processing This means using a mixture made from yellow clay, garden pitch and oil paint. For work, choose a warm sunny day with a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius.

Spring pruning of fruit trees

As for shrubs, removing excess branches in the spring is prohibited. Especially those bushes that are going to bloom in the spring, and their buds grow only on old branches. Otherwise, you may kill the plant without ever having time to enjoy its flowering.

Features of autumn pruning

Most trees tolerate this quite poorly, and some of them die after a while (plum, pear or cherry). Unless absolutely necessary, try to postpone this venture until next spring. In addition to those listed fruit trees also newly planted trees are doomed to death. When cutting young growth, not only the cut site itself is infected, but also a fairly large area around this cut, and in this situation, the rapid and complete recovery of the plant remains in question.

As soon as it gets warmer outside, you can start autumn pruning

A small young seedling, distorted by wounds (albeit small ones), most likely will not survive the winter. And the remaining buds located on the cut branches will not open well in the spring. To prevent such incidents, several recommendations should be followed.

1. The scheme for pruning fruit trees is quite simple: thin out the crown, this will improve the plant’s ventilation and lighting.
2. Repeat this procedure for seedlings annually until the crown is completely formed. Remove all young growth, leaving only a couple of main branches.
3. Thinning an old tree is not worth doing so often. It is enough to do this once every two years. At the same time, cut off any abnormally growing shoots.
4. The good thing about autumn is that during this period it is good to remove diseased branches that are covered with lichen. With the arrival of winter, infected shoots worsen the tree's immunity to frost, which can destroy the plant during the winter period.
5. Remove all dry branches, as in strong gusty winds they can break off the tree and damage completely healthy branches. To do this, use a special garden hacksaw. Do not forget that dry branches are removed down to the living tissue of the tree. All removed branches must be burned immediately to prevent the spread of infection.

Tree reaction to pruning

This process produces a phenomenal effect on the plant, improving the growth of branches. However, this only applies to correctly performed pruning. For example, cutting one leader does not in any way affect the growth of a nearby branch, much less enhance it.

Completely shortening all branches of the crown can activate growth processes in all branches, which causes the awakening of a large number of previously dormant buds and the large-scale formation of tops. This method has two sides to the coin. The first is that the metabolic processes of adult trees are enhanced, improving their development. And secondly, young seedlings experience a negative impact after this method of pruning. This is why you need to be very careful when choosing a method.

New for gardeners - cordless pruning shears

Mature trees that have not been pruned for a long time, after severe shortening, improve their fruitfulness and resistance to cold. The growth of strong shoots immediately begins to recover, which play a role in the formation of the harvest. You can also protect the tree from diseases and pests.

Depending on the degree of shortening, branches may react differently. The more you cut, the faster growth occurs on the remainder of the cut branch. This also applies to the cutting diameter: the larger it is, the better the ability to grow.

To achieve optimal results, you are provided with the “golden” rules of gardening.

1. Carry out regular tree trimming, but never do it at -8°C or below.
2. Be a little picky when choosing tools and stepladders (your health and the health of your garden depend on it).
3. First of all, get rid of dry, diseased and dead branches.
4. Disinfect cutting tools(especially after working with sick plants).
5. The recommended angle at which the branches should extend from the trunk is 45-60 degrees.
6. Limit the top growth of all stone fruit trees, as well as pear and apple trees. This will only benefit them.
7. Replace all old, non-bearing trees with young seedlings.
8. Use the experience you gain from pruning trees (observe their reactions and draw successful conclusions).
9. Periodically inspect the trunks for wounds. If you find them, treat the tree.

Good luck and success in gardening!

Video - How to prune fruit trees