Pruning sour cherry tree
cherry tree care — Seattle's Favorite Garden Store Since 1924
SOIL PREPARATION & PLANTING
Choose a location in well drained soil that receives full sun. Space trees relative to eventual mature size. Dig the planting hole as deep as the existing roots, and at least twice as wide. Loosen the soil on the sides of the hole with a shovel or spade fork, especially if your soil is heavy clay. Prune out damaged or rotted roots. Form a cone of loose soil in the center of the hole and spread the roots over it. Position the plant’s height so that the crown (where the roots meet the trunk) is at or slightly below the finished soil surface, and rotate the plant to where you feel it looks best. Be sure the graft union is at least 1 inch above the soil surface. Fill the planting hole and cover the roots with native soil (dug from the hole) that has been amended with about 25% E.B. Stone® Planting Compost or Gardener & Bloome® Soil Building Conditioner.
WATERING & FERTILIZATION
Water the plants thoroughly at planting (even if it’s raining out!), and continue to water thoroughly for the next few years. You will know when it’s time to water again once the soil surface dries out slightly. As the seasons progress, you can let the soil dry out a little more between each watering.
Fertilize in April every year, using an All-Purpose fertilizer or a Fruit Tree fertilizer. Follow the instructions on the package for quantities recommended relative to the tree’s size.
THE GOAL OF PRUNING
Create and maintain a training method that increases fruit production and avoids future branch breakages
Control the tree’s size (if desired)
Enhance fruit quality through opening up the canopy
TIME OF PRUNING
Cherries are best pruned in spring and late summer. Pruning should take place after the tree has started growing in the spring. Dormant pruning gives some diseases opportunities to infect the tree.
Pruning Method
Cherry trees are typically best trained and maintained using the open-center method. The idea is to create a tree that does not have a central leader (a single dominant trunk from the roots to the uppermost top) and instead has only 3-5 well spaced main branches. These main branches are called scaffold branches.
Start training the first year by pruning off everything but 3 or 4 strong and widely separated shoots to serve as main scaffold branches. If some of the branches chosen to be scaffold branches are very long, you can cut off the end of the branches to encourage more branching. The second year, continue your selection of scaffold branches by choosing a few more from the new shoots. Remove all the other young shoots. You may wish to reassess and remove branches previously planned to serve as scaffolds, leaving new shoots to serve in their place. Remember, you are training the tree for an ultimate goal of 3–5 well spaced and open scaffold branches. The third year, continue with the scaffold selection if you are not yet satisfied, and continue to prune out unwanted branches.
During the training process, you may wish to employ extra methods to space the scaffold branches other than selecting naturally grown
branches. Pieces of wood can be placed between branches to improve spacing (figure 1). Spacing with objects should be done for as short a time period as possible and should be done carefully so as not to damage bark.
Older sweet cherry trees require little maintenance pruning. Annually thin twiggy branches to allow light and air to penetrate further into the canopy. Also remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. You may remove the ends of scaffold branches annually to keep the tree at a desired height. Keep in mind that sweet cherries fruit at the base of last year’s new growth and all along older branches. Sour cherries fruit only on tissue that grew the previous year, so pruning of older sour cherries involves removing approximately a quarter of the branches that fruited the previous year. That way new shoots are stimulated to grow and have some room to do so.
DISEASE & PEST CONTROL
The best defense against pests and diseases is to provide the plants with the right location, adequate drainage, and deep watering. Cherries are susceptible to certain diseases and pests, and monitoring for problems is a good idea.
Good garden hygiene is also important. Use sharp, clean pruners to prevent damage and the spread of disease from other plants. Cleaning up dead leaves beneath the plants in the fall is also a good practice. This will help remove any diseases or pests which are attempting to overwinter there.
Trimming Cherry Trees - When And How To Prune A Cherry Tree
All fruiting trees need to be pruned and cherry trees are no exception. Whether sweet, sour, or weeping, knowing when to prune a cherry tree and knowing the correct method for cutting back cherries are valuable tools. So, if you want a cherry tree that will provide maximum fruit production, ease of harvest and care, and is aesthetically pleasing in appearance, you’ll need to prune your tree. The question is what is the proper method for cherry tree pruning? Let’s talk cherry tree pruning care.
Why Trim a Cherry Tree?
Pruning cherries, or any fruit tree for that matter, is of paramount importance. The primary reason for trimming cherry trees is to ensure the most optimal access to sunlight. Cherry tree pruning allows for aeration, allowing light channels to penetrate the tree, allowing a better fruit set, ease of harvest, and the ability to battle or thwart disease.
So in essence, when you trim a cherry tree back, it will be allowed to develop a proper form, yielding higher quality fruit earlier in its life and remaining healthier overall. Trees that have been improperly pruned or trained tend to have upright branch angles, which may lead to limb damage under heavy fruit production.
When to Prune a Cherry Tree
The rule of thumb when pruning fruit trees is to do so when the tree is dormant during the winter. However, cutting back sweet cherries is an exception to this rule. Sweet cherries are more susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, especially on recently cut limbs, so it is best to prune them in the late summer. Keep in mind that summer pruning reduces the tree’s energy for fruit production as well as its growth, so this should be minimal using only thinning cuts. Thinning cuts are those which remove an entire shoot, branch, or limb up to the point of its origin and do an excellent job of opening up the canopy.
Dormant pruning is a more aggressive pruning. When a large portion of the tree is removed during the dormant season, the energy reserves of the tree remain unchanged. The timing of dormant season pruning is critical, and should begin as late in the winter as feasible to avoid injuring the tree. Sour and weeping fruit trees may be pruned at this time once the risk of winter frost has passed.
Early spring is also prime time for pruning young cherry trees, shaping and training the young tree before it blossoms. Pruning should begin as buds emerge, but wait until all chance of extreme cold temperatures have passed to avoid possible cold injury, as younger trees are more susceptible to this. Mature cherries can be pruned in early spring too, or after they bear fruit.
How to Prune a Cherry Tree
The tools needed to trim a cherry tree back include: a hand pruner, long handled lopping shears, and a pruning saw. Bypass pruners are better than anvil; they can get a closer pruning job done than anvil pruners. The number one task in cherry tree pruning care, actually prior to pruning any bearing tree, is to sterilize your pruning tools. This is to prevent the potential spread of disease from other plants to the cherry. You can wipe the blades down with rubbing alcohol and a rag or mix a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water and then rinse with clean water and dry.
How to Prune Cherry Trees When Young
Young cherry trees should be pruned into an open vase-like shape to allow for light and air penetration which increases the number of blooms, hence an abundant fruit set.
First, cut the suckers off the trunk of the tree and any shoots from limbs that are pointing towards the trunk of the tree as well as any weak branches. All of these are rather pointless shoots that strive to take nutrients from the areas of the tree you want them to go. Cutting them also serves to increase air circulation. Cut the sucker right outside the branch collar, the raised area where the stem meets the trunk. Also, cut any obviously dead, diseased, or broken branches.
Head the tree in fall or winter, an exception to the above rule. A heading cut is the removal of part of a shoot, branch, or limb, up to one-third to one-half its length. If you head in the spring, you will be lopping off developed buds, potential fruit. Heading means cutting off the top of the leader, the central trunk to encourage growth of the lateral branches. This is done within the first year or two to control the tree’s shape. Be sure the sapling is well over 30 inches (76 cm.) tall before heading it. Make a 45-degree angle cut on the leader, leaving the tree 24 to 36 inches (61-92 cm.) tall.
In the subsequent year, begin creating a scaffold whorl, a set of four lateral branches extending out from the tree which provides a solid stricter. Choose four sturdy, evenly spaced branches to keep and prune out the others. Opt for limbs that are at a 45 to 60-degree angles to the leader and at least 8 inches (20 cm.) apart vertically from the lowest branch about 18 inches (46 cm.) above the ground. Cut those four branches back to 24 inches (61 cm.) with one-fourth inch angled cuts above the buds. This is where new growth will emerge. Continue to make clean cut flush against the leader to remove the remaining branches.
The following year, create a second scaffold whorl. The tree will be taller now, so select another set of four branches to keep about 2 feet (61 cm.) higher than the first set. Choose branches that don’t fall over the older primary limbs. Repeat as above to create a second scaffold.
Pruning Mature Cherries
Once the tree is three years old, it’s time to promote outward growth by pruning out new vertical limbs. At this point you will need loppers or pruning saws, not shears. Again, clean the tools prior to use. Also, prune out any dead or diseased limbs and dead fruit. Cut back any suckers at the base of the tree. Remove any crossed branches.
Cherries are prone to disease, so be sure to clean up all the discarded remnants. Also, cover all cuts with a tree sealant to fend off disease.
In summary, when you prune cherries, remember your goal. You are trying to create a tree that is well balanced, open and manageable, as well as aesthetically pleasing. There is no real science for pruning fruit trees. Some of it is trial and error. Look at the tree carefully and try to envision it as it will look when it’s leafed out in the summer, and eliminate any shoots that seem too closely spaced.
how to prune correctly, scheme of crown formation of old and young trees
Cherry pruning is needed not only to form a beautiful crown. The main purpose of this procedure is to increase productivity. Unfortunately, not every gardener can boast of a good knowledge of pruning principles. In order for the cherry to grow more actively and delight its owners with ripe and large berries, you need to adhere to certain (not at all complicated) rules.
Contents
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1 Should cherries be trimmed at all? nine0003
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2 General pruning principles
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2.1 Shearing methods
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2.2 When to prune cherries
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3 Crown shaping
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4 Trimming features
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4.1 Tree cherry
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4.2 Bush cherry
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4.3 Young tree
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4.4 Rejuvenation of old cherries
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4.5 Top trimming for height restriction
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5 Photo gallery: treelike cherries after pruning
Should cherries be trimmed at all?
Many novice gardeners ask themselves the question: do you need to prune cherries at all? Of course, it is necessary. This tree boasts very fast growth and branching, so if it is not pruned, the crown will tangle very quickly, the central branches will no longer receive enough light and air, and fruiting will deteriorate or stop altogether. nine0003
Regular pruning of a plant will have a positive effect on it:
- annual growth will increase;
- fruiting will improve - the berries will become juicier and larger;
- it will be easier for the tree to endure wintering;
- all branches will receive enough light and air, and therefore there will be fewer drying and fading branches;
- kidneys will form and develop more actively.
General principles of trimming
The entire trimming process can be roughly divided into two steps:
When pruning cherries, thinning is most often used. This is due to the fact that her buds are located closer to the ends of the branches, so shortening will be less effective in improving fruiting.
To learn how to prune cherries correctly, you also need to be able to identify the type of branch:
Cutting methods
When pruning cherries, the following cuts are most often used:
- for lateral branching. The main branch (thicker) is cut down to a strong side branch; nine0010
- translation shortening. If the branch forks, it can be shortened by removing one of the shoots up to the fork. The choice of shoot depends on the situation, but when pruning cherries, the outer branching is most often left;
- per ring. In this case, the branch growing from the conductor is cut down to the very base.
The diagram clearly shows how a particular cut is made
Many gardeners know that most plants should be cut with preparations such as ground coal or garden pitch to protect the branch from infections and improve healing, but on cherry this rule does not apply. nine0083 Processing cut branches of a cherry tree or bush will lead to difficulty in recovery.
When to prune cherries
Cherries (of any variety and type) are pruned every year. A fresh seedling, planted in March-April before the buds swell, is pruned immediately after planting to form a crown.
Any tree or shrub is pruned in early spring, before the buds swell. At this time, active sap flow has not yet begun, and the plant will tolerate the removal and shortening of branches well. If you did not have time to cut the cherry in March, you should not cut the branches after the swelling of the buds - there is a high probability that they will dry out to the very base. nine0003
Cherry pruning should be carried out before bud break
In summer, after fruiting, only mature, well-developed trees can be pruned. Autumn pruning is, as a rule, sanitary in nature - before winter, weak, drying, diseased branches are removed from cherries in order to facilitate wintering for the plant.
This sanitary pruning can be carried out in any month if necessary. If you notice a diseased or drying branch, remove it immediately. In autumn, it is worthwhile to carefully examine the tree for damaged or weak branches and cut them out, if any. nine0003
Crown formation
The best option for such a fruit tree is considered to be a sparsely-tiered crown. When shaping, they use the same methods as when trimming: shortening and thinning.
The formation of the crown is carried out only after planting the cherry in its permanent place. Therefore, if you dug a cherry for the winter, you need to cut it only after landing in the garden.
Skeletal branches of the first order are formed in the seedling immediately after planting in the spring. To do this, choose about 5 of the strongest branches, the lowest of which should be located at a distance of about 20–30 cm above the ground. All branches growing below this threshold are removed to the ring. nine0083 For skeletal branches, those that grow at an angle of 40-50 degrees from the trunk are best suited. Shoots growing at sharper angles may break off under the weight of the berries. Choose branches that grow at the same distance from each other and are located along the entire diameter of the trunk.
The formation of skeletal branches after planting is an important stage in the care of the seedling
In the second year, branches of the second order are formed. To do this, remove the shoots growing on the upper side of the skeletal branches. It is also necessary to cut into a ring all the shoots that have grown from the trunk in a year. The central conductor (or, as it is also called, the leader) is cut in such a way that it is 25–30 cm higher than the uppermost tier of branches, no more. nine0003
When forming the crown of the seedling, branches growing inside the crown, weak twigs and small shoots on the lower part of the trunk are removed
Pruning features
Of course, pruning of different types of cherries differs from each other. Moreover, the same tree at different periods of its life also needs to be cut in its own way.
Tree cherry
For the gardener, the bouquet twigs and annual shoots of the tree cherry are of the greatest interest - it is on them that most of the berries are formed. The main operation is crown thinning to stimulate an increase in the number of fruitful areas. nine0003
Tree cherries are distinguished by their large size and high stems
When pruning tree cherries, the following procedures are carried out:
- forks are removed. To do this, a cut is made on the outer branching and branches growing towards the trunk or upwards are cut out;
- shorten long shoots. Shortening can be done on a branch or on a kidney. Short (up to 20 cm) shoots are not touched;
- small branches growing on the conductor are removed on the ring - thus the skeletal and fruit branches are strengthened. nine0010
Bush cherries
A feature of bush cherries is fruiting on annual shoots. Accordingly, when pruning this cherry, special attention should be paid to their constant active development.
Shrub cherries have a low trunk and compact size
When pruning bush cherries, follow these guidelines:
- shorten by a third the branches where the ends are starting to show. Skeletal branches in this case are cut to a well-developed lateral branch growing upwards; nine0010
- do not remove annual growths - this can lead to the death of the shoot after fruiting;
- it is necessary to prune shoots about 40–55 cm long to increase their branching;
- cut not on the ring, but on the lateral branching.
Young tree
When the seedling is established in its permanent place, it is pruned to form the correct crown. For this, only skeletal branches are left, and the rest are cut into a ring, leaving no hemp. At the same time, the rings are treated, contrary to the rule, with garden pitch. nine0003
The young cherry tree is pruned mainly to shape the crown
The following year, the biennial tree is protected from excessive thickening of the crown. To do this, remove the branches growing inside the crown. In the summer, you can still remove the green shoots growing on the trunk until they have time to get stronger. If they were not removed during the summer months, then these lignified branches are removed only the next year, in the spring.
In the future, new skeletal branches are formed near the tree, choosing them from among the strongest on the trunk, so that their number gradually increases to 13–15. nine0003
Rejuvenation of old cherries
Rejuvenation pruning of tree-like cherries is carried out when the bases of the skeletal branches are bare, and the annual growth becomes large and amounts to more than 10-15 cm. It is necessary to shorten the branches by a four-year-old wood. If the entire branch or its tip is bare, then they rejuvenate to the side branch of an older - five- or six-year-old - wood.
Bush cherries are rejuvenated when the branches are significantly exposed and growth is weakened. Branches are pruned to strong lateral branches grown on three-year-old wood. nine0003
Rejuvenation of an old tree should be carried out systematically. If the old cherry tree is already heavily neglected, then such pruning is carried out systematically for several years so as not to injure the plant too much. Rejuvenation is carried out along with the planned spring pruning.
The principles of rejuvenating pruning of old trees are quite simple:
- do not remove more than a meter of branches, because this can lead to the death of the whole tree;
- branches are not left completely bare when pruned, cutting off all branches; nine0010
- pruning is done above the fruit branch;
- young twigs that appear after pruning should also be shortened to encourage continued growth.
With regular pruning of old cherries, their age becomes less noticeable - they continue to bear abundantly. It is produced when the cherry reaches a height of 3-4 meters. Thus, the growth of the plant is limited. In this case, the conductor is transferred to a strong side branch. nine0003
The top of the cherry tree is also cut off when the conductor is more than 30 cm higher than the top skeletal branches.
- Young cherry after pruning gets a beautiful crown shape
- Thanks to pruning, cherry blossoms do not prevent small branches from accessing light and air. nine0222
Proper yearly pruning of cherries is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Give the plant your care and time, and it will thank you with ripe berries and beautiful foliage.
- Author: Ira Shestakova
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Cherry pruning: 6 rules with photos and diagrams
Cherry tree grows fast. Without regular pruning after planting, it very soon turns into a ball of woven branches. Such a tree grows poorly and bears little fruit. To prevent such problems, regular pruning is needed. Let's figure out when and how to prune cherries and how to take into account the characteristics of berry varieties.
How to prune a cherry tree
Why is it necessary
Timing of the procedure
Principles of pruning
Features of working with different types of cherries
— Tree
— Bushy
Detailed instructions
— Spring treatment
— Autumn processing
Rejuvenation
Beginning and sometimes experienced gardeners doubt whether it is possible to cut cherries and why this should be done. We list the most important reasons that prove that the procedure is necessary.
- Uncontrolled growth of twigs leads to the appearance of a dense crown. It gets little air and light. This dramatically reduces the number of flower buds, and, consequently, the yield. nine0010
- An overgrown crown takes a lot of energy from the tree to form and grow shoots and leaves. The cherry is weakening, the harvest is decreasing.
- Insect pests often settle on thickened, poorly ventilated branches, pathogenic microflora develops.
Proper pruning prevents all these problems. It has a positive effect on the plant.
What pruning does
- Increases fruiting, and the berries grow larger. nine0010
- Increases annual growth.
- All branches receive adequate lighting and ventilation. Among them, there are fewer withering and fading.
- Kidneys actively form and develop.
- The tree tolerates winter cold well.
The crop tolerates pruning relatively easily. It can be done at different times. The best time is the period when there is no active sap flow. This is early spring, when the tree has not yet begun to grow, and autumn, when the plant hibernates before the cold. Spring pruning - sanitary and shaping. She is the main character of the season. It is carried out when the kidneys woke up and began to swell. In this phase, it is easy to distinguish a live branch from a dead one. nine0003
Summer pruning of cherries is possible for adult strong specimens after fruiting has ended. But even for them it is undesirable, if possible it is avoided. The active movement of the juices will not allow the wounds to heal quickly. They will drag on for a long time, which adversely affects the condition of the tree. The summer procedure involves only cutting out broken or diseased branches. The rest is left until autumn.
If the cherry trees are pruned well in spring, there will be almost nothing to do in autumn. It remains only to remove the dead and broken branches. If the crown was not formed in the spring, they do it in the fall. You can cut cherries even in winter, but at a temperature not lower than -8˚С. A sleeping tree will transfer the procedure easily, because sap flow is completely absent. nine0003
Only two steps are used to prune a crop. Let's briefly describe both.
- Shortening or trimming. With it, the upper part of the shoot is cut off. They do this to accelerate the growth of new shoots and activate the buds that are located below the cut line. On a cherry tree, branches longer than 0.4 m are usually cut. At the same time, pruning can be strong when half of the grown growth is removed, medium - a third of the growth is removed, or weak. In the latter case, a quarter is cut off. nine0010
- Thinning. The branch is cut off entirely, to the base. This is how weak, diseased or thickening crown shoots are removed. Its removal improves the flow of air and light to the remaining growth.
Branches can be trimmed in different ways. Let's analyze the basic techniques for performing a cut.
- Shortening by translation. Used for twigs. Leave only one branch from the fork. Usually, this is an external branching. The second branch is cut off. nine0007 Side fork. Cut off a thick branch-base. Leave a strong side branch.
- On the ring. The branch is cut to its base.
- On the kidney. An oblique cut is made just above the bud, from which they plan to grow a new shoot.
An important point: all sections are immediately smeared with garden pitch or similar. This will help the plant recover and prevent infection.
Trees of different types are pruned differently. Let us briefly characterize the features of such pruning. nine0003
Tree-like varieties
The tree-like group includes large sprawling trees with a high trunk. They are characterized by the formation of ovaries on the branches of a bouquet type. Therefore, the main purpose of pruning is to stimulate the growth of fruit-bearing areas. Carry out such procedures.
- Remove all small branches on the ring conductor. This strengthens the skeletal branches.
- Long branches are shortened "for branching" or "for a kidney". Too short shoots up to 200 mm long are not cut. nine0010
- Remove forks. Cut off shoots for branching, remove shoots that are directed upwards or along the trunk.
Bushy varieties
Plants of the bushy group are compact, with a low trunk. Fruits are formed on annual shoots. Therefore, you need to activate their growth. Conduct the following activities.
- Branches with exposed ends are trimmed by a third. If this is a skeletal branch, it is cut at the level of the lateral branch directed upwards. nine0010
- Cut shoots that have reached a length of 45-55 cm. This enhances branching.
- Do not cut "on the ring", it is better to use the "side fork" technique.
- Annual growths cannot be cut. Otherwise, the branch after fruiting may die.
How to prune cherries in spring
Sanitary pruning is carried out: all dried, broken and diseased branches are cut out. After proceed to the formation of the crown. Usually it is formed in tiers. This means that the branches are left only at the tier levels. The rest is removed. The average distance from the soil level to the lower tier is 85-100 cm. The gap between the first and second levels is 45-50 cm, and between the subsequent ones is 35-40 cm. We have prepared instructions on how to properly form tiers. nine0003
- Completely remove the shoots on the trunk between the first tier and ground level.
- Cut off all branches growing between levels.
- Form a tier. To do this, cut out all the extra branches inside it. There should be no more than four or six of them, the strongest and most viable. The distance between them is not less than 12-15 cm.
- Clear the levels-tiers of unnecessary branches. This growth, which is located near the skeletal branches, often duplicates them. It is not recommended to shorten it, it is cut off “on the ring”. nine0010
- Trim the annual growth. On skeletal branches, it can reach a meter per year. This is too much, because the root system does not have time to grow so quickly, which affects the nutrition of the tree. Remove a third of the growth that has appeared. But if the branches have grown too large, you can cut off half.
- Treat the sections with a disinfectant.
Spring cutting can be completed by shortening the center conductor. Then the crown will "open" and form in the form of a bowl. This is done if they want to stimulate the growth of another level-tier or if they need to slow down the growth of a tree. The bowl-shaped crown is optimal for a tree growing in the shade. In all other cases, it is not necessary to cut the conductor. It is enough to shorten its growth a little. nine0003
How to properly prune cherries in autumn
On the eve of wintering, sanitary pruning is carried out on cherries. Do it like this.
- Cut out any diseased, dead or broken branches.
- Cut off shoots pointing inwards.
- Remove all growth on the trunk below the first tier.
- Cut out the young intertwined thickened shoots.
If no shaping pruning was done in spring, it should be done in autumn. nine0003
It is performed in the spring, at the same time as pruning. For tree-like varieties, the signal for the need for the procedure is the exposure of the base of the skeletal branches and a decrease in growth to 12-15 cm. The branches are shortened to four-year-old wood. It happens that the whole escape is already exposed. It is cut to a five-year-old wood for lateral branching. Bushy varieties rejuvenate with strong exposure of twigs and growth retardation. Branches are cut to three-year-old wood. Cut into lateral branching. nine0003
Rejuvenation is carried out regularly. Every year, part of the branches are processed.