Pruning fruit trees and shrubs is the most important maintenance activity along with protection (spraying) and creating favorable conditions in the orchard in terms of sunlight and suitable soil.
In order for an apple tree to fruit well, several conditions must be met. One of the most important elements is its care and pruning.
I will try to answer some key questions for beginner fruit growers. For the sake of clarification, I will write here about pruning of trunk apple trees.
Apple tree pruning is a very important procedure to keep the tree in good condition, to harvest a satisfying healthy crop, as well as to maintain a properly bushy crown of the tree.
Do we prune the apple tree after planting?
If we bought a one-year-old tree we shorten the branches by about 25-30 cm in March or November, depending on when we planted it. As long as the tree is branched.
If the tree is unbranched we can cut it to a height of about 80 cm.
If we plant an apple tree - two years old we shorten by about 25-30 cm 4-6 highest branches, the remaining branches are cut above the second bud. Very short branches are left. If the lateral shoots growing in one direction are too many - we thin them.
If you buy a bare-root apple tree then we shorten the branches by a few centimeters.
Pruning after planting is quite important for the tree to take well, so that there is a balance between roots and branches. Proportion that will allow the young apple tree and more its small root ball to feed the young crown.
The best time to cut older trees is from late February to mid-March, or the time before winter.
Formative pruning should be done for about 4-5 years every year.
How do we form an apple tree ?
There are two methods : cutting in a cone shape or spindly. Many orchardists also run the apple tree in the form of a spread crown, and you can also run the apple tree this way. On the other hand, the two models I mention have many advantages. First of all, the sun's rays reach all the branches, the fruit and thus the shoots are within our reach. The tree fruits quite well. We cut only the branches growing lowest and those that are damaged.
NOTE!
Note that if you have several apple trees planted next to each other, the cut should be stronger so that the branches do not overlap. Solitary apple trees and fairly large distances do not require radical apple tree shaping cuts.
Is it possible to cut an apple tree in summer ?
Even you have to - it is best to do it in late July and early August - we cut wolves, that is, thick shoots pointing sharply upward. Certainly to be noticed by an amateur :)There is no fruit on these branches, while they take away juices and nutrients from our apple tree. In summer, we do not cut diagonal shoots because new fruit will grow on them.
Clearance pruning - when to do it and how.
Clear-cutting cut is carried out on older apple trees. The rule is one - we cut the crown of the tree, i.e. we cut all the shoots that cross each other, branches growing inward, damaged, diseased, which are a big obstacle for the fruiting apple tree. We also remove withered shoots. The whole purpose of this procedure is to bring more light to the center of the tree crown.
How to cut thick and old branches?
With a good tree saw - we do not jerk the branches, much less break them we cut decisively and accurately. The book calls it the pivot method, which means that we do not cut at the very tip of the branch, but leave a little of the branch, the so-called pivot :) This prevents the tree from freezing and fungal diseases.
A well pruned and managed apple tree will produce large, healthy fruit. An apple tree that is not well cared for and left to its own devices will unfortunately produce fruit, but small and often marked by disease.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULES FOR PRUNING APPLE TREES
1) Formative and clearance pruning should be done before winter or in February/March.
2) It is best to perform pruning on a sunny warm day, if the frost is expected to come, postpone the termn of pruning to a more convenient time.
3) It is necessary to make the cut with sharp scissors and a tree saw.
4) Larger branches after cutting should be lubricated with horticultural ointment
5.After cutting diseased branches we disinfect secateurs, shears, saws.
6.Apple tree bears fruit on 2,3,4-year-old shoots
7. we cut wolves at the turn of July/August
Let's remember to take care of our apple trees :)
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