Apricot pruning in autumn: a starter diagram

To obtain a guaranteed crop, apricot pruning is carried out in autumn and spring. This event has some nuances that are especially useful for beginners in gardening to know. Regular and correct pruning will help to maintain a healthy crop and ensure a high yield for every year.

The need for apricot pruning in the fall

Apricot pruning is done for several reasons:

1. After the harvest, the tree is exhausted, it needs restoration. It is only necessary to trim the branches that do not bring a crop, which means that the tree will not be useless to spend energy on the growth of leaf mass.
2. Unlike many garden crops, apricot branches are shortened to adjust the amount of yield. Thus, the breakage of branches is prevented from the abundance of fruits, because the cut branches will become tougher over time, will be able to better withstand the load.
3. Timely removal of some fruit branches contributes to the longevity of the tree.

Thus, we can conclude - the annual autumn pruning of an apricot tree significantly affects the fruiting, healthy condition and plant life.

Event Tools

To trim the tree, you should prepare:

• secateurs;
• a small garden knife;
• garden saw;
• whetstone for periodic sharpening of tools;
• twine for tying up shoots;
• special garden tool for processing slices.

Before you begin, you need to prepare the inventory. Initially sharpen the knife and secateurs.It may also be necessary to adjust the secateurs - tighten the nut if it loosens, or loosen if it works too tight.

The saw also requires special preparation: its teeth need to be tilted in different directions, alternating them one at a time.

Spring Trimming Dates

Apricot pruning is also carried out in spring. The goal is to remove twigs frost-bitten after winter frosts. Mostly weak young seedlings suffer from frostbite, their branches are too thin and defenseless.

Important! For the first time, young seedlings are best cut in spring.

In other cases, pruning is done to adjust the crown - the branches should be located so that the sun's rays have access to each shoot. The ideal option is in the shape of a bowl.

The dates for this event are early April. At this time, strong night frosts are no longer observed, so the slices quickly close and overgrow.

On a note. In spring, you need to have time to prune the tree before the foliage appears, until the juice begins to move.

Scheme for beginners

It is necessary to start the annual crown pruning event already in the second year of life of a young tree.

Apricot pruning scheme is quite simple, and looks like this:

1. It is necessary to remove about a third of the length of the fruiting branches.
2. Frame branches that support the shape of the crown can be adjusted to maintain the shape, removing incorrectly grown shoots along the branch.
3. The remaining branches on which the fruits will grow are shortened so that their length is not more than 50 cm.
4. From time to time, the tree becomes sick, some branches dry out, or become covered with signs of the disease. These branches must be removed to the very base, and the place treated with a special tool, for example, garden var. Next year, young shoots will appear on the site of the cut branches.
5. If the main branches have more than 15 leaves, you can make a tweezer.

Reference. Pincing - pinching the top of a tree by removing the top of a young shoot. It is usually made in order to promote the growth of the plant in width and to stop the growth in height.

The nuances of pruning a young, old apricot

Pruning a young tree is necessary not only to adjust the fruitful branches, but also to carefully shape the crown:

1. At the age of 1 year, the formation is as follows: 2 lower branches remain, the rest are cut 20-30 cm shorter than the first two. The distance between the branches is about 30 cm.
2. In the 2nd year, young branches are shortened by a quarter, the distance between them is about 40 cm.
3. For the 3rd year and subsequent years, the branches are cut in the same way, increasing the distance between them by 10 cm.
4. Twigs on the central shoot are pruned only if their length exceeds 60 cm.

It is customary to pinch new twigs, weak and short, until they get stronger for holding the fruits.

Autumn pruning of an old tree helps to rejuvenate it. To begin with, the plant is inspected for dead, non-fruiting branches. If any, they are removed at a 45-degree angle with a garden saw. Young leave if they are strong enough, while all branches are cut off on them. You can leave a few if they are large enough and strong.

After such pruning next spring, all the juices of the tree will be directed to the growth of new, young shoots.

Apricot care after pruning

Good restoration of the apricot tree after pruning requires proper care and care for it:

1. Cover all fresh sections and possible wounds of the tree with garden varnish - a tool that contributes to the rapid overgrowth of damaged sections of the tree and protects against dirt and bacteria from entering the wounds. In extreme cases, instead of a var, a simple paint is used, which they paint over the slice to prevent bacteria and pests from entering it.
2. If there are large sections, they must be disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate, and then covered with varnish or paint.
3. For speedy recovery, the tree needs to be fertilized with phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers.

For beginners, the whole process of pruning and subsequent care of the plant may seem quite complicated. Nevertheless, if you decide to grow horticultural fruit crops, adhere to certain rules for caring for them, otherwise the plant will not only not please you with an abundant annual crop, but will quickly wither away due to pests and diseases.

Over time, the scheme of proper pruning and restoration of the tree will no longer seem too complicated. Each experienced gardener has several own rules for holding annual gardening events.