The apple tree is grown everywhere in our country, its harvest brings great benefits to the body. But not all gardeners are able to properly care for this tree. Pruning apple trees helps to make the garden not only well-groomed, but also to achieve stable fruiting. It is important to observe not only the deadlines, but also the rules for performing all operations. Otherwise, instead of the expected benefits, the trees will be irreparably damaged.

When is the best time to prune an apple tree

As the experience of gardeners and their long-term practice shows, it is better to start pruning fruit trees in the spring. This is done even before the plants begin the process of sap flow. By the way, stone fruit trees can only be pruned in spring, and autumn pruning is also allowed for pome fruits. This is useful for residents of the southern regions, where spring comes quickly, and they simply do not have time to carry out all the necessary activities in the garden.

On a note.In winter, only professional gardeners cut apple trees. Due to the large volume of work, they have no other choice. Beginners should not take risks, since there is a risk of peeling off the bark at the cut or cracking of the wood. In the fall, pruning is planned only after the trees have dropped their leaves. This rule applies to all regions. The formation of a late variety apple tree should be postponed until the spring, since the cut site will not have time to heal well before the onset of frost.

Pruning apple trees in spring

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Pruning of fruit apple trees in the spring is carried out in order to eliminate non-wintering branches and prepare for a new harvest season. It is required to remove all frostbitten, broken or burnt branches, as well as those that have been affected by infections or pests. Those processes that grow inside the crown and form an acute angle with the trunk must be cut off. Old trees should be rejuvenated.

Detailed instruction in regulating spring pruning suggests that its intensity is chosen depending on how large the crop was harvested in the previous season. If there were a lot of apples, then this year the apple tree will not bear fruit strongly, and pruning is carried out to a minimum. If the crop has been meager, then regulating pruning is imperative so that the tree has enough fruit that it can grow without spending much effort.

Uncut apple trees

Formative pruning is also carried out in the spring. Its scheme is quite simple. It takes into account the fact that vertically arranged branches give a very small number of fruits. A good harvest is harvested from shoots located almost parallel to the ground. Three or four skeletal branches are left, which are located horizontally in different directions. The rest of the processes are cut into a ring. After the formation of the second tier, proceed in the same way. Now you need to prune one third of all skeletal branches to the outer bud.

Many gardeners believe that May is bad for pruning. However, if there is no other time, then this period is also suitable.In old apple trees, you can remove old branches that form a skeleton and grow at an acute angle to the trunk. In the process of fruiting, they often break off or split.

Attention! You cannot remove more than one old skeletal branch in May.

You can also shorten the crown, especially for the uppermost tier. But pruning, aimed at stimulating the growth of new branches, cannot be carried out at this time.

Do I need to prune an apple tree seedling when planting

Sprinkling apple trees with copper sulfate in spring

After purchasing a seedling, be sure to read the information on how to properly cut an apple tree when planting. The tree is shortened so that its height is 90 cm. In the presence of side shoots, their length is shortened by two-thirds. Shoots that are below 40 cm from the soil level must be removed.

Before you form a planted apple tree, you need to know that the bole will stretch out in the process of growth, and the lower shoots will be at such a height that it will be convenient to harvest the crop. Walking under such a tree is also possible without any problems. For seedlings whose height has not yet reached 90 cm, the top is simply cut off.

How to rejuvenate an old apple tree

How to prune an apple tree correctly if the tree is old enough or even old? In this case, you will need anti-aging pruning, which is preceded by sanitary pruning. After the apple tree is completely peeled, remove all old branches that are no longer able to please with a bountiful harvest. Some tops are also removed. Crossed shoots are cut into a ring. All branches directed inside the crown or vertically downward must be cut off. The growth is to be destroyed.

Old apple tree

Top dressing of apple trees in spring with urea

The description of the procedure in the special literature emphasizes that at the end of all work on the rejuvenation of the apple tree, the trunk is shortened. So that the intensity of fruiting does not decrease, an adult tree is pruned from 3.5 to 2.5 meters.

Attention! For trees over 8 years old, rejuvenating pruning is carried out in several stages.

If an old tree loses a lot of vegetative mass in one year, then it will experience great stress, it will hurt and may even dry out later.

Pruning apple trees in summer

Summer is not the best period for the formation and pruning of apple trees. Such actions are carried out only if the tree has suffered from the effects of negative natural phenomena or has undergone diseases. Also, in the summer, all diseased shoots are removed, which for one reason or another could not be detected in the spring.

On a note.June is the time to pinch green shoots, which at this time begin to grow actively, shade the crown and take away nutrients entering the main trunk. They also remove those branches on which very few fruits have formed. Because of them, the young green mass is shaded and does not have the opportunity to fully develop. Summer pruning tends to slow down vegetation processes in the coming season.

If there are no sick or damaged shoots on the apple tree, then only the crown density is regulated. The formation of the crown of an adult apple tree is done carefully, not too intensively. The plant can painfully experience the loss of a large amount of green mass at a time, which will certainly affect the yield.

Creeping apple tree: pruning

Pruning a creeping apple tree has its own subtleties. This procedure is carried out mainly in the spring. Be sure to remove all the branches with signs of disease or dried out over the winter. Autumn and summer are the time to control the growth of green mass. The crown must not be allowed to thicken. Even a young shoot located at an acute angle to the main trunk must be cut out. Thickening shoots should be cut into a ring. You also need to remove tops, which tend to grow constantly. Otherwise, not a tree will grow, but an apple bush. In autumn, remove all dry twigs.

Creeping apple tree

Formative pruning of a creeping apple tree involves a horizontal arrangement of shoots that form a crown. The inclined branches must be directed to the sides so that they, with free space, are directed in strictly opposite directions. Those processes that extend from the base of the trunk are deflected in the other direction in relation to its growth and pinned. Constantly growing shoots are pinched near the fourth leaf, thereby turning into fruit twigs.

Pruning columnar apple trees in spring

A beginner in gardening is unlikely to know how to properly form a columnar apple tree. This type of garden tree has appeared relatively recently, and still not everyone knows how to handle them and what kind of care they need. The plant does not exceed half a meter in width. It is not necessary to constantly trim it, except in some cases. If the trunk is old, and the top is damaged for some reason, then before trimming it, you need to find a replacement for it. Otherwise, several trunks will grow on the crown, and the shape of the column will be lost. The new top is created from the strongest shoot growing in a strictly upright position. The old vertex is removed at the point where it touches the chosen leader.

Note.A columnar apple requires pinching of all formed shoots at a distance of up to 40 cm from the main trunk. 4 years after the tree was planted, the branches are removed three years old. After pinching, the columnar apple trees do not need pruning.

Pruning apple trees in spring in the Urals

The period of spring pruning of apple trees in the Urals falls, as a rule, at the beginning of March. All procedures must be done before the plant begins to wake up. Otherwise, there is a possibility of damage to the buds, and the flowering will not be as violent. In the worst case, the tree will not bloom at all.

For pruning apple trees in the Urals, all schemes and technologies recommended for other regions are valid. It is also worth paying attention to the variety of the tree being grown and the recommendations for carrying out trimming measures specifically for it.

Low formation of apple trees for Siberia

As the advice of experienced Siberian gardeners says, it is necessary to start pruning apple trees in this region only when the temperature is above zero degrees. It is necessary to subsequently process the cut with a garden pitch, because of the frost, the tissues become aired, die off and healing is much worse.

Temperature above zero

For the conditions of the Siberian climate, the low method of forming apple trees is suitable. In this case, the plant will need a garter. On the wall of a building or a fence, it is worth building horizontally located supports. Fragile branches of an apple tree will subsequently be tied to them. The molding scheme is thought out even before the tree is planted. This will make it possible to optimize not only the fertility of the tree, but also its decorative qualities. The close location of the wall will protect the apple tree from drafts and prevent freezing.

Pruning apple trees in the spring in the Leningrad region

The timing of spring pruning falls just at the time when the winter severe frosts have just receded. In this case, you must make sure that the branches have already thawed from the ice. If the buds begin to swell on the trees, then it is no longer possible to cut them off, since the harvest will then be very meager.

Attention! When carrying out trimming work, the air temperature should not fall below -3 ° C for several days.

In the Leningrad region, the period of spring pruning of apple trees falls approximately in March or April.

Answers to questions from experienced gardeners

What to do with tops on an apple tree

It is not always necessary to remove tops on an apple tree. This is done only if they have grown directly from the central trunk, directed inward to the crown, or thicken or shade it. In cases where a tree requires rejuvenation, or it is advisable to form a fruit branch from a top, it is left. You can also graft a cuttings or buds of new growth on the top.

How to cover up a saw cut on an apple tree

Fungal infections and pests penetrate the tree through the saw cut on the apple tree. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to treat the damaged area with potassium permanganate or preparations containing copper and iron vitriol in their composition. Prepare them, in accordance with the instructions, and immediately before use. Bordeaux mixture, balms with fungicides are suitable for these purposes.

Important.After treatment, the wound is covered with garden varnish, water-based paint, cement mortar, oil paint (only one made on the basis of natural linseed oil is suitable), a talker made of clay and fresh mullein, as well as artificial bark.

Even an apple tree just beginning to bear fruit requires formative pruning. Some varieties are prone to thickening of the crown, therefore, without such a procedure, it will not be possible to get a good harvest. Novice gardeners should be well acquainted with the theoretical information on pruning, so that instead of a positive result they do not harm their tree. Proper care guarantees a stable and high-quality harvest.