Apricot is a tree that retains all its ovaries, and in order for it to be beautiful and produce a stable crop, the gardener must conduct annual pruning .
. Through such work, you can make a lot of mistakes, so it is very important for to know the correct algorithm of actions and approach this procedure as seriously as possible.
Table of contents
- Why apricot need pruning?
- Which season can be cut - spring, summer or autumn?
- . How to make. Suffer. Ru. O.S.
Why apricot need pruning?
Considering the individual characteristics of the apricot, it can be said that the apricot needs pruning for the following reasons:
- In order for the apricot crown to be neat and beautiful, you need to form it yourself, otherwise the branches will grow strongly.
- If you do not cut apricot, then initially it will be very fruitful, the crown becomes very thick and powerful. But after a certain amount of time, the internal branches grow bald and very quickly grow old, begin to break and fall off.
- Fruiting buds are laid in smaller quantities , and the remaining fruits become smaller.
- Also, if you do not regulate the amount of the future crop in the first years of the tree’s life, the branches will begin to break under the weight of the fruits of .
- Growth of new shoots stops.
With regular pruning, the crown of the apricot acquires the correct form, and over the years it will be possible to get a large, juicy and annual crop. Also the life of a tree becomes much longer.
Which season can be cut - spring, summer or autumn?
Apricot needs complex pruning, which is why this procedure is carried out in spring, autumn and summer of .
Starting from the first year of life in early spring, the tree needs to properly form the crown .This work helps to normalize the number of fruits and significantly improves their quality.
Sanitary pruning is carried out in the autumn, which will help prepare the apricot for winter and improve it. During this procedure, all diseased, dry and damaged branches are removed.
In summer, the tree rejuvenates , thereby increasing the number of young growths. This procedure is carried out 1 time in 3 years.
In order to get a bountiful harvest of tasty apricots every year, you need to take care of the tree and follow all the rules.
Apricot needs complex pruning, which is why this procedure is carried out in spring, autumn and summer . How to make an
procedure In order not to harm the apricot, but rather to help, pruning should be done according to special rules .They will help to avoid mistakes and carry out work with the highest quality.
Choosing the moment to form the crown and to rejuvenate the old tree
All work should be done during the period of low activity of the tree, until active sap flow has begun, with the exception of summer rejuvenating pruning.
Preparation of the tool
For work, you may need:
- pruner;
- hacksaw;
- Lopper;
- garden knife.
Before using , all instruments must be disinfected with special liquid .This procedure will help avoid the spread of diseases and pests.
Also, in order not to hurt the tree, all blades should be well ground .
A pruner, a hacksaw, a garden knife and a lopper must be sharpened and sanitized. Scheme and technology
Experienced gardeners recommend to form an apricot crown using the method. At the same time, 5-7 main branches of the first row are removed at a distance of 40 centimeters.
The scheme will vary depending on the year the tree lives.
For the formation of the correct crown, it is very important not to delay the cutting process, they begin to carry out this work from the first year of the tree’s life.
First year
If there are no branches on the purchased seedling, it is shortened and 80-90 centimeters from the ground is left.
If there are already sprouts on a young tree, the work is carried out as follows:
- main conductor is cut in such a way that it would be 20-30 centimeters higher than other branches;
- even the most powerful branches located along the row reduce exactly 2 times;
- , the remaining processes are completely removed, and the presence of hemp is also not allowed, therefore pruning is carried out “on the ring”.
Further throughout the whole season, it is necessary to follow the development and growth of the tree and to remove in time the branches growing inside the crown or in the wrong direction .
In the first year, the apricot seedling is cut “on the ring”, 80-90 centimeters are left from the ground The second year
During this period, work on the crown formation continues and the main goal will be laying of the main branches.
To do this, perform the following actions:
- select a few more strong branches so that they are at a distance of 30 centimeters, both from last year's shoots and from each other. Then they are cut using the method of subordination. The method of subordination in horticulture expresses that the upper branches should be shorter than the lower ones;
- the length of the main conductor must be equal to 40 centimeters from the last branch growing to the side;
- those shoots that were formed last year, also slightly pruned;
- shoots grown on skeleton branches for the season, shortened, taking into account the individual characteristics of the variety. Thus, in fast growing varieties they are halved, and in moderately growing ones by 1/3.
Third year
In this period lay the last skeletal branches , with the work carried out according to the following algorithm:
- the main work on the formation of the crown is performed in the same way as in the second year of the apricot;
- the only difference is that this time the conductor is not shortened, but removed completely;
- in addition, you need to take care of the overgrowing branches, whose presence is obligatory on a healthy tree. For their formation, it is necessary to slightly reduce the branches that grow from the trunk, but are not skeletal.
In the third year it is necessary to slightly reduce the branches that grow from the trunk, but are not skeletal The fourth year
From this time on, the crown of the tree is considered .In addition, it is at the age of four that many varieties begin to bear fruit.
From this period, over 3 years pruning will be performed only as sanitary and wellness works.
Formative pruning apricot:
Old apricot
At a mature age apricot needs to be rejuvenated every 3-4 years , because it is by this time that the old branches lose their ability to tie fruit and need to be updated.
To rejuvenate the old apricot, you need to shorten several branches of the skeleton to a length of 20-30 centimeters.
If fruits are formed only on distant parts of the tree, then in the spring, can completely expose all skeletal branches of .By the summer a lot of young, fruiting shoots will appear on them.
Apricot pruning scheme depending on the year of life of the tree Features at different times of the year
Pruning may differ from each other depending on the time it is held. In each period, there are several features that you definitely need to pay attention to.
Spring
In the spring, is usually chosen for the end of March and the beginning of April, when the air is already relatively warm and the sap flow has not yet begun.
During this period, the following activities are carried out:
- crown formation;
- sanitary and maintenance pruning.
The very first such work in the life of a tree should be carried out in the spring.
Otherwise, apricot will spend a lot of effort on the restoration of diseased shoots, which will not in the best way affect the quality and quantity of the crop.
Spring pruning and spraying apricot:
Summer
People call such works “coinage”.Usually they are carried out in the late spring and early summer, the main thing is to meet before June 10-15.
The goal of the summer pruning will be the rejuvenation of the tree, which in turn will increase the amount of harvested crops. The algorithm of actions for this procedure is as follows:
- young shoots, which were formed in the current year, are shortened so that their length is 20-30 centimeters;
- after 2-3 weeks, young growth should appear, 3-4 of the most powerful shoots are selected from it, and the rest are removed.
By the onset of autumn, all the foliage on the tree should already recover, and the places of the cuts should be tightened. On the secondary shoots will be formed additional fruit buds.
In the event that , if for some reason the tree lacks moisture, these works should be postponed .
Otherwise, the apricot will weaken and will recover for a long time, with the entire positive effect of the procedure turning into a negative one.
Summer apricot pruning, in August:
Autumn
During the autumn pruning, it is necessary to clean the tree from diseased shoots and restore the balance between the fruit bearing and deciduous branches.
All fruit branches, except for skeletal ones, are cut to 1/3 of the length of .It is also necessary to completely remove dry, damaged or diseased branches.
The best time for such work is considered to be the middle of October. , while if the weather is rainy or early frosts set in, it is better not to prune.
Good care after
After pruning, apricot especially needs quality and full care. In order for the tree to recover as soon as possible, it is necessary to carry out the following work:
Apricot pruning only at first seems very difficult .After a certain amount of time has passed, all actions will start to become a habit and their implementation will not require any special efforts.
