Pruning lime trees in pots

Linden pruning in spring

In contrast to autumn, spring is the most favorable time for all types of pruning. Depending on your desire, we can rejuvenate the tree, shape pruning or reduce the windage of the tree by resetting the crown.

It is important to take into account the terms of work, starting from the beginning of March, ending with the end of April, but no later. To work with linden, it has become popular to work on deep pruning of a tree, the so-called topping. That is, all branches are removed from the tree trunk, and the height of the trunk drops to an average of 5-6 meters. Further, in the vegetative period, young shoots pubescent almost the entire tree trunk. But do not lower the trunk too low, you risk drying it out.

Causes and consequences of linden pruning

It is important to understand that any pruning causes irreparable damage to the health of the tree, thereby reducing its lifespan many times over. The most common linden disease is stem rot, which forms large cavities. This is the reason for the removal of the tree and pruning. Moreover, the cut places quickly absorb moisture and the fungus, penetrating deep into the trunk, begins to quickly destroy and spread through the tree. There's nothing you can do, that's nature.

To avoid possible consequences, you just need to minimize the number of cut parts of the tree and then your giant will please you for a long time.

Linden crown shaping

Linden is a very unpretentious and popular tree. Many types of linden grow in the wild in our country, so artificially planted linden feels great and does not require complex care.

The genus of plants "linden" belongs to the family "linden" and has about 45 species, of which the heart-shaped (small-leaved) and broad-leaved (large-leaved) linden grow freely in our country. In landscaping, felted linden is also used, which is distinguished by a silver-white lower surface of the leaf, but more often - varieties (artificially bred decorative forms) of these three species.

In the wild, this tree lives for quite a long time - up to 500 years. However, in urban conditions, it is negatively affected by gas contamination, an abundance of dust (especially in roadside alleys), excessive soil compaction in the near-stem circle, as well as a haircut, often illiterate, so the linden lives only about 100 years.

Linden on the site not only pleases the eye, but also provides you with a rather extensive dense shade, is very fragrant and elegant during the flowering period (July), does not cause allergies, and is also an excellent honey plant. From one adult tree in one season, bees sometimes collect up to 50 kg of wonderful honey - golden in color, transparent, viscous, healthy, and most importantly - tasty and fragrant.

The free-growing linden crown, which is not pruned at all or only sanitary pruned, usually has a broad pyramidal or ovoid shape. Due to the sympodial type of branching and high growth rates of most types of linden, its crown is very dense, easily tolerates a haircut and maintains a given shape, and also quickly recovers and grows a new crown. With a tree height of up to 30m, the diameter of its crown can sometimes reach 15 or even 19m. Under this dense canopy, it is very comfortable to rest in the hot summer, because the crown is usually raised above ground level by at least 1 m (except for forest specimens, which give a lot of root growth due to lack of lighting).

Varieties of linden crown pruning and their features

1. Sanitary pruning - only this type of pruning is necessary for the linden to be healthy and look well-groomed. Without such a haircut, the share of dry branches in the crown will increase every year, which significantly spoils its appearance, and on old trees, absolutely all the upper branches can dry out, and drastic measures will be required. Sanitary pruning (unlike all of the following types) prolongs and facilitates the life of a tree. During the sanitary pruning process, the following are removed:

• Dry branches - some old branches can dry out on their own - they become ballast for the tree, only loading it with their weight and not bringing any benefit to the plant. In addition, they carry a potential danger to everyone and everything that is around and directly under the crown of the tree, because they can break off themselves under the influence of strong winds.
• Damaged and injured branches - for example, broken or severely damaged by pests. They can be cut to healthy wood and treated with a garden pitch. But in this case, be prepared that in a month or two a bunch of young shoots will immediately appear at the cut site, which can disrupt the uniformity and symmetry of the crown. To avoid this, diseased branches are removed “on the ring” - they are cut down at the very base, along the tree trunk.

Dry, lifeless branches can be removed at any time of the year, so they are usually cut from May to September - when the tree is completely covered with leaves, it becomes obvious which branches have already died. It is better to make cuts and saw cuts on living wood during the dormant period, when the movement of juice along the tree is minimal - in autumn or spring, before the buds appear. It is possible to carry out a haircut in winter, but only on condition that the air temperature is not lower than -10 0 C. And do not forget to “heal the wounds” on the sawn live wood with garden pitch or at least oil paint.

1. Radical pruning is something that utilities often abuse. With such a haircut, almost the entire crown is sawn off, only the trunk and bases (about half a meter) of skeletal branches remain, and sometimes only a stump or column from the trunk, at least 25 cm high. After sawing to the stump, the linden crown will start straight from the ground, and it can be gradually formed into a ball or cube without a stem.

Naturally, this is an incredible stress for a tree, but tenacious linden is reborn even from a stump, growing a rather dense crown in one season - however, from thin branches with weak wood and low resistance to wind and other mechanical damage.

After a radical pruning, it is necessary to carry out 2-3 more thinnings in the same season, removing excess growth, otherwise a thick and not very neat ball of very thin young growth will form at each cut point.

Such pruning can be considered expedient only if the linden tree is neglected and its top is dry, or if the tree creates a danger for electrical wires. However, in both cases, it would be much more correct and effective not to bring it to such a state that drastic measures are needed, but to achieve what you want with regular annual haircuts.

Separately, it can be noted that mature healthy trees are sometimes cut down “on the stump” for faster formation of a flat crown on the trellis, but more on that later.

1. Thinning of the crown is carried out for the uniformity of its density, and may also be necessary for those trees that grow in well-lit areas or have been over-fertilized or incorrectly pruned, and therefore have formed a too dense crown, disproportionate to the root system. Such a procedure can prevent the natural drying of the branches due to insufficient nutrition, and also help to form a neat, symmetrical crown.

With this haircut, some shoots and branches (because of which some parts of the crown are denser than others) are cut under the base, into a ring. For 1 time (in 1 season) no more than 30% of the crown is removed, otherwise it will be too much stress for the tree.

1. Decorative shearing of the linden crown, or linden topiary is a rather extensive topic worthy of a separate article. For those who are not satisfied with the natural rounded, ovoid or wide pyramidal crown, and its outlines do not seem ideal enough, there are many options for forming the linden crown. The dense canopy, high growth rate and hardiness (including cutting and shaping the crown) of this tree make it extremely suitable for creating various figures in the garden. However, too frequent cutting, which means an abundance of wounds that need to be healed, requires a lot of energy and vitality from the linden, so the lifespan of a tree is reduced by 3-5 times (up to 100 years on average). Consider the most popular figures that are formed from linden trees:
   • Stem tree - implies the presence of a stem - a flat section of a bare trunk, on which a certain figure formed from a crown rises above the ground. Almost all the figures described below can be formed both on the trunk and without it (the crown starts right from the ground).

Stamping is absolutely natural for linden - in most wild trees, provided there is sufficient light, the lower part of the trunk is naturally bare, and the trunk itself is even. Therefore, all that is needed to form a trunk near a linden is to regularly remove basal shoots and young branches below a given height, if any.

Usually an adult linden is formed on a trunk 1.5 - 2 m high. With a total height of 5 - 15m, this is very convenient: a dense crown remains on top, which casts a dense shadow, and in this shadow you can comfortably sit without bending down.

If the planned crown shape is to be limited in height, the leading shoot (top of the trunk) should be cut down approximately 60 - 90 cm below the intended crown top.

• Most often, a ball, cone, cube, umbrellas (hemisphere, flat at the bottom) or roofs are formed on the trunk of the linden crown. To form the second figure, the top of the linden is sawn off, a horizontal support for the crown is created, and all young shoots are directed along it, forming a rather flat and dense crown. After reaching the desired breadth and density of the crown, the artificial support is removed. It is undesirable to make a roof of a larger diameter from one tree than the natural diameter of its crown (2 - 15 m, depending on age), because the branches may not support their own weight. If you plant several lindens at a distance of about 4 m from each other and form all the crowns into roofs, then in summer they form a green pavilion that will protect not only from the heat, but also from light rain, without blocking the access of air and filling it with a wonderful aroma during the flowering period .

• Lindens are grown on a trellis (flat base) to form an incredibly flat (only 15 - 20 cm) crown of a given shape. Common shapes are circle, oval, rectangle, square, less often heart and more complex shapes. Such a tree takes up a minimum of space on the site, but protects it from the wind and prying eyes (if the crown is on a low trunk or without it at all), and also creates a shadow in the morning and evening.

To form a strong, healthy tree with a given shape, they begin to form it literally from the first years of life, directing the trunk and branches along a metal support and removing excess shoots. However, to speed up the process, sometimes a 10-year-old linden is taken and cut down “on a stump” at a given height, leaving only a stump of the trunk. This stimulates a very active growth of shoots, from which they form a flat crown.

If you plant several trees, formed using this technique in the form of identical rectangles or squares, in one row, you will get a dense green wall, in which the well-known linden can be recognized by everyone only by leaves and flowers - and even then not always, if decorative varieties are used rather than natural species.

In essence, the “roof” shape of the crown described above is a linden tree with a fairly high stem grown on a horizontal trellis.

• The arch is formed from 2 linden trees using a metal frame. Trees are planted at the base of the frame and cut regularly so that the crown starts straight from the ground, but is not too voluminous, at least from the inside of the arch. When the trees reach the top of the frame, their tops are dived and tied or grafted together. If you put several of these arches in a row, you get a gorgeous green shady tunnel.
• Arbosculpture is a new and not yet widespread art of creating sculptures from trunks (rarely branches) of trees (usually several) by stretching, redirecting and fixing, grafting and splicing. Creating and caring for such sculptures requires not only a lot of effort, time and patience, but also talent, but the results are very inspiring (see photo).
• Niwaki, better known as garden bonsai, is the complex art of shaping the trunk and crown of a tree into a given shape. It requires painstaking and purposeful work on the tree from its youngest age, as well as cutting 2 to 3 times a year to maintain this shape.

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One of the main activities for the care of the above-ground part of trees in urban plantations is crown pruning, carried out taking into account the biological characteristics of their growth and development.

Tree pruning may have the following objectives: removal of dry, damaged branches and branches that reduce the decorative value of the plant and contribute to the formation of hollows; crown thinning; preservation of the shape and size previously given to the crown; crown volume reduction, crown rejuvenation.

As a result of pruning, the ratio of the total weight of the crown and roots changes. There is a relative increase in the number of absorptive roots supplying plants with minerals, root products and water. Improved carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism, the synthesis of organic substances, the movement of assimilating elements, as well as the water regime.

Pruning is a complex process and must be performed by highly skilled workers. When pruning plants, it is necessary to take into account their specific biological characteristics: the shape of the crown and its change with age, the type of branching, the possibility of awakening dormant buds and the ability of the plant to tolerate pruning.

Linden, elm, poplar, willow, apple tree, hornbeam, beech, ash maple, downy ash, white locust, common spruce, western thuja, juniper, aspen, etc. tolerate pruning; bad - birch, hazel, common ash, larch, horse chestnut, mountain ash, bird cherry, common maple, catalpa, pine, fir.

There are the following types of pruning - shaping, sanitary and anti-aging.

Form cutting. This type of pruning is used for trees in ordinary and avenue plantings, as well as for plants with an asymmetric sparse crown. Form pruning is carried out in order to preserve the natural or artificial geometric shape of plants (spherical, cubic, cone-shaped, columnar), uniform arrangement of skeletal branches.

A distinction is made between light, moderate (medium) and heavy pruning. The degree of pruning depends on the type of plant, its age and crown condition. At a young age, in many tree species (linden, poplar, ash-leaved and holly maple), weak buds are laid on the upper part of the shoots, from which weak shoots develop in spring. Stronger shoots develop from the buds of the middle part of the crown. Removing the upper weak parts of the shoots improves the growth and development of the crown as a whole. Therefore, at a young age (up to 20-25 years), it is advisable to carry out only weak pruning, the so-called pinching of shoots (no more than 25-30% of annual growth, that is, sometimes 3 buds for 1-2). When pruning, each time between the old and new cuts, it is necessary to leave shoots 5-10 cm long.

As the age of the trees increases, the growth of shoots in the middle part of the crown gradually weakens, the thickening of the crown stops, and stronger growth buds are now laid at the end of the shoots. In this case, it is advisable to use moderate pruning, the so-called shortening of the shoots (up to 50% of the length of annual growths), as a result of which the upper shoots lengthen, the leaves become larger and the crown thickens.

Strong pruning (60-75% of the length of annual growth) should be done only in fast-growing species (for ash-leaved maple, poplars), without pruning or with moderate pruning, the crown quickly thins and the lower branches die off. With heavy pruning, active growth of shoots along the periphery of the crown and an increase in leaf size are observed.

Forming pruning of trees is best done in early spring, before the start of the growing season (end of February - April). The shoots at this time contain a lot of moisture, the cuts are even and quickly overgrown. During winter and autumn pruning of trees, open wood is damaged by frost, buds located near the cuts may dry out, and part of the crown may die. Only in areas with mild winters, it is permissible to carry out molding pruning in the fall, after leaf fall.

Form pruning of softwoods is only recommended for certain types of spruce, juniper, arborvitae and firs used in high hedgerows along highways, railways and near memorials. Spruces and firs are recommended to be cut once a year, preferably at the end of shoot growth (in the forest zone around the end of June - the first half of July). With such a pruning period, the appearance of secondary shoots is excluded and the formation of intermutated lateral buds on the remaining "stumps" is stimulated, from which new shoots grow next year.

The formation of the crown of coniferous plants can also be carried out in cases of mechanical damage to their tops. In this case, it is necessary to remove the broken top shoot to the underlying branch, which should be straightened vertically upwards as a continuation of the tree trunk and tied to a rail fixed on the trunk. This branch will later replace the top of the tree.

The frequency of forming pruning of trees may vary depending on the speed of growth of shoots: annually for fast-growing species (poplar, ash-leaved maple, downy ash) and once every 2-4 years for slow-growing species (linden, elm, oak). When pruning slow-growing tree species, they are mainly limited to shortening one-year growths, and only individual branches are cut to two or three years old wood.

Sanitary pruning. During sanitary pruning, a uniformly translucent and well-ventilated crown is formed, therefore, first of all, diseased, drying out and bruised branches, coppice and fat shoots, as well as branches growing inside the crown and close to others should be cut; of two closely spaced branches, the weakest are to be removed.

When carrying out sanitary pruning of trees, pay attention to the location of the branches. In the crown of trees, especially young ones, branches sometimes appear, extending from the trunk at an acute angle or growing vertically upwards. Growing, they turn into branches almost the same thickness as the tree trunk. Annual rings at the base of such branches do not form or develop poorly, and their connection with the trunk becomes not strong enough. In strong winds, they can break away from the trunk, on which a laceration remains, spoiling the appearance of the tree and being the site of an easier infection of the plant with fungal diseases, so they need to be cut off in the first years of appearance.

Sanitary pruning is recommended throughout the growing season, removing the branches at their very base, and the shoots above the bud, without touching it.

Large branches are cut in 3 steps: the first cut is made at some distance from the trunk, to a depth of several centimeters; the second - 2-5 cm higher than the first, the remaining stump is cut flush with the trunk. This sequence of the operation prevents splitting of wood and damage to the bark.

The knot cut must be carefully cleaned and covered with garden putty, pitch or oil paint on natural drying oil. Well-cut cuts protect the wood and promote its overgrowth.

Do not leave stumps or thorns. When rotting, they cause the formation of hollows, and at best, overgrown, they give the trunk an ugly, ugly appearance.

Anti-aging pruning. By old age, many plants, despite good care, lose valuable decorative qualities, their foliage becomes smaller and paler, growth decreases. To maintain their vital activity, the main branches of the old crown are partially or completely removed.

Rejuvenation is usually carried out when the trees almost cease to produce annual growth or they show drying of the top and ends of the shoots. At the same time, the so-called "tops" appear on the skeletal branches. Rejuvenate trees should be up to the zone of emergence of new young shoots, greatly shortening the old branches, for which they are cut to 1/2-3/4 of the total length. It is desirable that one or two branches of the second order remain on the cut branch. Individual branches can be deleted entirely. In summer, shoots appear on shortened branches and on the trunk of dormant buds. If there is a lot of it, it is necessary to thin out, removing excess shoots. Rejuvenation is recommended to be carried out gradually - within 2-3 years, starting from the top and large skeletal branches, and only in trees with good shoot-producing ability (linden, poplar, willow).

Of the conifers, only prickly spruce (blue form) withstands rejuvenating pruning, which should be carried out before the start of the growing season or in its first half.

Poplars tolerate one-time heavy pruning. It is carried out at the end of winter or early spring, cutting off the trunk and lower

skeletal branches at a distance of 15-20 cm from the fork. After a year or two, thinning of the crown is carried out, and after three or four years, pruning is repeated if it is carried out to prevent dusting of poplars.

Sometimes trees such as poplar, aspen, birch, hornbeam, ash-leaved maple, small-leaved linden, etc., can be sawn to the ground, leaving only a small stump. Root growth on them is formed quite quickly and grows well. By removing the extra shoots next year, you can form a new single or multi-stemmed plant.

In order to increase the viability of weakened trees, along with rejuvenation of the crown, rejuvenation of the root system can also be carried out. Root pruning is tolerated by all tree species. It should be done gradually, cutting annually 1/3-1/2 of the root system. Root pruning must be combined with crown pruning.

To trim the roots, the tree is dug in a trench 30-40 cm wide and 40-60 cm deep. The near (inner) side of the trench should be located at a distance from the trunk equal to 10 times the diameter of the tree trunk. After stripping the roots, fertilized soil is poured into the trench and the plant is watered.

Pruning linden in autumn and spring

In the article we will discuss issues regarding pruning of such a tree as linden. Every year the crown of the tree should be shortened, this is important for the proper development of the plantation. No wonder there is such a remark that it is in the crown that all the power of the tree lies. The crown gives this part of the tree a lot of weight and the tree can sway strongly in windy weather and therefore represent a certain danger to others.

Which cut do you prefer?

It depends on what the trimming will be done for and this or that choice of method will be carried out. For example, branches and branches that dry out and can fall to the ground and therefore dangerous can be cut, it may be necessary that more light from the sun come to a certain area and, finally, an old tree poses a risk of falling on the site. It is from these goals that we must build. Lindens have been planted since Soviet times, and some are over 100 years old. Pruning of plantings is carried out in order to prevent the risk of a tree falling on buildings on the site or electric wires. You can consult on these issues with the masters of the WoodWool company.

What kind of work is done with linden crown:

Equipment used when working with linden crown

Masters of their craft work in our company. There is always modern high-quality equipment available for work, both for climbing directly on plantings and for pruning activities. There is a large selection of chainsaws for fast cutting in difficult conditions. In urban areas, the best choice for pruning is the use of aerial platforms, through which the work will be done efficiently, safely and quickly. As for suburban working conditions, climbers get down to business here. It is the latter that have proven themselves in work in a limited space.

Autumn pruning of linden

Careless mechanical processing of wood can have a very detrimental effect on its condition. We adhere only to respect for green spaces. Our state has taken care to create norms by which it is easy to understand what, how and when to cut for a certain type of wood.

Citizens often turn to us with a request to trim the linden. Taking the state regulations as a basis, we have introduced some convenient innovations in our work and now we can guarantee only high-quality processing of tree crowns. As soon as the linden begins shedding leaves, this is the moment when you can start pruning. It is important to do this before the processes of the beginning of the movement of liquids in the plantation. In autumn, it is better not to carry out any types of pruning other than sanitary. Only weakened and dry branches should be cut.

Often it is recommended to remove weak branches at the bottom of the tree. By spring, the linden will form a good strong crown due to this. Before the onset of cold weather, it is better not to do deep and shaping pruning and to carry out crown trimming activities. Otherwise, the tree will not survive until spring. Recall once again - in the fall we only trim the sanitary plan.

Spring pruning work

In spring, pruning opportunities increase dramatically. There are favorable conditions for this. If you wish, we can shorten the top of the linden tree to reduce the swaying of the tree, make a molding pruning or treat the tree to rejuvenate.

The best time to do this type of work is from the beginning of March to the end of April. Today, many people ask for such a service as topping, that is, pruning deep into the tree. In this process, all branches of the tree are removed and it is shortened to a certain size. This will allow the tree to develop better during the growing season. It is not necessary to overdo it in shortening the linden trunk, otherwise the tree will die.

Linden pruning goals and consequences

Pruning is a process that generally has a rather negative impact on the tree. The life span of a green plantation can be reduced by several times. Linden often suffers from such an ailment as rot in the trunk, which causes the formation of large voids. For this reason, the tree is pruned or completely removed. Through the cut points, more moisture begins to penetrate into the tree, as a result of which the processes of decay are accelerated. In order for the tree to live as long as possible, you should try to reduce pruning operations.

We can travel throughout the Moscow region and trim lime trees. You can contact the company's specialists by calling the numbers: +7 (495) 961-05-69, +7 (926) 907-76-49. If correspondence by mail is more convenient for you, then write to us at the mailbox: [email protected]. You can also ask a question of interest using the feedback form.

Contacts

Write to us by mail, call, use any convenient form of communication. We will do our best to provide you with comprehensive advice and answer all your questions. We are glad to see you!

Address: Moscow, 107045, Lukov pereulok, 4, office 8

Spring pruning of trees

Lumberjacks » Spring pruning of trees

Spring pruning of branches is one of the first events on the backyard plot. The most responsibly should be taken to pruning the branches of fruit trees, since the future harvest depends on it. However, spring pruning can be carried out on any other trees, both deciduous and coniferous. The main thing is to be in time before the start of sap flow, which, however, is not so important when pruning branches and branches from pines, firs and other gymnosperms.

Pruning or crowning of ornamental plantations

Ornamental trees are doomed to the fact that their crown is supported by an artificial form. True, caring for it, as a rule, does not require the gardener to have the skills to work at height. In addition to standard garden tools such as pruning shears, pruners, etc., extensions or pole pruners may be required.

Tall trees: birch, linden, maple, as well as spruce and Scots pine, can hardly be called ornamental plantations. However, these breeds are often found in home gardens in our climate zone. Sometimes they were planted by the first owners of the plots, and in fifty to seventy years the trees grew. Even more often, plots of land were simply cut on the border of the forest.

March 2014
Photo: Kaleria Lapshina.

Pruning of these trees is also recommended annually as a preventive measure to maintain their continued healthy development. Sometimes you can not do without "surgical" intervention. And the best time for all this will be spring.

These activities include:

• sanitary pruning with removal of diseased and dry branches;
• shaping the crown to give the tree the desired shape;
• removal of old branches, which also stimulates the growth of new shoots;
• technical clearing to free wires, roofs from contact with branches;
• reducing the windage of a tree to reduce wind pressure on it.

In most cases, there is a combination of two or more tasks at the same time. So, for example, pruning of a linden tree in spring can be done to remove old and diseased branches, in order to reduce windage and to solve technical issues related to the release of wires passing by a power line nearby.

Crown shaping

The most requested work with ornamental trees, especially in newly developed areas, is crown shaping. So pruning in the spring, first of all, young and actively growing, is required annually, and sometimes twice a year. You can work on creating the shape of crowns for lindens and birches once every 2-3 years, and for spruce - as needed.

When forming the crowns of tall trees, the possible shading of the area should be taken into account and the trees should be cut in such a way that other cultivated plants could grow under the trees and next to them.

Technical clearing and windage reduction

These types of work are carried out periodically on tall old trees. The growth of branches, especially in birches and lindens, can lead to the fact that the wires of a nearby overhead power line may be inside the crown. It is especially important to monitor the standing of the branches along the bare wires.

September 2013
Photo: Kaleria Lapshina.

In the event of strong winds, the swinging branches can touch the aluminum conductors and cause them to short circuit. At best, the fuses will fly out, at worst, the wires will burn out or the transformer will burn out. There are cases when a short circuit leads to the ignition of branches, which, in turn, can lead and sometimes, alas, leads to a fire. And not always the owners are at the right time on their site to save the day.

Such pruning of linden or birch should only be carried out by specialists, as it refers to high-risk work. And although local electricians should monitor the maintenance of overhead power lines, the reality, alas, is that often the burden of caring for trees along them falls on the most interested parties - the owners of the site.

The second common reason for technical pruning is overhanging branches over roofs, especially those with a low pitch angle. Autumn leaves cover the roof, internal slopes and gutters for water flow. The owners have to clean such a roof and gutters annually after leaf fall, often resorting to the expensive services of industrial climbers. Especially on the roofs of tall cottages of complex configuration.

The windage of the tree is reduced so that in the event of a strong wind it does not break and fall. The tree is cut in height or thinned out the crown, removing some of the branches. Dense tall spruces have a large windage. Pruning spruce in spring is possible in the same way as in any other season of the year.

Sanitary pruning

This type of tree pruning involves the removal of diseased branches. It is best to do this treatment in the spring, because after a frosty winter, the number of affected branches may be added. Dry and diseased branches are removed to healthy living wood or to the trunk. Or rather, to the bark ring on a branch near the trunk, so that the cut heals faster and the tree does not hurt.

Pruning fruit trees

Perhaps the most difficult type of pruning, requiring a lot of special knowledge from the performer. Timely and correctly performed spring pruning of trees in the garden helps to increase the yield, lengthen the fruiting period and improve the quality of the fruit. Within the framework of this article, it is impossible to describe all the subtleties of the process, so we will pay attention only to the main points.

The first pruning should be done the following year after the seedling has been planted. It is performed to form its crown. It is at this moment that the gardener lays the desired shape and density of the future crown. Pruning in subsequent years is aimed at maintaining the planned plan for the formation of the fruit tree and the removal of excess branches that weigh down the main skeletal branches.

Another purpose of pruning fruit bearing trees is to clear the canopy so that the branches do not shade each other and most of the leaves get enough light. Old plants are periodically rejuvenated pruning. To do this, the oldest branches are greatly shortened, and sometimes completely removed. This provokes the plant to give new young shoots. Of these, the strongest and located in the right places are selected, the rest are removed.

March 2014
Photo: Kaleriya Lapshina.

Beginning of the process

Spring pruning starts with pome trees: apple, pear and others. After 5-7 days, stone fruits are processed: apricot, cherries, plums and others. The fact is that the movement of juices in pome fruits begins earlier.

It is impossible to name the exact start time of pruning, because in the same region it occurs at different times depending on weather conditions, more precisely, on the average daily temperature. If you find it difficult to determine the time yourself, then just watch those neighbors who, in your opinion, have a more well-groomed garden and repeat the actions in time with them.

Four periods of growth

Gardeners determine four periods of growth for fruit crops, and depending on age, pruning has its own specifics.

The first period starts from the moment of planting until the appearance of the first fruits. During this period, pruning is aimed only at crown formation. Every spring, the shoots must be shortened a little and form the main skeletal branches. All shoots growing inward are cut off, 5–6 skeletal branches are directed in the right directions.

The next period lasts from 4 to 6 years until a sustainable crop appears. At this time, the main formation of a spherical crown is completed, and at the end of the period, the central conductor is cut off, which stops the growth of the tree up and increases the yield.

In the third period, active constant fruiting begins. It lasts from 10 to 20 years, depending on the culture. In these years, spring pruning is aimed at keeping the crown in the required size and removing diseased and growing branches inside the crown.

During the last, fourth, period, fruiting begins to fall, and all efforts are directed to the rejuvenation of the tree. Shortening of skeletal, removal of dry and diseased branches is carried out. Regular thinning is done, active top dressing of the soil is carried out. At the end of this period, the tree is removed and a new one is planted. By the way, a new tree should not be planted in the same place.

Do it yourself or invite specialists?

If you have experience and like working in the garden, it is best to do all the pruning work yourself. But for the first formation of a seedling, it is better to hire or consult a specialist. A properly created crown of a fruit tree is the key to good harvests.

But for the formation of crowns of tall trees, we recommend inviting only professional climbers (arborists)! These people have certain skills, have special tools and equipment. If necessary, they can use lifting equipment such as aerial platforms. You can independently do spring pruning of only low trees, without climbing to a great height.

When caring for fruit-bearing and ornamental crops in your area, do not hesitate to ask for advice, especially from experienced gardeners, and you will be successful!

How do we do it?

Perhaps one of the most dangerous areas of high-altitude work is arboristry, which involves the provision of the following services.

Arborists are required not only to be skilled with ropes, but also to be able to work with a chainsaw, to have knowledge of the properties of tree species.

Illegal pruning of trees threatens with serious sanctions - from an administrative fine to criminal liability.

Tree trimming is a process that is best left to professionals and coordinated with local territorial authorities to avoid undesirable consequences.

Professional terms

Can lead to unfortunate consequences. When falling, be sure to hit the most valuable item in your area.

An arborist is a professional who has the technical skills, gained through experience and related training, including climbing, to supervise the treatment of trees and other woody plants in residential, commercial, and public landscapes.