Spring and autumn pruning apple trees: how to prune a columnar and dwarf apple tree

The apple tree is the main fruit crop in the countries of the former Soviet Union and occupies about 70% of the area of all orchards. Its widespread distribution is due to economic and biological characteristics. The apple tree is distinguished by its durability, there are many varieties that are well adapted for growing and fruiting in various climatic zones. Even in Siberia, it is cultivated in shale form. We can endlessly talk about the benefits of apples and their culinary properties, but in order for the tree to bear fruit well from year to year, it needs to be looked after as it should be. The list of necessary measures for the maintenance of apple orchards includes fertilizing, watering, indispensable moisture charging for the winter, complex treatments against pests and diseases, mandatory crown formation and pruning. For some reason, the latest events frighten inexperienced gardeners most of all. Today we'll take a look at pruning an apple tree in the fall for beginners.

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How to prune apple trees in the fall: diagram, video, instructions for beginners

I bought one of my old familiar summer cottages, put it in a relative order: cleared it of weeds, debris and all other "delights" of the life of the past owners. After a while, I planted half of the dacha area with saplings of different varieties of apple trees from the nursery and ... safely about it (dacha), miserable, I forgot ...
After a certain amount of time (days, days, years? Guess yourself!) Calls. There is a lump in my throat, but in my voice there is anxiety and honest bewilderment: “I decided to marry, brought my future wife to the dacha, and there. In short, wolves howl, trees fatten, but do not bear fruit, dogs!

Overgrown, you know, cursed trees, twigs, tops and other vermin of green spaces. Help me out, buddy, I need your help! " I ask him a simple, but obvious, in its relevance, question: "Have you ever pruned apple trees there?"

The harsh silence confirmed my terrible guess! So, in order not to get into a similar position of a careless groom, we will tell you about the timely pruning of apple trees in the fall ...

Pruning apple trees in autumn, scheme

What is cropping

Pruning is an old surgical technique for caring for fruit trees. He was known in ancient Rome.

It was used to remove dried, and interfering with the normal growth of a fruit tree, branches, as well as to regulate fruiting. The Roman philosopher and agronomist Columella called the pruning operation "compulsion to bear fruit."

When to prune apple trees in the fall

Autumn pruning of apple trees is carried out after leaf fall and before the onset of the first frost (September-October). In regions with very cold winters, autumn pruning is not carried out.

Autumn (sanitary) pruning involves removing weak, withered, broken off, competing branches. Places of cuts must be covered with garden varnish.

The cut branches must be burned in order to prevent the spread of insect pests and the multiplication of infectious diseases.

Pruning apple trees in autumn is vital for fruit plants. However, you should pay attention to its correct and timely implementation.

In combination with the basic methods of apple tree care: spraying, fertilizing, soil cultivation, regular watering, apple pruning, promotes good plant development and ensures a high apple yield.

Types of apple pruning in autumn:

Weak pruning is carried out on young trees (no more than five years old) in order to shorten last year's branches by about a quarter of the length;
When carrying out medium pruning, the shoots of the current year on adult apple trees (over five years of age) are shortened by a third;
Strong (rejuvenating) pruning - branches are shortened by half the length of older trees (over twenty years of age)

Caring for a pruned apple tree

Apple trees that are pruned in the fall require special care. The sections formed after the excision of the branches must be treated with oil paint, garden varnish or a mixture of vitriol and lime. This will prevent harmful bacteria from infecting the wound.

Garden var is bought in a store or prepared at home. It includes the following components:

vegetable oil;
beeswax;
fat;
alcohol;
resin;
solid oil or drying oil;
agrotechnical compositions.

Garden var is applied to sections in a cold or warm state.

Garden var can be prepared by yourself

Cold var

To prepare a cold liquid, you will need:

rosin (250 g);
medical alcohol (0.5 l);
melted fat tail or beef fat (10 g);
wood resin (10 g);
resin (5 g).

Var is prepared in the following way. All ingredients, except alcohol, are mixed in a small refractory container and heated over medium heat. Medical alcohol is gradually poured into a well-heated composition. The prepared var is cooled and applied chilled to the cuts of trees.

Warm pitch

To prepare a warm garden varnish, you will need the following ingredients:

turpentine (500 g);
rosin (500 g);
linseed oil (250 g).

All ingredients are mixed and heated over low heat. Warm var is applied to the tapes, which are wrapped around the apple tree cuts.

Other compositions

Oil paint is suitable for processing apple cuts. Other types of paint, whitewash, nitro enamels are not suitable for solving this problem, since their aggressive components burn tree bark.

Pruning apple trees in the fall is one of the most important garden care activities. This procedure rejuvenates trees, relieves them of pests, improves the appearance of the crown, and helps to increase yields. Pruning should be done regularly and competently. Then the apple tree will delight you with good health and a good harvest of large, tasty apples.

How to properly prune apple trees in the fall

In gardening practice, there are three ways to prune apple trees in the fall:

on the ring: used to remove a branch that grows inside the crown; the junction of the branch with the trunk is called a ring;
on the bud: correction of the direction of branch growth (the outer bud is selected), the cutting tool during pruning should be directed to the left branch at an angle of 45˚;
to a branch: carried out to transfer the direction of growth of a branch to another, the main branch is removed, and the side branch remains

Instructions for beginners

Different-aged apple trees are pruned as follows:

It is advisable not to cut annual apple trees at all, since during severe frosts there may be strong tissue damage in the places of the cuts;
Apple trees from two to four years old are pruned for one quarter of the annual growth;
Adult apple trees (four years and older) are pruned by one third of the annual growth at positive temperatures.

Rejuvenating pruning of old-growth apple trees is carried out in stages, since the plants need a recovery period after such a traumatic surgical intervention.

In the first year, branches are cut from the southern side of the trees, in the second year - from the opposite side, at the same time one-year vertical shoots are removed.

In order to open the center of the crown of an old apple tree, do the following: at about a three-meter height from the soil surface, shorten the central conductor, then remove the inner tops (vertical fattening shoots), cut off only the outer tops (no more than ten pieces), if they are located uniformly around the circumference of the tree.

In the future, external tops are used to obtain fruit-bearing tree branches.

When carrying out anti-aging pruning, it must be remembered that removing two large old branches is much more effective than removing several small ones.

Video for beginners:

Pruning old apple trees in autumn + video for beginners

Probably, at least one apple tree grows on every household plot. This fruit tree generously gives its harvest to the owner, requiring only a little attention in return. The minimum plant maintenance is pruning. Young seedlings are pruned to form a crown, but old trees are rejuvenated in this way. In order to correctly carry out the procedure for rejuvenating old apple trees, you need to know the principles and optimal timing of its implementation.

Why prune old apple trees

The uncontrolled growth of the apple tree can lead to the fact that the plant shades the entire garden plot, and at the same time it stops producing crops. Old apple trees without rejuvenation can die altogether. At the same time, pruning allows you to replace old branches with young, fruiting shoots and form a beautiful compact plant crown. Rejuvenation of old apple trees allows you to increase yields due to the competent redistribution of nutrients. On well-formed trees, each branch receives the required amount of sunlight, which contributes to an even, full-fledged fruit ripening. The absence of excess greenery ensures normal air circulation, preventing the spread of diseases and insect pests.

Read also: Apple tree - Strifel: description of the variety, photos, reviews

Thus, pruning old apple trees allows you to get a beautiful, neat tree on the site and a tasty, “healthy” harvest of ripe fruits.

Crown formation

In addition to a sparse-tiered crown, there are other options. In nature, apple trees most often have a spreading and relatively rounded crown. This type of tree is not suitable for all gardeners.

For example, owners of small plots with large trees will not allow growing vegetables, herbs and other crops. A large tree gives a lot of shade in the area. In this case, the tree should be pruned regularly to form a compact crown.

A great option for a small area is a tree in a horizontal plane or an apple tree on trellises. You will have to leave only strong shoots that grow horizontally to the sides of the trunk, the rest of the branches are completely removed. Such branches are firmly attached to a metal or wooden support (see photo).

When is the best time to prune a fruit tree

Among gardeners, disputes do not stop when it is better to cut apple trees: in spring or in autumn? On this score, each gardener has his own opinion.

Professionals recommend:

Prune young seedlings in the spring, before the active stage of sap movement begins. This will prevent the still immature tree from freezing in the winter.
Prune old apple trees in the fall. As the temperature drops, they fall into a dormant state, and pruning causes minimal damage to them. Until spring, all wounds will heal, and the apple tree will begin its new life cycle without delay in growth. In this case, winter frosts are not terrible for the plant.
In the summer, you can only prune some branches to thin out the crown on the apple tree.
In the southern regions, it is possible to prune young seedlings and adult apple trees in winter, but this procedure must be carried out very carefully so as not to damage the fragile frozen crown.

Analyzing the above recommendations, we can say that pruning old apple trees in the fall is optimal. It allows you to rejuvenate the tree without causing it suffering. Already with the onset of spring, such a plant will delight you with fresh greens and in a timely manner will give tasty, large fruits in large quantities.

It is necessary to prune the apple tree in the fall at a time when the foliage has already fallen and the movement of sap in the body of the plant has stopped, but in this case it is not worth waiting for frosts. Unfortunately, it is not possible to name the exact date for the event due to the climatic characteristics of each region. So, each owner should independently monitor the weather forecast and cut the fruit tree about 3-4 weeks before the onset of stable frosts.

Basic rules for pruning

Throughout the growing period, starting from the moment the seedling is planted, the gardener must cut the apple tree annually, observing the basic rules and principles. They depend more on the age of the fruit tree: for the first 5 years it is necessary to form a crown, then care consists in removing abnormally growing and diseased branches. An apple tree that is 20 years old is considered old and needs to be rejuvenated. Unlike sanitary pruning and thinning, the procedure for rejuvenating an apple tree in autumn should be carried out according to the following rules:

It is necessary to rejuvenate only healthy apple trees, which after the procedure will be able to fully develop and bear fruit. Trees with a lot of dry and diseased, broken branches should be replaced with completely young seedlings. There is no point in cutting them off.
When rejuvenating, large branches must be removed, therefore, to minimize damage, the event should be carried out while the plant is at rest.
In the process of rejuvenation, care should be taken to remove branches that most impede the penetration of sunlight deep into the crown.
Before proceeding with rejuvenation, you need to prepare a saw and a pruner. The instrument must be sharp and disinfected.
It is recommended to start rejuvenation with the removal of the largest branches. Using the principle: it is better to delete one large branch than many small ones.
All branches must be removed at the trunk itself, without leaving hemp. This will prevent the development of diseases in the cut.
All broken, dry and improperly growing branches are subject to mandatory removal.

You won't be able to rejuvenate a tree quickly, so be patient. For the full implementation of the procedure, it will take 2-3 years, depending on the neglect of the apple tree. Pruning old and sick, as well as "extra" branches in accordance with the above proposed rules should be carried out in the first and second years of rejuvenation. Pruning a large number of branches in one year can kill the plant.

The final stage of formation should be carried out in a sparing mode, observing the rules:

The massive skeletal branches should be pruned, leaving a 3.5 m long section.
You need to remove old shoots that interfere with the development of young branches.
Old branches under actively developing young shoots should be removed.

It is quite easy to form mature trees, which at the initial stage of cultivation had a clear crown outline and were regularly thinned out. In this case, rejuvenation can be carried out in 1-2 years without much effort and damage to the plant. It is much more difficult to correctly form a neglected old tree that has been growing its green mass uncontrollably over the years. In this case, you need to be guided by the following rules:

You need to shorten the old apple tree by 1/3 of the entire height.
The most thickened parts of the crown must be thinned out.
Branches that have already stopped their growth and have not developed for several years must be removed.
In one year, no more than 2-3 large branches with a thickness of 10-15 cm should be removed.
Small fruiting branches must be cut into several buds in order to activate growth and make them stronger.
Slices on branches up to 2 cm in diameter heal painlessly and quickly.
The lower branches on the apple tree should not obscure the upper shoots.
The formation of old apple trees is easier to carry out according to the chosen scheme for several years.

Having familiarized yourself with the principles and rules, it becomes clear how to rejuvenate an old apple tree. Based only on the proposed theses, you can develop your own strategy and form the crown of the apple tree competently, giving it a decorative look and returning vitality. The trimming schemes proposed below will help to visually assess the scale and technology of the work.

Read also: Decorative zucchini in the form of a mushroom, pear

What tools are required

To carry out the work, you will need both special gardening tools and post-procedure processing tools. You will need:

hacksaw - to cut thick branches;
stepladder - with its help it is convenient to handle the upper part of the tree;
pruning shears with elongated handles - this will make it easier to reach the upper branches;
knife - for the most thinned twigs and burrs;
common hand pruner - to shorten thin branches;
oil paint or garden var.

All tools need to be sharpened well.

Schemes for the formation of old apple trees

Old apple trees can be formed arbitrarily, focusing on the basic principles and rules, or adhering to a certain scheme. The pruning scheme can be any, you can find a lot of options in various sources. We will try to describe two schemes for pruning old apple trees in the fall. One option will be of interest to busy and novice gardeners, and the second option on how to rejuvenate an apple tree is intended more for professionals.

A simple option for rejuvenating old apple trees

A simple scheme for the formation of apple trees is based on the basic rules of rejuvenation. Its principle is as follows:

It is imperative to remove diseased, broken and dry branches.
Shorten all healthy branches by 2 m.
When rejuvenating, open each branch to the sun as much as possible.

This scheme is clearly demonstrated in the picture:

Pruning an old apple tree according to this scheme should begin with the removal of dry, diseased and broken branches. You also need to thin out the crown close to the trunk a little. It is recommended to perform these actions in the first year of formation. Next fall, it will be necessary to shorten each branch of the apple tree by 1.5-2 meters. In the third year of formation, it is recommended to remove a third of all young shoots. Thinning and sanitary pruning should be done every year. The method duplicates the biological laws of plant development and is one of the most gentle. It is he who is often used by novice gardeners in their practice.

A modern way to rejuvenate

For professionals and experienced gardeners, it is recommended to use one coordinate method of rejuvenating an old apple tree. It is performed in 2 stages, and the time interval between stages can be several years. To make it clear how to properly cut an old apple tree in the fall in accordance with this modern technology, we will try to give a detailed description of it and illustrative pictures:

In the fall, make a deep pruning on an old apple tree, removing most of the crown from the south side. It is recommended to leave a green "hat" 3 m high and 2 m wide.
When carrying out deep pruning, you should try to make as few cuts as possible.
All cuts must be processed with garden pitch. Slices on thick branches should be additionally wrapped in black polyethylene for speedy wound healing.
After the south formed side gives the first flowering and fruits, you can resort to trimming the remaining part of the crown. This second stage of rejuvenation can occur in 3-4 years. It should be carried out in the fall, observing the same rules that were used when pruning the southern side of the tree.

You can rejuvenate not only the aerial part of the apple tree, but also its roots. Root rejuvenation should be done in spring. To do this, you need to dig a trench 4 m wide from the trunk of the plant and a depth of 60-70 cm. Over the entire area of the trench, you need to slightly cut the roots. Sprinkle nutritious soil on top of the remaining root system with the addition of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

The two proposed methods of rejuvenation require a lot of time and, unfortunately, one cannot expect a quick result from such actions. This is probably why some gardeners advise to carry out a cardinal pruning of an apple tree in one year, reducing the crown on the tree by 3-5 times at once. Of course, such a decision in some cases may be justified, but for a fruit tree, such deep pruning will be stressful and it is highly likely that the apple tree will not survive such changes at all.

You can find out some erroneous points in rejuvenating old apple trees from the video:

Do columnar trees need to be pruned?

In principle, this variety of apple trees does not need pruning, but ideal trees do not exist. This question arises only when the tip is damaged, lateral shoots begin to grow. It is necessary to leave the strongest, and cut the rest.

Important. The longer the branch is shortened, the more intensive the growth of the remaining side shoots will be.

If the branch is cut so that two buds remain at the base, two very powerful shoots will grow by the fruiting season. All pruning for rejuvenation is based on this.

It should be remembered. Fruit buds of such apple trees are laid throughout the tree. Too many side branches left will take nutrients from the tree. There will be no increase in yield, on the contrary, the quality of the fruits will decrease. Therefore, pruning of columnar apple trees is only needed to rejuvenate the fruit branches.

Columnar apple trees are formed in the following order (by year):

the central trunk is formed,
pinch all side shoots by 25-30 centimeters,
pinch the top at the level of 20-25 centimeters, lateral - up to 40
(in spring) remove extra branches of the third year, all incorrectly located
the weak need to be cut
limit the growth of a tree with a height of 3 meters, thin out the branches,
annual thinning.

What gives apple trees such a formation:

the correct shape that allows you to plant trees compactly without risk
trees shading each other,
allows you to get strong branches,
rejuvenate and strengthen old branches by pruning, replace them with young ones.

We conclude that pruning is still useful and justified. So it makes sense to spend time pruning trees and, as a result, get a better harvest, and at the same time increase the number of apples harvested.

Autumn pruning, of course, is best done during the dormant period of the tree, when all the leaves have fallen off. But most often the fall of leaves is delayed until frost and snow.

As practice shows, yellowing of leaves and the beginning of leaf fall corresponds to a slowdown to a minimum of the biological processes of the plant. You can choose a dry day and prune.

Attention. A branch cut in frost leaves a wound that does not heal for a long time on the tree. Therefore, you should not over-tighten with autumn pruning.

Apple orchard after pruning in the fall.

Processing of saw cut places.

Pruning old apple trees in autumn

Almost every gardener on the site has a couple of old apple trees. Maybe there is nothing wrong here, but they either give a very poor harvest, or there is no harvest at all, which raises the question of the expediency of their existence. But at the same time, there is no need to rush to cut down such trees, since there is still a chance to return them to their youth.

It is necessary to rejuvenate an old apple tree very carefully and correctly in compliance with the pruning technology. Otherwise, you may end up with a result that you don't really like.

Content:

To get the desired result, some gardeners recommend taking your anti-aging pruning slowly. In this case, the old apple tree will be able to restore its fruiting function more efficiently.

Thanks to rejuvenating pruning, we extend the fruiting period of old apple trees, therefore, we also increase the lifespan.

How to prune an old apple tree correctly?

For the correct pruning of an old or neglected apple tree, a prerequisite is compliance with a number of rules.

Rules for rejuvenating old apple trees:

First of all, you need to make sure that the tree itself is healthy, and its skeletal branches are strong enough. Rotten or diseased old trees do not need to be pruned, since here it is unlikely that something can be changed with the help of anti-aging pruning;
It is advisable to prune when the apple tree is at rest (in spring or autumn);
We prepare in advance all the necessary tools (ladder, pruner, hacksaw);
We start the pruning process with the largest branches;
Next, we cut off the dried branches, which will contribute to the thinning of the apple tree crown;
We remove improperly growing, broken and woven branches;
It is also necessary to remove branches that grow inside the crown, which interfere with the growth of young shoots;
When thinning the crown, remove diseased and bare branches;
The basic rule of anti-aging pruning is as follows: it is better to prune a few large branches than many small ones;

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Rules for the final phase of anti-aging pruning:

Cut the top of the trunk in the center of the crown at a height of about 3.5 meters;
It is necessary to cut off the part that will interfere with growing and reaching for the sun for young and strong shoots;

Rules for pruning tall and adult neglected apple trees:

We rejuvenate tall plants by 1/3. You can see this in more detail in the figure.

We remove branches that have lost the ability to grow;
You need to cut them off at an angle of 45 degrees;
For a year, branches with a thickness of about 10 cm are recommended to be cut in the amount of several pieces. Otherwise, the option of a negative impact on the plant itself cannot be ruled out;
Cutting small branches with a thickness not exceeding the thickness of a pencil, as well as branches of medium thickness (about 4 cm), we make under the bud;
It is much easier for a cut to overgrow if its thickness is no more than 2 cm;
We prune young sprouted shoots only for the next year;
We trim semi-skeletal and skeletal branches according to the scheme below;

As a rule, tall and neglected apple trees have a bare center due to the limited access of light. By thinning the crown, it is possible to improve the illumination of deep areas, which will also cause the growth of new branches. It can also stimulate the formation of flower buds on strong and young branches. And thanks to this, the quality and quantity of the future harvest will improve.

An illustrative example of pruning old apple trees is presented in the video review.

Scheme for a young tree

Care for young apple trees begins immediately after planting them in the ground. After a year of active growth, the branches continue to remain underdeveloped, therefore, the tops of the trees are pruned. An annual tree should not exceed 85-110 cm.

Carefully remove all shoots that have grown on the trunk at a distance of 65-70 cm from the ground. Leave only those branches on the tree that extend from the trunk at a right angle.

Remember; one shoot should have at least 3-5 buds.

In the second year, they are engaged in the formation of the crown. Several main shoots are left on the seedlings. The lower branches should be longer than the higher ones. The optimal ratio is 45 to 20 cm.If you notice that a second main shoot has formed on the tree, do not forget to remove it.

In a three-year-old apple tree, pruning is minimal. It is important to remove tops and branches that have appeared over the winter, which prevent each other from developing normally. At the age of 4-5 years, you should not cut off the shoots once again. If they are formed evenly and do not thicken the crown, the seedlings develop normally.

In young trees, pruning of shoots is carried out with a well-sharpened pruner, and the hardened branches must be cut down with a saw. Try to make even and accurate cuts, then the bark on the seedlings will overgrow very quickly.

Pruning apple trees in the fall?

As a rule, autumn pruning is carried out immediately after the foliage has fallen. Divide into weak, medium and strong. Low pruning is usually done on young apple trees.

Medium pruning - in relatively young (5-7 years old) and old. In this case, the matured branches are cut by 1/3. Thanks to such pruning, the shape of the crown will form correctly and the number of fruiting branches will increase.

With strong pruning, the number of fruiting branches is thinned out, shortened by half. By doing this, we will be able to improve the access of the sun's rays to the fruits, which will allow not to spoil the harvest ahead of time, and most importantly, the ripening process will improve.

Methods for pruning old apple trees

Pruning old and neglected apple trees can be done in several ways. But at the same time, one should also take into account the fact that some methods have both their advantages and disadvantages.

Ways of cutting apple trees

After cutting, there are usually 2 options:

shortening - cutting off a part of the branch;
Suspension - complete removal of the branch.

Shortening always leads to the activation of new runs and winds. After a strong cut, as a rule, 3-4 strong runaways will grow. And in the result of a weak cut, there will be less number of short branches. Suspension optimizes the lighting of the crown, allows the sun's rays to penetrate inside and illuminate all the branches that grow inside the crown.