Summer pruning of fruit trees – can I prune, why and how?
Hello, dear readers of our website! Today I would like to talk about summer pruning, which is usually carried out from the beginning of July.
Summer pruning
You should not be afraid of summer pruning of fruit trees: trees are growing actively at this time, and all the damage done to them will heal very quickly, especially since at this time of year there are no thick strong branches, and there are thin shoots of the current year.
I do not treat areas with garden spray, but with fungicide – one to two percent copper sulfate or other preparation that I have on hand.
In the fall or spring, we usually do pruning in cold and wet weather, which means fungal infections can get into the plants. And in the heat of summer, the chance of fungus infection is much lower. With this procedure, you can remove anything unnecessary during the active growth phase, and the tree doesn’t have to waste energy and nutrition on growing branches that you will remove in the fall or spring anyway. And it’s easier for you to cut them now before they grow back.
You will need sharp garden shears, which should be disinfected several times with an alcohol solution before and during the work, so that when pruning different trees, the infection from one plant does not transfer to another.
The essence of summer pruning is to thin the crown: you need to open it to the light and ensure air circulation between the branches. Therefore, you should first remove annual and then vertically growing shoots, as they give the tree more height, but do not improve fruit formation.
The optimum height of a tree, in my opinion, is one where you can reach each fruit by hand without using a ladder or stepladder. Low trees are easy to use and easy to harvest, so vertically growing shoots should be removed. They bear almost no fruit and only take up the tree in vain.
Pruning a young apple tree
My apple tree is only two years old, but it has already grown well. One of the offshoots tends to take the leading center position. If nothing is done, the apple tree may gain a lot of growth, but I don’t need that.
However, it is not advisable to cut out this drive completely, as the apple tree has not yet reached its planned height. So I will shorten this long drive by a third of the length to a lateral bud, from which a young shoot will emerge, pointing away from the middle of the crown. The more horizontal its position, the more apples on it. As you already know, bring vertical growth.
I try to form my trees low-growing, with a shell-shaped crown, so that the middle is open to air and light. So the shoots growing deep into the crown, I cut from the bottom, as they say, to the ring.
In addition, it is necessary to remove all the tips of the roots that form the rootstock (in my apple tree it is refined). These shoots give strength and nutrition to the tree, but there is no point in them – they are wild. You should cut the shoots off at ground level.
Pruning an old pear tree.
With the pear tree, the story is more complicated. I got a six-foot tree from the previous owners of the plot. And last spring I decided to lower it: all the delicious fruits were hanging so high that it was impossible to remove them. They were crossed, falling and rotting.
I shortened the pear tree to 2 m, and this drastic reduction caused rapid and dense growth of shoots on the tree. So I have a lot of pruning to do until mid-July. I have to cut all the vertical growth and leave only the shoots that are more or less horizontal. They will produce a harvest.
Perhaps I will leave some of the lateral growth through the lateral bud to redirect its growth horizontally.
pruning
The cherries have already reached their planned height, so I will shorten a couple of vertical shoots on the lateral bud, pointing in the opposite direction from the middle of the morbus.
And a couple of shoots growing deep into the crown, I will shorten to 20 cm, because this is the wood for many years, and next year there will be a harvest. Now, these shoots will not shade the crown, but I will be able to collect berries from them. The remaining shoots on the cherry grow as I need.
trim the cherry tree
Usually no one prunes cherry trees. I do this. The cherry tree yields on last year’s shoot, and if you cut off the young growth, you will be left without a crop next season. Regardless, the crown needs to be rid of improperly growing shoots pointing deep into it.
Pruning a plum tree
I don’t have my own plum tree yet, but my neighbor does, and it’s pretty neglected. I always say that summer pruning is no substitute for fall and spring pruning, they should all complement each other. The neighbor will have to work on the plum, but it’s better to do it in the spring or fall.
In summer, as on other crops, it is necessary to remove all verticals and thicken the crown of plum growth, and too long horizontal shoots half removed to the side. On the shortened shoots, side buds will wake up, giving shoots on which the next year’s crop will ripen.
Peach pruning.
I planted peaches just last fall. This is a special crop and should not be touched in the summer. The peach is drastically pruned at the pink bud in the spring, so it is best not to touch it in the summer, even if it is overgrown. Despite the spring and summer rains, which were abundant, I found no signs of curling on my peach. Final conclusion: dogwood is not trimmed in the summer.
Pruned mulberries.
My mulberry grew from rooted cuttings. The first year I watered it, but now it is watered with rain and does not need watering. To be honest, I don’t know how to prune a mulberry. It seems to me that it is not pruned at all.
The tree from which I took cuttings is huge, with a wide crown, literally studded with fruit, and no one has ever pruned it. Despite the large leaves of the mulberry, the fruit ripens in the crown.
But I don’t like my tree growing with upright parallel trunks, so I will still remove and plant a shoot in the middle.
Although the winter was not very harsh this year, the ends of the shoots are frozen and need to be removed. Last year the mulberry grew slowly, so the shoots apparently did not have time to grow over the winter.
Pruning the grafted tree
In June, I removed everything that grew from what was available on my grafted plum tree. While the grafting was taking root, I did not cut the shoots on the cuttings, and as soon as the varietal cuttings began to develop, I cleared away any vegetation from the rootstock. Understandably, rootstocks appear again and again, and every time I get them: they take away nutrition from the tree, which the varieties do not get.
This year I am touching only grafted cuttings, I will use them until spring. If they get stronger and grow normally, I will form a bowl-shaped crown from them. By the way, I did not buy the cuttings, but asked a neighbor, the owner of a plum tree I liked. If you approach a person and ask if you can cut cuttings from their tree, you will never be refused. After all, you can tell by the person’s request that she is a good gardener. This psychological trick works great.
Cut a cherry tree.
For many, persimmons are an exotic plant. I grew a wonderful virgin that was grafted onto rootstock. I planted it near a couvez hedge and protected its basal part from the intense sun.
My goal is to get Kaki to grow with Turk over Turk, so I am removing the lower branches from Persimmon. Vertical shoot growth is fine with me for now, but once the tree reaches its planned height, I will start shaping the crown.
There were 12 flowers on the Persimmon this year, but they fell off. This is normal for kakis: the first one or two years it may drop the ovaries because there is not enough vigor for them.
These fruit plants grow on my site. There are also ziziphus and dogwood, but I make it decisive according to assumptions: When I see a branch growing in the wrong direction, I remove it. These plants are uncomfortable, and if they have put down roots, they will grow for a long time.
Prune your trees in the summer, don’t be lazy, and you will look good, beautiful and active.
How to properly prune fruit trees in summer
Most amateur gardeners believe that it is desirable not to prune only in the spring period of the year, but this is a big misconception. Summer pruning is just as effective, since young fruit trees are formed at this time. Let’s take a closer look at why summer pruning is necessary and how to do it correctly.
Perhaps we should start by saying that tree pruning is a whole degree of activities that help to prolong the life of the plant. If you correct the cladding, the crown of the tree will become more lush, more fruit will appear, and the winter hardening of the fruit buds will increase several times over.
Why prune trees in the summer?
This procedure is done mostly on annual or seasonal growth in the summer, and usually includes:
- Cuttings of drives,
- Tilting branches,
- Stems,
- Ending shoots.
Many growers claim that these techniques are very effective and have a positive effect on the further growth of the tree.
Pruning the scion
Starcut 410 Plus telescopic pincer
Pinning is used to block the growth of shoots on a rapidly developing branch. This process involves removing the tip of a growing shoot. The development of the “fast” branches is halted while others have a chance to catch up, and the branch “skeleton” becomes stronger.
Pinning should be carried out if the shoots have grown by 20 centimeters. This method is usually used for apple and pear trees. To suspend the growth of shoots, simply remove the top, about 5-10 centimeters, and this process can be repeated after 10 days.
There are many tools in the gardening world that make pruning easier. For example, the Starcut 410Plus secateurs and BL secateurs with a special telescopic stem attachment of the German brand Gardena for a precise and straight cut. With this set it is possible to reach the highest branches even at heights of up to 6.5 metres, including the user’s height.
BL (attachment for combined system)
The pruner from the German manufacturer Gardena is also suitable for trimming hard, dry branches. The tool is equipped with an ambush mechanism: the lower blade as a support protects the bark of the tree from damage. Thanks to the integrated gear ratio, you can save a lot of effort when pruning shrubs. Despite its low weight of less than 1.5 kg, the secateurs provide high cutting performance.
Autscher Energycut 600b
Kidney (eyelet) blindness
If there is a well-developed bud in the crown, a branch is sure to grow out of it. This is often undesirable because it thickens the crown. To avoid unfortunate consequences, it is advisable to remove it immediately with a garden knife. Those nutrients that do not contribute to the formation of a new unwanted branch are used to stimulate the growth of other, more necessary branches. This technique is only suitable for young trees, in mature plants it is almost impossible to get rid of such buds.
Remove young buds or small shoots with the Gardena Classic 680 garden shears with a total length of 680 mm. Their precision-ground, non-stick coated finish and the new cutting geometry guarantee a clean, soft cut of your favourite plants. The garden shears are equipped with a shock absorber that effectively reduces the strain and thus guarantees comfortable and safe work.
Easyer Easycut 680b
If you find that a branch has already started to grow, you will have to trim it in the same way. This is easily achieved with the Gardena premium 700 B. Thanks to its 700 mm length and precision cutting, the professional device cuts unhealthy branches up to 40 mm in diameter without damage. This branch fork will last for many seasons because it has replaceable stainless steel blades. Working with the garden shears will be easy thanks to their ergonomic handles that do not require extra effort.
Premium 700 b premium
Branch
More buds develop on the branch when it is placed horizontally, and the slope of the branches allows you to regulate growth. It is recommended that branches be tied down when shoots begin to emerge. First determine in which direction the branch should be broken off so that it takes the most horizontal position. If it is deflected, it is advisable to hold on to the trunk and base of the branch with one hand and gently divert the branch with the other and then fix it in place.
Pasyncovanie
Pasyncovanie are offshoots that grow along with the disc. The offshoots are removed by pruning. For the most part, these are green shoots that are just beginning to grow. Why is this done? Again in order to get a higher yield, which was more fruitful: Before you start to remove, you need to inspect the crown and determine which shoots are needed and which are not. You can remove the green tops of the shoots or break them out completely if you see that they are crowded in the crown. Gardeners advise to treat the cut surfaces with garden varnish after pruning.
Break out the shoots
The last point of our analysis is breaking out the shoots. With this technique, you break out the ones that are growing inside the crown, at an acute angle. When the shoot reaches a length of 5 centimeters, you need to see if it is needed or not. If not, break it off gently. Removal of young trees can be done by hand, but if the tree is already fully grown, it is better to use a pruner Gardena Telecut 520-670 B, which is designed for pruning branches. With the length-adjustable handles, both high and low-growing branches can be trimmed. Special soft plastic nozzles protect the joints from damage. The Nondy-coated blades make precise cuts with no effort.
Intacty Telecut 520-670 B
To ensure an even cut that is not too tall for shrubs and trees, you can use other brand-name products. For example, the B/L Comfort Garden Shears with their ultra-masculine cutting head are particularly well suited for gently cutting back excess green foliage from bushes and young trees. Thanks to the two handle positions, you can cut both large and small branches. Thanks to the locks that can be swallowed with one hand, these garden shears can be safely handled and stored. With this tool, you can quickly and easily give the plant a noble look.
Depending on the type of work, it is recommended to choose garden shears individually. Gardena has different models, e.g. the Gardena B/M Garden Shears differ from the previous model. Precision-ground blades with a special coating prevent dirt, twigs and resin from sticking to the surface of the tool. It is important that these garden shears are equipped with cutters. The tool is easy to use because the handles are equipped with elements that can be used to firmly fix the tool in the hand. The Gardena Garden Shears have two handle positions: they cut quickly and powerfully.
Ornamental trees can be looked after with a handy tool – and are thereby a pleasure. Thin branches – such as vines – can be cut with the Gardena Garden Shears A/M. It successfully cuts branches up to 23 mm in diameter. The non-stick coated upper blade guarantees a clean cut.
A/M Garden Shears
The SmartCut Ratchet Garden Shears are suitable for large branches. They have a ratchet mechanism (PowerPlus) with which you can cut even the thickest twigs that are not above the ground. The shears have a precision blade and an anti-stick coating on the upper blade. This tool is convenient to work with by hand, as its handles have a soft coating. Pruning trees with ratchet shears becomes easy and ergonomic.
SmartCut Ratchet Garden Shears
Many experts strongly recommend summer pruning, and there are several reasons for this. First, pruning cherries, cherries, plums and cherry plums does not cause gums to bleed immediately after harvesting, which is inevitable with spring pruning; Wounds heal well in the winter. Pruning can easily get rid of small lesions of branches by dangerous diseases (moniliosis, cytosporosis, black cancer). Secondly, fast-growing shoots take a lot of energy from the tree, so you can direct all the nutrients to the fruit in the summer. The need for summer pruning is still debated among gardeners. There is still no unambiguous opinion, but the results of this process will not be long in coming.
