One of the main activities for harmonious development fruit trees and a stable garden harvest is considered pruning. Most often it is carried out in spring and autumn. Garden experts say that some types of summer pruning - thinning and shortening branches - are very beneficial for plants. Summer pruning trees is carried out in addition to the spring and helps to intensify development processes and improve fruiting.

Why do you prune in summer?

By shortening the branches, breaking them off and pinching, the growth and development of the entire plant and the growth of young shoots are controlled.
With the help of competent pruning, the number of young shoots is regulated and the thickening of the crown is eliminated, which leads to a deficiency of oxygen and lighting inside it.
Removing certain branches improves fruit ripening and leads to improved harvest quality.
Pruning fruit trees in summer is the least traumatic for young plants, since the intensely released juice in a short time heals the cut areas with an airtight film; for larger cuts, do not forget to use garden varnish, preheat it, or oil paint. However, its implementation requires an understanding of the entire process and certain knowledge about the growing season of each species and variety of tree.

On which trees and in what cases is pruning used in summer?

Most often in the summer, sanitary pruning of frozen branches is carried out, removing branches broken by the wind, dried out, infested with pests and diseased. Other types of shortening and removal are aimed mainly at working with young shoots and their intensity is significantly lower than with spring work. In summer you can prune all fruit trees growing in the garden: apple, pear, plum, cherry, peach, cherry, viburnum, rowan, etc.

Summer pruning is most advisable for peaches, since in the cold season after the procedure the fruit buds may freeze. Shoots that grow inside the crown and lack ovaries must be removed. Cutting off excess branches promotes increased nutrition of the fruits ripening on the tree, increasing their size and juiciness. Pruning is also useful for apricots. By shortening young shoots by 30 cm in summer, you will increase the frost resistance of the crop and activate the appearance of several young shoots at once, on which flower buds will be formed.

Techniques for caring for and accelerating fruiting

According to reviews from experienced gardeners, in addition to traditional pruning, it is recommended to carry out additional activities in the summer: pinching (pinching the upper part of the shoot), pinching, breaking out. In some cases, the procedure of bending and changing the slope of shoots that have not yet lignified is recommended to change the direction of their growth. Carrying out these works leads to accelerated crown formation and an increase in the rate of fruit ripening, due to which technical ripeness the entire harvest occurs at one time.

Methods close to pruning: pinching, pinching, breaking out, bending branches

Pinching, carried out in addition to spring-autumn pruning, leads to an increase in tree fertility. Either the top of a shoot that has reached twenty centimeters in length is removed, or the branches are cut to the middle. This procedure leads to the redistribution of nutrients, which are directed to the development of weak shoots and remaining buds. Below the cut, the fruit buds awaken more intensely and develop in the most harmonious way.
Pinching and breaking out young shoots that are at the very beginning of development is similar to thinning. To avoid thickening of the crown, shoots that are useless to the tree are removed. The sooner they are eliminated, the fewer nutritional compounds will be needed to provide them. Since young shoots are formed throughout the growing season, the event is held throughout the summer period.

The branches are tilted in the desired direction using pegs driven into the ground and string or spacers. In this way, you can straighten shoots growing upward, placing them in a more horizontal plane relative to the ground. Experience shows that this method helps to increase productivity, increase the strength of branches and simplifies the collection of ripe fruits.

Summer pruning of trees revitalizes the garden and helps plants better prepare for the dormant period. Carefully inspect all garden crops in order to promptly remove shoots that interfere with growth, development and fruiting.

Those gardeners who prune a variety of fruit bushes and trees in the summer, they claim that this is the most best time to remove growth. The article will help beginners better understand all the nuances. After familiarizing yourself with detailed diagram, optimal timing and watching the video materials everything will become clear and understandable.

Benefits of summer pruning

Gardeners, who already have considerable experience, try to prune trees at certain times of the year. Everyone does this based on their own experience. Proponents of pruning shoots in summer season focus on the following advantages:

• Fast-growing shoots take a lot of strength from the tree. Removing them in the summer allows you to direct everything nutrients to the fruits.
• In the summer months it is easier to shape the crown. This way, more light penetrates the fruits and makes them easier to pick.
• The leaves, after pruning during this period, also receive more light and air. This prevents the development of various diseases.

Many gardeners claim that in summer it is easier to form a tree crown

• A timely thinned crown allows you to spray literally every leaf well with the necessary preparations.
• Many new buds appear on trees that have been pruned in summer.

Pruning in summer means working with green shoots that have not yet become woody. If we talk about timing, then it is carried out no later than July.

Basic Techniques

IN summer period gardeners carry out light work. These include pinching and pinching, as well as breaking, breaking and, of course, trimming.

Pinching - with its help, the growth of this year's shoots is stopped for 1.5-2 weeks. In this case, remove the area with 3-5 leaves on top. Most often, this technique is used in situations where it is difficult to decide whether to completely remove a branch and this question remains open until the fall. Pinching can be done again after the shoot begins to grow again.

Attention! Only those shoots that grow upward or inside the tree are pinched.

The pinching time will depend on various parameters: age, variety and vigor of the tree. The main thing here is to catch the time of intensive growth of young shoots.

Pinching - when carrying out this technique, the branch is shortened to the remainder of 3-5 leaves from the bottom. When a new shoot grows from the top bud, it is also cut off, leaving 2-3 leaves. By pinching, accelerated formation of wood around the uterine branch is achieved, which contributes to a significant increase in yield. The technique is suitable for young shoots extending from the uterine branches.

Scheme: pruning fruit trees

Breaking - manipulation is carried out manually, without the help of tools. At the same time, absolutely unnecessary green shoots of the current year that grow vertically are removed. Reception allows for better penetration sunlight deep into the crown.

Attention! Damage caused by summer breaking heals very quickly without additional treatment.

Breaking is a technique used when it is necessary to give the shoot the desired direction of growth. It is performed simply: press on a certain place with a fingernail and flatten it. Wound tissue forms here very quickly. In the future, it will record the escape in the right direction. Lignified shoots can also be broken. In this case, the branches are bent so that the bark bursts, but the middle remains intact. This will require some skill - woody branches often simply break.

Pruning is a wonderful technique that helps achieve the formation of a new flower bud at the base of the shoot. It is carried out like this: the shoot, which is not needed to form the crown, is cut short, leaving only 2 leaves. As a result, after 1-2 weeks a new branch is obtained from the upper sinus. It is also cut short. Ultimately, after a month, a flower bud appears at the base of the shoot.

Attention! During the rainy season, pruning does not bring the expected result. Under the influence high humidity Both buds germinate, as a result of which a flower bud does not form.

Features of pruning trees of different ages

For young trees, the main thing in pruning is to ensure active growth. To do this, remove all shoots that interfere with the growth of the main shoots. This procedure should be carried out after 2-3 years, adhering to the following rules:

1. During summer pruning, diseased and drying branches must be removed at the same time. This will provide a greater flow of nutrients to the healthy shoots that need them.
2. All shoots should be cut off acute angle. This way there is less chance of infection.

Be sure to remove diseased and dried branches

Mature trees are pruned a little differently and do this for the purpose of rejuvenation. The main signs that a plant needs such a procedure are 2 main indicators:

1. The growth of shoots is less than 30 cm per year, which indicates a significant reduction.
2. The tree begins to produce a poor-quality harvest.

As recommended experienced gardeners, you should try to direct all branches of the old tree horizontally. This will significantly increase the quality and quantity of fruits. It is advisable to shorten shoots that are more than 3 years old to a length of 6 m. After young branches appear on them, the strongest ones are left. All of the above procedures will ensure a decent harvest from an already middle-aged tree.

Attention! Sections that are more than 1 cm in diameter must be smoothed with a knife and painted over. oil paint on drying oil.

There is still debate among gardeners about the need to prune fruit trees in the summer. It is difficult to come to a clear opinion here. However, some hobbyists regularly perform the procedure at this time of year with good results.

Preface

The Garden of Eden in the pictures of glossy magazines can be grown on your site. To do this, you just need to learn how to properly care for trees and trim them. In this article we will share the features of pruning trees in the summer.

Trees are most often pruned in spring and autumn. But is it possible to do this in the summer? Here the opinions of garden experts are divided. Some say that it is possible and necessary and consider the summer period to be almost the best for. Others are sure that the summer procedure of shortening and thinning is only suitable as an addition to spring pruning.

Proponents of pruning trees in the summer argue that removing growth during this period does not slow down tree growth at all. On the contrary, trees show rapid growth new shoots. Observations of individual gardeners show that if pruning is carried out during fruit filling, the quality of the fruit greatly improves. Three-year-old and older trees pruned in June have almost completely grown back by August.

The only exceptions are young trees under three years old. They are more demanding. To make the shoots more powerful, it is necessary to remove some of the branches before growth begins. This will give all the juice to the remaining branches. But the green shoots of young trees should not be pruned; in this case, part of the sap has already been spent on the beginning of the growth of branches. Therefore, the remaining shoots will not be strong.

A positive thing about the summer procedure of pruning branches is that the secreted juice in the cut area covers the wound of the branch with a film. This promotes rapid healing and protection from pests. This film is a real natural product.

To improve the quality of fruits, increase the fruitfulness of trees, and accelerate the formation of crowns, pinching, or as this operation is also called, pinching, is very effective. In this case, the necessary shoots, which we plan to leave for further growth, are pruned upper part. The shoot sends out side branches and becomes denser and stronger.

Pinching is best done when the shoots have reached twenty centimeters. The procedure can be divided into weak and strong intervention. Tweezing is called weak when the top of the shoot with a pair of undeveloped leaves is removed. In this case, the rate of shoot growth slows down for fifteen days and due to this, a redistribution of nutrients occurs. Weak shoots become stronger. You shouldn’t pinch off the tops of the shoots all at once. The remaining shoots that have not been pinched will be able to absorb more nutritious juice. This will reduce the number of new shoots.

With strong pinching (up to half of the shoot is removed), the side branches feed better. Below the cut, the buds awaken faster and in the best possible way are developing. Pinching contributes to a significant increase in tree fertility compared to pruning alone in the spring-autumn period.

Summer pruning of fruit trees should not be as intense as in the case of spring pruning. We are talking, first of all, about working with young branches. Thus, a technique such as pinching is widely used, that is, breaking off at the very beginning of the growth of green shoots. This technique is similar to thinning, only different early dates carrying out.

To avoid thickening of the crown, you can trim or break out excess shoots that are useless for the tree at the beginning of their development. There are no specific deadlines for this operation - the sooner you remove unnecessary shoots, the less strength they'll take it. In addition, early removal of branches is less traumatic for the tree itself. Pruning should be carried out all the time - shoots will grow in the most unexpected places.

Thinning is especially necessary in the central part of the crown - this will increase air access to all branches and improve lighting of the lower tiers.

In addition to removing and shortening branches, a novice gardener should also learn a technique such as bending branches. While they are young and not woody, this will be quite easy to do - the shoots can be tilted using ropes and pegs driven into the ground, or using spacers. The main thing is that in the end the branches are as horizontal as possible relative to the ground. As practice shows, this increases productivity, significantly increases the strength of the branches and makes it easier to collect ripe fruits.

We recommend cutting down thick branches of fruit trees using the following technology. It is necessary to start cutting down a thick branch from the bottom, by cutting to the middle of the branch. Then make a notch from the top side of the branch and continue cutting until the end. Thanks to this method, you can avoid breaking and tearing of the bark. The latter is very traumatic for any tree.

Pruning of fruit trees can be divided into weak, medium and strong. Light pruning works best for young trees. Shortening occurs by one-fourth of the new branch. This speeds up fruiting. Thanks to this intervention, the crown will form beautifully; in the spring, new, fresh shoots will begin to grow intensively from the shortened branches.

Medium pruning also increases yield, but, unlike light pruning, this method is applied to trees five or seven years old. Shorten one third of the branch. To reduce branching, enhance growth, thicken the bases of branches, use strong way trimmings. In this case, shorten one second part of the branch.

Apple trees, apricots and peaches are very common in our gardens, and therefore it will be easiest to explain the features of pruning using the example of these fruit trees. Let's start with the apple tree - at the stage of acquiring an annual seedling, the top is pruned. It is necessary to leave about six buds on an annual tree, approximately half a meter high from the ground. Thanks to this, the kidneys will form on next year side shoots.

Leave about five well-developed skeletal branches on a two-year-old apple tree. Pay attention to the angle of departure of these branches from the trunk. Ideally it should be fifty to sixty degrees - about how to get desired angle, we wrote above. If the upper branches bend under the weight of the fruit and shade the lower shoots, then shorten the branches of the upper tier so that the lower ones develop better. Still, it is much more convenient to harvest from the lower tier.

The pear is very similar in growth rate and crown shape to the apple tree. Therefore, the recommendations given for the apple tree are also suitable for the pear. Apricots and peaches are very different strong growth- For big harvest should be carried out strongly. As you shorten the top of the tree, adjust its height. Ideally, you should collect most of the harvest from the ground, maximum from a stepladder. The higher the crown, the more difficult it is to collect fruit and care for the garden. After pruning, in all cases, do not fertilize, this can cause rapid growth of new shoots.

Discussion of garden pruning usually comes down to a debate: when is it preferable to do it - in late autumn or early spring. Question “Is it possible to prune an apple tree in summer?” not even discussed.

The classic advice to perform this operation only during the rest period is based solely on tradition - "It's always been done this way". An ironclad argument is given in support - "juice flows in summer".

This cannot be denied, but sap in the summer comes not only from garden trees. But has anyone seen, for example, a maple tree dry out from a broken branch? Vitality cultivated plants are in no way inferior to the “savages”.

Pruning during the dormant period of the garden is quite reasonable. And spring pruning can also be combined with tree grafting.

If deadlines for spring pruning have been missed, pruning carried out can help out outside of these strict time frames.

Is it possible to prune an apple tree in summer?

Pruning apple trees in summer for beginners is most often needed in two cases:

• Got it from the previous owner old garden in a very unsightly condition;
• The seller advised self-planted young trees "cut according to all the rules".

But bad luck, the deadline for spring pruning “according to all the rules” has been missed. Don't be afraid go against the established “rules” and perform this necessary operation for the garden late spring or summer.

At the summer garden pruning there are important advantages- very young branches, preferably just pinch the nails of two fingers. This kind of pinching is not at all does not injure the tree. On the contrary, new shoots grow even more intensively at the beginning of summer.

Advantages of the method:

• After summer pruning, flower buds do not awaken in winter during thaws;
• The flowering period of the garden next year is shifted by about a week (this is quite enough to protect the ovaries from possible late frosts);
• Thinning the crown in summer makes it possible to ensure full illumination of the internal branches of the tree, which has a positive effect not only on the ripening of fruits, but also improves ventilation of the tree crown (the main preventive measure against fungal diseases of the apple tree);
• Summer pruning is carried out not so much with a hacksaw and pruning shears, but with a garden knife. You can even break out unnecessary green shoots.
• Summer pruning is much easier for a novice gardener than in cold period when the tree stands without leaves.

Important! Most often on personal plots trees are planted too densely. The trees touch their crowns and shade each other.

This cruel competition in the garden you can pay a lot for light and water loosen with simple techniques summer pruning.

Apple trees touch their crowns.

July

Is it possible to prune an apple tree in July? Undoubtedly. This is, first of all, removal of fat shoots, growing at an acute angle to the central trunk.

Pruning an apple tree in July using this simplified scheme is not difficult even for novice gardeners. The purpose of such an operation is eliminate all growth in 2 previous years fruiting.

August

Is it possible to prune an apple tree in August? The answer is definitely yes. Operations with growing branches are practically no different from previous summer months.

Important! The apple tree should enter the dormant period healthy.

It is necessary to especially monitor the condition of the tree - all diseased and pest-affected branches must be cut out and removed from the site. This is easier to do than to cure an incipient disease. Moreover, these weakened branches will not survive the winter anyway.

Schemes for pruning old apple trees

If the annual growth of shoots less than 30 centimeters and her the fruits have lost their presentation- the apple tree needs anti-aging pruning.

At the same time remove branches:

• Growing at an acute angle to the trunk (less than 60 degrees);
• In vertically growing plants, 2 years of growth is removed.

Anti-aging pruning.

On a dying tree, a high-quality harvest can be restored if the apple tree is simple technique on all skeletal branches:

• Cut an old branch (more than 3 years old) into a stump about 5-6 centimeters;
• From the awakened shoots, the most successful one is selected and a new branch is formed from it.

Young apple trees

The purpose of formative pruning of a young apple tree is to control ratio of the length of the central shoot and lateral branches, do not allow them to compete. That's why side branches should be trimmed regularly.

Scheme for pruning young apple trees.

Young apple trees in summer delete:

• Sick and dry branches;
• Part of the flower ovaries (so as not to weaken the young tree).

Leave:

• Continuation shoots are the strongest at the tops of last year;
• Skeletal branches - located 2-3 nodes below the continuation shoots.

Everything else is removed, and young trees are processed anti-stress drug(it doesn’t matter which one).

How summer pruning of apple trees is carried out - the video will show you in detail:

As soon as the tree begins to actively grow again ( end of June), necessary pinch off strong shoots, to weaken the vigor of growth and cause the formation of fruit buds.

It would be preferable if instead of pinching shoots bend and secure the branches in a horizontal position. This operation accelerates the entry of young apple trees into fruiting.

Thus, the answer to the question “is it possible to prune the branches of an apple tree in the summer?” will also be positive.

Pruning an apple tree in summer: video for beginners

How can I replace trim?

Using summer pruning methods, you can practically do without traditional gardening tools:

• Hacksaws;
• Secateurs;
• Garden knife.

Manual pinching has already been discussed above. This is not just a gentle method of shaping a garden. It is extremely convenient in that it does not require any preliminary preparation— the “tool” is always with you.

An alternative to pruning branches can be method of forming a crown “in a bend”- transferring branches to fruiting. This procedure must be carried out until the end of June(before the formation of fruit buds begins).

For this growing incorrectly(at an acute angle to the trunk) branches deflected to a horizontal position and fix them.

The easiest way to do this is in two ways:

• Secure with twine or tape;
• By hanging the appropriate weight.

Advice! There is no need to protect the cortex from stretching pressure. In the pinched area, the outflow of nutrients is complicated and additional formation of fruit buds occurs. The ringing method for increasing yield is based on this property.

Within about a month or two, the branches will “remember” their new location and the clamps can be removed.

Formation of the crown “in a bend”.

Columnar varieties

Rules for pruning columnar trees easier. Since they form few side branches, only control their growth, pinching off the excess.

All shoots growing from the trunk perpendicular, necessary delete.

Particular attention should be paid to growth in June- This is a period of accelerated tree growth.

Attention! Under no circumstances should the apical bud be cut off. This will cause completely unnecessary branching and thickening of the column.

Pruning apple trees in summer for beginners

Pruning apple trees in the summer is pointless if you consider it as a one-time campaign - “pruned and forgotten for a year.”

The main task of pruning- trim so that it can be used throughout the season do without cutting with tools, just pinching(excluding cases of removal of diseased branches),

After pruning, there is no need to rush to cover everything with garden varnish (or other mastic). Small cuts up to a centimeter in diameter they don't need it at all.

By and large, cuts larger area- too, but it’s very difficult to fight this opinion. At least do not apply mastic immediately, let the wood dry naturally for several days.

How to conduct summer pruning of apple trees for beginners - video below:

Important! A fresh cut covered with garden mastic is a breeding ground for fungal diseases!

You can get even more information about it from this article.

Conclusion

Now that you know whether you can prune an apple tree in the summer, There is no need to be afraid to apply any innovation to your garden plot.

To begin with, you can simply try the technique on one tree, which grows closest. It will remind you of itself more often than others when it catches your eye. As you pass by, immediately pluck out the excess.

Young apple trees two-three year olds immediately begin to form in the way "in a bend". If you bend a branch in spring or before mid-summer, fruit buds will form on it by autumn.

With this approach to forming autumn pruning may not be needed at all.

Can last for weeks and months, each of the receptions summer pruning is confined to a certain phase of tree development and must be carried out in a very short term.

One cannot expect a positive effect from filizen, pinching, green pruning or thinning of fruits carried out at the wrong time. Untimely summer pruning can give a negative result.

In the short period of time when it is necessary to carry out summer pruning, there is usually not enough time, since at this time there is a lot of other work in the garden, so it is not carried out on the proper scale. However, it is necessary to find an opportunity to more wide application at least the most effective summer pruning techniques.

Since winter pruning lasts for a long time and is carried out at a time when there is enough free time, it is practically the main one.

But the importance of summer pruning is sometimes underestimated. Often the most necessary things are not carried out, which would make it possible to take advantage of the great advantages of its at least in relation to young trees, where summer pruning techniques can be carried out quickly and with low cost labor.

When pruning in summer, wounds heal faster. Summer pruning techniques correct and complement the previous winter pruning, direct nutrients to the development of useful organs, and promptly remove unnecessary parts. If this is not done during summer pruning, then unnecessary parts should be removed during the next winter pruning. However, in this case, the useful parts will remain weak or underdeveloped.

Summer pruning is a very important event, and for young trees characterized by strong bud germination and shoot productivity, it is even mandatory.

Both in the nursery and in the first years after planting trees in the garden, techniques such as filizen, pinching, bending, changing the angle of branches and green pruning should be used, which ensure the formation of a crown of healthy, well-developed and correctly located skeletal branches and branches , evenly covered with overgrowing wood.

Summer pruning must be applied to all young trees, but it is especially effective for young and vigorously growing peach trees, to which it is applied until their growth becomes moderate and the number of unnecessary and thickening branches decreases.

Summer pruning is also necessary when growing dwarf and shaped fruit trees. It promotes both the formation of the crown and the covering of skeletal branches and branches with overgrowing wood, as well as the formation of fruit branches and buds and, ultimately, obtaining large yields of high-quality fruits.