The apple tree belongs to the Pink family, the height of the trees can reach up to 15 m. It has a highly branched root system, which is located at a depth of 1-1.5 m. The branches are divided into two types: growth and fruiting (fruits grow on them later).
Depending on the variety, not only the taste, size and color of the fruits differ, but also the height and shape of the trees themselves. This fact should be considered when buying seedlings: dwarf, columnar, medium and high-ripening. According to the fruiting season, the following varieties are distinguished:
- Summer: Earl Mac, Ottawa, Aroma de Ware and others;
- Autumn: Glory to the Victors, Gala Mast, Acapa, Kids Orange and others;
- Winter: Delicious, Elise, Golden, Ligol and others.
Every self-respecting gardener has apple trees in the garden. There is nothing easier than buying a 1-2 year old seedling and planting on your site. Moreover, this tree is unpretentious, has good fruiting and can grow on almost any type of soil. The apple tree feels great in the southern latitudes, but also in the middle lane it is possible to achieve high productivity from it. This will require regular watering, proper care and pruning procedures at different times of the year.
Why is this necessary?
Circumcision of the branches of the apple tree is necessary to obtain healthy and tasty fruits. Also, regular procedures allow you to form the correct crown of the tree: the longest branches should be at the bottom and shortened in height. This not only provides the tree with good ventilation ability and lighting, but also simplifies harvesting.
Old trees should be pruned to rejuvenate when the branches cease to bear fruit. To improve productivity, old branches are cut, which are replaced by new shoots.
Before conducting such a procedure, it is necessary to determine the purpose pursued. It is from it that one should build on when choosing a cropping scheme and the timing of its implementation.
When is it better to prune an apple tree: in autumn or spring?
In most cases, pruning is recommended in the fall and spring, when there is no sap flow. For rejuvenation, the procedure is carried out in the spring, as the slices will take longer to tighten. For other purposes, pruning is carried out both in spring and autumn. In the first case, frozen branches are eliminated, and the formation of the crown occurs, and in the second - the removal of rotten branches and preparation for winter.
Fall
For pruning in the fall, the procedure time is determined according to the rules:
- Start after the leaves fall;
- Finish before the onset of frost.
If the cut does not grow to frost, then its freezing can affect the overall deterioration of the tree. That is why it is strongly discouraged to carry out such work in the cold season. In winter, all trees are in a state of hibernation, so they cannot carry out the process of tightening even small damage.
In autumn, several types of pruning can be performed, depending on the age of the apple tree:
- For young apple trees (weak pruning). 1/4 of the branches that grew during the period from spring to autumn are removed.
- For apple trees 5-7 years old (medium pruning). 1/3 of the acquired branches for the season is removed.
- For old trees and in order to thin out the crown (strong pruning). 1/2 of the branches that have grown over the year are removed.
In the spring
In spring, pruning should begin before sap flow, the growth of new shoots and the appearance of buds. Usually this occurs in late March - early April. During the procedure, it is recommended to remove:
- Branches growing in the interior of the crown;
- Broken branches and knots;
- Contiguous branches, which in the future will interfere with the growth of the rest of the crown;
- Weak shoots that do not bear fruit.
In summer, pruning can occur in rare cases. This is usually necessary for preventive and sanitary purposes. Corona correction is also good. When all branches are covered with leaves, it is noticeable which shoots obscure the crown and grow in the wrong direction.
DIY pruning features
To correctly prune the tree, you must have tools, a garden var and an idea of the working technique.
- Instruments:
For pruning branches, you may need a garden knife, a hacksaw and pruning shears, depending on the thickness of the branches. All tools should be pre-sharpened to prevent the formation of torn slices. Rough cut surfaces will take much longer to heal.
- Garden Var:
Garden var - this is a tool that allows you to quickly heal cuts on trees. It is sold ready-made and is possible for making it yourself. Typically, it may include components such as:
- Beeswax;
- Fat;
- Plant-based oils (sunflower, corn, etc.);
- Drying oil or solid oil;
- Alcohol;
- Resin;
- Agrotechnical compositions.
The most popular recipes are:
- Thermal liquid var. To make it, you need 500 g of turpentine and rosin, 250 g of linseed oil. It turns out a semi-solid composition, which is applied in a warm form to the tape. And they already wrapped sections and other damaged areas of the apple tree.
- Paint. Ochra ochra or dilution of it with 500 g of linseed oil is required. Do not use white and nitro enamels.
- Cold-liquid var. 250 g of rosin, 5 g of resin and 10 g of melted fat from beef or ram and wood resin are heated over medium heat. After the composition is heated, 500 ml of medical alcohol is added to it in small portions.
Cutting technique
The main concept in this case is the ring structure. If the branches deviate from the trunk or another branch (parent) at an angle of more than 30 degrees, then at their base there is an influx. It has the shape of a ring in which the connecting cells actively multiply. They are able to quickly heal a section.
If a cut is made above this ring, wound healing will not occur. And access to infection, fungus and parasites will be open. After a successful technique, the place is lubricated with a special var.
To the external kidney: This technique is used to expand the crown. The pruning of the branch occurs, leaving the upper kidney, which is directed outward (from the trunk).
On the inner kidney: It is used to strengthen the central part of the crown. A part of the branch with a kidney is left, which is directed to the trunk.
Apple pruning schemes
Branches are cut that are in the inside of the tree or contain processes that grow at an angle. They require circumcisions and branches in contact and intertwined with each other.
The first step is the selection of old and dry processes of apple trees, which require mandatory removal. They can be identified by the cracked crust and dry structure. Next, the top of the apple tree is divided to remove knots, broken and damaged branches.
The scheme of the direct process directly depends on the age of the apple tree. So at 5 years old the tree is fully formed and fruits appear on it. First of all, this concerns the older branches, which have already become stronger for the formation of apples. Therefore, they should be treated with particular care. Dry and damaged branches are removed.
The lower part of the apple tree at a young age is not recommended. With the help of a secateurs, you can trim only its top so that the crown develops correctly. Slicing locations are processed one day after the completed process. Direct processing is necessary only for old trees.
By cutting the seedling immediately after planting, for 3-5 years you can not return to this process. As an exception, branches that have grown strongly, dried out or become damaged are deleted.
After trimming the branches, their location is treated with garden var. It seals the cuts, helps the tree adapt quickly and eliminates the possibility of juice flowing out. Large sections after applying the var are wrapped with polyethylene, and tape is used to fasten it. When the tree has adapted, the polyethylene is removed, leaving only var on the tree.
Secrets of the correct pruning of apple trees in the fall, as well as the most common mistakes of beginning gardeners are collected in a training video:
How to prune Colon-shaped apple trees?
In colonized apple trees, the main shoot cannot be cut. Removal requires only competitive shoots that have an apical bud. In the future, they can be used as a slag. To rejuvenate an already old tree and increase its productivity, the trunk is trimmed at a height of 70-80 cm.
Rejuvenation must be done in the fall before the onset of frost. This causes the growth of new young shoots. The main mistakes of the gardener:
The main mistake that can be made is cutting branches of a tree at the age of 2-3 years. New shoots will not be able to produce crops, they will grow vertically and thicken the crown. Apples on them grow out of a small size and inappropriate color.
The second most common mistake is to leave a large number of branches that bear fruit in the crown area. If they are not replaced with young ones every 3-4 years, this will lead to a deterioration in the quality of the crop and the susceptibility of the apple tree to diseases and attack by pests.
Exceptions to the Rules
Often used pruning scheme is not suitable for varieties such as Ligol, Ruby, Paulared and Cortland. This is due to the fact that the formation of fruits is actively carried out at last year's growths. That is why pruning is best done in the first half of June, removing only new growths. After the procedure, two shoots begin to grow, on which flower buds are laid by mid-summer.
Grades Gala, Golden and Delicious also require special pruning. You can increase the amount of yield by removing annual processes. Thus, apples will grow to large sizes, and form on more mature branches. In the process of caring for apple trees, it should be remembered that for the correct attitude to trees, they will delight you with a harvest of apples. Comprehensive measures taken can produce sweet and juicy fruits.