Improving harvest - pruning old apple trees

Almost every gardener has a couple of old apple trees in the garden. They have already begun to give a bad harvest and, naturally, the question arose about the advisability of their existence in the garden. But do not rush to cut down such trees, because they can still return a second youth. To do this, carry out the appropriate pruning of old apple trees. But it is worth rejuvenating trees with pruning very carefully and correctly, in compliance with all the instructions. Otherwise, you can get a completely different result than planned.

Anti-aging pruning rules

To achieve the desired result, some gardeners recommend taking your anti-aging pruning slowly. In this case, the tree will be able to most effectively restore its fruiting functions within three years.

Rejuvenating pruning of old apple trees is very important for the tree itself, as it allows it to extend its fruiting period and, as a result, its lifespan. But how to prune an old apple tree correctly? In order to properly prune an old or neglected apple tree, you must adhere to certain rules. You can also preview videos on the relevant topic on the Internet.

Rules to follow at the beginning of a rejuvenating pruning of an old apple tree:

• first you need to make sure that the old tree is healthy, and its skeletal branches are strong (do not waste energy on pruning sick and rotten trees, since rejuvenating pruning is unlikely to help here);
• trees should be rejuvenated only during dormancy (meaning before the beginning of the period of sap flow in spring). At this time, the entire crown of the apple tree is also perfectly visible, so this is the most suitable moment for pruning branches;
• prepare all the necessary tools in advance: a saw, a pruner and a stepladder;
• you need to start rejuvenating the apple tree by cutting off the largest branches;
• all dried branches are removed, cutting them off at the very trunk. This will help thinning the crown of the tree;
• cut off all broken, improperly growing and woven branches;
• the basic rule of pruning for rejuvenating an apple tree is to remove a few large branches than many small ones;
• it is necessary to rejuvenate trees by removing branches that grow inside the crown and thereby interfere with the growth of young shoots;
• pruning of mature old trees is best done in the fall;
• for thinning the crown, bare and diseased branches are cut.

So, at the initial stage of pruning an adult old apple tree, we thinned out the crown and got rid of all unnecessary branches that only pulled nutrients from the tree, worsening the volume of the harvest, or hindered the growth of young and strong, fruitful branches. A video showing the initial pruning of old fruit trees is available online.

Then, you should proceed to the final and final stage of pruning adult trees, which consists in opening the center of the crown. At this stage, certain rules must also be followed.

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;
• you need to cut off only the part that prevents young, strengthened shoots from growing and reaching for the sun. In order to carry out this process correctly and not harm the tree, you can first watch several videos, where the specialist will tell and show everything in detail;
• you can also rejuvenate by cutting off branches and twigs, which are placed over young branches;
• tops that have been preserved from previous pruning are also cut off. However, not all tops need to be removed. It is necessary to leave about a dozen of them, and evenly throughout the tree. Only those tops are left that grow upward and outward, as well as at an angle. This is necessary, since young and new fruiting branches will be formed from such tops in the future, which is clearly visible in the video.

For neglected tall old and adult apple trees, it is recommended to adhere to slightly different rules.

Rules for pruning tall old and adult neglected apple trees:

• it is necessary to rejuvenate a tall tree by reducing its height by about one third. This process is shown in the diagram;

• simultaneously with the shortening of the height, the most thickened areas should also be thinned;
• branches that have already lost the ability to grow are removed;
• all branches are cut at an angle of 45 degrees;
• at one time within one year, without negative consequences, you can remove only a couple of large branches, the thickness of which is about 10 cm;
• small branches, the thickness of which does not exceed a pencil, as well as branches of medium thickness (about 4 cm) must be cut off under the bud;
• overgrowth of slices occurs better when their thickness is up to 2 cm;
• they also carry out rejuvenation by cuts, which are made for strong growth. Remove up to three branches that have grown in the previous year;
• young sprouted shoots are left for pruning for the next year;
• the rest of the shoots should be cut to a side branch or side bud in order for them to grow vertically;
• knots are also removed;
• lateral semi-skeletal and skeletal branches, cut according to the above scheme;
• it is necessary to leave subordination - this is an option when a group of branches or lower branches in height do not overtake the upper ones, but, on the contrary, lag behind them by about 1/3 (in the diagram under the letter A).

Apple tree pruning options

Tall and neglected apple trees are characterized by the presence of a bare center due to the limited access of light. By thinning the crown, you will achieve better illumination of deep areas, which will cause the growth of new branches. It will also stimulate the formation of flower buds on strong and young branches. And this, in turn, will lead to an improvement in the quality and quantity of the crop.

In addition to the above rules, there are general rules for pruning fruit trees.

General rules for pruning trees:

• trees should not be launched;
• pruning must be done annually;
• crown formation is carried out only at a suitable moment for this;
• when pruning, it should be ensured that the central part of the crown of the tree is well lit;
• use only a quality tool;
• be sure to remove all diseased branches;
• remove vertically growing branches.

If the anti-aging pruning was carried out in compliance with all the rules, then in the future it will be enough only to thin out the crown.

But if, after trimming, the result is not immediately visible, then you should not despair. After all, pruning for a tree in any case is stressful and at first there may be a decrease in the formation of fruit buds. Therefore, a small delay in the restoration of the fruitful function of the tree for a couple of years is quite normal.

Methods for pruning old apple trees

There are several ways or methods for pruning old and neglected apple trees. At the same time, there are both pros and cons of almost every method of rejuvenating pruning of an old apple tree.

Methods for pruning old apple trees:

• some gardeners recommend reducing the size of the tree three or five times at a time (for tall trees, up to 12 meters high, when pruning in this way, you can remove up to 4 meters at once). But such a sharp pruning can lead to strong freezing of the apple tree, even during not very harsh winters. And this can lead to various diseases of the tree and its early death;
• A more gentle way is to gradually prune the apple tree every 2-3 years. This is the classic version that is described in all books on gardening (and video on the Internet most often demonstrates this method). When carrying out such pruning, all branches of the crown are shortened by no more than two meters at a time. But this method is characterized by a rather noticeable decrease in the volume of yield, as well as a slow decrease in the size of the tree. It will take more than five years to increase fruiting;
• another method, more modern, is a phased rejuvenating pruning of old or neglected fruit trees. This method is based on biological laws and contributes to the balance of the processes of fruiting and growth without a characteristic sharp disruption in the correlations of the root and aboveground systems.

A modern way to prune an old apple tree:

• strong pruning is carried out with shortening from the south side to half of the total volume of the crown of the tree;
• the trimmed part of the crown should be no higher than 3 m high and about 2 m wide;
• the rest of the crown should be left;
• you need to trim the crown before bud break (helps to preserve nutrients);
• you should try to make as few cuts as possible;
• the edges of the slices should be cleaned with a sharp garden knife;
• all cuts, the diameter of which is more than 2 cm, must be covered with garden varnish (but in no case with paint);
• thick sections (more than 5 cm in diameter) after putty must be immediately wrapped with plastic black wrap. This will lead to faster healing of wounds. The film is removed at the beginning of September so that the sections are hardened before wintering;
• strong shoots-tops should be left along the entire cut crown at a distance of about 70 cm from each other, and the rest are removed when they reach a height of about 10 cm;
• in the future, the trimmed half of the crown is formed annually according to the same scheme.

After normalization of fruiting of the trimmed half of the crown, the technique is repeated for the other part of the crown.

This method of rejuvenating crown pruning is carried out simultaneously with the rejuvenation of the roots. It is necessary in early spring, from the side of the trimmed crown, to dig a trench (depth up to 70 cm, length up to 4 cm) and chop off all the roots.

The following trimming methods are also distinguished:

• shortening or trimming. The removal of the upper part of the branches of the shoots and fruits is carried out. Pruning can be weak, medium and strong (depends on the length of the cut part);
• thinning or cutting. The method consists in removing branches, shoots and fruits completely on the ring. This method protects the crown of the tree from excessive density, and also helps to improve the light and air conditions of the crown.

Truncation and decimation are presented in the following diagram.

Video "Methods for pruning apple trees"

You can also see the cropping methods in the video.

Features of pruning neglected apple trees

When pruning neglected apple trees, there are certain nuances that distinguish this process from other pruning options.

Features of pruning neglected and old apple trees:

• it is best to start rejuvenation in early spring or late winter;
• such trees require annual pruning;
• not only rejuvenating, but also regulating pruning should be constantly carried out, both in spring and autumn. This method will only contribute to the maximum growth of healthy and young branches, and will also help to clear the crown of old branches and small growths that prevent sunlight from entering the crown;
• in the case of a productive year, it is necessary to reduce the number of laid fruit buds. This method will help prevent significant depletion of the tree, and will also make it possible to obtain larger and tastier fruits.
• in the event of a lean year, the number of buds that are laid for the next year should be reduced;
• when pruning diseased branches, each time you need to disinfect the working tool before each subsequent pruning of the branch;
• cut diseased branches must be removed from the tree and burned to avoid infection of healthy branches;
• if the apple tree has not been dealt with for a long time, then in the first year only damaged and diseased branches are removed.

Carrying out the correct anti-aging pruning, in compliance with all the rules and features, will help return your aged apple tree to its former yield level, as well as extend its life. Such pruning can save the tree itself and save you from the need for cutting and the cost of planting a new one.