ANTI-AGING PRUNING OF THE OLD GARDEN: HOW TO REJUVENATE FRUIT TREES

Each gardener wants to grow apples, pears, plums, cherries and so on in his country house. But for this you need the right and timely care of the trees. One of the important factors of such care is pruning and rejuvenation of the crown.

Anti-aging pruning: description and types

Proper and timely pruning of old trees in your country house leads to the rejuvenation of plants. Thus, they begin to produce more beautiful and tasty fruits. If the branches are cut according to certain rules, then the tree will not overgrow, sufficient sunlight will flow into the crown, the skeletal and semi-skeletal branches will get stronger, which is very important for keeping the fruits of great weight.

Important! The problem of a large weight of the fruit and as a result a branch break is most often found in pears. Therefore, this plant should be cut annually.

With the wrong care of the tree problems may arise:

Thickening of the crown.
Late fruiting.
Reduced winter hardiness.

There are two types of anti-aging pruning garden: shortening and thinning. Also pruning trees can be divided into autumn and spring. Of course, experts recommend clearing fruit plants only in spring. However, old, tall and semi-dry trees can be cleared before winter. But only dry branches can be cut. Fresh touch is not necessary, because in winter the wounds of the plants heal much worse, even if this wound is smeared with a special agent.

Tree rejuvenation is shortening and thinning at the same time. Such a procedure is used when it is necessary to put in order an old and very tall fruit plant. The shortening is the removal of the top of individual branches, fruits and shoots. Depending on old age, individual fetuses and branches should be shortened in different ways. For example, if a branch is 8-10 years old, then 60-70% of its length can be cut off. But it is not possible to cut off every fruit or branch in this way; you need to look at whether it is located in the right way. If the branch begins to shrink or grows in the wrong direction, then it can be cut off.

Did you know? Leonardo da Vinci formulated an interesting hypothesis: the sum of all tree branches in thickness is equal to the diameter of the trunk.

Proper rejuvenation of trees in spring leads to the fact that they have fewer branches, and now the plant needs less water and minerals for the total volume. And the root system of the tree brings all the same amount of water and minerals, and as a result, the upper part of the plant after pruning gets more water and nutrients. Thinning trees is pruning branches into a ring. This is done when the crown is too thick and needs to be damaged. Often, using this method, pruned branches of the second and third order. Then the tree appears more free space.

How to rejuvenate old fruit trees

If you have not cleared the trees in the garden for many years or purchased a plot on which there were already old and neglected fruit plants, then do not rush to cut them at the root. You can always rejuvenate your apple, pear, plum, cherry. Then garden plants will bring you tasty and juicy fruits for many years.

Interesting information about the varieties of apple trees: "Northern Synapse", "Sinap Orlovsky", "Moscow Pear", "Medunitsa", "White Pouring", "Silver Hoof", "Dream", "Semerenko", "Melba".

Reduction of tree crown and center lightening

If the plant is 10 or more years old and there was no care after it, then it should be thoroughly rejuvenated. Rejuvenation of the old apple tree takes place in three stages:

Reduced crown.
Center clarification.
The shortening pruning of long lateral branches.

In order to properly reduce the crown, you need to measure 2-2.5 meters upwards from the beginning of the first tier of the tree and cut off a little higher than the divergence of the branches from the trunk. After that, the center of the tree will be much freer and lighter. But now it needs to be thinned out.

Important! After cutting off the upper part of the trunk, you need to coat the wound with clay or paint and wrap it with a rag.

Pruning old tall apple trees may take some time and effort. For pruning, you can use a pruner, and for trimming branches of the second, third and fourth order, use a garden saw.

Shoots need to be cut a little at an angle, just above the bud. Cut only those shoots that grow in the center or in contact with each other. The rest in the future will be fruitful branches. Larger branches should be cut according to this rule: a smaller branch should be longer than a larger branch. All diseased or dried branches should be removed, as well as all those that interfere with each other’s growth. After that, the center of your fruit plant will become much brighter and more spacious, which will help the tree to produce larger fruits.

Normal thinning

After you have cleared the central part of the crown, you need to give shape to the side branches. Especially this rejuvenation should be carried out for the old pear. After all, this plant fruits are very large, and the side branches are often dissected or broken under external influences: heavy rain with wind, hail, etc.

It is very important to first cut off only the sick and dry branches, then it becomes immediately clear that there are only a few steps left to complete cleaning. After that, shorten some long branches that can hardly withstand their own weight. Take a pruner and cut off all the shoots that are at a distance of less than 10 cm, as in the future they will interfere with each other to grow. The remaining wen can be shortened by 1/2 or 2/3 of the length.

Such rejuvenation of trees in spring by thinning should be carried out at least once every 2-3 years. Then the tree will not get sick and will bear delicious fruits.

Cutting of hanging branches

Sagging branches do not necessarily cut to the ring. This should be done only in two cases: when the branch is dry, or when it prevents other branches from growing and overlaps the free space in the center of the crown. Often, pruning old tall apples implies cutting out 50-60% of the whole plant: the tree will not die from this, but on the contrary, it will acquire new powers.

Did you know? Scientists have proven that old trees share mineral nutrients with young plants.

Sagging branches should be shortened to 1/2 or 2/3 of the length so that they stick up and do not hang down. After that, you need to shorten the branches of the third, fourth and next orders and cut off the shoots, leaving only those that are directed at a small angle straight up.

Thus, the rejuvenating pruning of fruit trees takes place in several stages. After all the hanging branches are removed, you need to trim in the area of retreating growth.

Pruning in the zone of retreating growth

Removal of retreating wood of 4-7 years of age significantly enhances the growth of fruitful twigs. Pruning fruit trees in the spring stage leads to the rejuvenation of the entire plant system. And to remove the branches and shoots in the zone of retreating growth is necessary in early spring. After all, this part of the tree is the most active, there is sent a large amount of water and minerals.

In this zone it is necessary to thin out the branches, it is advisable not to remove them on the ring. Remove shoots in a dense area and shorten already formed branches by about 2/5 of the length. In the same way as apple rejuvenation, they clean pears, apricots and peaches. Larger branches must first be slightly cut from the bottom, and then cut from above, so as not to injure the bark.

Removal of extra tops and formation into skeletal and semi-skeletal branches

Many do not know how to rejuvenate the old garden on their own, and in fact only a pruner and a saw are needed for this, as well as a little knowledge of the phased cleaning of wood. Trimming the tops is the most difficult stage in the sense that many incorrectly remove them. The reasons why the tops should be removed:

they grow to the center of the crown;
there are a lot of them per square unit;
they grow straight from the trunk.

But in some cases, it is better not to remove the tops, but to shorten them so that in the future they begin to bear fruit. In general, tops appear on the plant after its thorough feeding with nitrogenous fertilizers. Therefore, if you notice the massive appearance of fat shoots, stop feeding the plant.

Important! Nitrogenous fertilizers accelerate the growth of shoots and tops.

Many gardeners, not knowing from personal experience how to update old apples, pears, cherries, begin to massively remove tops, and this need not always be done. Cases when it is better to leave the tops:

If the tree has few twigs.
If you need to form a good fruit branches from the tops.

After proper cleaning of the tops, the tree should be shaped. We form semi-skeletal and skeletal branches with a saw. From a panoramic perspective, the tree should have a cone shape. Therefore, we cut a little more from the top, and leave more at the bottom. But it is worth remembering that when rejuvenating pruning of old trees do not need to prune the branches at the very base of the trunk of the lower tier. Such pruning may harm the plant and the wound will heal for a long time. In addition, a hollow may be formed in the lower part of the trunk, which will damage the tree.

Useful information about varieties of pears: "Marble", "Elena", "Severyanka", "Cathedral", "Otradnenskaya", "Fairytale", "Rogneda", "Nika".

How to care for the tree after rejuvenation

After proper rejuvenation of the tree, it is necessary to take care of it. The period when you should not rejuvenate the trees is winter, but it is at this time that the plant needs care. During heavy snowfalls under the tree it is necessary to throw a lot of snow so that the root does not freeze. If pruning of trees occurred in the fall, be sure to cover the wounds with paint or clay to make it easier for the plant to heal the wounds in winter. After pruning and rejuvenation of old apples, pears, apricot trees must be thoroughly fertilized. A great way is wood ash, which contains many trace elements useful for wood. Ash must be applied to the soil around the plant.

Did you know? 99% of the tree consists of dead cells.

In the spring, the ground around the plant should be plowed with a spade for half a needle, and then a rake. Additives based on such microelements are introduced into this area: zinc, boron, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogenous substance. It is also recommended to fertilize with humus and forest peat. The tree during this period requires watering.

Now that it has become clear what the rejuvenating pruning of trees is and how to take care of the plant after that, you will be able to independently clean your garden.