Pruning a columnar apple tree: when and how to do it correctly

In a small garden or summer cottage there is no opportunity to plant a real orchard. An alternative can be decorative columnar varieties, which are not large in size, and therefore require little space. Correct agricultural technology and timely pruning will help to collect up to 15 kg of fruits from the tree.

Do I need to prune columnar apple trees

Despite the fact that the columnar variety of apple trees belongs to low trees, pruning is necessary for them. Both young seedlings and adult plantings are subjected to the procedure.

When properly pruned, a columnar apple tree resembles an ornamental tree strewn with fruits.

With the help of pruning, they form the crown, remove the thickening and give the trees a decorative look. Also, activities affect the amount of the harvest. If the tree grows in an arbitrary shape, then it lacks the strength to ensure abundant fruiting.

How competent pruning affects the duration of fruiting

The formation of the crown has a positive effect on the condition of the fruit plantations, as well as on the future harvest. The benefits of the event include the following:

• a properly formed crown allows the sun's rays to penetrate inside, which means that the tree receives more light, the fruits form and ripen faster;
• good lighting reduces the risk of diseases and pests on the plant;
• the tree rejuvenates, which means that the life expectancy increases;
• nutrients are supplied in sufficient quantities, since they are not spent on extra shoots.

All diseased and dry branches, on which fruits no longer appear, are subject to pruning. Removing these shoots will help provoke the growth of new ones located slightly higher. By pruning, you can influence fruiting. With a slight shortening of the shoots, the process is accelerated, and the crop can be harvested in the same year.

Branches of old apple trees are cut off without fail, this increases their lifespan

Schemes and forms of correct trimming

Those summer residents who are growing a crop for the first time should figure out what pruning a columnar apple tree is, when and how to do it. These activities are very important, since often, due to the weight of the fruit, the branches break, and the trunk sinks to the ground.

Columnar apple trees have some peculiarities, for example, the lower branches stop bearing fruit already in the third year, or they do it in smaller quantities. If you do not carry out the formation, then the tree runs wild, lateral shoots appear in excess and the shape is lost. In addition, apples from such garden crops become sour and small.

Each season has its own pruning scheme:

• in winter, the main work is done when all branches are shortened without exception;
• in the spring they get rid of only frozen shoots and extra buds;
• in the summer, young shoots are pinched and non-viable shoots are removed;
• in the autumn, they are engaged in thinning the green mass.

To provoke the growth of new lower shoots, it is necessary to cut off the central conductor, and instead choose a young, but already strengthened branch.

What tools will be needed

The list of required garden tools includes:

• get rid of small shoots with a sharp garden knife;
• pruning of long branches is carried out with long-handled pruning shears;
• short shoots are easily cut with pruning shears.

Also in the process, a stepladder may come in handy to trim the apical part. In a garden wheelbarrow, you can add plant residues, fallen leaves. And the garden pitch will help cover up the places of the cuts so that infections cannot penetrate into the bare wound. You can also use a clay talker as a putty. It is made from clay, water and straw. The same effect is provided by a cement mortar mixed with sand, drying oil and a small amount of water.

It is worth preparing in advance the tools that you will need to trim the tree.

Features and rules for pruning

The scheme is selected taking into account the age of the plant, as well as the state of the crown. Each case requires a specific approach and technology.

The standard description for pruning columnar crops includes certain principles:

• only young shoots are subject to shortening, the age of which is not older than one year;
• two healthy eyes should remain on the branch;
• in the summer, it is imperative to pinch the processes in order to form the correct crown;
• activities should be carried out in stages;
• the procedure requires regularity.

It is important to cut from the base, gradually moving towards the top. This ensures minimal trauma to the tree. The branch is cut in such a way that a distance of at least two fingers remains to the bud.

Pruning apple trees in spring

After wintering, the horticultural culture is especially in need of care. Columnar apple trees are pruned in the spring according to the scheme:

• all buds are removed from one-year-old seedlings;
• two-year-old trees should be left with 5 inflorescences;
• three-year-olds and older need to ensure the pinching of excess buds, in one inflorescence there should not be more than two flowers.

At this time of the year, all the shoots that have frozen over the winter are necessarily cut off, the same is done with the frozen upper part of the tree (crown). If you had to remove the top, then a new shoot is selected, which will replace the stem part.

The branch is cut at an angle of 45 degrees with a sharpened pruner

Summer pruning

In the summer, all activities are associated with pinching the lateral branches that have appeared. You don't need a tool to work, since everything is done manually. In addition, it is necessary to remove excess fruits - a miniature tree can suffer from a heavy load. This task is not difficult, so even a novice farmer can cope with it.

Also, in the summer, you should inspect the garden plantings for damage. If there are signs of infectious diseases or the presence of pests, sanitization is carried out, including pruning of infected branches. Most summer residents use the preparations "Horos", "Oksikhom" for spraying.

Autumn

There is a special technology for pruning a columnar apple tree in the fall. As for the timing, they can differ according to the regional principle - it all depends on the weather conditions. In the Moscow region and the middle lane, the procedure begins in early April, in the North and the Urals a little later.

The summer resident should act according to the instructions:

• After the seedling is planted in open ground, you need to tear off all the foliage, remove the side shoots.In this case, the rootstock will throw all its strength into taking root faster.
• The next year, young shoots are shortened, leaving a length not exceeding 30 cm. The main thing is that 2 or three buds remain on each shoot. A powerful and strong branch is also selected, it will play the role of a central conductor, it cannot be touched.
• When the tree reaches three years of age, long bends are shortened, and improperly growing branches are cut off.

Winter pruning of apple trees

Experts recommend pruning old trees with the onset of winter. This is due to the fact that the tree will have time to fully recover and gain strength by the beginning of the new season before the buds are laid. This means that the harvest in the summer will be rich.

A detailed instruction on pruning a three-year plantation is as follows:

1. The strongest and strongest shoot is selected on a young seedling; it should be located at a height of at least 50 cm from the soil surface. In addition, its length should be about 100 cm.
2. Next, you need to retreat 5 cm above the selected shoot, cut the conductor into a ring. Thus, the apple tree is transferred to a young shoot.
3. At the next stage, it is necessary to thoroughly inspect the tree, remove all shoots that thicken the crown, grow incorrectly. The same actions are carried out with weak branches. They need to be disposed of so that the plant does not waste nutrients.
4. As a result, several viable and strong shoots should remain on the tree, they are also cut into 3 buds.
5. At the very end, the wounds are treated with any available means. It can be a homemade mixture or a ready-made putty.

It should be added that the lifespan of columnar cultures, even with good care, is 15 years. After that, they weaken, the fruits appear in smaller quantities and lose their taste characteristics. It is better to cut down such trees and plant new ones in their place. In addition, apple trees reproduce easily, so there should be no problems with planting material.

Trees are pruned according to their age, each year a different scheme is applied

Caring for a columnar apple tree after pruning

All agrotechnical care measures are to provide the trees with the correct conditions for keeping. This is necessary so that the apple trees recover faster after pruning. The first thing to do is to process the cut sites with garden pitch or other suitable composition. A mixture is prepared from the following set of components:

• rosin;
• butter;
• paraffin or beeswax.

Garden pitch promotes rapid healing of wounds, reduces the risk of branches drying out, and also prevents them from rotting. Watering is carried out as usual. An exception is autumn pruning. After it, the tree does not need to be watered, since it is time to prepare the apple tree for wintering.

Top dressing involves the introduction of mullein infusion into the soil in the spring. It is also worth mulching the ground around the garden plantings, since the roots are almost on the surface, which leads to their rapid drying. Sawdust, peat, or humus will help trap moisture inside.

In the autumn period, apple trees are fed with potassium and phosphorus, you can take purchased complexes that have all the elements necessary for a culture. Fertilizers are applied no more than once every two weeks.

Do not leave the wounds open after pruning, they should definitely be repaired with garden varnish.

Possible mistakes

The growth and development of garden culture will depend on how well the gardener pruns. The most common mistakes made during this process are:

• branches are cut using blunt equipment, as a result, rags are formed at the cut site, the planting is injured;
• the presence of long stumps causes the death of the entire shoot, it simply dries up and dies;
• slices are made too close to the kidney, which slows down the rate at which it forms.

Compliance with the pruning scheme and timing will help to avoid many unpleasant moments when growing pyramidal apple trees. A regular procedure will give the tree a beautiful and correct crown, increase the yield and quality of the fruit.