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In spring, all nature goes through a natural renewal process. During this season, all plants, trees and flowers begin a new cycle of life and are most susceptible to transplanting, pruning and dividing. As for fruit tree crops, it is at this time of the year that they tolerate interference with the integrity of the structure of the trunk and branches quite well. However, spring pruning is a laborious and painstaking task. Therefore, summer residents who have a large number of such trees on their site should stock up on diligence and patience. Although, outdoor work should always bring pleasure and good results afterwards.
Features of spring pruning
Like the other three seasons, spring has its own specific features that must be taken into account when processing the garden and preparing it for the future fruit set. The most important thing to remember when pruning apple trees in spring is the active circulation of juice along the trunk of an individual. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful not to harm the tree and not ruin it.
Crown formation
It is worth immediately deciding what end goal you are pursuing before you start removing part of the branches and processes. If in the future you want to see a healthy apple tree in your dacha that gives good yields and a well-groomed, beautiful tree, then, first of all, you need to form the crown of an individual.
Before starting pruning, you need to identify the branches that have suffered during the winter. This will be done without problems, since it is easy to distinguish dead parts from healthy ones by swollen kidneys. This is the first step in the formation of the crown of the apple tree and in the recovery of the entire individual. For such crops, experts recommend a bushy form, with several main, skeletal branches and additional branches. This option, firstly, will make the tree itself more stable and will not allow it to deform under the weight of the fruit, and secondly, it will allow harvesting this crop without the slightest effort. In addition, proper pruning and care of an individual will extend its life by many years.
Quick Recovery
The sooner in the spring you start cutting too much on your apple tree, the faster it will recover from stress and prepare for fruiting. The main thing is to remove dead, old or extra branches at an angle from the trunk or skeletal branch. This statement is also true for columnar varieties. The cut is recommended to be covered with mastic intended for gardening or oil paint, for lack of special tools. This is the correct approach, as it will allow the tree sap not to flow out of the dissected places and leave it in the trunk itself. So the apple tree will recover faster and, perhaps, will bear fruit by the same autumn.
Video “Spring pruning of apple trees”
After reviewing the videos, you will understand all the principles of spring pruning of apple trees in detail.
Differences in pruning old and young apple trees
It is not surprising that the scheme for eliminating excess shoots on the trunks and skeletal branches of young and old trees during spring pruning of apple trees is significantly different, but at the same time, it has common roots. Trees that have not yet borne fruit or have given one or two crops are pruned in special ways and more often than more mature individuals.
young trees
In the spring, newly planted seedlings need a basic kronoformation. If you miss this moment from the very beginning, then later it will be more difficult to achieve the optimal shape and height of the trunk. The optimal view is a sparse crown and branches in several tiers. In the future, every three to four years, the procedure will need to be repeated. After that, once every two years. This procedure, carried out in the spring, will allow the apple tree to fully develop and improve the yield several times. Additional support will not be needed either, since the seedling construction will be self-sufficient and will not need support. In general, gardeners recommend cutting and forming a base of several large branches (5 or 6). The stem in height should reach 40 or 50 centimeters in height. The central trunk branch must be shortened so as not to spoil the crown.
old trees
When a fruit crop has been living on the site for several years and does not give a proper harvest, then the owner of this site should think about whether it is time to rejuvenate the “dead” tree. There may be several reasons for such wasting: a lot of extra shoots that clog the development of fruit-bearing plants, the lack of sufficient sunlight, an improperly formed crown, or excess dead branches. All these factors affect the life of apple trees, especially when some of them complement each other.
Before cutting, it is first recommended to clean the main branches and the trunk from the shoots growing inside. It is they who take the life force from the individual.
The upper part of the branches with the help of thinning should be allowed to ventilate and access sunlight. In this way, it is possible to save those apple trees that have been growing on the site for more than twenty or even thirty years. Moreover, you can make them bear fruit for many more years. To do this, you need to cut a little less than a third of the total mass of branches and processes. Get ready that this will need to be done within two or three years, until the result appears and the “patient” begins to bear fruit or actively bloom.
The main thing in this business is not to overdo it. If the liquidated mass is more than the recommended one-third, then this is fraught with consequences. In this case, it will be impossible to save the tree, the only thing left is to cut it down or play a decorative role in the country.
Tools
Experts and amateurs unanimously declare: when eliminating dry, excess or diseased branches, only sharp hacksaws, secateurs or saws should be used. One of the main requirements is a clean blade, free of rust and foreign substances. Otherwise, any cut or stump on the trunk or branch can “fester” and infect the entire tree with the disease, thereby destroying it.
A “live” cut needs insulation (if it is a small stump) or a substance to prevent the outflow of tree sap. In addition to garden mastic and oil paint, ordinary children’s plasticine can be used for these purposes. It is better, of course, to choose the least bright color – it is less stuffed with chemicals and will bring less harm to the “patient”.
In general, the main thing is to adhere to the basic rules prescribed by experts for pruning trees, and fruit trees in particular. However, if you are not confident in your abilities and skills, consult with specialists. Better yet, invite them to help. For the first time, it is better to observe the actions of an experienced person, the next – you can already perform all the manipulations yourself.
Video “How to process an apple tree after pruning”
We make a talker for putty cuts after pruning fruit trees.
