Apple Tree Pruning. Part 2

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Buds, located directly on thick branches and short, simple ringlets, grow into long, thick shoots. On complex ringlets, not every bud gives rise to shoots. A lot of fat is formed from the dormant, especially where large branches were cut. Flower buds are formed mainly on those ringlets on which shoots have not formed, and on some trees they form in the upper part of vigorous growths, sometimes along their entire length. On weak shoots that have developed from complex annelids, flower buds are rarely formed or only the apical bud becomes it. These features should be taken into account in the subsequent formative pruning

When pruning for the purpose of forming at the ends of the main branches, as well as branches of subsequent orders, a conductor is chosen - the strongest and tallest shoot, but all adjacent ones are removed. Along the entire length of each branch, strong growths are chosen to form lateral ones, and all other and germinated ringlets are removed from them at a distance of 10 centimeters. These shoots should be on one side at a distance of 60 centimeters from one another. In places where a large number of shoots are formed, they are thinned out, and the rest are formed into fruit branches.

Shoots intended for the formation of conductors of lateral branches are shortened, and the longer they are, the smaller part of them is removed (more than 80 cm - 1/2 part is cut, 50 - 80 cm - 1/3, shorter than 50 cm - 1/2 part) … Fruits grow better on annual growths than on other fruit formations. But under the weight of the harvest, they sag and remain drooping. Shoots grow weakly and unevenly on them, they are bare below, further formation on them becomes more complicated. On the shortened shoots, after removing the upper part, the buds sprout along the entire length, forming from the lower ones - ringlets, on the middle ones - spears and twigs, and on the upper ones - vigorous growths suitable for the formation of a conductor and branches of higher orders. The growths on which it is desirable to have fruit branches are cut in different ways, depending on their location, growth strength and the presence of flower buds. Fruit branches form short, branched (such as complex fruits). With a decrease in the length of the shoots, more branches are formed on them. Those gains that have free space for this are slightly reduced.

However, the vigorous ones cannot be cut off too much, since all the buds on them will sprout into long shoots (if more than 50 cm, shorten by half). Subsequently, they are again cut into an underdeveloped lateral branch, as a result of which their growth weakens and they turn into fruit branches. Those shorter than 50 centimeters can be trimmed more, leaving five to six lower buds to cause branching at the base. If the tree does not bloom well, then short shoots such as fruit twigs are not shortened in order to preserve the apical buds, which are usually floral.

Ringlets that did not germinate during formative pruning should not be thinned and reduced, since in the first years after recovery they are the main fruiting organs. During this period, you need to thicken the ringlets and fruit twigs in order to get the highest yield as possible. In the first two to three years after the regenerative pruning, the crown of the trees is illuminated quite well and the thickening of the fruit wood has little effect on the development of fruits, the formation of flower buds and the growth processes of the tree. Ringlets are thinned out only when there are many flower buds (more than 25 - 30% of all buds). This evens out fruiting and ensures moderate bud formation.

After formative pruning, the number of growth points decreases, and this, in turn, leads to an imbalance between the aerial part and the root system. Buds on wood with good conductive tissue are abundantly supplied with water and nutrients and start growing. They germinate especially intensively on vigorous tops of branches and thick shortened growths inside the crown. Shoots often grow stronger after this pruning than after regeneration. The fruits are firmly held and are large. And, if the crown was not greatly reduced during regenerative pruning, then the yield of such trees is not much inferior to the yield after thinning. But the main thing is that the former have created conditions for laying flower buds, while the latter remain without a crop. As a result, the shortage of fruits in the first year after pruning is overlapped in a lean year. As the crown recovers and then increases, their yield will increase. Uniform fruiting over the years is further supported by annual detailed pruning.