Winter pruning is a good plan for the start of the season. The first cutting of trees and shrubs can be carried out in January, provided that you choose a dry, sunny and warm day (the temperature should be above 0 ° C). By pruning the shoots, we reveal the inner tissues of the plants. If it gets frosty, they will start to die not only on the surface of the wound, but also in the depths, and then, when it gets warmer, they will start to decompose, providing a breeding ground for bacteria and fungal spores.
The reason we cut this early in the year is that the sap in the plant tissues flows more slowly than in spring, so they won't leak out of the cut wounds.Such places are difficult to completely protect against infection, and the loss of water and dissolved ingredients in it additionally weakens the plant.
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How to cut trees that are sensitive to frost?
The secret of the proper formation of fruit trees sensitive to frost (e.g. plums, peaches, apricots) is the date of its commencement. It is recommended that spring pruning should be started in April at the earliest, when the risk of frosts significantly decreases. The technique of pruning depends on the species and variety, but the universal rules for the formation of fruit trees can be successfully used. The summer pruning depends on the fruiting date.
- says Dr. Eng. Tomasz Mróz
Trimming shrubs
Shining cut
" The basic care procedure performed during winter pruning is shrubbery x-raying. It consists in removing all unnecessary shoots that thicken the crown too much, grow inwards and make too little light reach the interior of the bush. As a result, the leaves are stripped of the shoots, the center of the crown becomes bald and the bush loses its nice appearance in a short time. Overexposure is subject to, inter alia, barberry, cotoneaster, jasmine, shrubs, hazel, cinquefoil, quince and veins. "
Sanitary cutting
At this time of the year in all species we should also perform the so-called sanitary cutting. This is done by removing all broken, bark-stripped, distorted and crossing shoots that rub against each other excessively in the wind, damaging the bark.
Winter pruning is also necessary if we want to stimulate flowering shrubs that bloom in summer and early autumn, i.e. they produce flower buds on this year's increments (e.g.veins, shrubs, tawuły, Hooker's wort, shrub hydrangeas, large-flowered roses). To do this, remove the oldest, 4-5-year-old shoots, and shorten the rest. In the spring, new twigs will appear, which will then become covered with flower buds.
Rejuvenating cut
" It happens that we do not trim bushes for several years. In such a situation, old and heavily branching specimens can be restored with a rejuvenating cut, but it is best to spread this treatment over two years. The first time, we remove half of the old shoots, and the next year - the rest. We do it at a height of about 30 cm above the ground. Regularly prune the young twigs, preferably every year. "
All these types of cuts are used for both ornamental and fruit species. The only difference is the frequency of treatments. Every year we check the fruit bushes and stimulate them to fructify more abundantly. Ornamental shrubs require only sanitary pruning every year, and we check them out every 2-3 years, at the same time encouraging them to bloom more abundantly.As for rejuvenation, some species (e.g. David's bud, dogwood and white willows) should be radically pruned every year, otherwise they bloom poorly.
Plants that we do not prune in winter
Not all trees and shrubs can be pruned at this time of the year. Some of them wake up very early and the juices begin to circulate more vividly at the beginning of February. These plants include birch trees, hornbeams, physalis, legumes, chestnut trees, maples, walnuts and elms, which are best pruned at the end of summer, when the growing season ends.
Some fruit trees, such as cherries and cherries, are very susceptible to disease, so they are pruned in summer after harvesting, because in winter it is easier to infect wounds after pruning.
When it comes to shrubs, the species that bloom in early spring (e.g. forsythia, tonsil, early spring) should be trimmed only after they have flowered. If we do this in winter, we will remove the flower buds that formed last fall and the bushes will not bloom at all or there will be very few flowers.
Plants that don't like pruning
These are mainly conifers (except yew and Canadian pine) and we should not remove their branches without necessity, unless they form a hedge or we lead a plant, giving it a sophisticated form. Among deciduous shrubs, they do not tolerate pruning badly: azaleas and rhododendrons, viburnum, Syrian ketmias, magnolias, witch hazel, podole polycha, sumaki vinegar, laurel and golden grass.
Some practical advice
Thicker branches and tree limbs should be cut with a saw just behind the ring, i.e. a thickening at the base of the trunk. First, cut them about 20 cm behind the ring, half as thick from the bottom. If we started to cut a branch from above, it could break off under its own weight, causing a flap of bark to be torn off or the trunk to be damaged. Then we trim the branch from above, but a little further. Only then we align the stump right behind the wedding ring.
After cutting the wound surface with a sharp knife and smear it with protective ointments or the so-calledartificial bark. After drying, these agents form a thin film through which water vapor and air penetrate, and at the same time the fungal spores are retained. As a result, the wound heals faster. We can also use ordinary white emulsion paint with the addition of a fungicide, e.g. Topsinu.
