Fruit trees kept in this way are suitable not only for naturalistic gardens and parks, but also for smaller modern layouts around the house, mainly due to their symmetrical shapes. Unbuttoned crowns are not an invention of our times, because the origins of this technique of leading trees date back to Roman times.Its development took place in the 17th century, when beautiful gardens with formed trees and shrubs arose around palaces and manors.The place of the greatest reputation are the gardens of Versailles, where fabulously shaped trees and shrubs grow to this day.
Flat shape is a characteristic feature of unbuttoned crowns. Thanks to this, we can create a picturesque alley leading into the garden or plant them against a wall, literally spreading branches on it.Almost all species of popular fruit trees can be led in this way, but apple trees, pear trees, apricots and peaches give the best chance of success.
Even older trees, several years old, can be formed. Unbuttoned crowns are visually very attractive, but this is not their only advantage. The art of tree crown formation has developed and evolved over many centuries.Meanwhile, the masters of gardening created more and more elaborate tree shapes.
Formed trees have become a permanent element of the garden architecture.Many of these forms are only of historical value, but some are still used today. The simplest shapes of crowns are the so-called hives. However, it is enough to let go of the twigs diagonally to obtain an extremely attractive diagonal string. The more complex and more labor-intensive forming processes include candelabrum, umbrella, palmette or fan.
If we plant trees against a wall, it should be in a bright place.It's good if we paint the wall beforehand, strengthen it and enclose it with a frame. The most suitable is a lattice made of wooden slats. We place them one above the other at a distance of about 60-80 cm from each other.This distance is necessary to allow the shoots to be freely attached to the rack.Trees grown in this way, however, still remain fruit trees bearing edible fruit.
Due to the shape of the crown, the fruit may be slightly smaller, but it will certainly be of excellent quality. Due to strong pruning, the whole trees are always well-lit. This is a great advantage of unbuttoned crowns, because the access of the sun promotes the color of the fruit and the acquisition of aroma and taste.
Unbuckling the crown - first steps
To build the first floor, select two symmetrically placed twigs and attach them horizontally on the frame.Cut the remaining twigs - growing towards the wall and outside, cut them completely, and cut those that grow sideways for a short spigot (a length of several cm). We shorten the vertical guide a bit. When in summer the shoots grown from the horizontal branches reach approx. 30 cm, shorten them for 4-5. a leaf. Trimming them causes new shoots to grow from the leaf axils.
These shoots should also be shortened. Eventually they stop growing and turn into fruiting shoots. We select two more shoots for the construction of the upper floor. In the spring of the following year, firmly prune all the twigs on the lowest level of the crown.The two previously left shoots at the top of the crown should be attached to the rack.
How to keep the twigs in place
To keep the unbuttoned twigs in the desired position, tie them with a string to the slats of the frame.We don't tie the twigs too tight, so as not to damage the bark.It is also important to bend the twig gradually to prevent it from breaking. If necessary, we divide this activity into two stages. Usually, after a year, the bent twig remains in the given position and then we can remove the fasteners.
Shoots are the most valuable
In unbuttoned crowns we want as many shoots as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to do summer pruning.We start them at the beginning of June and continue until August.If we bought a tree that has little branching, it is better to cut all, even small twigs, on a short stub and wait for the plant to sprout new shoots.
The shoots, which will serve as the structural elements of the crown, are left without cutting. At the right moment, we tie them to the frame and bend them. We systematically trim all the remaining shoots on which the fruit should develop.We do this even 3-4 times a season until they stop growing and turn into short shoots.
