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Walnut is grown by gardeners quite often, especially in the southern regions of our country. Often, it is treated on the principle of “planted and forgotten”, since the tree is quite unpretentious and is able to grow without any intervention. However, in order to obtain consistently high yields of nuts, it is necessary to carry out some care activities. These include pruning walnuts in the fall.
Do I need to trim the walnut
Walnut, like any other tree, grows intensively in the first years of life. In the first 5 years, its skeleton grows, frame branches are laid, and a crown is formed. If no measures are taken, the shape of the tree will be far from ideal, and fruiting is unlikely to become regular and plentiful. Therefore, in the first years of life, the crown of the future walnut is necessarily formed using pruning. During its implementation, unnecessary and improperly growing branches are removed, they form the basis of the future tree, its frame in accordance with the selected type of crown.
In addition, walnut pruning is carried out in spring and autumn to maintain the health of the tree. It is imperative to cut out dried, broken and damaged branches from its crown, since all of them are a potential site for the appearance of diseases and pests. This procedure can be carried out throughout the season.
Walnut is a very light-loving crop, so for normal fruiting, its interior space must be well lit. This is also achieved by pruning, removing thickening branches growing inside the crown, as well as top shoots.
When to prune a walnut
The main types of walnut pruning are carried out, as a rule, in the spring. However, some work can be carried out in other periods. For example, sanitary pruning of a walnut is performed at least 2 times a year: in autumn, after harvesting, and in early spring, before the start of the growing season. In addition, it may be required in emergency cases if the tree has been damaged, for example, by strong winds or suffered from mechanical stress.
pruning walnut in spring
Spring pruning of a walnut is carried out during a period when the air temperature is steadily above 0 ° C, but the buds are still in a dormant state. This suggests that the growing season has not yet begun, the tree continues to be dormant. There is no active movement of juices inside it, so it will endure pruning painlessly.
In addition to sanitary, rejuvenating pruning of mature walnut trees is done in spring, removing some of the old wood in the upper part of the tree. This allows you to well illuminate the inner space of the crown and stimulate the growth of new side shoots. And also in the spring, the crowns of young walnut trees are formed, pruning them in accordance with the chosen scheme.
Pruning a walnut in summer
Summer walnut pruning is done in mid or late July. At this time, the tree gives a lot of young shoots. By removing it at an early stage, you can significantly reduce the amount of work for the fall, as well as save the tree nutrients by directing them not to forcing improperly growing and unnecessary shoots, but to the formation of fruits. It is also important that the shoots at this time are green, not lignified. Their growth is easy to stop by simply pinching their top with your fingers.
Pruning a walnut in autumn
In order not to weaken the plant before wintering, strong pruning is not practiced at this time of the year. In autumn, the walnut pruning scheme is quite simple. At this time of the year, it is enough to inspect it and remove diseased and withered branches. In addition, the growth of the current year is shortened by 1/3, since young branches over 0,6 m long are prone to freezing.
How to properly trim a walnut
For good fruiting and ease of work, a young walnut tree is formed by giving it a certain type of crown with the help of pruning. The most common formation methods are as follows:
- longline (improved longline);
- leader;
- bowl-shaped.
The choice of a walnut crown formation scheme is determined by the gardener independently, based on conditions, climate, as well as personal preferences and experience.
To perform trimming, you will need the following tools:
- garden knife;
- delimber;
- pruner;
- garden saw-hacksaw;
- stepladder or ladder for working with the upper tier of the crown;
- garden pitch or natural-based oil paint;
- gloves, goggles and other personal protective equipment.
Before cutting, all cutting edges of tools must be properly sharpened. The sharper the tool, the cleaner the cut will be. He will heal much faster. In order not to introduce an infection, the tool must be treated with alcohol or any disinfectant solution before work.
Tiered walnut pruning scheme
After planting, the walnut seedling is cut at a height of 0,6-0,8 m. This is necessary so that the tree restores the root system, which, as a rule, is severely damaged during transplantation. Starting from the second year, crown formation starts. The essence of the tiered method is the formation of 5-6 fruit tiers on a tree, each of which consists of 3 skeletal branches that have good angles of departure and are 12-15 cm apart from each other. The distance between the tiers should be within 0,5-0,6 .XNUMX m
Leader pruning
The basic principle of the leader scheme for the formation of the walnut crown is the uniform arrangement of 6-8 skeletal branches in a spiral at a height of 0,5 m from each other. The tree formed in this way is evenly lit, which has a positive effect on productivity.
Cupped pruning of a young walnut
The formation of a tree in the form of a bowl can significantly reduce its height and facilitate the work with the crown. In order to form a nut in this way, it is necessary to leave 1-1,2 skeletal branches at a height of 3-4 m, having good exit angles and 0,25-0,3 m apart from each other. The central conductor above the upper branch is cut completely . Thus, the tree does not grow up, but in breadth, gradually acquiring branches of the second order, which are shortened by 1/3 with each subsequent pruning.
Anti-aging walnut tree pruning
Over time, the yield of walnuts (usually in trees older than 10 years) may decrease, while the fruits themselves become smaller and deformed. The situation can be corrected with the help of anti-aging pruning, removing some of the old wood and growing new shoots instead. Carry out this procedure in the spring. First of all, shoots that are too long, lateral processes are removed, and the inner space of the crown is clarified. Light rejuvenation is done 1 time in 3-4 years, more serious pruning – 1 time in 6-8 years.
After especially severe winters, it happens that the walnut tree freezes completely. In this case, a radical pruning is used, which consists in the complete cutting of the trunk. If the walnut root system remains viable, the stump will begin to produce abundant root shoots. In this way, in place of the old tree, you can grow a new one without resorting to uprooting the old one and planting seedlings.
Sanitary pruning of a walnut in autumn
Sanitary pruning in the fall is very important to keep the tree healthy. Each broken or dried branch is a place where diseases can develop, especially in humid, warm climates.
It allows you to identify diseases at an early stage, localize the foci of diseases and save trees from possible death.
Affected and dry branches are wintering grounds for insects and their larvae. Timely removal of such “dormitories” in the fall contributes to the overall health of the tree, and prevents the development of pest populations. For maximum safety, all cut wood and fallen leaves after sanitary pruning must be burned.
Care after trimming and shaping a walnut
Pruning in autumn weakens the walnut. Timely feeding with a small amount of potash and phosphorus fertilizers, which are applied to the trunk circle in liquid form, will help him quickly restore his strength. After sanitary pruning in spring and autumn, the stems of trees and lower skeletal branches should be whitewashed. This is a great way to control pests that live in the folds of the bark. In addition, frost holes appear much less frequently on whitewashed trunks.
You can whiten either with a ready-made composition, purchasing it in a specialized store, or with other solutions prepared on your own. For whitewashing use a solution of slaked lime, chalk, PVA wood glue, acrylic and water-dispersion paint. The most important thing is that the layer of paint does not interfere with the access of air to the bark.
Tips from experienced gardeners
Pruning a walnut, especially an adult one, is a long and painstaking procedure. Experienced gardeners with independent work recommend using the following recommendations.
- A tree formed in a tiered or leader way can reach a considerable height. In order not to experience problems with working at height, it is better to form it in the shape of a bowl.
- The points of origin of the shoots, which form an acute angle with the central conductor, are the places of a potential break in the walnut tree trunk. You need to get rid of them.
- Large branches must be removed in several stages. To avoid scuffing the bark, you must first make a notch from the bottom of the branch.
- All tools must be sharp. This is not only a guarantee of even cuts and cuts, but also a way not to get tired longer. It is easier and easier to work with a sharp tool, this is important for large amounts of work.
- It is better to remove one large branch than several small ones.
- Too strong rejuvenating pruning is more likely to harm the tree, it will take a long time to restore it. At the same time, no more than 1/3 of the old wood can be removed.
- After rejuvenating pruning in spring, trees must be fed, including nitrogen-containing fertilizers, to stimulate the growth and development of new shoots. In autumn, fertilizers containing nitrogen cannot be used.
- You can not start work in the spring too early or too late in the fall. If the plant falls under frost, the cuts will definitely freeze, and the branch will die.
It should also be noted that gardeners do not have a common opinion about the use of garden pitch or oil paint for processing cuts and saw cuts when trimming a walnut. Some believe that healing should take place naturally, others prefer to use honey, potassium permanganate and other means as a healing agent. Therefore, in this matter, the right of choice remains with the gardener.
Conclusion
Pruning a walnut in the fall is only part of the care for this beautiful tree that lives 100 years or more. This procedure contributes not only to good annual fruiting, it maintains the plant in a healthy state for many years. Therefore, it should not be neglected.