How to prune apple trees in winter

Content

1 Why prune apple trees?
2 Why is it better to prune an apple tree in winter?
3 Methods and rules of pruning
- 3.1 Pruning depending on the age of the apple tree
- 3.2 Pruning apple trees depending on varietal characteristics
4 Schemes for the formation of apple trees
5 Some important tips

Anyone who grows apple trees knows that caring for fruit trees includes annual pruning of branches. This procedure allows you to correctly form the crown, regulate plant growth and increase productivity. You can prune in early spring or late spring. in autumn, but experienced gardeners and professionals know that the best option is apple tree pruning in winter. Next, in the section we’ll talk about why in winter you should trim fruit trees and how to do it correctly.

Why prune apple trees?

Young seedlings and already fully grown apple trees in the garden must be pruned annually because:

Proper pruning allows for rational distribution of nutrients throughout the bush, increasing crop productivity.
The dense crown prevents the penetration of sunlight, which contributes to the development of diseases, fruit rotting, and the proliferation of parasites.
Removing dry and damaged branches helps to improve the health of the apple tree.
The unformed crown is too spreading, its thin branches are not able to withstand the load from the fruit.

In the first years after planting, young apple trees need to be pruned most carefully, since at this time there is active growth of vegetative organs, and the tree grows an excessively dense crown, which will subsequently be quite difficult to form. If pruning is neglected in the early stages of cultivation, then the harvest can only be harvested for the first few years; in the future, the tree’s fruiting will significantly decrease or stop altogether. Mature trees also need to be pruned annually in order to improve their health and increase productivity.

Important! Without pruning, an apple tree can not only reduce its yield, but also die.

Why is it better to prune an apple tree in winter?

Pruning even the smallest branch is stressful for the tree, so it is recommended to do it during the period of so-called sleep, when the movement of juice in the body of the apple tree is stopped. The slowdown in plant life cycles occurs in late autumn. Fruit trees awaken in early spring, which is signaled by the appearance of buds. Many gardeners, focusing on the changing seasons, try to prune apple trees either in the fall or in the spring, without thinking that the optimal time for pruning is in winter.

It is preferable to prune apple trees in winter because:

In winter, apple trees are in a state of stable dormancy, and the likelihood of causing harm to them is reduced to a minimum.
Branches without foliage are clearly visible and you can objectively assess the dimensions of the plant and determine the need to shorten or remove certain branches.
In winter, there is low activity of parasites and bacteria, which can settle on freshly cut wood.
From mid-winter to spring, enough time passes for the cuts to heal safely.
Low temperatures in winter act as an anesthetic, reducing stress for the apple tree.
In winter, the gardener has enough time to do the best job possible.
Apple trees pruned in mid-winter awaken in the spring without stunting their growth.

Thus, it is winter pruning that allows the crown of fruit trees to be formed most efficiently, causing the least suffering to them. However, it is worth remembering that there are restrictions for this event: branches can be trimmed and shortened only at temperatures not lower than -15⁰C. Temperatures below this limit make plants fragile, and even with extreme caution, there is a chance of breaking a healthy, desired branch or damaging the fragile bark. It is worth noting that late varieties of apple trees always tolerate winter pruning without problems; varieties of mid- and early-ripening fruits are slightly more sensitive.

Important! Extremely low temperatures can damage the cut area, possibly leading to rot in the spring.

Methods and rules of pruning

Pruning an apple tree depends on the age, tallness and varietal characteristics of the plant. We will try to understand in detail each of these factors separately.

Pruning depending on the age of the apple tree

The diagram below demonstrates some general principles of the formation of the crown of apple trees depending on age:

Young apple trees must be formed in compliance with the following rules:

For the first 4-5 years, you need to shape the crown of the apple tree in such a way as to leave 6-8 skeletal branches.
Only the longest and strongest branches should be left in the lower tier.
The higher the tier, the shorter the branches should be. This will allow you to “open” the plant as much as possible.
It is necessary to remove branches growing downwards and horizontally to the side. Parallel arrangement of branches should also be avoided.

Thus, it is in the first years of cultivation that you need to try to correctly form the skeleton of the apple tree. In this case, further pruning of branches will not be particularly difficult. It will consist only of thinning and improving the health of the tree.

You should also not forget about the old apple trees in the garden. First of all, mature fruit trees require sanitary pruning. It involves removing diseased, broken or damaged branches. The winter season is perfect for sanitary pruning, when there is no movement of sap in the body of the plant.

Important! In spring, sanitary pruning of trees is prohibited.

Caring for adult apple trees also involves shortening thin shoots and thick old branches. You can shorten shoots with pruning shears. For thick branches, a hacksaw is suitable. The branches must be cut correctly, without leaving stumps, since the cambium on them is drawn in quite slowly, as a result of which the stumps dry out and become a breeding ground for pests and bacteria.

Advice! In winter, the bark and the wood of the apple tree itself are fragile.

In order not to damage the plant, it is recommended to first make a cut on the branch from below, and then completely cut off the branch from above. In this case, the branch will break under its own gravity without tearing off the bark on the trunk.

Advice! It is better to trim thin branches on an apple tree at the end of February, when the likelihood of severe frosts has already passed.

Pruning apple trees depending on varietal characteristics

In addition to the age factor, the type and intensity of pruning is influenced by the plant variety. Some apple trees independently regulate the formation of shoots, and in this case only diseased branches have to be removed. Most hybrid apple trees have this feature of self-regulation at the genetic level by breeders.

It is necessary to prune apple trees not only to increase the yield, decorate the garden or improve the health of plants, but also to make it convenient to collect the fruits. So, some apple trees without pruning, they can reach a height of 8 m. That is why the height of crown formation depends on the variety, the type of rootstock: on vigorous rootstocks it is customary to leave a crown 3-5 m high. If the rootstock is medium-sized, then the crown height should not exceed 4 m. Low-growing varieties and hybrids are grown only up to 2-2.5 m.

Schemes for the formation of apple trees

The crown of all fruit trees must be formed in such a way that the sun's rays illuminate each branch as much as possible. This can be done arbitrarily, focusing only on the above rules or adhering to a certain scheme. Thus, at least 4 different schemes for forming the crown of apple trees have been proposed for gardeners:

Tiered-discharged pruning

This method of forming apple trees involves creating tiers. Each lower tier should be as open as possible. It is necessary to adhere to the principles of such formation from the first years of cultivation:

In the first year, you need to mark several main lower branches at a height of 50-60 cm from the trunk. All greenery above 80-90 cm from the trunk must be removed.
In the second year, 2 oppositely directed strong branches should be left in the lower tier. The second tier should be planned 15 cm above the lower one so that its branches do not obscure the lower shoots.
In the third year of cultivation, you need to pay attention to the existing skeletal branches. They need to be cut at a distance of 50 cm from the trunk. This year it is additionally necessary to lay down the branches of the third tier.
In the fourth year, you need to form the upper, final tier, consisting of one branch.
In all subsequent years, the existing crown shape must be maintained by removing thin shoots.

The tiered pruning method is advantageous for apple trees. It is most often found in nature and allows you to grow good quality fruits in large quantities.

Fusiform pattern

The meaning of this scheme is that each higher-lying branch on the trunk of the apple tree should be shifted several degrees relative to the lower branch. In this case, it is allowed to leave 3-4 branches on the lower branches, only 1-2 branches are left on the branches located in the middle of the trunk, and on the upper branches all lateral shoots are removed. I begin to lay the lower branches at a height of 50-70 cm from the root collar.

This formation results in a very decorative tree shape. If you lift all the branches up, the shape of the plant will resemble a spindle. This feature gave this method its name. The advantage of this method, in addition to being highly decorative, is the convenience of picking apples.

Cupping

This method of forming apple trees is similar to a tiered pattern. The only difference is that in the first year of cultivation, 3-4 skeletal branches are left and bent 70-80 degrees from the trunk. This forced deformation allows us to make the same frame for the bowl. The branches of the upper tiers can also be slightly bent to obtain a decorative tree shape.The formation of a bowl-shaped apple tree is well demonstrated in the photo below.

Vertical palmette

This scheme is used only for low-growing apple trees with fragile branches. For such trees, support is vitally needed, which can be made in the form of horizontally stretched strings along a fence or wall of a house or barn. The distance between horizontal strings (supports) should be 40-45 cm. For a low-growing apple tree, it is enough to install 3-4 such strings and one vertical support near the tree trunk.

Using this formation scheme, it is convenient to prune branches in winter, but you cannot tie up skeletal shoots in severe frost. In this case, there is a high probability of breaking fragile shoots.

Some important tips

Forming an apple tree correctly is quite difficult. This requires skills, knowledge and abilities. It is important for novice gardeners to adhere to some general rules that will improve the health of the plant and increase productivity:

It is recommended to prune strong side shoots into 4-6 buds in winter.
Trimming weak shoots by 2-3 buds activates their growth.
Branches that grow downward or at a very sharp angle to the trunk must be trimmed.
Diseased branches must be removed completely to prevent the spread of the disease.
When pruning, stumps should not be left behind.
To trim apple trees, you should use only sharp and disinfected tools.
The temperature in winter at the time of pruning and for several days after the operation should not fall below -15⁰WITH.
It is necessary to leave as few wounds as possible on the apple tree, and therefore it is sometimes better to remove one large branch than several side shoots on it.
Wounds on the apple tree need to be treated with garden varnish or paint.

All rules are clearly demonstrated in the video:

Surely, professional advice will help a novice gardener carefully and competently prune an apple tree in winter.

Separately, you can get acquainted with the most common mistakes when pruning apple trees in the following video:

Thus, the winter season is at the same time the most gentle and at the same time the most dangerous time for pruning apple trees. Winter frosts stop the process of movement of juices and put the plant into a state of sleep, “anesthesia.” The danger lies in the fragility of the bark and wood. The slightest awkward movement can damage the plant. That is why you need to get to work with caution and patience. There is no need to rush, because every new cut is a wound for the tree. Try to be a careful and responsible “surgeon” in this situation, and then everything will probably work out “perfectly.”