Secrets and schemes for pruning apple seedlings

Each owner of a summer cottage dreams that garden trees give a rich, generous harvest, and the fruits please with bright color, aroma and their size. To achieve all this on your personal plot, do not forget about pruning. And if you have not done it yourself until today and do not know where to start, carefully read this article. She will help you figure everything out correctly.

Features of pruning seedlings

Pruning apple seedlings is carried out in two ways: climatic (thinning branches) and shortening. In the process of shortening, it is necessary to remove part of the fruitful, perennial or annual branch. Thanks to this type of pruning, it is possible to cause thickening of the shoots of apple tree seedlings, help eliminate tree overload with fruits, and slow down the aging process. Shortening will help awaken young buds, reverse growth direction and increase branching.

Thinning is a circular removal of shoots at their base. First of all, get rid of deformed, frozen, dried and thickening branches.

These two types of pruning are carried out simultaneously, regardless of the growth of the seedling and its fruiting. Pruning is an important and serious agricultural technique. It must be carried out at a certain time, the most optimal is when the seedling is in a dormant period. Therefore, keep in mind that pruning is carried out at different times in each climatic region. So, if you live in a warm southern area, spend it in the autumn-winter period, and it is advisable for residents of the middle lane to do this procedure at the end of the winter season.

Sapling pruning scheme

If you are pruning in the winter, pay attention to the temperature. It must be at least -10 degrees Celsius. It's even better if you wait until the thaw period. If you cut off the seedlings in severe frosts, the tissue will begin to freeze on the sections, which can subsequently lead to the development of diseases. And wood becomes very fragile in severe frosts.

In the summer, the so-called green pruning is carried out, it includes the pinching of young shoots. As a rule, such pruning is not very common and is considered auxiliary.

Before starting the pruning process, pay attention to the age of the fruit tree and the characteristics of its varieties. It is also necessary to take into account the size of the crown, the nature and type of wood. So, vigorous trees need to be pruned weakly and not as often as, for example, dwarf... If this is neglected and pruned strongly, it will promote strong and rapid growth of new shoots. And as a result, the crown of the tree will thicken strongly.

In the first year after planting the seedling, it is necessary to carry out the first pruning. If it is planted with unbranched one-year-olds, they must be booked - to make a cut of one-year-olds. Its height will depend on the growth of the rootstock. On average, this is approximately 90 centimeters. Varieties on medium-sized and seedling stocks are cut higher than dwarf and semi-dwarf ones. As soon as the shoots grow up, in the area of ​​the shamba it is advisable to remove the leaves (sniffing). In the event that the seedlings are planted in two years, it will be necessary to shorten the skeletal branches to the outer buds. As a result, we will achieve the expansion of the fruit tree. The order of pruning shoots is as follows: the upper ones are cut off by 2/3 or 3/4, and the lower ones - by 1/3 or even less.

If you cut off seedlings that are not formed correctly (have a one-sided crown), the branches must be shortened into lateral buds, which will be directed exactly in the direction where there are no skeletal branches.

Pay attention to the angle at which the skeletal branches deviate from the trunk. If the angle of departure is very sharp, the growth of the skeletal branch will significantly outstrip the rate of formation of fruit wood, which can lead to loss of yield. Such skeletal branches can also contribute to low photosynthesis, negatively affecting crown lighting. They are very weakly attached to the trunk and, in the case of a bountiful harvest, they can break off from the weight of the fruit. It follows from this that sharp angles during the formation of young fruit trees should be increased to at least 50 degrees. In this case, use wooden spacers or use braces.

And already a year after planting, the skeletal branches can be cut off, transferring to the outside.

Consider the ratio of the growth of the lateral processes and the conductor. Everything will depend on the type of crown. If it is spreading, then the conductor itself should be 10 or 15 centimeters higher than the side branches, and if it is pyramidal, then by all 25 centimeters. In the event that the central conductor is missing or weakened, it can be replaced with a branch, which will be located below.

Ways to form the crown of seedlings

There are quite a few options for forming the crown of trees. And if you know at least some, you will be able to independently and most importantly competently form the correct crown for your trees. Let's consider the most simple forms. One of the best and easiest is the whorled-tiered. For its formation, it is better when the tree has a short trunk, and branching begins at a height of 60 centimeters. If the shoots are located above the specified height, then in the future, when it becomes tall, it will be difficult to harvest from it.

An annual apple tree planted in your garden needs proper trunk shaping. Therefore, after a year, in the spring, it is necessary to cut the tip onto a thorn. They do this based on the rules, namely, at a height of 60 centimeters, 4 kidneys are counted, and the next two are plucked out after them, 2 kidneys located above are left in reserve. In the future, to obtain a vertical shape, the strongest and strongest emerging upper shoot will be tied to the thorn. This will create a new tip. Don't forget about the second, weaker sprout. It needs to be cut out. Also, a thorn will not be needed, it will be removed the next year.

It is better if the crown has a beginning in the form of several close branches, they will form a whorl. The distance between such branches should be no more than 15 centimeters. And for this we left the lower kidneys at the very beginning. After pruning, new shoots will appear from them, which will form further branches of the first order.

Scheme of the formation of the crown of an apple tree

The development of the tip will depend on the number of branches in the whorl.

If only one branch is placed below, and there are no others, this is not very good and it is better to refuse to buy such a seedling. Conversely, if there are more than 4 of them, then there will be oppression and weak growth of the top of the trunk.

All unnecessary branches for 3-4 years must be completely removed. In this case, it is desirable that the angle of the whorl departure be equal to from 90 to 40 degrees. If this is not observed, and it will be dull (more than 90 degrees), the branches will sag and grow poorly. In the event that the angle is less than 40 degrees, such branches will break from the weight of the fruit.

It is not enough to plant an apple tree and wait for a good harvest. It will take an effort to make it bear fruit. And it is advisable to start with cutting and shaping the crown. The procedures must be carried out while the apple tree is young and its branches are thin. If this is not done in time, you will often be surprised at a small harvest.Pruning correctly, your garden trees will be beautiful, hardy and productive.

Video "Crown formation at an apple tree seedling"

This video will show you how to properly form the crown of an apple tree seedling.