Apple pruningis one of the most important care treatments in an apple orchard, guaranteeing an abundant apple harvest. We explain how to makeapple pruning after planting , what is theforming apple treeand what are the bestapple pruning datesWe advise how to makewinter pruning of apple treesand why it is also necessarypruning apple trees in summerSee how and when to prune apple trees so that they grow he althy and bear fruit abundantly!
Proper pruning of the apple tree and proper formation of the tree crown will make collecting apples and further tree care much easier.
Why is apple pruning so important?
The apple tree can grow and bear fruit without pruning. Over time, however, an uncut tree will grow excessively and the branches in its crown will thicken too much.The lack of pruning makes it difficult to care for the apple tree and harvest the applesThe fruit becomes small, matures poorly, and the tree is easily susceptible to disease infections. After years of neglect, saving such an apple tree will become very difficult.
Thereforeapple trees should be pruned regularly from the moment they are planted in the gardennot once, but twice a year.
Proper pruning apple treeswill enable the proper formation of the tree's crown, facilitating its care, and will provide large and abundant yields of juicy, well-ripened apples.
Important!Before we start cutting apple trees, it is worth knowing that the apple tree bears fruit best on two-, three- and four-year-old shoots. Therefore, you should remove the excess of thin one-year-old shoots, and skillfully replace older than four-year-old shoots with new ones.
When to prune apple trees?
Apple pruning datesare very important, because the apple pruning method should be adapted to the date of this treatment. A tree trimmed at the wrong time may start to get sick or freeze, and the cut will be counterproductive. Young trees tie in differently during the formation of their crowns (the so-called pruning of apple trees), and differently trees with a fully developed crown.
Therefore, there is no single best answer to the questionwhen to prune apple treesBasically there aretwo apple pruning terms :
- winter pruning of apple trees , which is performed at the end of winter or early spring, when the risk of the greatest frost (from late February to early April) has passed. In young trees, at this time, cuts that form the tree crown are made, and in the case of older trees, shining cuts are made to remove the excess of old branches and prevent excessive thickening of the branches inside the tree crown,
- summer pruning of apple trees , the task of which is to remove young shoots growing vertically upwards, the so-called wolves. Pruning apple trees in summer is performed from July to August.
Incorrectly cut apple trees or completely abandoned - no
clear guide, tree crowns irregular and bumpy, excessively
thickened with many shoots growing vertically upwards
Pruning apple trees after planting
The first pruning of an apple treethat we will carry out is the pruning of a newly planted tree. Planting fruit trees is carried out in spring or autumn, but the newly planted seedlings of fruit trees are always pruned in spring - in March or April. If we plant an apple tree in the fall, we prune it next spring, and trees planted in spring, we cut immediately after planting. Pruning apple trees after plantingis also the first step in forming the crown of the tree.
Note!Nurserymen are increasingly selling cuttings of fruit trees that have already been trimmed. Therefore, at the time of purchase, it is worth making sure that the plant has not been cut and that it needs to be trimmed after planting.
Unbranched tree (with one main shoot), i.e.unbranched bud, prune to a height of 70-90 cmFrom this point the apple tree will start producing side shoots, it is a height that facilitates the care of the apple tree. If we want more space under the apple tree, trim the seedling higher.
If we plant a tree with a crown, i.e. a main shoot and a few side shoots (the so-called branched maiden), thencutting the apple tree after planting is leaving 3-7 shoots embedded horizontally or slightly slantingand removing the remaining shoots. The remaining shoots are slightly shortened by 1/4 or 1/3 of their length. The main shoot is also slightly shortened to stimulate it to grow.If it is crooked, tie it to a stake to keep it straight.
How to trim an unbranched bud (left) and a branched bud (right)
Cutting forming apple trees
Proper care of young fruit trees is extremely important and the formation of an appropriate shape of the tree crown during this period, which in the future will facilitate the harvesting of fruits and further care of the tree.
Cutting forming apple trees is carried out for 3-4 years after plantingFirst of all, remember about the height at which the crown formation will begin. It is best to keep approx. 80 cm from the ground to the first branching, because in the future it will make it much easier to care for the apple tree and harvest the fruit.
The most popular crown for apple trees is the spindle crown , also called conical or pyramidal. It allows the fruit to be evenly illuminated and the branches do not break under the weight of the fruit. Crown-forming cuts are made during the dormant period , preferably in the last days of winter or early spring.
Apple pruning - the classic spindle crown is a good way to form a crown
in small gardens for apple trees grafted on dwarf rootstocks and semi-dwarfs.
Winter cutting of apple trees
In older treesat the end of winter or early spring, we make a cut that translates the apple treeIt facilitates the penetration of sunlight into the crown and reduces the risk of spreading fungal diseases. Thanks to the overexposure of the crown, we can also regulate the fruiting - with a smaller number of branches, the fruit will be more handsome, larger and tastier. Too high density of branches leads to fruit diminution and a reduction in the quality of the yield.
Winter pruning of apple trees is performed in the period when the fruit trees are in a state of winter dormancy, but the risk of the greatest frost is over Therefore, they can be started at the end of February and continued until the plants begin their vegetation (beginning of April). In the case of amateur crops, many people start gardening only with the onset of spring warming, but be careful thatapple pruning in spring is not done too late
Interestingly, recently more and more fruit growers change the date of this treatment and perform x-rayscutting apple trees in autumn , when the leaves fall off and the plants are dormant, but before the arrival of large ones frost (this usually takes place in early December). Perhaps they are motivated by the fact that at the end of winter they did not manage to prune all the trees in the orchard. In amateur crops, however, it is better not to postpone the winter pruning of apple trees until the fall, as thisapple pruning datecarries a high risk of frosting the tree if the pruning wounds do not heal before the onset of major winter frosts.
Pruning apple trees will be easier if we use a two-handed secateurs
with extended arms. It will allow you to reach further branches , and the cutting force will be greater.
Cutting apple trees in summer
In July and August, we make thesummer apple pruning, which is also very important.Pruning apple trees in summer involves cutting out strong summer shoots, the so-called wolvesThey grow vertically upwards, mostly in the center of the crown. Cutting apple trees in summer should consist in cutting the strongest annual shoots growing vertically upwards, and leaving the weaker ones, up to 30-40 cm long, which grow sideways or diagonally, as in the future they will be used to rebuild the crown and become fruit-bearing shoots.
Note!If we perform a summer apple pruning at the turn of June and July, then the apple tree will re-develop wolves and the entire apple care procedure must be repeated. To avoid this, the apple tree should be pruned a little later - at the turn of July and August.
The date of cutting apple trees in summer should be adapted to the date of ripening of apples of a given varietyThe earliest, because already at the beginning of July, you can perform summer cutting of apple trees of varieties such as' Early Geneva '(sometimes called' Red paper ') or' Piros'. Varieties such as 'Katja' and 'Jerseymac' can be pruned in late July and early August, while later maturing varieties are pruned in the second half of August.The deadline for summer apple pruning is the beginning of SeptemberAfter that, do not cut the apple tree as it will stimulate it to grow when it should go into winter dormancy.
Apple cutting tools
Before you start cutting apple treesyou should gather the appropriate tools for cutting trees and shrubs. First of all, we use a pruner and a garden saw. When it comes to secateurs, it is best to get a two-handed secateurs with which we can reach slightly higher branches, and we will be able to cut thicker branches much easier. Ordinary hand pruner will be useful especially in summer, when we cut thin shoots, i.e. wolves
The saw will be used to cut thicker branches , such which we will not be able to trim with secateurs. It will be useful especially duringwinter pruning of apple trees, when removing thick branches
When buying tools for cutting apple treesand other trees, it's best to choose those from reputable manufacturers and made of the best materials. Although they will cost us more, they will last much longer than cutting tools from a lower price range, and cutting fruit trees with good tools in our garden will be much more efficient.Here I would like to recommend tools for care fruit trees and shrubs from the shop offer of our guide. We first test all the tools that we sell in our own garden and choose only those that have proven themselves in action.
We cover the cutting wounds with garden ointment
Fig. depositphotos.com
Diseases of fruit trees can be easily transmitted on neglected tools. Therefore, remember to alwaysafter cutting the apple tree, wash and disinfect the toolsThis will prevent the spread of diseases in the garden or orchard.
For cleaning tools after cutting the apple treeplain water with soap is enough, and alcohol or denatured alcohol for disinfection. If we want to have two in one, and at the same time it should be completely natural, I recommend gardening soap with garlic, available in the store of our guide, which has bactericidal and fungicidal properties. In this way, we wash the tools at the same time and remove any pathogens from them.Apart from cutting tools, we also need garden ointment, preferably with the addition of a fungicide. The ointment is applied to all cut points. As a result, cutting wounds will heal faster and reduce the risk of disease penetration.
Become confident in pruning fruit plants
"If you are unsure how to make a cut or are just afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School 2" ontrimming fruit trees and shrubs
This is the second part of the best-selling book "Cutting School", in which the authors Lucyna and Alicja Grabowskieexplained in a simple and clear way the secrets of cuttingornamental plants. The first book The School of Cutting for its simple language and clear, accurate drawings was loved by garden owners all over Poland.The book quickly became a bestseller- 20,000 copies sold! "
"Cutting School 2" will make youconfident in pruning fruit trees and shrubsand learn to cut plants so that they grow according to your expectations and bear fruit abundantly. After reading this book, your approach to pruning plants will probably change completely!
Katarzyna Matuszak
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