How to properly prune an apple tree: instructions for beginners
Caring for an apple tree must include pruning. And depending on the season, the age of the plant and the goals of the gardener, the rules of pruning apple trees may change. For beginners, the process may seem complicated, but in fact it is not. Let's look at the nuances and find out, how to properly prune an apple tree in a given case.
Why do you need pruning
For an adult tree, the formation provides a good harvest, for the tree to bear fruit abundantly, a lot of light and fresh air should get to a crown. And fruits, ripened in the light become large and delicious, but the harvest from running apple trees is small.
Removing old apple tree branches, you give impetus to the development of young growth, thereby rejuvenating the trees. Finally, pruning young apple trees improves their survival.
Main rules and general principles
Consider the basic principles of that, how to prune an apple tree.
Disinfected sharp tools should be used to cut the branches: through the "soaked" slice is much easier to penetrate harmful bacteria. Thin twigs (Less 2 cm) can be pruned with secateurs, for others the garden hacksaw will be suitable. If the pruned branch was dry, bitches should be treated immediately with garden pitch or other wound-healing agent; the cut on a living branch should be pre-dried for 24 hours.
When to prune an apple tree
Now let's find out, when to prune apple trees and at what time it is better to carry out different types of work. Some of them, how and when to prune, depends on the local climate.
Winter pruning
In winter, pruning apple trees is possible only in the southern regions with warm winters. Frozen cut on the branches is very poorly tightened and often begins to rot, therefore desirable, that after pruning the temperature at least 2-3 weeks lasted at least +10 °C. At the first frosts pruning should be stopped immediately. In accordance, if you are unsure of your climate, it is better to choose a warmer season.
Spring pruning
In the spring, sanitary and formative pruning of apple trees is carried out. Experts recommend for her the interval between the beginning of the movement of juices and so on, how the swelling of the kidneys begins.
Spring pruning must include sanitary pruning. Also, pruning apple trees in the spring is suitable for giving the desired shape of the crown and, if necessary, thinning it. It is desirable to prune those branches of the apple tree, growing inside the crown at an acute angle. If the sprout is located parallel to the older branch, it is also removed.
Deciding, how to prune an apple tree in the spring, you need to take into account the nuance of crop regulation: if the previous one was bad, the apple tree needs to be cut strongly, to gain strength. Abundantly fruit-bearing tree can be pruned to a minimum.
Formative pruning of young apple trees in the spring is especially important - this is the best time, to cut off the top, reducing the height of the tree.
Light summer pruning will allow the sun to better illuminate the already formed fruit. Also in late June, you can inoculate too fast-growing shoots, so that they do not take away strength from the trees. Prune branches broken and sick immediately, as soon as you notice them.
Autumn pruning
Now let's find out, how to properly prune an apple tree in the fall. If in the region frequent spring frosts are frequent, pruning should be done in August: the trees will wake up next year and this will protect the buds from freezing.
Pruning of old apple trees is recommended in early autumn: from a tree it is necessary to cut badly fruiting old branches, especially obscuring the light of the young.
Sanitary pruning of apple trees in autumn is recommended after November and harvest - so it is easier to detect damaged branches inside the crown. To begin with, it is better to remove large branches, including those, that cracked because of the great harvest. Then trim the shoots, growing inside the crown at an acute angle (in winter they can break due to snow), and "wolves", that is, the branches growing upwards are useless. If there is 2 grow from one place branches, the weaker one is removed.
Types and schemes of pruning
Let's find out, what are the schemes of pruning apple trees.
Forms
Apple seedlings are pruned directly by specialists, to "balance" the root system and shoots.
Annual pinched so: cut off the top at a height of 0.8-1 m (except for columnar varieties) and remove the shoots at a distance of up to 50 cm from the ground. When working with peers, it is necessary to cut long skeletal branches, which must have on 3-5 kidneys and be on 16-20 shorter than the height of the location - yes, so that the longest branches are at the bottom, and the shortest - from above. These tapering trees help to harvest easily. Pruning for an annual apple seedling should be carried out before the buds appear.
For the second year we lay tiers of skeletal branches. Most types of crowns provide, that on each tier should be 2-5 branches. The optimal distance between tiers depends on the height of the tree. If the apple tree is low or has been planted recently, it may be 40 cm, for high - 60 div. Pruning young apple trees should form approximately equal distances between branches of the same level.
Forming such a crown, like a bowl, remove the central trunk to the first fork of the branches. It will be replaced by side branches, having formed 2-4 "Trunk".
When pruning a three-year-old apple tree, remove extra branches, except skeletal. On the tree, two to five years old, shorten the branches on ? length. The upper bud should "look" outward. Up to five years of age, all annual shoots are pruned.
If the tree was formed correctly, it will begin to bear fruit in five years. They will appear on old strong branches. At this age up to seven years, skeletal branches are pruned in autumn, about a third of the length, which stimulates the formation of new kidneys.
For columnar varieties can not remove the apical buds. The rules for pruning such a tree are as follows: each shoot is pruned, on which it remained 2 or 3 kidneys, will give as many large strong twigs. If there were more kidneys (to 5), shoots will be smaller. If such a tree is formed correctly, it will give 10-15 cm of annual growth.
In this case, carrying out pruning of an apple-tree after landing, lateral shoots should be shortened, leaving on 2 kidneys, to make the shoots as strong as possible. The central conductor must be fixed to the support. If close to the ground there are very large shoots, they need to be cut.
At the age of two inspect the obtained pairs of sprouts. Leave more horizontal, and the second is shortened again to 2 kidney. A year later the branches are removed, which have already yielded, and with the rest operate according to the scheme of the previous year.
During 3-5 years is a circular slice of fruit formations - so we get the trunk.
Almost any gardening forum offers schemes for pruning different types of crowns in detail, so that even a beginner will understand everything.
Rejuvenating
Consider, how to prune an old apple tree.
Rejuvenating pruning of adult apple trees involves the removal of all branches, do not bear fruit, to make young people grow better, "Productive" shoots. Is it possible to cut the skeletal branches? Certainly, So. Also if the trees are higher 5 m, you can make a cut of the top, otherwise the flow of juice and nutrients to the top will take away a lot of their energy. Pruning a very neglected apple tree is especially important.
Deciding, how to properly prune an old apple tree, take into account, that it is wrong to cut too many branches at once and more than on 2 m per year - it will weaken the tree and only reduce its yield. This pruning should be done annually, but little by little. To do this, it is good to start a care calendar.
Sanitary
This type of pruning involves the removal of patients, drying and broken branches. This is especially important in intensive apple orchards, where the infection can spread to many trees and cause the most damage. It should be held then, when you notice the danger. It is possible in any month, but be sure to do this pruning in the spring and fall, when the branches are bare and easier to inspect.
If two branches collide and rub, one of them also needs to be cut off.
Places, which look burnt, can be infected with black cancer - a dangerous fungal disease, which threatens the death of the tree. In this case, they need to be examined with a magnifying glass: small ulcers with dark dots on the edges will confirm the diagnosis. Such areas should be removed and burned immediately, then treat the wounds with copper sulfate and cover with garden pitch. The leaves should then be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
Video "Proper pruning of apple trees"
In this video you will learn about it, how to properly prune an apple tree in the garden.
