How to prune an apple tree in the fall: a diagram for beginners

Every gardener knows that on the eve of winter it is necessary to prepare fruit trees for the next season. Planned work - autumn pruning of apple trees, carried out in accordance with certain rules and at a suitable time.

purpose of work

Apple trees are trees that love a lot of light. To ensure this condition, their crown must be periodically thinned out, otherwise air stagnation forms inside the branches. Depending on the condition of the tree and its age, pruning of most varieties of apple trees in the fall is carried out for the following reasons:

• to strengthen young shoots;
• remove old branches so that new ones grow in their place;
• form a crown that is correct in shape;
• provide the tree with enough sunlight;
• increase the number of branches where the crop ripens;
• prepare the apple tree for wintering.

Fruit trees need to be prepared for the next season.

Depending on the purpose, apple pruning can be divided into several types.

• Sanitary. For the elimination of dry, damaged and diseased branches.
• Formative. It is applied only to a young apple tree in the first years of its life to give the tree frame the correct shape.
• Revitalizing. Used to reanimate an apple tree after damage.
• Regulatory. Pruning is carried out not only dry, but also part of the fruiting branches, otherwise a large harvest will simply break the tree.
• Anti-aging. The old apple tree is pruned to rejuvenate its shoots and increase productivity.

What time of year is it better to prune an apple tree

Young trees need to be thinned out twice a year: in autumn and spring. After the snow melts, this procedure is used to remove branches that have not survived frost and increase the yield of 2-year-old seedlings. You need to prune the branches until the buds appear.

In the fall, after the leaves have fallen off, the apple tree is rejuvenated: rotten, broken, old branches are removed. This is how the garden prepares for wintering.

Apple pruning is planned for the right time of the year

In some cases, the procedure is used in summer and winter. In the first case, it is necessary if the spring thinning of the crown was not carried out, and in winter gardeners can remove branches in southern regions with a warm climate. On the territory of the Moscow region, work is carried out in the last week of October or 2 weeks before the start of frost.

Scheme of work

To understand how to properly prune an apple tree in spring or autumn, a universal work scheme is used. Its step-by-step description consists of several points.

1. Remove old, broken branches.
2. Cut off weak elements that are close to each other.
3. Shorten acutely angled processes.
4. Cover the sections with garden varnish or oil paint.
5. Collect and burn the separated wood.

Types of pruning

There are several techniques for pruning an apple tree in the fall. For beginners, before using each of them, it would be nice to learn from experienced gardeners so as not to harm the apple tree.

Side branch

When two branches of equal length begin to grow from one branch, one of them is removed, leaving the main neighboring one. A similar technique is used to distribute the growth rate of an apple tree from the sunny side to the opposite (found in the northern regions).

On the ring

The base of each shoot is an annular ridge. In order to properly cut the branch in this case, the impact is made along the upper border of this section. The cut should be straight for the tree to heal faster. If you take it a little higher, a stump will remain, due to which a hollow may appear or the branch will simply dry out. The ring technique is justified when a large, old part of the tree is eliminated.

On the kidney

The purpose of the work is to shorten the apple branches for their further branching. It is used on young apple trees: one-, two-year-old. The shoots are shortened to the outward facing bud. If the main task is to strengthen the center of the trunk, the excess length is removed to the inner, directed towards the center of the kidney.

Required tools

A detailed list of everything that can be useful to a gardener in the process of carrying out a full-fledged autumn garden pruning:

1. A hacksaw with a matching profile. The tool is similar to a saber tapering towards the end with metal teeth.
2. Pruner. Better to take the option without the ratchet mechanism.
3. Saw. An essential tool for eliminating large branches.
4. Air pruning shears on the bar. For cutting branches at high heights or in hard-to-reach places.

Tools for the job

All listed parts must be clean and preferably disinfected.

Slicing processing

There are several simple formulations, thanks to which the cuts of apple trees will overgrow faster. They can be bought ready-made, or made by hand.

• Clay talker. Mixed with mullein, clay and water. It resembles sour cream in consistency.
• Garden var. Consists of alcohol, fat, beeswax, resin, drying oil, vegetable oil and special agronomic formulations. Protects the saw cut from moisture.
• Cement mortar. It is prepared from cement, fine sand, water and a small part of drying oil.
• Disinfectant solution. Consists of copper sulfate, lime (1:10).
• Paint on linseed oil. Dilute well with linseed oil before use.

Shaping and rejuvenating pruning

The specific age of the apple tree directly depends on the type of pruning. A young tree needs to be formed, while an old one needs to be rejuvenated.

Formative pruning is performed in several stages.

1. First autumn - remove the top by 4 buds.
2. Second autumn - shorten the lateral branches by 25% of their length, leaving only a part of the strongest shoots.
3. Third autumn - get rid of the young growth and 30% of the length of the lateral branches, prune the central trunk.

Then the work is repeated, as in the last year, only the top of the apple tree needs to be removed “on the ring”.

Forming apple tree pruning

To rejuvenate an old tree and make it bear fruit again, you need to replace its old branches with new ones.

1. Get rid of dry, broken, sore spots.
2. Remove shoots that touch the ground - all without exception.
3. Cut everything that darkens the crown into a ring.
4. Cut off "tops" or branches growing strictly vertically.
5. Clip on new elements over 50 cm high.

Apple tree care after pruning

Usually, work on removing branches from an apple tree is carried out after stopping its growing season, which means that all the gardener needs further is to prepare the tree for winter.

1. Seal up the cuts with the mixtures described above.
2. After 2-3 days, treat the apple tree from insects and rodents: spray with suitable compounds or whitewash.
3. Remove fallen leaves, mulch the base of the trunk, apply suitable feed if necessary.
4. Cover the root system with a layer of humus, dead wood, or straw.
5. From spring, organize planting in the near-stem circle of marigold flowers, which protect trees from insects.

Apple tree care after pruning

Common mistakes beginners make when pruning in the fall

Novice gardeners are constantly faced with various difficulties in the process of planting and growing fruit trees. The most common mistakes they make are very common.

• Too early or too late to prune. There is nothing worse than pruning an apple tree immediately after harvest, especially when it comes to summer varieties. Such manipulations will slow down the growth of the tree. If you plan the procedure for the period of frost, the remaining parts of the shoots will simply freeze out and with the arrival of spring the apple tree will die.
• Pity the branches that darken the crown. As a result, there will be a beautiful fruit grove in the garden, which does not give a normal harvest.
• Leaving sick, dry, broken items.
• Form a hollow, then fill it with foam. This will only speed up the completion of the life cycle of the apple tree.

Taking proper care of apple trees and pruning them on time in the fall is much easier than it might seem. It is only important to understand which of the existing techniques can be used for a tree of different ages, and step by step perform it with suitable tools.