It is known that the growth strength of any fruit tree depends on the genetic characteristics of the variety, and most of all on the rootstock. However, once the tree has been planted, we can still influence the size and size of the crown.This is because some treatments stimulate the growth of trees, while the second one significantly inhibits it.Cutting is the basic treatment significantly influencing the growth of the plant.
It would seem that this is a typical procedure limiting the crown. Indeed, because after each pruning, we remove a certain part of the branch and thus reduce its size. However, already in the same year, the tree, striving to rebuild its crown, sprouts much more shoots than we cut down.
On the site of the cut shoot, they extract two or even more strong shoots from the buds of often sleeping people, which thicken the crown.However, skillfully performed pruning of the crown may prevent us from stimulating the tree to excessive growth expanding. It all depends on where we cut the branch.
Leaving even a short, several or several centimeter long piece of shoot (plug), we can expect that at least two new ones will grow in the place of the cut shoot.By trimming or shortening in the wrong place even small twigs, we make the crown overly thickened by growing unnecessary shoots.
This method of cutting by leaving the ends of the twigs short is called a "hedgehog" cut.There is a reason, too, because a large number of short-cut shoots resemble a hedgehog. This is not a good method of crown formation as it limits the formation of valuable shoots on which to grow fruit.
ABC of cutting ornamental shrubs
However, if we cut the branch completely, very close to the branch, leaving no segment with the buds dormant, there will be no place to sprout the branch. This method of cutting is called a "wedding ring".By cutting in this way, we actually reduce the number of branches, while limiting the growth of new ones.
Therefore, knowing the reaction of trees to a specific type of pruning, we can easily determine the places where we want the tree to sprout or not to create new growths.To sum up - the number of shoots to be cut is of great importance when cutting, but also the place where the shoot is cut and how long a branch will remain on the tree.
