How to prune fruit trees to get a good harvest

Why prune trees

Regular formative pruning of fruit trees keeps the garden well-groomed and tidy. Trees grow quite rapidly, and if nothing is done, over time it will become impossible to harvest without a stepladder. And the fruits themselves will be smaller. Extra branches take away strength from the tree, the dense crown is poorly lit by the sun and ventilated, which makes it a cozy home for diseases and pests. In addition, a garden that has grown too much creates a lot of shade, which interferes with the normal development of other plants.

In addition to forming, it is important to carry out sanitary pruning of diseased, frozen, dry and broken branches. This will make the trees not only beautiful, but also healthy.

When to prune fruit trees

It is best to carry out the procedure when the buds on the branches are in a dormant state. In late autumn, pruning begins when trees almost all of the leaves fell off. You can do this in winter, if the air temperature does not drop below -8... -10 degrees. In more severe frosts, the wood becomes brittle, so that the cuts will be uneven, and the wounds will heal longer.

If you are going to prune trees in spring, try to be in time before the buds swell, otherwise the plants will spend a lot of energy on restoration, and this will have a bad effect on the harvest. From spring to autumn, you can carry out sanitary pruning - remove diseased, dried and broken branches.

How to prune a tree

First, remove dry, broken, diseased branches. Make cuts at the very base, leaving no short stumps. With thin branches, a sharp pruner will cope, with thick ones - with a hand saw.

Then cut off completely all the branches that grow inside the crown. Don't feel sorry for them and don't leave them, otherwise the tree will be too dense.

Cut off branches that rub or come into contact with others. They not only take power from plants, but can also injure the bark of their "neighbors".

Next, deal with all the thin branches - this is a fresh growth that needs to be set in the right direction. Cut them to a height where you can reach them with your outstretched hand. So the crown will be compact, which will facilitate the harvesting and preventive treatments of the garden from diseases and pests. It is believed that the comfortable height of a tree is approximately 2.2–3 m, but you can adjust this parameter to suit your height.

The main thing is to make a cut over the kidney, which “looks” not in the center, but to the side. In the future, a new branch will grow in this direction.

Pruning a tree is, to some extent, a creative process. Periodically stop, step aside a few meters, go around the plant around. This will help to give the crown a beautiful shape. As a result, it should look even and not seem thickened.

After the procedure, coat all sections larger than 1 cm in diameter with garden paint or pitch. Such special tools can be found in stores. The protective coating will not allow diseases to penetrate the wood.

Removed branches can be a source of diseases and pests, so do not leave them in the garden. Collect everything cut and try to burn it.