Every gardener wants to grow apples, pears, plums, cherries and so on in his country house. But for this you need the right and timely care of the trees. One of the important factors of such care is pruning and rejuvenation of the crown.
- Anti-aging pruning: description and types
- How to rejuvenate old fruit trees
- Reduction of tree crown and center lightening
- Normal thinning
- Cutting of hanging branches
- Pruning in the zone of retreating growth
- Removal of extra tops and formation into skeletal and semi-skeletal branches
- How to care for a tree after rejuvenation
Anti-aging pruning: description and types
Proper and timely pruning of old trees in your country house leads to the rejuvenation of plants. Thus, they begin to produce more beautiful and tasty fruits. If the branches are cut according to certain rules, then the tree will not overgrow, sufficient sunlight will flow into the crown, the skeletal and semi-skeletal branches will get stronger, which is very important for keeping the fruits of great weight.
- Thickening of the crown.
- Late fruiting.
- Reduced winter hardiness.
Tree rejuvenation is shortening and thinning at the same time. Such a procedure is used when it is necessary to put in order an old and very tall fruit plant. The shortening is the removal of the top of individual branches, fruits and shoots. Depending on old age, individual fetuses and branches should be shortened in different ways. For example, if a branch is 8-10 years old, then 60-70% of its length can be cut off. But not every fruit or branch can be cut in this way; you need to look at whether it is located in the right way.If the branch begins to shrink or grows in the wrong direction, then it can be cut off.
How to rejuvenate old fruit trees
If you have not cleared the trees in the garden for many years or purchased a plot where there were already old and neglected fruit plants, then do not rush to cut them at the root. You can always rejuvenate your apple, pear, plum, cherry. Then garden plants will bring you tasty and juicy fruits for many years.
Reduction of tree crown and center lightening
If the plant is 10 or more years old and there was no care after it, then it should be thoroughly rejuvenated. Rejuvenation of an old apple tree takes place in three stages:
- Reduced crown.
- Center clarification.
- The shortening pruning of long lateral branches.
Shoots need to be cut a little at an angle, just above the bud. Cut only those shoots that grow in the center or in contact with each other.The rest in the future will be fruitful branches. Larger branches should be cut according to this rule: a smaller branch should be longer than a larger branch. All diseased or dried branches must be removed, as well as all those that interfere with each other’s growth. After that, the center of your fruit plant will become much brighter and more spacious, which will help the tree to produce larger fruits.
Normal thinning
After you have cleared the central part of the crown, you need to give shape to the side branches. Especially this rejuvenation should be carried out for the old pear. After all, this plant fruits are very large, and the side branches are often cut or broken under external influences: heavy rain with wind, hail, etc.
It is very important to first cut off only the sick and dry branches, then it becomes immediately clear that there are only a few steps left to complete cleaning. After that, shorten some long branches that can hardly withstand their own weight. Take a pruner and cut off all the shoots that are at a distance of less than 10 cm, as in the future they will interfere with each other to grow.The remaining wen can be shortened by 1/2 or 2/3 of the length.
Such rejuvenation of trees in the spring through thinning should be carried out at least once every 2-3 years. Then the tree will not get sick and will bear delicious fruits.
Cutting of hanging branches
Sagging branches do not necessarily cut to the ring. This should be done only in two cases: when the branch is dry, or when it prevents other branches from growing and overlaps the free space in the center of the crown. Often, pruning old tall apples implies cutting out 50-60% of the whole plant: the tree will not die from this, but on the contrary, it will acquire new powers.
Thus, the rejuvenating pruning of fruit trees takes place in several stages. After all the hanging branches are removed, you need to trim in the area of retreating growth.
Pruning in the zone of retreating growth
Removal of retreating wood of 4-7 years of age significantly enhances the growth of fruitful twigs. Pruning fruit trees in the spring stage leads to the rejuvenation of the entire plant system. And it is necessary to remove branches and shoots in the zone of retreating growth in early spring. After all, this part of the tree is the most active, there is sent a large amount of water and minerals.
In this zone, it is necessary to thin the branches, preferably not to remove them on the ring. Remove shoots in a dense area and shorten already formed branches by about 2/5 of the length. In the same way as apple rejuvenation, they clean pears, apricots and peaches. Larger branches must first be slightly cut from the bottom, and then cut from above so as not to injure the bark.
Removal of extra tops and formation into skeletal and semi-skeletal branches
Many do not know how to rejuvenate the old garden on their own, and in fact only a pruner and a saw are needed for this, as well as some knowledge of step-by-step tree cleaning. Trimming the tops is the most difficult stage in the sense that many incorrectly remove them. The reasons why the tops should be removed:
- they grow to the center of the crown;
- there are a lot of them per square unit;
- they grow straight from the trunk.
- If the tree has few branches.
- If it is necessary to form good fruit branches from the tops.
How to care for a tree after rejuvenation
After proper rejuvenation of the tree, it is necessary to take care of it. The period when you should not rejuvenate the trees is winter, but it is at this time that the plant needs care. During heavy snowfalls under the tree it is necessary to throw a lot of snow so that the root does not freeze. If pruning of trees occurred in the fall, be sure to cover the wounds with paint or clay so that the plant will be easier to heal the wounds in winter. After pruning and rejuvenation of old apples, pears, apricot trees must be thoroughly fertilized. A great way is wood ash, which contains many trace elements useful for wood. Ash must be applied to the soil around the plant.
Now that it has become clear what the rejuvenating pruning of trees is and how to take care of the plant after that, you will be able to independently clean your garden.