How to properly prune an apricot and form a crown

Regular pruning of apricots is one of the most important and necessary conditions for a good harvest. Apricot bears fruit on fruit formations and branches of the last year. Over time, the growth processes of the tree slow down. As a result, adult large branches, after fruiting, become bare. Therefore, you should form the crown of the tree and know how to properly cut the apricot, supporting growth processes in which the length of the annual growth will be at least 35-45 cm.

Pruning time

The main feature of apricot is that it does not shed the ovaries on its own, as a result, the tree is constantly overloaded with a large amount of harvest, since most of the flowers are formed into fruits. In order for the tree to remain in good condition, the fruits are large, apricot trees are pruned, depending on the goals and capabilities, at different periods - in spring, summer or autumn. The video explains the advantages and disadvantages of pruning apricots at different times.

Autumn pruning

In October, only medium or early varieties are pruned. Also in the autumn, it is advisable to rejuvenate the tree by removing old, already bare branches and other perennial wood. This gives good growth and numerous shoots for the next year. The tree becomes more hardy, strong and resistant to disease and cold, and the fruits become large and sweet.
In this case, a tier sparse system consisting of at least 4-6 skeletal branches is used to form the correct crown. First of all, adult fruit branches are shortened by a third. Places of cuts are carefully processed. However, it should be borne in mind that if autumn is rainy, cold, with early frosts, pruning the apricot will only weaken the tree, and if it is still young, then winter frosts can be fatal for it. Pruning apricot trees is more suitable for southern regions with mild, warm climates.

Spring pruning

Every gardener sooner or later asks the question - when is it better to prune an apricot. As practice has shown, preference should be given to spring or summer pruning of apricot. This gives the tree plenty of time to prepare for wintering.

Spring pruning is carried out with the onset of warm, stable weather, before the start of sap flow, in March-April. Starting from 2 years after disembarkation, the one-year growth is shortened. With a fast growth rate, more than 50-65 cm, shoots continuing skeletal branches, their shortening is done to half the length in highly branching apricot varieties, and in weakly branching ones - up to 2/3 of the length. You can watch the video below for more details on spring pruning.

Summer pruning

Light summer pruning of apricot or chasing, together with preliminary pruning of adult branches in spring according to the scheme indicated in the video, has a significant effect on fruiting. Pinching is carried out from mid-May to early June, but no later than 4-5 days. As a rule, they pinch all the shoots of the current year, the length of which is more than 20-25 cm. 7-12 days after the summer minting, a young apricot develops a large number of young and 3-5 strong shoots, on which the future harvest is formed. Pruning at this time contributes to active growth, and the apricot has time to restore the leaf surface completely, and flower buds develop during the growth of the second wave.

However, summer pruning will only be effective if the tree is getting enough moisture, especially during dry, hot seasons. It is impractical and harmful to carry it out in a garden plot with depleted soil and not provided with moisture. Such pinching is carried out at least once every 2-3 years, making spring pruning annually in intervals.

Apricot pruning scheme

Formation of a cupped crown

When forming such a crown, 2-4 branches of the apricot are evenly placed around the trunk through 2-4 buds. The conductor above the upper branch is removed. Above the upper lateral branch from the central conductor, a 15-20 cm spike is left without buds. Lateral branches are shortened by 4-7 buds. In this case, all sections should be performed on the external kidney. The sequence of operations in the formation of a cupped crown can be seen in the video.

In the second year, in the spring, skeletal branches are cut off at one level to 45-55 cm. Then, in May or early June, the chasing and removal of growth shoots and competitors on the trunk must be carried out. After 45-55 cm, up to 3 branches of the second order are laid on the branches of the first order. Why choose from the left shoots 1-2, located on different sides of the main branch. At the same time, the first branch of the second order on the trunk should be at a distance of 35-45 cm, and the second - at 15-45 cm from the first. Do not shorten the conductors of the branches of the second and first orders. The remaining branches are removed to the ring, regardless of their location.

On the main branches of the first order, in the third year, they continue to lay the branches of the second order, and on those laid last year, they form the third. After that, unnecessary branches are removed for formation, growing inside the crown and vertically. In subsequent years, the apricot bears fruit and from 6-7 years pruning for fruiting should be carried out. In this case, 2-4 shoots are left at the ends of the branches, which are shortened by a third of the length. A replacement knot should be left between them. To do this, the most developed shoot is shortened to 8-15 cm. On the older wood, the fruiting branches are shortened to the lower developed, strong shoot, which is also cut into 5-8 buds.

Tree pruning instruction

Already from the first year after planting, they begin to form a crown of the required shape. At a young age, branches grow quickly, but do not form a sufficient number of branches without cutting. A feature of apricot is its fragile attachment to the central conductor of the branches, therefore, be sure to lay single branches with a large angle of departure. Two branches are left on the seedling at a distance of 30-45 cm from each other. The twigs located between them are folded back and tied to the trunk. The central conductor is shortened by 25-30 cm, the future skeletal branches - by half. In May, the growths are removed on the stem and with an acute angle of discharge, and the remaining shoots are pinched over a 5-8 leaf.

The next year, another 1-3 branches are left higher by at least 35-45 cm, selected in the previous year. These branches are shortened according to the principle of subordination. The conductor is cut, departing from the last skeletal, shortened branch by 55-75 cm. The growths located at the ends of the two lower main branches are cut depending on the degree of branching of the variety: in weakly branching by 2/3 of the length, in strongly branching by 1/2. Departing from the skeletal, branches of the second order are located on both sides of the trunk at a distance of 30-40 cm relative to each other. Small branches growing between them are removed. Last year's gain is cut by half. When the shoots reach 6-8 cm in length, the vertically growing competitive ones are removed, and in the second half of May they are minted.

The fifth main branch is formed for 3-4 years. The conductor above it should be removed, since it is desirable to have a compact, slightly branched tree on the site. The annual growth is cut off, and branches of the second order are laid on the middle branches, on the lowest ones - the third.The next year, on the same branch, branches of the second order are formed, while the one-year growth is thinned out and shortened. Since shortening stimulates the growth of young shoots to the detriment of fruiting, over the next 2-4 years, only thinning is carried out, while removing broken, diseased, vertically directed and thickening branches. This completes the process of forming the crown of the apricot.

It should be noted that apricot bears fruit mainly on lateral shoots 25-30 cm long. The next year, after shortening, an increase of 40-90 cm is formed. If they are not cut off in the second year, they can bloom, but they will not bear fruit, and during the growing season they are covered with short branches of 3-6 cm. In the third year, these branches actively bear fruit, but by 4-6 years they usually die off. In order for the yield to be high and regular, it is necessary to reproduce young fruit wood annually, for which 1-2 branches are shortened on each skeletal branch for three-year wood, leaving short branches of 10-20 cm.

Video "Pruning an apricot and shaping its crown"

How to prune an apricot in the first years after planting, how to carry out cardinal rejuvenation for perennial, old wood, what pruning methods are used in modern gardening, what schemes for the formation of an apricot crown are most effective for different varieties, in what period it is more productive to prune - all this is discussed in this video.