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Many novice summer gardeners plant their fruit trees on a “maybe”. But fruit trees growing on their own, not only do not give the desired harvest, but also their fruits are often watery, tasteless, even if the variety promised honey sweetness. The thing is that if a fruit tree grows, the main share of sugar goes into the branches and leaves, and it does not reach the fruits, especially those growing taller, during the growth of the fruit. Such a technique as the formation of the crown of an apple tree will come to the rescue. Practice shows that if you approach the cultivation of the garden wisely and correctly form the crown of the tree, the expected result will not be long in coming. In order to achieve the intended goal, it is worth figuring out what kind of crowns apple trees have, how to properly form such a crown, and when is the best time to start preparing a tree. This is our article.
Crown types
Crown formation is a responsible and difficult process. In different cases and when growing different varieties, different methods are suitable. To begin with, it is worth deciding whether the tree grows in a free area, close to a fence or wall. It is important to decide how and when to prune the branches correctly so that there are a lot of apples and it is easy to pick them. It depends on what shape the crown needs to be given, when it is formed, and what diameter it will have.
The sparsely-tiered crown is one of the most popular types, which retains the natural features of an untouched tree.
Such a scheme is recommended when growing vigorous and medium-sized varieties, since 1 skeletal branches can be formed on a stem of the 5st order. In the lower part, two adjacent or adjacent branches are left, while the rest are thinned out so that the interval between them is about 60–65 centimeters. The upper branch is located at a height of about 2 meters. They are formed at an angle of 40–45° to the row line to simplify and make “flat” row spacings. Having decided on the space between the supporting branches, semi-skeletal forks of 1–2 centimeters are formed on them. There should be a distance of 50 centimeters between semi-skeletal groups.
A rounded fusiform crown is another way to shape the green part of an apple tree. This type is characterized by a uniform distribution of branches around the central conductor. The lower tier consists of 6 branches with a slope of 25–35°. The number of branches in the higher tiers varies depending on the needs. The diameter and height of the crown depends on the growth of the tree. Often, with such pruning, the tree reaches a height of 2-3 meters, and a width of 3-4 meters. The lower part of such a crown has openings convenient for working with branches.
A flat spindle-shaped crown is formed on the basis of two oppositely located skeletal branches and their semi-skeletal branches. To weaken growth and stimulate fruiting, the support branches are tilted 55-60 ° from the vertical, and the branches located above are placed completely horizontally. Semi-skeletal forks are placed at intervals of 25–35 centimeters, 5–6 branches per tier. The more the crown grows, the more it is taken to the ring.
The cupped crown is great for those varieties that do not have a long lifespan. With this formation, three skeletal branches are left, at an angle of 120 °, cutting off up to 40 centimeters. This allows further formation of forks. With this scheme, the central conductor is cut off just above the top branch. Subsequently, it is necessary to thin out the central part of the crown so as not to thicken the diameter.
The formation of the crown of an apple tree according to the “vertical palmette” type allows you to grow apple trees along walls and fences. However, the formation of such a crown will take at least 2-3 years. The branches are placed in one tier so that they form a flat tier, for this, two branches are left on the central conductor, keeping at least 80 centimeters of free space between the tiers. Emerging shoots are tilted to facilitate fruiting. The diameter of such a crown rarely exceeds 2 meters, and the height depends on the number of tiers formed.
When to crop
Having decided on the shape of the future crown, we turn to one of the main questions: when is it right to start forming the crown of an apple tree. To do everything right, you need to navigate the timing and understand how the tree develops. Apple pruning is carried out in different cases in autumn or spring.
If you decide to cut the apple tree in the fall, you should wait until the leaves have completely fallen off and the tree will be preparing for the winter. But it’s better not to delay. After the tree “falls asleep”, it is not recommended to cut the branches. Not capable of rapid regeneration in winter, the apple tree will not be able to overgrow the cut points. This is dangerous with further damage and rotting of the tree. However, if the old, rotten, spoiled branches are removed before the onset of frost, the tree will prepare for the winter correctly and give a big harvest next year.
Pruning in autumn is more suitable for already grown trees. And at the stage of crown formation, it is best to remove excess branches before the start of the growing season of the apple tree – in the spring. It is worth having time to do this before the buds appear and bloom on the tree.
In both cases, it doesn’t matter if you prune your apple tree in autumn or spring. It is worth remembering that the cut points need to be “isolated”, that is, lubricated with a garden var. This will prevent the wounds from freezing and festering. Festered trees bear much less fruit, because most of the “effort” of the plant will be spent on repairing damage, and not on fruiting.
Trimming technique
The pruning technique depends on what type of crown you are going to form. However, for all techniques, there are several general characteristic recommendations, regardless of what end result you want to achieve:
- Firstly, it is best to cut branches in the earliest period of apple tree growth, in the first year of its growth. Thus, you spend less tree power on healing wounds, which means that you will receive the first harvest and dense foliage immediately.
- Secondly, pruning is best done in the spring, not in the fall. A young seedling will spend not so much energy on regeneration. The diameter of the branches, and hence the diameter of the damage, will not be as large as if you began to form the crown of an already mature tree.
- Thirdly, you need to leave only the strongest, well-located branches that extend from the trunk at a right or close to a right angle. This will allow you to set the crown in the correct shape, in which the harvest will be convenient, and the growth of the fruit will be plentiful.
- A few years after the initial pruning (usually after three years), the branches will have to be cut in the autumn to remove damaged and infertile branches, using the full potential of the plant to properly maintain the shape of the crown and bear fruit.
Rejuvenating pruning of old apple trees
Old apple trees can be rejuvenated – cut off old branches, stimulating the growth and restoration of the reproductive functions of the tree. In addition, such pruning will help to correctly distribute the space between your trees, so that they do not get confused by the branches, and adjust the diameter of the crown. Perhaps something else can grow between them.
Rejuvenating pruning is carried out in the fall and only if the tree is healthy and whole, its trunk is not damaged, and the skeletal branches are strong and developed. All old, dried, damaged branches should be removed, and along with them, remove the branches that grow towards the trunk, inside the crown.
When choosing branches to remove, it is better to remove large and unfruitful ones than small ones that bear fruit. Getting rid of the need to supply juice and nutrients to large and barren branches, the tree will redirect the resource to the growth of new branches and fruiting itself.
Depending on the variety of the apple tree and on the duration of its growth, it is also recommended to open the top. That is, at a height of just over 3 meters, it is worth cutting off the top of the trunk. In this way, you allow new branches to grow directly from the cut, as well as adjust the diameter.
Video “Spring pruning of an apple tree”
This video is about how to properly prune a young apple tree in spring without harming it and preserving its strength for a good harvest.
