Pruning old apple trees is a necessary process to rejuvenate the tree

The garden of unkempt old fruit trees looks very sad. It is especially sad to look at tired apple trees. With age, after 20-30 years of fruiting, apple trees begin to get tired of fruiting, their apples become smaller, their number decreases. Trees don't last forever. In some varieties, after 30 years, the appearance of fruits stops.

Content:

• General information on pruning trees
• Sanitary pruning of old apple trees
• Ways to rejuvenate trees
• Basic rules for pruning fruit trees

General information on pruning trees

Some uninformed amateur gardeners make the fatal mistake of uprooting old trees. But it's not right. If you spend pruning old apple trees according to all the rules, it is possible to extend the life and fruiting of trees by 20, or even 30 years.

The main thing is to carry out the pruning correctly, otherwise the death of the fruit tree may accelerate.

So, cutting the crown, pruning it often and thoughtlessly, you can weaken the vitality of the plant. In such a situation, the tree is like a wounded animal. On the eve of winter, such pruning threatens the death of the tree, its freezing. A weakened tree often gets sick and dies.

There is a gentle method of cutting the crown, when the branches of the trees are shortened one by one, with a small interval of 1-3 years. In this case, the desired effect will be achieved after a long period of time, not earlier than after 8-10 years.

There is a special method for rejuvenating trees.

It is usually done in 2 steps:

1. Sanitary pruning.
2. Pruning old apple trees for rejuvenation purposes.

Sanitary pruning of old apple trees

Sanitary pruning is carried out in the fall with the beginning of leaf fall. At this time, the air temperature should not be lower than +3 degrees and not higher than +6 degrees. First, you need to select sick and old trees. It is necessary to get rid of those that cannot be restored. This is necessary to eradicate infection in the garden. It is better not to touch healthy and young trees without any deviations in the fall.

A wound in the trunk can weaken even a sturdy plant.

After determining the front of work instrument should be prepared... These should only be garden tools, as construction equipment leaves lacerated painful wounds on the trunks.

You will need the following inventory:

• Garden hacksaw. The inventory is saber-shaped, with gaps between the teeth.
• The secateurs are ordinary.
• Air pruner for hard-to-reach cuts.
• When processing sections, one must remember that building paints based on polyamide resins and nitra cannot be used for this. To do this, you must apply:
• Garden var,
• Slurry with manure,
• Oil paint based on natural drying oil.

When pruning old apple trees and other trees, saw cut is made under the very foundation... Sometimes it is necessary to cut off some of the healthy tissue of the plant. This will prevent relapse. Broken branches should be removed using the "ring-shaped" method - removing them with pruning shears and cutting them off from the trunk.

The branches should be cut with the pruner, turning the cutting part towards the tree trunk. This method should be used to remove weak branches during sanitary pruning. In the center of the crown it is necessary to cut thin shoots growing up from the trunk itself.This is due to the fact that the growth of such shoots will block the ventilation of the tree, thicken the crown and provoke the appearance of moss and lichen on the surface of the tree, which will cause the development of diseases.

After sanitizing and cutting, it is imperative to destroy the diseased sawn branches.

This is done by burning. Chips, cuts, saw cuts on trees must be treated with special compounds based on antiseptics. Such preparations are a balm with fungicides. Only after treatment is it necessary to cover up the wounded places. Before the arrival of winter, it is recommended to process the trunks fruit trees whitewash from slaked lime.

Ways to rejuvenate trees

There are 3 ways of pruning apple trees in the fall to rejuvenate plants: with

1. Weak. With this method, the grown branches are shortened by 1/4. This is how the crown of the tree is formed.
2. Average. In this case, the number of fruiting branches is increased. In this process, 1/3 of the length of the branches is cut off.
3. Strong. It is used to provide better access to the sun's rays to the fruit. In this case, the branches of the crown are cut in half.

Anti-aging pruning old trees should be carried out no more than once every 4-5 years. This process is only recommended for those plants that have a healthy trunk and skeletal branches.

The main principle of such pruning ^

• Harvesting old, large branches that do not bear fruit and freeing up space for young and promising growth.
• Skeletal branches are removed, which interfere with the development of young shoots. Part of the crown is removed. In this case, the top of the trunk is cut at a height of 3 to 4 meters.
• Such manipulation will help young branches reach for the sun. Only matured branches are left.
• Tops, twigs that appeared after the previous pruning are removed from the trees. But we must remember that not all tops must be destroyed.
• It is advisable to leave a dozen tops all over the tree, growing outward and upward at an angle. Strong, healthy branches often develop from them, giving large fruits.

If the old apple tree gives a high yield, then it is necessary to produce small adjusting pruning in the spring and autumn. This will give an increase in young fruiting branches.

In a good year, you should reduce the number of budding buds, thus preventing the depletion of the plant and allowing the fruit to grow larger. In the event of a lean year, it is necessary to reduce the number of buds that are laid for the next year.

Caring for old apple trees will increase their productivity, make the trees beautiful and promising.

There is a minting method:

• When pruning of skeletal branches is done to a level where there was a strong increase in the previous year.
• This is usually a cut of up to 3-year-old branches.
• With this process, there is a rule - each next level of branches is cut more than the previous one.
• The crown of the tree takes on a kind of trapezoid.
• This method allows you to quickly restore the productivity of the tree.
• If after the first time there is no positive result, then this "coinage" is repeated.

Exists special trimming method old fruit trees. This method is suitable for tall apple trees. In this case, pruning of old apple trees is carried out in several stages. Every year 1-3 thick branches with a small number of fruits are cut down. In the future, over the years, they reduce the density of the entire crown, gradually removing sharp forks and broken branches.

Some gardeners use the method of simultaneously shortening the crown.

Moreover, all branches are cut every 2-4 years by 1-2 meters. Everything is done at the same time. This pruning of old apple trees leads to a temporary decrease in yield, shortening the tree and strengthening its root system. At the same time, the apple tree for 7-8 years becomes much lower, reaching 3 meters from the former 10 meters.

Basic rules for pruning fruit trees

There are several basic rules for pruning old fruit trees:

• Fruit trees should not be launched, they should be pruned and processed annually.
• There is no need to form the crown of a tree when desire comes. The pruning period should be considered.
• When pruning a tree, you must have good lighting of the crown of the tree.
• All instruments must be of high quality and clean, processing of sections is required.
• Trees should not be protected for the shade they give. This damages the trees and they age quickly.
• Correct pruning will give the maximum yield and a minimum of unnecessary empty branches.

If a decision is made to prune old apple trees in the spring, then it should be done before the buds swell. Such a process is often required after a frosty winter and freezing of trees. In this case crown formation always start from the top, leaving only one headquarters without the upper branches, with a minimum of the lower living branches. In case of slight freezing of branches, only these branches are cut off.

This is easily identified by the color of the bark. In the damaged branch, the bark and cambium are brown and dark.

The job of pruning old apple trees is tricky. Help is often needed. If the pruning of old apple trees is done for the first time, then it is better to carry it out with a person who has experience in this matter.