Cutting trees in the fall is one of the stages of fruit tree care, important and mandatory. Properly performed pruning heals the tree, stimulates its vitality and prepares for fruiting in the next season. This procedure is carried out not only in the autumn, but also in the spring, but in this article we will consider the autumn preparation of trees for the winter period. From the proper care of the trees depends on their productivity, durability and quality of the fruit.
Autumn pruning of fruit trees, dates
It is important to know that autumn pruning of fruit trees and shrubs is allowed only in regions with a mild climate, where winter is not too cold, and garden crops are not threatened by freezing of the bark.
Pruning trees in the fall is desirable only sanitary. First of all, shrunken branches and branches, as well as branches that have faults, are removed.
If you live in the northern regions of our country, then it is better to refuse from autumn pruning and transfer this procedure to the spring.
Crown formation, removal of old or damaged fragments is recommended for trees of all ages. Thinning of branches, as well as their competent shortening, not only improves the condition of trees, but also subsequently does not allow large volumes of snow mass to accumulate on the branches, thereby preventing them from breaking.
In this situation, the main thing is not to overdo it and not cut out the excess, because in the new season the fruits will also need to develop on something. In addition, some fruit representatives do not need to be pruned annually, for example, cherries or pears - this can significantly reduce their productivity, in addition, the tree can become sick.
Correct pruning of old trees, on the contrary, will bring benefits and rejuvenate them, and will help to keep crop volumes at the proper level.
The timing of pruning trees in autumn depends on the region and climate in which they grow. The main rule is to carry out this process before the first night frosts arrive. Choose a time when the foliage has already turned yellow and almost showered from the branches.
Pruning fruit trees in the fall - what should be removed:
- We remove all dried, broken and unhealthy branches, as well as those that do not bear fruit.
- Interwoven medium-sized branches.
- Branches growing inside the crown (to the trunk), as well as intersecting.
- The top of the tree, if it has dried, is also cut off, moreover, the cut is made with a partial capture of the living tissue of the branch.
- If the branches grow too close to each other, then the weakest of them is recommended to be removed.
- Young growth near the trunk.
- Wolf shoots.
- Branches that grow towards the ground.
Cut points must be treated with garden varnish or oil paint. Recently, I have increasingly come across such tips on the processing of cuts and cuts: use not garden var, but garden paint for trees. Garden paint for trees will protect the saw cut from decay and fungus infection.
All cut pieces should be burned, it is better to do this at a distance from the garden. If you do everything according to the rules, then first you need to clean the fresh cut with a sharp knife (if there are burrs on the saw), and then cover with a disinfectant solution (50 g of copper sulfate / 1 l of hot water, a solution of potassium permanganate, Bordeaux liquid). After some time, when the slice dries slightly, it is covered with the aforementioned paint or var.
Also for these purposes, you can buy an excellent tool - balm "Artificial Bark." Only the middle of the cut is smeared, the cortex at the edges is not affected - over time, a peculiar cushion forms from it, which subsequently completely tightens the wound site.
Autumn tree pruning methods
Most often, two branch pruning methods are used:
- on the ring
- on the kidney
Reception "on the ring" - we look at the branch at the desired location of the cut, we define a ring that looks like a roller (ring) from the cortex at the junction where the process extends from the main branch. Secateurs or other sharp tools, it is necessary to make a cut strictly along the outer edge of this same roller-ring. This method is good for adjusting pruning, with its help you can change the direction of branch growth - make the side branch one of the main ones. This technique is also suitable for removing excess fragments that take away vitality from the tree.
The method of "kidney" - makes it possible to change the course of growth of the branch in the desired direction, this technique is especially relevant when forming the crown of the tree. To carry out pruning on the kidney, you should choose a shoot that is 1 year old and find a kidney on it that looks in the right direction. A cut should be made next to the kidney so that the stump immediately after the kidney does not exceed 2 mm in length. The cut angle should be 45 °, the upper end of the cut and the top of the kidney should be at the same level.
Pruning fruit trees in autumn
Autumn pruning apple tree
When the leaves fall from the tree, you can start this procedure. In the process, it is necessary to remove dried and injured branches, as well as to thin out (remove) the weakest of those that grow very close to each other.
In young apple trees, all branches that have grown during the season should be shortened by 1/4 of their length. After that, during the next 3 or 4 years, the branches can be left unattended, only dry and broken fragments can be removed.
If your apple tree is already 5 or 6 years old, then the longest and most powerful branches can be cut by 1/3. If the crown of the tree is too thick, then strong pruning is allowed (the branches are cut in half).
Autumn pruning of the apple tree, which is 8, 10 or more years old, is carried out in three stages: in the first year, 1/3 of the old branches are removed, in the second year another third, and in the third year - also one third of all old branches.
Pruning of the columnar apple tree in autumn is a little different: when pruning “excess” fragments, the remaining branches actively grow. For example, trimming a branch more than half, new strong shoots will grow from the few buds preserved on it in the new season. If you cut branches less than half, then the remaining buds will produce about 6-8 medium-sized shoots.
To avoid branching of the crown and maintain its desired shape, the central conductor growing in the center is not cut off. If the side branches are too large, then they are cut into a ring. Well and, of course, dried and damaged branches are subject to removal.
Prune pruning
Once the tree has thrown off the foliage, you can start pruning - this is the main rule of leaf fall. Cutting plums in autumn is approximately mid-September or October. Thus, all dried and damaged branches are removed from the plum, and the formation of the crown is allowed if it has grown too much. This is done so that the branches do not break from strong winds or from the weight of snow on them.
In general, experienced gardeners do not recommend autumn manipulations with plums. If some procedure can be postponed to the spring, it is better not to disturb the tree in the fall. For an ill plum, sanitary autumn processing, as well as the removal of damaged fragments, will be relevant.
If you think that prune pruning is necessary in the fall, then it is recommended that you start this process in the middle or at the end of September, when the tree discards the foliage. The shoots of a relatively young plum (first pruning) are shortened by one third. If the top of the tree exceeded a height of 2.5 m, it also needs to be trimmed a little. Fast-growing branches are cut two-thirds of their length. If the crown is too thick, then all branches growing inside should be removed. No need to be afraid to actively thin out the crown - plum will do it good.
Old trees should not be pruned in the fall, it is better to transfer this procedure to the spring.
Features of autumn pear pruning
As for the pear, the harmonious form of its crown should be laid from the first years of life. For further symmetrical development, already one-year-old pears are given the correct shape of the crown when pruning.
The branches of young pears are cut at a height of 50-60 cm from the soil level.
For trees that are already 2 years old, 3 or 4 main (skeletal) branches are determined and pruned at approximately the same level, with the central conductor being 20-30 cm higher than other branches (in a cropped form).
In adult pears, the branches are cut by 1/3, as well as the apex. Performing this procedure, try to ensure that the general appearance of the crown retains the shape of a pyramid.
If the tree is very old, then the anti-aging pruning should be moved to the spring, until the buds awaken.
Cherry how and when to prune
As for cherries, tree pruning in the fall should be more of a sanitary nature - the removal of old, diseased and injured branches. For the formation of the crown and anti-aging procedures, it is still better to choose the springtime.
Getting started is better in September or even in October if you live in a warm region. Here, as in the cases described above, you should first wait until all leaves fall from the tree.
Annual trees should not be considered, but it is recommended that older representatives remove the extra branches, leaving only the 5 or 6 strongest branches - the distance between these remaining branches should not be less than 15 cm. The overgrown shallow shoots also need to be removed, there is little use for it She only weakens the tree.
Old cherries rejuvenate in the spring.
Apricot, peach, sweet cherry and others, whether to cut in the fall
As for the other, beloved and common trees in our regions, such as apricot, peach and cherry, in the autumn they are only recommended for sanitary pruning! For example, as in the picture below. Do not have time to cut the tops of branches in the summer - do it in the fall.
For example, in cherries, fruiting may generally slow down after the autumn forming pruning. Of course, you can try to form a crown or rejuvenating pruning after the end of leaf fall, but most experienced gardeners are inclined to believe that these procedures are still best done in the spring. Autumn “operations” affect these trees much worse than, for example, apple trees and pears. In the spring, they will more easily tolerate stress and quickly come to their senses in an atmosphere of approaching heat.
Before the onset of cold weather, it is recommended to remove all injured, shrunken and diseased branches from peach, cherry and apricot, that is, prepare the trees for the winter period. With the advent of autumn, viburnum, quince, irga, sea buckthorn are also subjected only to sanitary pruning.
To summarize, we can say that pruning trees in the fall is sanitary manipulations, as well as shortening and thinning branches of individual varieties. Shortening allows you to form a beautiful regular crown, set the branches in the desired direction. Depending on the age of the tree, weak, medium or strong thinning is used. This procedure helps the tree concentrate vitality on the "working" branches, removes all unnecessary fragments, and prepares it for winter.