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If the apples in the neighboring garden are larger, and the trees themselves are more beautiful, then the owner needs to learn the basics of proper pruning of apple trees. Garden trees should not grow uncontrollably: annually it is necessary to revise the branches, inspect the shoots and remove all unnecessary. The gardener must understand that an overly thickened crown draws juices from the tree, the plant simply does not have enough strength to form and ripen beautiful and fragrant fruits. Not all summer residents know how to properly prune an apple tree in autumn and spring, according to what scheme to prune apple trees, what tools to use for this.
This article will tell you when to prune apple trees: in autumn or spring, according to which scheme it is better to prune young apple trees and how to rejuvenate old trees.
Why do you need pruning apple trees in the fall
Some summer residents believe that pruning fruit trees is not necessary at all. At the same time, the owner expects high yields every year and wants his garden to be healthy and beautiful.
Unfortunately this is not possible. In order for apple trees to tirelessly bear fruit and please the eye, they must be pruned regularly. Pruning goals are directly related to the age of the fruit tree, so they may differ.
Basically, apple tree branches are pruned in order to:
- form a crown of the correct and beautiful shape;
- strengthen young shoots;
- select fruit-bearing branches and increase their number every season;
- provide the crown with ventilation and access to sunlight;
- get rid of old or damaged branches in order to replace them with new shoots;
- prepare the apple tree for wintering, reducing the load on the root system and the whole plant as a whole.
When is the best time to prune an apple tree: in spring, summer or autumn
In fact, garden apple trees are pruned throughout the year:
- in summer thin out the top of the tree to provide all the fruits with enough light and protect the branches from fungal infections;
- prune the apple tree spring it is necessary in order to rejuvenate the plant, form its crown, cut out frozen or rotten branches;
- while pruning apple trees in autumn branches broken by the wind or too heavy fruits, diseased or dried shoots are removed – the tree is preparing for wintering;
- some gardeners believe that it is possible to prune apple trees and December-January month, it is only necessary to ensure that spring sap flow does not begin.
The gardener determines the timing of pruning the apple tree on his own, but it is better to do this when the tree stands without foliage, and the juices in it do not move. To decide when to prune apple trees in autumn, you should look at the tree itself: there should be no leaves left on it. The weather is also important: there should be no rain and frost outside.
How to prune an apple tree in autumn
There are many schemes for pruning fruit trees. Apple tree branches are pruned according to the same rules that must be followed when processing pear and cherry trees.
The standard autumn pruning is as follows:
- Thick dry or broken branches are cut.
- Find branches that grow too close and parallel to each other. Of these, a weaker or diseased shoot is selected and removed.
- It is necessary to cut the branches located at an angle directed towards the trunk. Leave only those shoots whose growth is directed outward.
- Wounds resulting from autumn pruning should be disinfected and treated with a healing agent. It can be a garden var, a solution of copper sulphate or an oil paint based on drying oil (it is forbidden to use other dyes – they will burn the tree).
- From the cut branches, you need to build a fire and burn them so as not to spread the infection throughout the garden.
How to prune apple trees in autumn: a diagram
There are three main types of pruning apple trees:
- weak;
- average;
- strong.
Weak pruning subjected mainly to young trees that have not yet begun to bear fruit. Following this pattern, you need to cut the tips of new branches that have grown over the current year. Shorten such shoots by about a quarter of the length.
Medium pruning It is used for apple trees whose age is from 5 to 7 years. At this stage, they need the formation of a crown and an increase in fruit-bearing shoots. Shoots should be shortened by a third of their length.
Strong trim pattern involves shortening some branches by half. Such drastic measures are necessary in case of severe thickening of the crown, for example, when the fruits do not have enough sunlight. Spend heavy pruning, usually in the summer.
Proper pruning of dry branches
The pruning of dried apple tree branches deserves special attention. В этом деле самое важное – не отрезать побег слишком близко к стволу или к материнской ветке. If the wound is in contact with the main branch, this can lead to a knot falling out – the base of this withered part of the tree. As a result, a hollow is formed, which will later become a home for pests and a breeding ground for infections.
To prevent the death of an apple tree, it is necessary to cut a dry branch, not reaching the place where the first bud is located. After that, trim the cut using a saw with fine teeth. The slope of the cut should be directed towards the branch being cut.
After the procedure, it is recommended to cover the cut with garden pitch; in this case, the paint may not be enough.
How to prune young apple trees
Apple seedlings, like other fruit trees, have a weak measles system. Therefore, the task of the gardener is to reduce the load on the roots, and this can be done by shortening the shoots.
Branches of seedlings are pruned immediately after planting. If the apple tree is planted in a temporary place, it is better to double its shoots – perform a strong pruning. Next year, such a tree should be transplanted to a permanent place, its root system will be ready for such stress.
When a seedling is planted immediately in a permanent place, its shoots are pruned more delicately. In this process, it is important to preserve as much of the foliage as possible and to strengthen the roots of the tree.
So, the first pruning of seedlings is performed as follows:
- Ветки-конкуренты, которые расположены параллельно друг другу или пересекаются в какой-то точке, вырезают на кольцо. При этом выбирают самый слабый отросток и подпиливают его, стараясь не оставлять пенька. Кольцо – это утолщение или наплыв, который можно заметить в основании побегов. Если резать прямо по кольцу, яблоня быстрее заживит рану, а новые побеги будут сильнее.
- Shorten the main branches, cutting them to a third of the length.
- If the crown of the apple tree resembles a pyramid, it is necessary to cut the shoots to the outer bud. This means that you should direct the shoots outward, and not towards the trunk of the tree.
- An overly spreading crown is regulated by cutting on the inner kidney. The length of the central shoot in this case should not exceed 15 cm.
- The lowest shoots should be weighted to level them and give the correct position. To do this, hang small loads.
- You should not once again resort to pruning apple trees, this is still too traumatic a procedure. Young and weak branches can be tied to stronger ones, thereby giving them the right direction. Stronger branches can be bent down by pressing them to the ground and leveling.
The crown of a young tree is formed according to the following rules:
- the center conductor must be placed either vertically or with a slight deviation to the side;
- this process should not have competitors – parallel or nearby growing branches;
- the length of the main branches and their number should be uniform.
The first pruning of a seedling is very important, because at this time the shape of the crown is formed.
How to prune young, non-fruiting trees
While the apple tree does not bear fruit, it is necessary to have time to form its crown so that the branches do not intersect and are evenly distributed relative to the trunk. A growing tree should be able to support the weight of about 100-150 kg of apples.
If you trim the shoots regularly and a little bit, fruiting will come sooner, and will be more abundant. Rare, but cardinal pruning is harmful to plants.
The nuances of processing 2-5-year-old apple trees are as follows:
- if the fruit branches are shifted to the crown, they must be shortened and thinned out, otherwise breaks will appear;
- if the crown is too thick, it makes no sense to shorten the shoots – they need to be radically removed;
- when the tree has grown to 3-6 meters, it is necessary to leave its growth – pinch the central conductor;
- if the apple tree does not bear fruit for a long time, it should not be touched – pruning can be done later.
How to prune fruiting apple trees
To avoid having to cut thick old branches, you should prune apple trees regularly. Wounds from cutting large shoots will be large, they are more difficult to heal and often cause tree disease.
The main task of the gardener at the stage of active fruiting is to thin out the crown and block the strongly growing side shoots.
How to prune an old apple tree
Aged trees are not able to withstand heavy pruning, so their crown should be formed gradually, stretching this process over several seasons.
In doing so, do the following:
- each season cut out one or two powerful, but diseased or barren branches;
- choose a central conductor or a strong lateral shoot that is not touched and form a new crown around it;
- sharp and broken forks are removed;
- diseased and damaged branches are cut into a ring;
- tops (shoots on the trunk and side shoots) are also removed to the ring;
- remove the old bark that has separated from the trunk.
Conclusion
If it has now become clear when apple trees can be cut in the fall, then there are still questions about the frequency of this event. Ideally, pruning of trees is done as needed, for this the gardener should have enough experience. Beginners are advised to treat the garden every season, choosing a weak pruning and sparing schemes.
How to properly prune garden apple trees is described in this video:
