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Usually stone fruit trees are recommended to be planted only in spring, as they do not tolerate wintering well. Autumn planting is considered atypical for this type of fruit tree. But subject to certain rules, you can successfully plant plums, cherries, cherry plums in the autumn.

How to choose a place and planting material?

For stone fruits, select areas located on a hill, with good lighting and protection from the cold (for example, behind the house). The soil for the normal development of a stone tree should not be clayey, not acidic, not swampy. With groundwater flowing at a level of at least two meters, otherwise the trees will die.

Seedlings for planting should be chosen only 1-2-year-old, with mature bark and buds, and fallen leaves. root system must be sufficiently developed. The basic rule is for autumn planting trees with a closed root system should be chosen. This means that the roots are in a coma of earth, or in a container. So the trees will take root easier and not die.

In addition, you need to choose for autumn planting winter-hardy varieties. Suitable varieties of plums - Early ripening round, Renklod collective farm, Hungarian Pulkovskaya; cherries - Shubinka, Lotovaya, Lyubskaya; cherry plums - Pchelnikovskaya, Kuban Comet.

How to plant stone fruits?

Stone trees are planted at a distance of at least 2 m from each other. It is recommended to plant nearby different varieties for mutual pollination. A landing pit is prepared in the fall for a month, and trees are planted at the end of September-October. They dig a hole 2 times larger than the roots of the seedling (about 80 × 60 cm). The topsoil is mixed with humus, compost and ash (one bucket each). Clay is added to sandy soil. Fill the hole with a mixture of soil and fertilizer, water it with two buckets of water. By the time of planting, the soil will settle and the fertilizer will decompose.

Immediately before planting in the center of the pit, they dig a recess the size of an earthen clod on a seedling. A peg is also dug in here, which will serve as a support. Next, you need to properly sprinkle the seedling without deepening the root collar. It is easy to find it by wiping the trunk with a wet rag - you will see the place where the greenish bark changes to brown. You can put a rail horizontally on the ground and follow it where the neck is.

Sprinkle the seedling should be in several steps, trampling down each layer of the earth. Then form a roller along the diameter of the near-stem circle and pour 2 buckets of water into the center. Top the soil with humus, leaves, sawdust. Tie a tree to a stake.

After planting, seedlings should be insulated. To do this, the tree is tied with spruce branches, birch bark or thick paper. After the soil freezes, the tree trunk is spudded to a stem height of 20-30 cm. When snow falls, additional hilling is carried out with its help. It is important to take snow not at the roots, so as not to freeze them. After the snow melts, the insulation from the trees is removed.

For an atypical autumn planting, it is only important to warm the trees well for the winter and choose seedlings with a closed root system. Then they will quickly take root and go into active growth in the spring.

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" Trees

A transplant for a plant is a traumatic operation, which is best done during a period of natural dormancy, then it takes place practically “under anesthesia”. This is especially true for seedlings with bare roots.

Most fruit trees are best planted on permanent place after the completion of the vegetation processes - in the fall. Tentatively, this is a month before the freezing of the topsoil. Some trees are best planted in the spring. Let's talk in more detail about the timing of planting seedlings of fruit trees, how to fertilize and properly care for them.

Determining that a tree is ready for transplanting is very simple. The main criterion is that the tree dropped half of the leaves. They are guided when planting apple trees, as well as all berry bushes.

The roots of bushes and trees do not have a dormant period; they continue to grow in winter. The optimum temperature for rooting is +4 ° C and above. Given that the ground does not freeze so soon, root growth continues almost without a winter break.

Varieties of apple and pear trees with insufficient frost resistance, as well as all stone fruits(cherries, sweet cherries, plums, apricots and peaches), best planted in spring. Moreover, it is necessary to do this as early as possible - until the moisture has left and the buds have not blossomed.

In any case, landing pits are prepared in advance - for spring planting, for example, from autumn (August - September). The deadline for preparing the pits is 2 weeks.

How to choose a seedling for planting in the suburbs and other regions

In order not to throw money away and grow a really productive fruit tree, the choice of a seedling should be approached with understanding and responsibly.

Choosing a seedling with an open root system

1. Primarily, variety must be zoned.
2. To increase the likelihood of buying the desired variety, buy them in a specialized nursery, and not "from the hands" by the road.
3. Roots must be no shorter than 25 centimeters fresh and undamaged. The more branched thin roots, the higher the likelihood of success.
4. On the roots there shouldn't be any bumps is a symptom of root cancer. The cut of the root should be white.
5. Carefully inspect the barrel for cortical damage.

When buying a seedling with leaves, carefully cut them off - the seedling will not lose moisture.

Wrap the roots with wet burlap or newspaper in several layers. If the seedling is still dry, immerse it in water for a day or two, until the bark returns to its fresh appearance.

You can treat the roots with stimulants before planting(Kornevin or Heteroauxin) according to the instructions.

Especially make sure that the roots are not soaked. These areas will probably rot - they must be carefully removed to a healthy part.

Choosing a seedling in a container

Such planting material expensive. If you choose it correctly, you can land at any time convenient for you. Survival guaranteed...

How not to make a mistake

The easiest way to check how long a tree has been growing in a pot is to gently lift the plant by the root part. If a earthen clod removed along with the roots, you need to buy - the seedling "lives" in the container for a long time.

Additionally, it will help you make sure you make the right choice. a root that has grown through a hole in the bottom of a container.

When choosing a container seedling, of the two - take the younger one in age. Its roots are most certainly not pruned before planting in a pot for sale.

The tree is installed in a prepared planting hole, without violating the integrity of the earth coma. Watered and covered with prepared soil mixture without deepening the seedling.

Rules for planting a seedling in a garden plot at different times of the year?

Selecting a landing site fruit tree- it is produced once and for all, success or disappointment depends on this choice. If the place turns out to be unsuitable for a fruit tree, after a few years it will be impossible to correct the mistake.

Choose a sunny spot to plant, sheltered from the wind.. The close location of groundwater is unacceptable - a tree can successfully develop for 5-7 years, and when its roots reach the aquifer, it will die from decay. At this age, replanting a tree is already incredibly difficult.

Preparatory activities

Even the choice of soil is not so critical for planting a fruit tree. By improving the structure of the soil and the right top dressing, almost any area is suitable for gardening.

Landing hole preparation

Even in the case of fertile black soil, it is necessary to start planting a tree by preparing a landing pit. It must be dug at least a month before planting a seedling. During this time, the dug up earth will have time to compact. This is a factor of extraordinary importance - there will be no problems with the correct deepening of the root neck of the seedling.

Root neck - where is it?

It would be useful to clarify what this “root neck” is. Often, inexperienced gardeners take the grafting site for the root collar, and as a result, they deepen the seedling by an extra 10 centimeters. In fact, this is the area where the trunk meets the root. At this point, the dark color of the root turns into a lighter bark of the bole.

The most common mistake is landing in a fresh hole. Strictly speaking, it's not in the pit itself. Until the earth sags, it is very difficult to properly deepen the root collar of the seedling. It is known that it can neither be deepened nor exposed - the tree will not be able to develop normally in both cases.

After planting, the seedling should not lack nutrients at least until it settles down. At this stage, very often, out of good intentions, gardeners “overfeed” seedlings with fertilizers.

It is especially dangerous for young plants to add fresh organic matter to the pit and too a large number of mineral fertilizers. These two extremes act equally depressingly on soil microorganisms, namely, they help the roots of the seedling to absorb nutrients from the soil and air.

1. For a conditioned seedling of 1-2 years of age, it is necessary dig a hole about 80x80 centimeters in size and the same depth. In the process of digging a hole, fold the upper, more fertile layer separately from the lower one. Remove all stones and roots of perennial weeds. The bottom of the pit must be dug up with a shovel bayonet.
2. To the bottom of the pit for improvement water balance desirable pour last year's leaves, house debris, wood ash. This will not only be good drainage, but also an excellent additional top dressing for the tree.
3. into the pit add 2 buckets of compost or humus, and proceed as follows.
4. One bucket is mixed with the more fertile soil of the upper layer and poured into the bottom of the pit. You install a seedling on this mound, straighten its roots and pour the second part of the compost directly onto the roots. At the same time, shake the seedling so that there are no air voids that are not filled with soil.
5. I water well t (minimum 2 buckets of water).
6. The pit is filled to the top. For this, only the upper fertile layer is used.
7. From the bottom layer of the earth form a root hole around the trunk circle.
8. Water again into the formed hole and cover it with mulch(peat, rotten sawdust, foliage, wood chips), this will not only retain water, but also prevent a dense crust from forming.

When planting, it is better to deepen the root neck insufficiently. This option is easy to fix by pouring earth into the trunk circle.

Planting scheme for fruit trees and shrubs

The density of planting trees depends not only on the species, but also on:

• type of root stock of a seedling,
• way of further formation,
• site planning features.

The most common mistake novice gardeners make is planting too tightly.. It is very difficult to see trees at least 2.5 meters high in twigs of one-year-old seedlings in 10 years. The recommended scheme for planting shrubs and trees is given below.

and pears on vigorous rootstocks are located at a distance of 5 meters, medium-sized - 3.5-4 meters, dwarf - 2.5-3 meters. Columnar forms can be planted even after 0.5 meters in a row.

No less distance should be laid when planting seedlings near the house, this especially applies to tall fruit forms, and especially pay close attention to the location- over time, it will be a 10-meter sprawling tree.

To rationally use the area between the seedlings, plant currant bushes between the rows for the time being (in 10 years it will still have to be uprooted - the bush will grow old) or garden strawberries.

Caring for a newly planted tree in spring and autumn

After landing young tree in addition to feeding the seedling, it must have proper aftercare. The first time after planting, most seedlings need watering. Among experienced gardeners old school there is an opinion that seedlings need watering for 2 years, even if they have taken root successfully. Even trees planted in autumn need to be watered until frost.. Only then will the tree grow strong and healthy.

No matter how great the desire to taste the harvest with young tree, the first flowers must be removed. This is especially true for the first year after planting, otherwise the tree will give all its strength to the first few fruits, and it will not be able to grow the root system and a developed crown.

In addition to watering, a young tree requires preventive measures to protect against pests and fungal diseases. Do not bypass them during each garden treatment. The loss of branches and leaves from pests or disease can be critical for a young tree.

Preparing young trees for winter includes:

• mulching trunk circle,
• whitewashing the trunk for the prevention of solar and frosty winter burns,
• rodent protection and hares.

The mulching layer must necessarily cover the near-stem circle, not only in summer period to retain moisture in the root zone. Mulch is especially necessary in autumn-winter period. Even in the conditions of the Middle Strip and the Moscow Region, the roots of a tree or shrub seedling may suffer from freezing, especially if the snow cover is negligible.

Fertilizers and top dressing for a fruit tree

well seasoned landing pit provides nutrition to the planted tree for 2 years. In practice, it only needs watering.

Fertilizing the garden is carried out according to the established rule:

1. spring- nitrogen and organic fertilizers,
2. autumn- potassium and phosphorus.

Fertilization is usually carried out in the near-stem circles in early spring (1) or autumn (2).

Fertilizers are applied to the root zone at the rate of 1 hectare of the garden:

• organic 300-500 kg (every 2-3 years),
• inorganic N:P:K in proportions 1.5:1:0.6 (in terms of kg of chemically pure substance).

In addition to root dressings, gardeners often practice foliar dressings. In this case, the so-called “tank mixtures” are used - joint solutions chemicals, for example, against pests and a complex of foliar dressings.

Foliar dressings, unlike root dressings, have an effect almost instantly. Through the surface of the leaves they are absorbed garden plant already 4 hours later. This process is especially active on the underside of the sheet.

Another "plus" of such processing- fertilizer consumption is minimal. For example, for nitrogen fertilizing, a solution of 1 tablespoon of saltpeter is prepared for 1 bucket of water.

The only inconvenience is that it cannot be processed immediately before the rain.

Another important point, it is better to “underfeed” the garden with any fertilizer ...

Conclusion

The optimal time for planting fruit trees depends on many factors:

• From climatic conditions your region.
• From the winter hardiness of the seedling.
• From the type of seedling - container or with a "bare root".

In order not to get confused, Ukrainian gardeners have an old rule, which is all the more necessary for colder regions- all stone fruits are planted in spring, pome fruits - in autumn.

Spring is the time to plant stone fruits. This article will tell you how to do this so that the works are not lost and the fruits are.

Tulyak Yury Zotov himself creates apricot varieties: these trees and fruits give sweet and bloom so that you admire!

Andrey Dremizov.
Photo by Sergey Kireev.

@ Secrets of Tula summer residents, lunar calendars of gardeners - on the portal MySLO .ru

Spring chores

Why it is best to plant stone fruits in the spring, our consultant, a landscape designer, explains Lyudmila Konyakhina:

- We always planted stone fruits in early spring, because they take root worse than pome fruits (apples and pears), - during the season the plant managed to "mature" to endure the winter. But modern technologies growing (and selling) seedlings in special containers has negated the main advantage of spring planting. Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted even in summer! But if you purchased a seedling "the old fashioned way", with an open root, then it is better to plant it as early as possible, before the buds open.

Where to plant?

it main question summer resident who purchased seedlings. Stone fruits have their own characteristics:

For landing, choose an elevated place: in the lowlands and depressions accumulates cold air which destroys fruit buds.

Groundwater should lie at a depth of at least 1.5-2 m from the surface.

Cherry grows well in areas protected from cold winds.

Stone fruit crops are photophilous: in the shade, their crown will be greatly extended, and the yield and quality of the fruit will decrease.
Pit for their

If we dig a hole, then not for some “other”, but for our own tree, - Lyudmila Konyakhina jokes. - But seriously, the planting of a tree begins three weeks before its purchase - exactly this time the planting pit is being prepared. The dimensions of the landing pits are: diameter - 60-70 cm, depth - 40-60 cm. By the way, it is not at all necessary to make the walls of the pits strictly vertical, as the instructions "require", so do not work in vain.

1 When digging holes upper layer the soil is thrown in one direction, the lower one in the other (you can simply scatter it around the site).

2 The topsoil is mixed with fertilizers: one bucket of rotted manure or two buckets of compost, 200-300 g of superphosphate and 40-60 g of potassium salt (300-400 g of wood ash).

Attention! Don't deposit nitrogen fertilizers and lime so as not to cause root burns.

3 Fill the hole with the resulting mixture and tamp it down so that there are no voids between the roots.

4 Make a hole and pour two buckets of water into it.

5 Tie the seedling freely to the stake with twine in the form of a figure eight.

6 Mulch the trunk circle with peat (sawdust, loose earth, etc.).

7 After planting, the root neck of the tree should be at ground level.

Cherry and plum varieties

Early: Nadezhda Krupskaya, Orlovskaya early.

Medium maturity: Vladimirskaya, Zhukovskaya, Coeval, Chernookaya.

Late: Lyubskaya, Fertile Michurina.

Plum varieties: Morning, Violet, Tula.

We plant apricots

Tula gardening biologist Yuri Zotov has been successfully growing apricots for many years and knows how to care for them:

- The main thing is to choose a zoned variety that will grow with us. There are varieties of Voronezh selection: Northern Triumph, Alyosha, Zeus and Lel. There are Tula varieties bred by me personally: Abakan, Elf, Malysh.

How to plant

An apricot pit is dug up to 80 cm wide and two bayonets of a shovel deep (if the earth is clay, then three bayonets). We do not need the lower layer of the earth, and the upper one must be mixed with four or five buckets of humus, a bucket of sand and a liter of ash. Caring for an apricot is no different from caring for other stone fruits.

Dig carefully!

Stone fruits need calcium and like powdered lime or dolomite flour(once!).

The root system of stone fruits is shallow, so carefully dig the soil into trunk circles to a shallow depth.

On a note
Learn to plant correctly

1 - A cherry seedling (plum, apricot, etc.) must be installed on a mound strictly vertically and tied to a peg.
2 - It is better to install a peg for fixing a seedling with south side from a tree trunk to protect the young bark from burns.
3 - A board with a hole for fixing the trunk allows you to install the tree strictly in the center of the pit.
4 – The soil of the top layer, mixed with fertilizer, fills the bottom of the pit.
5 – fertile land, from which a mound is constructed for the roots of the seedling.
6 – Ground of the lower soil layer: if it is not clay, then it can be used in the planting hole.

There is an opinion that stone fruit pruning garden trees is a harmful process. After all, nature itself has thought of everything: when which branch to bear fruit, where to grow, how to balance with the root system. Only the fact that the plants in our gardens are cultivated, that is, some of their characteristics are improved to the detriment of others, is overlooked. So without care, your cherry, sweet cherry or apricot will very soon turn into a “wild game”, which gives a small harvest and quickly dies.

According to the seasons, pruning is divided into:

• spring - carried out before bud break and active sap flow, but always at the beginning of the growing season;
• summer - its purpose is mainly sanitary, that is, dead and diseased branches are cut;
• autumn - you can start it when the foliage has already fallen, but frosts are not yet expected for at least 3-5 weeks;
• winter - stone fruits are usually not pruned in winter.

If you have plums, apricots, cherries growing in your garden, then pruning stone fruit trees in summer or spring is recommended for you. In this case, if all the manipulations are performed correctly, by the end of summer the wound on the branch will be completely healed, and the tree will endure the winter well, will not get sick and will not become a “homeland” for insects and fungus. Branches to be pruned:

• interfering with the growth of neighbors (crossed, shading);
• withered and sick;
• disrupting the formation of the crown (the central conductor is also sometimes cut off).

There are various How to prune stone fruit trees:

• clipping - increases light transmission and air mode;
• shortening - stimulates fruiting per unit length, improves taste and ripening speed.

Each type requires a competent approach, the choice of the desired length and cut option, high-quality post-processing to protect against decay, drying out, microorganisms and insects. It is considered especially difficult pruning stone trees in autumn. after all, the wound will remain practically unprotected for the whole winter and will overgrow only by the next summer. This means that the tree can get sick and even die.

Perhaps the pruning procedure seems simple, meanwhile, it should be carried out only with special knowledge. If in doubt, it is better to contact us: we will definitely help you with advice and in practice.

pruning stone fruit trees video

Trees - when to prune, spring or fall

Received miscalculate. what fruit trees and shrubs are best cut in the fall. after the leaves have fallen. Indeed, it is more convenient for the gardener, but not for the tree. Bark circumcised even late autumn branches suffer from winter frosts, which leads to their drying up. Therefore, all experts unanimously recommend prune trees in spring. especially in middle lane and Siberia.

Optimal pruning time March - early April. before the buds begin to swell or even before flowering. The main thing is that the time of frost has passed, below -10 degrees.

When is the best time to prune trees?

Spring. March - beginning of April.

What trees (shrubs) and when is it better to prune:

Best perceived early spring (March) pruning apple trees. they are very frost tolerant. Later, in April, you can cut pear and stone fruits (cherry, plum). Young two-three-year-old trees should be pruned a little later, at the end of April, because. they are more sensitive to frost.

In autumn, when the snow has not yet fallen and it is easy for the gardener to approach the tree, you can also cut off large branches of trees such as Apple tree. but leave protective stumps, which are then cut down in the spring. The cut point must be covered with garden pitch.

Can also be painlessly pruned in autumn currant and gooseberry. But best time for pruning currant and gooseberry bushes, it is still March-April, before bud break.

crop raspberries better at the end of April, when it becomes clear how the shoots overwintered. Pruning is carried out to the first healthy bud, leaving the height of the shoots no more than one and a half meters.

pruning grapes in the spring it is better not to carry out for fear of strong sap production. Grapes and other climbing shrubs (lemongrass, actinidia) pruned in late autumn.

pruning roses to a height of 40-50 cm, they are performed in the fall, before sheltering them for the winter, leaving only healthy shoots. In the spring, after removing the shelter, cut the roses should be in early May, when the soil has already warmed up slightly. Cut out all the blackened ends of the shoots and form a bush, trying to make a stepped pruning, from 2-4 buds to 8-10 or more. The shorter last year's shoots are cut off in the spring, the better the replacement shoots develop, and the more magnificent flowering.

Tree pruning.

Pruning trees in autumn, spring, summer.

Proper pruning of trees.

The most active agrotechnical method of influencing the growth, fruiting, longevity of a tree and the quality of fruits is pruning. In fertile gardens, pruning achieves the following results: maintain good growth; eliminate the overload of trees with a crop, achieving uniform fruiting over the years; save high quality fruits; increase the yield and productive period of the garden; do not allow trees to grow in height, width, strong thickening of the inner part of the crown.

Lack of pruning or severe pruning adversely affects the development of the tree. In trees without pruning, the crown thickens strongly, there is a periodicity of fruiting, the fruits become very small; excessively strong pruning pushes back the start of fruiting.

The main methods of pruning fruit trees.

Depending on the purpose, age and breed, such pruning types:
sanitary
shoot shortening
thinning thickened crowns (Fig. 6)
crown reduction and anti-aging.

Sanitary pruning.

It consists in removing broken, dry, drying out and badly damaged branches by pests and diseases.

Shortening of tree shoots.

It provides for the removal of a part of the annual growth, a perennial and fruitful branch (spear, fruit twig, ringlet). Shortening includes pinching green shoots, tweezing.

This method enhances the growth and branching of shoots, eliminates overloading the tree with crops, and enlarges the fruits. Shortening of 1/5 of the length of the annual growth is considered weak, 1/3 - moderate and 1/2 of the length - strong. Weak shortening of increments is called long pruning, strong - short. In mature trees, the shortening of a complex ring by 1/3 is called weak1, 1/2 is medium, and 2/3 is strong.

Thinning thickened crowns.

Provides better lighting. It contributes good growth and fruiting, improves the quality of spraying, reduces the spread of diseases.

When thinning, competitors, crossing branches, excess fatty shoots that thicken the crown, closely spaced and rubbing branches are removed. Thinning is done by cutting the branches into a ring. The cut is made at their base along the annular influx without leaving a hemp. It is impossible to cut branches deeper than the annular influx - this increases the cut surface, and wound healing slows down.

Shortening and thinning of branches is performed in two ways: on the kidney (Fig. 7) and transfer to the side branch. The cut on the kidney is made oblique, starting from the base and ending to the top. You can not make a too beveled cut, in this case the kidney dries up, the shoot from it grows weak.

crown decline includes the removal of a part of the top from a vigorously growing species, from which harvesting is difficult. First, the central conductor is cut 1 - 1.2 m above the fifth or sixth single skeletal branch, then the upper skeletal branches, which exceed set height. The crown is usually reduced at the level of 3.5-4 m. Amateur gardeners often shorten the crown of tall cherries and sweet cherries, cutting it along with the crop, the cut points are cleaned and covered with garden pitch.

Rejuvenating pruning.

Extends the period of operation of plantings and dramatically increases productivity. There are two types of such pruning for old trees. First view- in fruit-bearing trees, one lower skeletal branch is cut annually at a height of 30-50 cm from the trunk. Thus rejuvenate the three lower skeletal branches, and then cut off the entire trunk above it.

The second type of pruning carried out on trees of valuable species and varieties with a drying crown. At the same time, the main trunk is shortened at a height of 1-1.2 m from the soil level. If the bark or wood is badly damaged on the trunk (hollows have formed), significant gum leakage occurs (in stone fruits), the cut is made lower than the damage, but 25-30 cm higher than the root collar. It is not advisable to rejuvenate old trees of low-value species and varieties, they are uprooted and replaced with new ones seedlings.

Tree pruning times.

This work can be started after leaf fall and carried out during the winter - spring. Autumn and winter first of all, do sanitary pruning. At temperatures below 2-3°C, these works are not carried out. In the winter-spring period (end of February), apple trees, pears, plums are cut, and in March - cherries, sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, quince. Shrunken and frozen branches are cut out on the peach, and the branches are shortened before bud break. Young plantings are pruned at the end of March. You should not be late with this work, carrying it out after the start of the growing season weakens the plants. Pruning stone fruits in cold, wet weather can cause gum disease.

Gardening

When is the best time to prune a tree, what factors affect pruning time

To give a fruit tree or shrub bountiful harvest it needs not only to be watered and fed, but also cut off. Why are some plants pruned in the fall and some in the spring?

Basic rules for pruning fruit trees

When growing fruit trees, much attention is paid to their pruning. This is one of the main conditions for the successful development of the tree and getting a good harvest.

By pruning fruit trees in the spring, you can achieve correct crown, which will be in the shape of a bowl.

An open center allows enough air and light to pass through, which is necessary for the tree to grow normally.

Each tree has its own characteristics. Some are harder to cut, some are easier. There is another question between gardeners: when to prune a tree - in spring or autumn. But there is no clear answer to this question either. The most difficult thing is to cut a pear. It does not grow everywhere, only in warm regions. Gardeners are afraid to cut off the excess, which is why the tree is overgrown with extra shoots and gives a poorer harvest.

Stone trees are pruned according to a single scheme:

• Among them: cherry. almond, apricot. peach, cherry. cherry plum, plum. This is done after the appearance of leaves, that is, in any period from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn. Thus, there is no risk of getting a fungal disease.
• Cherries are pruned in the first year after planting. It is especially important to do this if the one-year-old seedling branches poorly or does not branch at all.
• A young cherry seedling, which is one to three years old, is pruned to activate lateral buds. The young growth is cut off by 25-30% of the length. You may encounter the following problem: side branches may depart at an acute angle from the trunk, which interferes with the formation correct form crowns.
• Since cherry branches are fragile, they can break off under their own weight. These corners also need to be eliminated. If the angle is greater than 20 °, then the shoot is transferred to the side branch.

As for the pear, it, along with other stone fruit trees, is cut in the spring. if the climate in the region is cold, and if the climate is warm, then in winter. Branches can be pruned only during the dormant period, while there are no leaves, let alone flowers. It is necessary to have time to do pruning before the appearance of the kidneys. First, the crown is thinned out, and why the shoots are shortened.

Stone fruit and stone fruit trees are pruned at different times.

How to trim the crown

Pruning at different ages can achieve the following:

• Formation of the correct form of the crown.
• Strengthening thin young shoots.
• free passage of air and sunlight.
• Replacing diseased branches with healthy ones.
• Reproduction of fruit-bearing branches.
• Preparations for the winter period.

First, all branches that depart at an acute angle are eliminated. Do not be afraid if a split occurs later at the divergence. After that, you can proceed to shoots that grow strictly parallel to the trunk.

There is no point in non-fruitful shoots, so they are also eliminated. Burdensome for the fruit tree will be shoots directed to the center of the crown. Young growth is shortened by 30%. In order for the tree to develop better and give a better harvest, the trunk itself is shortened. Each cut must be processed. Var or other solution is used for processing.

It is worth being careful not to accidentally cut off the fruit buds, which in the future will give flowers and fruits.

Even if the trunk or branch is large, you can not leave stumps. The cut is made at the very trunk. The correctness of the cut will be determined by the presence of a ring on the tree when the wound heals. If the tree is sick or weak, the cut does not overgrow, which is fraught with problems.

If the branch is wide and has a diameter of more than 3 cm, then two cuts are made, first from above, then from below. If you saw a branch on only one side, then on the opposite side, in most cases, the bark will be damaged. This can be avoided by holding the branch firmly and not letting it bend under its own weight.

If it so happened that the bark was damaged, then the excess bark is cut off, and the cut is processed.

Prune your tree in spring or fall?

Every tree has its own pruning time. How to determine when to prune trees: in spring, summer or autumn? What is the fundamental difference?

As for apple trees, while the tree is still young, it is pruned both in spring and autumn. In the spring, branches are eliminated that could freeze during the winter, as well as to form a crown, which will increase decorative features and productivity. The cutting needs to be done. until the buds appeared and the juice began to circulate.

As for autumn pruning:

• It is carried out after the fall of the leaves. Dried, broken, rotten branches are cut off, which also grow in the wrong direction.
• If the tree has grown strongly and the crown does not allow enough light to pass through, then additional summer pruning is carried out.
• It is advisable to foresee these moments in the spring, because then the tree is at rest and it is easier to tolerate the procedure.
• An important point: winter pruning is carried out only in regions with a warm climate, because in the cold the branches can be too fragile and break, which will damage the bark. The same point should be taken into account when autumn pruning. The procedure must be carried out before the first frost.
• Broken and dried branches are removed in autumn. First, the weakest shoots are removed, then growing at an acute angle. In order for the cut to heal quickly and successfully, it is treated with garden pitch or oil-based paint. Cut branches can be burned or buried.

As the tree grows, it will not need pruning twice a year. Therefore, only spring remains. In the spring there is more in the tree useful substances, so it will be easier for him to transfer the procedure and the cuts will tighten faster.

At the age of 5, the apple tree is pruned immediately after frost and before bud formation. At this age, the tree is considered to be formed: the crown must be of the correct shape, and the branches must be strong. It needs pruning only to eliminate thickening.

Thinning in adulthood is performed once every three years. Only branches that grow down or at an acute angle are pruned.

Some trees begin to bear fruit at this age. Fruits appear only on last year's shoots. Therefore, you need to be careful when pruning. so that a sufficient number of mature branches remain.

In autumn, you need to be careful with pruning. There is a risk that with the wrong actions, in the summer the tree will not bear fruit. Therefore, in the fall, it is only desirable to remove dried and diseased branches.

Shrub pruning

Shrubs also need pruning. Pay attention to: blueberries. gooseberry. blackberries, raspberries. currant. The main purpose of pruning is to form a crown to allow enough light to pass through. This in turn will lead to active growth of the shrub and an increase in yield. Pests will attack the bush in smaller numbers.

Blackcurrant pruned:

• During the dormant period, that is, while there are no leaves and buds on the tree. Also, the operation can be carried out during the harvest.
• Berries appear not only on mature, but also on young shoots. But on old branches, the harvest is not so plentiful, and the berries are not so juicy. You can identify old branches by color, they are darker.
• On the young bush there should be up to 10 large branches. The rest can be removed.
• When the bush matures, only the oldest shoots are removed, their number will be 1/3 of all.
• The remaining shoots are shortened either to the very base, or to the first bud.
• New branches should be added from the roots, so after pruning, the bushes spud.

Raspberries and blackberries trimmed:

• Immediately after harvest. This period begins at the end of summer.
• Pruning is sanitary in nature, that is, diseased or dried branches are eliminated.
• The fruits appear on the shoots of the second year.
• After harvesting, they can be cut to the very base, and on new season leaves up to 10 branches.
• Fruiting on the remaining branches will come on next year.
• Young branches themselves are weak, so they need a garter. If the region has a cold climate, then the garter is done in the spring, when the shelter is removed.
• If the bush did not give a visible increase, then only the strongest shoots should be left, and the lateral processes should be shortened.

Gooseberries and currants are cut:

• During the dormant period, when there are no leaves and buds on the shrub.
• You can also carry out additional pruning in the summer. This is necessary for the formation of new growth in order to get more yield.
• These shrubs produce berries on old branches, so you need to leave only 5 mature branches no more than 25 cm.

In summer, young branches are pruned, leaving only a few leaves. Thus, the shrub will give all its strength not to the formation of new greenery, but to the ripening of berries.

Bilberry (blueberry) pruned:

• In winter or spring, before the period active growth. Fruiting occurs on last year's lateral shoots.
• Young shrubs are pruned only lightly or not touched at all.
• Mature shrubs form, leaving in equally adult branches, medium and new growth.
• After sanitary pruning, young shoots are cut to 2 buds, which bore fruit last year. If the bush is too thick, then 1/3 of all old branches are cut off at the root.
• After pruning, the bush must be mulched and sulfate fertilizers are applied.

Young and mature plants are pruned different rules. In most cases, pruning is carried out in the spring to rejuvenate the tree and stimulate the growth of new shoots that will bear fruit in the future.

More information can be found in the video.

How to prune young and fruitful trees stone fruits

Stone fruit trees - cherries, plums, sweet cherries, peaches and apricots are able to bear fruit every year if their fruit buds are not damaged by frost in winter or early spring. Moreover, cherries and sweet cherries do not have a pronounced factor - at a great age they do not form small fruits. Therefore, these trees are not pruned as carefully as pear and apple trees.

Young plum and apricot trees in the first 4-6 years of fruiting form large and high-quality fruits. Over time, if the tree is not taken care of and the crown is not pruned correctly, the fruiting decreases, the fruits become smaller and lose their taste qualities. To get a stable harvest from fruits standard sizes crowns peach trees also needs to be pruned annually. And about pruning and rejuvenation of old apple and pear trees has already been written in the material "Rejuvenation of the crowns of apple and pear trees." We remind you that best time to prune trees autumn or early spring.

Cherry pruning

Trees of this fruit species begin to bear fruit for 4-5 years. The fruits are formed mainly on bouquet verki and partly near the base of annual pagons (young branches) 18-25 cm long. Young trees grow quickly. Most varieties natural way form a round pyramidal crown with tiered placement of branches on the trunk. Some varieties of cherries, such as Gedelfinger, Drogana yellow, Early brand, have a high pagon productivity, while others, such as Napoleon, Jaboulet, Francis, have a low one.

In connection with strong growth varieties of sweet cherries with a pyramidal crown, the height of the trunk (trunk) is left no more than 50 cm, and the crown is laid in tiers. After the laying of two tiers of crown branches and the tree grows 3.5-4 m high, the trunk is cut off above the side branch. The tops of strong-growing skeletal branches are also cut off along the side branches to reduce the height of the tree. Crown thinning and pruning of annual pagons in young fruit-bearing trees is practically not carried out. During this period, only broken and damaged branches are cut out, the growth of skeletal and semi-skeletal branches is regulated, they are shortened, directing growth in the direction of branching.

With age, when the growth of branches decreases to 10-15 cm, they are significantly exposed, and the yield decreases, it is necessary to rejuvenate the tree. At the same time, the height of the tree is first reduced, the crown is thinned out. The remaining branches are cut to a length of 4-5 years of growth along a growth branch, branching or bouquet branch. After such a strong pruning at the cut points and down the branch, new branches grow from sleeping buds, and then a new fruitful crown is formed from them. In the second year after rejuvenation, the upper pagons for conductors are selected and the most vigorous of them are shortened to a length of 70-80 cm from the base. Competitive conductors pagons are removed. Below the branch, vigorous pagons are cut out, and pagons up to 60 cm are not touched.

cherry pruning

According to the strength of growth and the type of fruiting, cherries can be divided into two groups of tree-like and bush-like varieties. In tree-like varieties, fruit buds and crops are formed on bouquet twigs and annual pagons along their entire length, and in bush-like varieties, mainly on annual pagons. When cutting young cherry trees of varieties of the first group, the crown is slightly thinned out, broken and damaged branches are cut out. If the branches grow strongly upwards, in order to lower the crown, their tops are cut off, growth is transferred to semi-skeletal branches, annual pagons and bouquet branches. At the same time, the upper branches of the crown are shortened and thinned out more than the lower ones, in order to ensure uniform illumination of the lower part of the tree.

In old trees with a height of more than 5-7 m, the central trunk and the tops of vigorous skeletal branches are cut off in such a way that the crown is lowered by 1.5-2.5 m. It is better to cut the cut above a side branch or an annual pagon. At the same time, you can rejuvenate the crown, just like with cherries. After such pruning, strong annual pagons appear below on the trunk and on the main branches, on which high-quality fruits are formed.

In bush-like varieties of cherries, vigorous fruit branches that hang down, transfer to lateral branching, cut out thin underdeveloped branches in the middle of the crown, which are intertwined with each other, as well as dry and damaged branches. Annual pagons in such varieties of cherries are not pruned, because the growth in length occurs from the upper bud, after removal, which the branch can dry out.

Pruning plums and apricots

In young trees, especially in varieties that branch heavily, cut and remove branches in the middle of the crown, which drown it out. Vigorous conductors of skeletal and semi-skeletal branches are cut, leaving a length of 60-70 cm above the base, in order to cause their branching and regulate the strength of the growth of branches. Conductors of branches of small length are not cut off. Stronger branches, instead of being cut, can be tilted 45 degrees from the vertical, this will slow down their growth and encourage the formation of side branches on them.

In old trees with weakened growth of branches in length, simultaneously with lowering and thinning of the crown, all skeletal and semi-skeletal branches are rejuvenated by a growth length of 5-6 years or more. When conducting experiments on apricot rejuvenation, all skeletal and post-skeletal branches were pruned to a length of 10-12 year growth. After such rejuvenation, the next year a large number of young vigorous branches grew on the tree. After that, the pagons of the continuation of the skeletal and semi-skeletal branches were shortened to 60-70 cm from the base, their competitors were removed, the pagons in the middle of the crown were thinned out, and the tallest of them were shortened a little. In the third year, the tree blossomed and gave a very large harvest.

peach pruning

Peach is a very photophilous and fast growing tree, with a high ability to form pagons, and are characterized by early fruiting for 3-4 years. On skeletal conductors and fruit branches in one growing season, two types (generations) of increments are formed, as a result of which the crown can become very overgrown. The first ordinary, or main growths are formed from the buds that were formed last year. In summer, a second generation of pagons grows on them from axillary buds, they are sometimes called premature. To ensure good illumination of the entire crown, peach is grown in the form of a vase with 3-4 main branches, on which semi-skeletal and fruit branches are then formed. The central conductor above the upper branch is cut off.

When forming a crown to subordinate branches of higher orders, branches of lower orders are cut off by strong branches, transferring growth to the outer branches.

When pruning a tree, you need to take into account the number of fruit buds for fruiting and new growths to form the next year's crop. For 3-4 years, when the trees begin to bear fruit, annual pagons on the branches are thinned out so that the distance between them is 8-10 cm. After thinning, one pagon is cut for growth, and the other for fruiting. So all young pagons are cut off on all branches. Those pagons that are cut for growth are shortened by 2-3 buds, and for fruiting they are shortened by 8-10 buds. After such pruning, two or three pagons grow on the branches that are cut for replacement (growth), and on the branches cut for fruiting, fruits are formed and there are no growths. The following year, on branches cut for replacement, the lower pagon is shortened for growth (replacement), and the upper 1-2 for fruiting. If the tree grows weakly, and a large number of branches are left for fruiting, it is recommended to cut some of the fruit-bearing branches near the base to reduce the crop load on the crown. It should also be noted that the peach is a rather capricious tree, often subject to various diseases. How to deal with this is written in the article "Processing and treatment of peach".

If you cut down a branch of a stone tree, sticky juice, gum, will begin to stand out from the wound. Despite this feature, cherry pruning in autumn and spring is a necessary procedure. Even novice gardeners can learn this procedure. A little patience - and your cherry plantation will be healthy, well-groomed and will give good harvest. Stone fruit crops also need sanitary trimming and crown formation. Do not wait for the tree to weaken, start to hurt. Strong plants will easily tolerate pruning at any age, while weak ones may die. Do not run the garden, so that later you do not have to injure the tree by cutting thick branches.

How to form a tiered crown?

For tree-like cherries, crown formation can be carried out according to several types. For a beginner gardener, it is better to make a tiered form, and when you gain experience, you can experiment with other options on new trees. At the first pruning, leave no more than 4 skeletal branches. The distance between them should be about 60 cm, and the deviation from the trunk should be at least 45⁰. At the top shoot, leave 6 buds from the top branch and cut off the rest. Remove all other branches.

Next year, lay 3 more skeletal branches inside the crown so that the distance between all shoots is at least 40 cm. At a distance of 60 cm from the trunk, make branches, about 2 processes on each skeletal branch. Make sure that the shoots do not grow longer than the mother branch, shorten them if necessary. The tree should not be one-sided. Make sure that the skeletal branches are evenly distributed around the entire circumference of the trunk.

When thinning, you need to consider varieties of cherries. If flower buds are formed on annual growths, such shoots cannot be shortened. When you cut off the final bud, the twig will dry up, and you will not collect any flowers or fruits from it. But the shoots of trees that bear fruit on bouquet shoots are useful to shorten. The branch will not stretch in length, it will give many lateral processes on which the crop will be planted.

During autumn pruning, either the buds are left on the branch, on which the crop will form, or the shoots are completely cut out, which makes the crown lighter.

In order not to confuse the order of actions, you can work according to the following scheme.

1. Remove dry, damaged and diseased branches.
2. Cut off shoots that grow in the wrong direction and thicken the crown.
3. Identify the processes that rub against each other, intertwine, and cut off unnecessary fragments.
4. If necessary, shorten too elongated shoots.
5. Treat all cuts with garden pitch.
6. Burn the cut branches at the stake to avoid the spread of infection and pests.

When is the best time to prune stone fruits?

The crown should begin to form in a young tree in the first year after planting. It is necessary to shorten the branches and the top of the cherry in early spring - about a month before the moment when the buds begin to bloom. If you are late, it is better to postpone the work for the next year: the branches cut during the movement of the juices begin to dry. late spring and in the fall, you can cut down branches that thicken the crown.

During the winter, some branches may freeze slightly; in the spring they should be removed so as not to create favorable conditions for infections and pests. But do not rush with this work, the tree can also release buds on damaged shoots. If you leave them, the frozen shoots will start to hurt and eventually dry out anyway. By the beginning of summer, it will become clear which shoots are damaged and which grow well, at this time, and carry out sanitary pruning.

Autumn pruning is necessary for stone fruit crops, you just need to choose the right time for this work. The exception is young trees, in the first year after planting it is better not to disturb them: the procedure will weaken the plants, and they will not winter well. Wait until the tree falls into a dormant state, the leaves turn yellow, but do not fall off yet. In the Moscow region, this happens in September, in southern regions- In November. Do not miss the time, you can’t do pruning in the cold: the wounds may freeze slightly.

Look at which shoots have dried up, got sick over the summer, and remove the damaged fragments. Cut off old thick branches that give a large number of processes that thicken the crown. Treat all wounds with garden pitch or special putty. For stone fruit crops, this is especially important, since gum will begin to stand out from the sections. In mature trees, inspect the crown, cut down all the branches that thicken it. Throw all unnecessary leftovers into the fire, even if you do not notice signs of diseases or pests on them. Better to be safe than to fight infection in the garden later.

The plant needs light

There is a lot of work with pruning, and sometimes doubts begin to torment the gardener: is this procedure really necessary? If you want to eat delicious berries enough, you need it. When you plant a young cherry or plum, it will begin to intensively release new shoots. If you leave this process unattended, the crown will become too thick, they will not penetrate inside Sun rays, the air in the middle of the tree will stagnate. Branches located at sharp angles may break off under the weight of foliage or snow. Lack of ventilation and sunlight will greatly appeal to pests and pathogens. In tangled branches, it is difficult to notice dry or damaged fragments, the infection will spread to other branches, the tree will start to hurt.

Tops appear on the trunk and skeletal branches - shoots directed vertically. There will be no harvest on them, and the shoots will require their share of nutrients. From these branches, the crown will become even thicker and will be worse illuminated by the sun. Bush cherries are especially dense. Remove excess shoots and thick branches from her in time to be with berries every year.

To make the plant spacious, look not only at the crown, but also at the roots. Every fall, cut root shoots at ground level. If this work is not done, a real jungle will form around the tree and the fruiting of cherry crops will decrease.

If the variety is not grafted and develops on its roots, any shoot of the shoot will retain maternal qualities, you can use it to propagate a cherry plantation. In grafted trees, wild shoots grow from the roots. It is better not to use it as seedlings, the fruits may be small and tasteless.

The first pruning of a cherry or plum tree can be a real challenge for beginner gardeners. You notice a thick branch that needs to be cut down, but only a knife and pruner are at hand to remove young shoots. They were just about to shorten the top of the crown, when they realized that they had not brought a stepladder. In order not to run around looking for the right items, prepare tools, materials and more in advance necessary equipment. Be sure to sharpen and sanitize all cutting surfaces well.

You will need:

• a reliable ladder or ladder;
• gloves or work gloves to protect hands;
• saw;
• secateurs;
• garden var.

How to rejuvenate cherries?

If you notice that the tree no longer gives strong growth, shoots grow no more than 20 cm per year, this means that the plant has grown old and can no longer develop as actively and produce rich harvests. Take your time to uproot all the "old" cherries, many of them can be rejuvenated. Examine the trunk and main branches. Seeing that the plant is sick and gum is released from it in many places, it’s better not to torture yourself or the fruit crop, dig it up and get a new seedling. Healthy but slightly weakened plants can be supported the right top dressing and good care, and next season to start rejuvenating them.

First, remove all diseased, dry and damaged branches. See if the crown is too dense, remove all unnecessary shoots. If you haven't cut the top of the tree before, cut it off above the top skeletal branch. Shorten all processes by about 1/3. Surgery for a tree is very painful. Don't do a lot of pruning in one season, do half the job this year and finish next fall.

Trees can live for several decades without heavy pruning, and bushes age very quickly. It is especially important to rejuvenate the felt cherry in time, which on average lives no more than 15 years, but with proper care can continue to bear fruit well up to 20 years. Because the fruits bush varieties tied mainly on one-year-old shoots, all older branches can be removed. Leave 10 strong shoots, if they are too long, cut the branches.

Tree-like varieties require climbing to a height for crown care and harvesting. If a garden work older people or patients with a violation of the vestibular apparatus are engaged, it is better to grow bush cherries.

It is easiest to identify old and diseased felt cherry shoots when there are no leaves on the bushes. As soon as the main part of the foliage falls, cut off the old and excess shoots. Do not delay pruning, you need to carry out the procedure so that the sections have time to heal in warm weather and frost does not spoil them.

A novice gardener must learn: it’s scary to start only the first pruning fruit crops. Do not delay with this work: cutting a young cherry is much easier than fighting impassable thickets in an old crown. Do not be afraid to remove extra shoots, stone fruits are very generous in releasing new shoots. The very next year, the empty place where you mistakenly cut the desired branch will be overgrown with young branches. A neat, well-groomed garden will please the eye all spring, and in summer and autumn it will give you great amount delicious berries.