Fruit shrubs – currants, raspberries, gooseberries, sea buckthorn – need pruning. This procedure stimulates the growth of new branches, increases the quality and quantity of berries. How to prune without harming the bush, and what features of the procedure exist, you will learn from our article.
Content
- About secateurs and not only
- Vitamin Currant
- When to crop
- How to carry out the procedure correctly
About secateurs and not only
Pruning of fruit bushes is carried out using such tools: garden saws (with a special sharpening for pruning trees), pruners, delimbers. The secret of a serviceable tool is simple, you must always ensure that the nut is tightened, the spring is lubricated, and the cutting edge is sharpened (only on one side). After work, wipe the tool with a soft, dry cloth..
- Saw or pruner must be sharp. Only such a tool makes a smooth, even cut. The smoother the cut, the faster the wound heals on the tree after the “surgical intervention”.
- Watch the location of the secateurs. The blade should be placed towards that part of the branch that remains on the bush. A wound is smeared with garden var if its diameter is 2 or more centimeters.
- If you cut a large shoot, divide it into parts, it will be easier for you to remove it from the bush, and you will not damage small twigs and buds.
Vitamin Currant
Currants wake up in early spring. As soon as the snow leaves the ground, buds swell on it and sap flow begins. That is why late autumn is considered the best time to prune currants. In early November, the bush is already in a dormant state..
Rules for autumn pruning of fruit trees and shrubs
When to crop
Zero-order branches are shoots that go directly from the root of the earth. These are the most valuable and productive branches. The length of such branches should be 30-40 cm. It is from them that you can collect the highest quality and plentiful harvest. Escape is a branch that has grown over the past summer. For winter, shoots drop leaves, and next year they are already full branches. On the stem of the zero order there is a branch – this is a branch of the first order. Branches of the second order leave branches of the third order. There are also fruit shoots.
Red and white currants are distinguished by a more restrained growth of zero branches
When planting a currant bush, the weakest branches are cut off at their base, the remaining shoots are 3-4 buds. When autumn pruning, you must strive to ensure that the shoots and branches of the zero order in the currant was 15-20.
In the first two years, the plant is growing rapidly. From the 3rd to 5th years, growth slows down, while the yield of 5-year-old branches is negligible. Annual zero branches have much more fruit and growth buds.
Pruning of fruit trees and shrubs is carried out to maintain the bush in good sanitary condition and to stimulate the growth of shoots of the zero and first order of branches.
Wolf-shaped shoots are shoots that are sharply directed upwards, while they thicken the crown. There are many fruit formations on them, but such branches give a harvest of only 1-2 years.
How to carry out the procedure correctly
- Get rid of lying, dry, old and moss-covered branches.
- Fruit and berry shrubs may be thickened, leave only the strongest branches with a large number of buds.
- Light brown bark, light green buds are signs of a young branch. The cut of a young branch is white, the slice of the old is brown.
- Do not leave stumps. Trim branches as close to the ground as possible. This stimulates the bush to forcing new branches. If the branches are intertwined, the excess branch needs to be cut in parts.
The shoot-forming ability and the arousal of the kidney affect the yield. To cause the shoots to awaken as soon as possible, you can cut the branch to a length of 1/3 to half of the shoot – this is a technique for shortening autumn shoots, it helps to increase branching.
Trimming to the “translation” is performed with a sharp tool
The leaves in the light form the necessary nutrients for the plant, which are transmitted to the roots through the trunk. The roots, in turn, give the shoots mineral substances from the soil. The more glucose is produced in the leaves, the more nutrients the roots transmit to the ground part of the shrub, the higher the quality of the crop. The shrub also bears fruit on small bouquet branches and on short annuals.
In summer, they do not prune currants. Currants over 15 years old do not make sense to rejuvenate, it must be removed. Plant new bushes in her place.
Useful sea buckthorn
The bush is dioecious, that is, there are male and female plants. For pollination of 4 female trees, 1 male plant.
- When landing, immediately cut off the top (5-10 cm).
- As the tree grows, you need to ensure that the top shoots do not intersect, do not rub against each other.
- Do not make many wounds on one trunk.
- If the plant grows fast, trim the top periodically to restrain growth.
- In an adult plant, trim the upper branches with lateral branching.
Sea buckthorn has a strong, well-developed root shoot. When the plant reaches 15 years of age, they dig it out, and in return leave one shoot from the shoot. So that the roots do not spread through the garden, a ruberoid, slate, etc. are instilled into the ground.
Healing raspberries
The lifespan of the branches of this shrub is 2 years. Shoots grow in the first year, and in the second year they bear fruit. In the fall, when the fruiting season passes, the old branches are removed, pruning them at the very base. The branches to be removed have darker, dry bark. Old branches can be trimmed in early spring, so that more snow lingers in the bushes.
Correct raspberry pruning
For better kidney arousal, you can cut off the tips of the shoots – 3-4 cm (for non-remont raspberries). In the repairing varieties, such pruning is not done, since a crop of such raspberries is collected in the upper part of the stems.
With the bush method of planting, leave 15-20 shoots per running meter, with the tape method – 10-20 shoots.
Spiky Gooseberries
Gooseberry is divided into European large-fruited (average kidney and sprouting ability) and American small-fruited (medium and medium-sized kidney arousal) according to the characteristics of growth and fruiting. Hybrids also exist (growth and bearing characteristics may differ depending on the variety).
Gooseberry pruning. The main crop is located on young growths and on annual branches
Life expectancy of zero branches of gooseberry: 10-12 years. When planting, each branch of the seedling is cut to 2-4 buds.
To rejuvenate the bush, you can use the translation of the old branch to a younger one. Moreover, the closer the young branch is located to the ground, the better. In spring, trim the ends of the stems to the first bud.
Chokeberry
The bush forms many basal branches, when pruning leave 10-12. Twisted, covered with lichen, weak, underdeveloped branches are cut off at the very base. Lateral translation is used both to give the desired shape, and to improve the tree.
If you want to enjoy a stable harvest of chokeberry, take care of timely pruning
Seedlings of shrubs and fruit trees, if you do not prune them, can overgrow strongly in a short time. This darkens the bush and reduces productivity.
If you want to plant a southern fruit shrub in your country house, and at the same time live in the middle lane, do not count on a high yield. Choose fruit trees and shrubs that will feel comfortable in your climate. They will delight you with an excellent harvest if you water them on time, fertilize and crop.
