One of the main rules - pruning an apple tree in spring should be carried out taking into account its age and features. Proper pruning not only gives the tree a neat appearance, but also affects the yield, taste characteristics of the fruit, the timing of their ripening. You need to carry out this process until the time when the first buds bloom on the tree. Such an important agrotechnical event as the formation of the crown is best done with the advent of spring - this applies to all fruit trees. About the features of spring pruning apple trees will be discussed in this article.
The choice of a cutting tool is important. For competent pruning of the apple tree, we may need the following tools - a pruner, a hacksaw, a delimber or a garden knife. They must be very sharp and free of rust. For older branches, you will need a saw, also well sharpened and, of course, clean (without dirt and rust).
Pruning apple trees in spring, tools, photo:
Spring pruning of the apple tree - tasks
What is the correct formation of the crown? Old, diseased, frozen branches should be removed. Extra branches are cut, which create a density that interferes with the penetration of sunlight. It is important to correctly "distribute" the consumption of moisture and other useful components by the tree, so that all the forces of the apple tree are directed specifically to the branches with fruits. Failure to comply with these conditions is fraught with a decrease in the quality and quantity of apples, they become smaller in size, the ripening time is delayed. In addition, branches that are too long can break under the weight of the fruits, and it will not be easy to get to them.
Spring pruning of the apple tree is important for very young representatives, because strongly growing branches can shift the center of gravity of the tree, the trunk will begin to bend. Also, spring crown formation helps to correct pruning errors made in the fall. Removing the branches growing inside, as well as unhealthy, strengthens the immunity of the apple tree, reduces the risk of pests and diseases. Young growth, spinning tops, the so-called "competitive" branches are also removed.
Pruning apple trees - important points:
- With any kind of pruning, the trunk is never affected.
- Young shoots should be shortened by a maximum of one third of the length.
- The central branch (growing from the center) should be above the lateral by about 30-40 cm, no more.
- To achieve the right balance, it is desirable that all branches of the same level are the same length.
- Forming pruning of apple trees in spring is made taking into account the location of the kidney. Removal of internal branches should be done at the level of the location of the external kidney. If the central conductor needs to be thickened, then it is necessary to direct the growth of branches deep into the crown. To do this, pruning is done according to the level of the kidney, which is directed inside the crown.
- Keep the cut clean and even. There should be no “chewed” edges and bevels. To do this, use a sharpened tool, as mentioned above. Do not be lazy and treat its cutting parts with any disinfectant.
- After trimming, a stump or a knot should not remain above the kidney (above it), the cut is made at a distance of about 3 mm above it.
- All wound places must be treated with garden varnish or oil paint (in extreme cases). In the spring, as we know, sap flow is activated, so all damage should be “healed”.
To remove the branches, the secateurs, delimbers and saw were mentioned above, for beginning gardeners, I would still recommend resorting to the help of the delimbers. Firstly, working with a saw involves moving the cutting blade back and forth - this can be dangerous if the process occurs at a height while still standing on a stepladder. Secondly, with sharp teeth on the canvas you can damage the branches growing nearby, so a sharp delimber will be more convenient, plus with its long handles you can reach the farthest branches. In addition, the cutting elements of the delimbers give a perfect cut.
Apple tree pruning dates
Here you should focus on the climatic features of your region. No specialist will be able to tell you a specific date, so you will determine the timing of cutting yourself, taking into account the weather conditions. The main thing is to carry out the procedure a month or three weeks before the start of sap flow. Do not try to do everything quickly before the indicated time reference, because after winter the wood becomes especially fragile. Pruning an apple tree too early in the spring will only bring it harm. Try to “catch” the desired time interval between the tree awakening from hibernation and the beginning of the formation of buds, as sometimes it passes very quickly.
The pruning scheme for the apple tree is also determined individually, taking into account the age and size of the tree, the volume of the proposed work, the location of the apple tree on the site (trees growing nearby). There are several standard pruning schemes, but there are no strict requirements and standards. They are only the basis of the concept of this process, and then the gardener decides everything independently and according to the situation. The most common crown shapes that are attached by trimming are: round, pyramidal, flat horizontal or flat vertical, columnar, curly.
How to prune an apple tree?
Let's take a look at how a young tree, an adult fruiting and an old one, is trimmed.
Pruning a young apple tree
The very first pruning of young representatives is carried out immediately after the seedling was planted in the ground. This process is aimed at the correct distribution of vitality between the roots and the trunk with branches. A young tree should be firmly rooted in a new place of residence. The central conductor is shortened so that its length is about 80-85 cm when trimmed. If the young tree has side branches, figuratively divide their length into three parts, and then remove two parts (2/3 of the length). The next spring, young apple trees are pruned again: 3 (or 5) of the most powerful branches growing from the trunk are left on the tree. At the same time, the upper branches are slightly cut, so that they are shorter than the lower ones. The central shoot should be about 25-30 cm above the upper branches, so it is cut to the required length.
If the central shoot at the end bifurcates, then you need to choose and leave one part that is more authentic, and cut off the second completely.
Also, those branches that have grown at an acute angle (relative to the trunk) must be removed - they are useless, since they still will not be able to cope with the weight of the fruits and will break at the most crucial moment. Well, of course, we cut out all frozen, dry and diseased shoots, as well as young shoots near the trunk.
Do not forget about the correct circumcision (3-4 mm above the kidney)! Also, if you notice a darkening of the cortex on some separate branches (usually the kidneys do not swell on them), remove them without hesitation.
Proper pruning of a young apple tree in the spring is very important, especially in the first years of its life in a new place. Thanks to this operation, the "foundation" of the future tree is laid, its crown is formed. If during this period the development of the tree is set in the wrong direction, then in the future it will be extremely difficult to fix something.
Proper pruning of fruiting apple trees
In the third or fourth year after planting a seedling, an apple tree forms a crown, but now pruning should be done very carefully, as the tree is already bearing fruit. At this stage, the branches are trimmed quite a bit so that this traumatic procedure does not affect fruiting. The correct pruning of an apple tree is when shoots are removed that grow inside the crown and overlap with fruitful branches. An unspoken rule: it is better to cut off a couple of large thickening branches than to remove a few small ones. Remember that the trunk should not be bifurcated!
Too long branches growing upwards also need to be shortened, you should know that a length of 3.5 m is considered the maximum permissible for almost all varieties of fruit trees. Also do not forget about thinning the crown, excessive shading is useless to us. To make it more convenient to control the situation, first remove the thickest branches - so you will understand the overall picture. It is better to leave horizontal branches, as well as the strongest branches on which you will plant another variety (if you, of course, plan this in the future).
Pruning apple fruit, photo:
How to prune an old apple tree
Despite the fact that old apple trees are rarely cut, the thickening of their crowns also needs to be monitored. Formative pruning of the crown in old trees is done every two years, while branches and shoots that hide the sun's rays from fruitful branches are removed. Dried and broken fragments, of course, are also subject to cutting. If your apple tree has pleased you with a generous harvest for many years, but in recent years its volumes have become smaller, then you need to conduct an audit and remove unpromising branches. Anti-aging pruning of apple trees - this is the name of this process.
A radical cutting of the third part of shoots and branches from the total number of all branches is carried out. In this matter, the main thing is not to get carried away and not to overdo it, it is one third of the branches from the total mass that must be removed. You need to be prepared for the fact that from this tree you do not have to rely on a bountiful harvest this year. A similar pruning of the apple tree is carried out over the next 2 years, every spring - this technique will start updating the vital processes of the tree, it will be better to bear fruit and delight you, as before.
Old apple tree, pruning, photo:
Pruning apple-tree
In this case, there is a problem - with its outlines, the crown of the tree should resemble a column, so the gardener's attention should be directed to removing the side branches. In addition, as a matter of course, all the extra shoots that thicken the crown should be cut out. When pruning a columnar apple tree, the trunk is not touched under any circumstances. If it suddenly happened that the apple tree stopped growing, the trunk is only slightly shortened. In trees of this type, the apical kidney must be intact. At first, when the columnar apple tree is still very young, the central shoot is strengthened with the help of supports. This is done so that it does not break due to gusts of wind or other circumstances.
With the advent of spring, while the buds have not yet begun to swell, the lateral branches of the apple tree are cut into two buds - from them will grow powerful shoots. The next year, in spring, vertically growing branches are again shortened by two buds (to enhance the growth of new shoots), but horizontal ones are not affected, since they will bear fruit. And only the next year, during spring pruning, these horizontal fruiting branches are cut into a ring. Note - pruning “on the ring” implies an even clean cut without violating the integrity of the surrounding cortex; during pruning itself there are no stumps or knots left. Subsequent coating of the wound site with garden var is mandatory.
At a time when all nature is awakening from winter sleep, fruit trees best endure such “operations”. Pruning an apple tree in spring is an important part of the care, aimed at updating the vitality and appearance of the tree, increasing the volume of the future harvest.