It is necessary to form the crown of an apple tree from the first year after planting, otherwise the tree will grow too tall, the lower branches will be brittle and thin, since they will not receive enough nutrients. Proper pruning can increase tree productivity and prevent the development of diseases. A well-groomed and beautifully designed, it will always please with its view on the garden plot.
When forming, it is necessary to carefully work with secateurs so as not to rip off the young bark from the trunk, it is very tender and easily damaged. The rest of the apple tree is a very malleable tree, it tolerates pruning and takes various forms of the crown.
Why form a crown and when to do it?
The formation of the “cap” is a very important process that affects the productivity of the fruit tree, the branches become stronger, withstand poor climatic conditions, and do not break off when the wind, snow or rain.
Pruning is necessary to create the correct shape of the apex, for this they leave strong skeletal branches and pinch young fruit-bearing ones. The main thing is to do everything right, otherwise you can spoil the apple tree.
Many beginner gardeners skip pruning, considering it optional, but this is not true, because:
- A thick and branched crown causes breakage of branches, wounds that do not heal appear, the apple tree begins to hurt. It will take a lot of time and energy to recover, part of the harvest will be lost. Gradually, the condition of the tree worsens and it dies.
- Frequent and dense foliage is the cause of diseases, as a result, apples become tasteless and unappealing in appearance.
- A groomed tree grows small and sour fruits. Since the sugar obtained in the process of photosynthesis begins to be spent on leaves and branches, and not on apples. The more processes the apple tree has, the more nutrients are spent on their content, and they are not enough. As a result, the shoots freeze, which leads to a weakening of the plant as a whole.
- The correct form will help to support the weight of apples and not bend under its own weight, because after planting the tree is very brittle and can break off from the weight of the fruit and from harsh climatic conditions. Pruning is able to maintain a balance between the resistance of branches and a load of fruit.
- Due to the thick hat made of leaves, sunlight does not fall on all branches, the fruits ripen more slowly, and become poor quality. With good lighting, the fruiting period is reduced by 2 years, and the apples will be juicy and tasty, and the plant itself will grow rapidly.
- Properly selected shape helps to pick fruit without extra effort at a convenient height.
If the tree is not taken care of for four years, then it runs wild, the fruits will be tasteless, sour and small.
Dates of apple pruning
Pruning should be carried out a year after planting, since until that time the roots of the fruit tree are still not strong enough and do not provide the entire crown with decent nutrition.
The processes must be cut off by one third. First of all, remove the upper large branches, touch the lower ones to a minimum.
Pruning should be performed annually, shortening new shoots by a quarter of the length of growth. The best time is spring, namely March and April. It is important not to prune the key branches, otherwise the tree will not hold the weight. In the fall, you can also start the formation of the crown, helping the tree to lose unnecessary burdens for the winter.
In spring, pruning is carried out before the leaves appear, if you skip this time, the life-giving juice will flow out from sections that will not heal for a long time. As a result, the tree will fall ill and possibly die. With the right time to create the shape of the crown, the cuts will dry faster and heal, and all the necessary nutrients will be delivered to all parts of the apple tree in a timely manner.
In summer, it is best to rejuvenate the apple tree when it begins to dry. We'll have to cut the branches quite strongly, about a quarter of their length. The advantage of pruning is that in the places of cuts there will be many new shoots next year, it is also convenient to give the desired branching direction to branches during this period.
In the fall, gardeners do large pruning to prepare the tree for winter. Branches are cut two-thirds of their length. The strongest and thickest shoot is selected, which is considered a conductor, after it there are shoots of the so-called second order, they begin their formation already in the first year of growth, and the third, which will begin to bear fruit next year.
In the first three years, when forming, it is necessary to carefully monitor the “cap” of the fruit tree, then only anti-aging procedures can be performed.
Preparation for formation
It is important to choose good tools for trimming the crown: a pruner for thin branches and a saw for thicker ones. Before work, you need to sharpen them, otherwise you can damage the tree, the health of the apple tree depends on the correctness, accuracy and ease of cutting.
For large cuts from 2 cm, you will need a special garden var. The cuts need to be treated with a thin layer, the main thing is not to overdo it with the thickness, otherwise the var will drain at the mouth of the bark, block the access of oxygen.
All cuts correctly cut from the bottom up. It is necessary to do them over the already developed bud of the tree and under a slight slope so that water does not collect at the top of the cut.
Before forming the crown of a young tree, it is necessary to determine the approximate ratio of the cap and roots:
- If a seedling is dug up in the garden, then only a part of its roots is taken, namely up to 45 cm. This length will not be able to supply food to the entire crown, so the shoot must be shortened to 35 cm.
- If the seedling has widely spaced branches, then it is advisable to cut off all the layering to 45-50 cm from the ground.
The scheme of formation of the crown of a young apple tree
The crown pruning scheme is based on the correct balance between the old branches and the new ones that appeared in the breach of the year. Excess cut off and give the right shape.
| Method / Analysis | Description | Advantages | disadvantages |
| Tier-discharged | Exactly 55 cm are measured from the soil and 3 strong shoots are left - this is the first tier. The second is 60 cm from the ground, but before that you need to choose the 5 strongest branches, which are located at a fairly wide angle to the trunk. If several apple trees grow in the garden, then they must be planted at a distance of 4 meters from each other. | Good wood frame and illumination of all branches due to the large distance between the tiers. | It is difficult for a novice gardener to determine the desired distance between tiers, which will maintain a balance between the upper and lower shoots. |
| Cupped | Only 3 shoots are left on the lower tier and bred by about 120 degrees. Each of the layers is cut symmetrically at a distance of 50 cm from the center conductor. The leader branch is completely cut off. Shoots growing inside the "cap" are removed over time. | Suitable for stunted apple-trees. | You will have to constantly monitor the growth of shoots at the very center of the crown and remove them in a timely manner. Disease may develop due to frequent pruning. |
| Vertical palmette or trellis | To begin with, choose skeletal branches. Then cut off all the side and adjacent. With the growth of the tree, all branches that do not grow along the selected row are deleted. | The formation of the crown is quite simple. | Due to frequent pruning, crop yields can be significantly reduced. |
| Fusiform | In early autumn, new shoots are bent using spacers in a horizontal position, in the spring, the main branch is cut 30-50 cm from the top. Such pruning is necessary every year for 7 years. It is important that the apple tree does not grow more than 3 m, and horizontal branches - 1.5 m. | The crown will turn round, fruiting will increase. | Annual labor. |
| Creeping | The strongest branches are bent horizontally using stretch marks. | In the cold season, you can cover with a special material or a snow shaft, the branches will support the weight. | The laborious process. |
| Bushy | Leave 5-6 of the strongest branches, the rest are removed. The next year, the shoots are cut off according to the type of Christmas tree structure, cutting off all annual cuts to half the length, the central branch is also shortened. | Due to its low height, it is easy to harvest from a tree. | This method is not suitable for a tree with slightly branching branches. |
| Whisper-tier | The original shape of the crown for apple trees, improved in order to optimally hit the light on the leaves. Formation occurs in tiers. 4 strong branches are left on each of them, the distance between the tiers is 1.5 meters. | High yield. | The tree grows slowly, becomes non-frost-resistant and weak. |
| Flat crown | Two oppositely growing strong and strong branches are selected and refracted to a horizontal position, that is, they simply bisect the “hat”. | Crohn evenly and well lit, very high productivity. | Constant cutting of young shoots and keeping the plant height at a level of no more than 2.5 meters. |
Crohn at different stages of tree life
A fruit tree is formed throughout life, but there are some differences in actions for different years.
| Apple tree age | Formation |
| Seedling | An annual tree consists of one thin trunk, to accelerate the growth of new layers, cut the top at a height of 90 cm from the ground. If there are adjacent adjacent branches of a tree up to 70 cm long, then they are removed. Layers growing higher, cut to 3-5 buds. Shoots growing at a very sharp angle remove or refract horizontally. |
| Actions with the crown in the second year after planting | On biennials there are always neighboring shoots. Leave 5 strong branches with a wide angle of departure from the trunk. The lower branches should be longer than the upper ones. Get a rounded crown. |
| Pruning an apple tree of three to five years old | It is necessary to continue the scheme that was used earlier. It is better not to get carried away with pruning during this period, otherwise fruiting will be delayed for a long time. |
| Features of crown care in an adult tree | With age, productivity decreases significantly, but you can re-arrange the cap of an old apple tree. It is advisable to remove all the upper branches and shorten the trunk by one third. Trim all central shoots by ¾ of their length. Spend in late summer or spring. |
Mr. Dachnik explains: errors in the formation of the crown
A good and correct crown is formed for several years, during which time mistakes can be made. The most common is to leave the hemp in place of the cut, many shoots appear there, the crown begins to thicken greatly.
Also, you can not leave a short stump, as sliding down from the bark, he will wrap it around and expose the trunk. On the apple, a disease may develop due to necrosis of the site.
A common mistake is a strong shortening of the crown, usually due to the excessive growth of branches above the trunk. You can fix this by pinching these branches in the summer, and completely cutting off in the spring, so the shape will be strong and reliable.
If the branches are thin out poorly, then the diameter of the crown increases significantly. A good crown has only 5-6 skeletal branches, without shoots and growing towards the trunk.
Often, gardeners choose poor tools for pruning, you should examine the saws and pruners, if necessary, grind and clean.
Proper pruning of the apple tree takes a lot of time only in the first 3-4 years, then it is necessary to control the growth of shoots, which is not particularly difficult.
As a rule, even a novice gardener copes with pruning an apple tree, but the shape of the crown does not always work out as intended. First you need to follow the simplest scheme - tiered. To maintain good fruit tree productivity, you must constantly monitor the condition of the crown.
It is imperative to lubricate the slices with garden varnish or paint, so moss will not get into the places of cuts, and small bugs and other pests will not occupy the wounds.
Artificial crowns
In some gardens, you can find decoratively decorated crowns of apple trees, a technique reminiscent of bonsai. There are various designs. Artificial forms stimulate the yield of southern varieties, apple trees decorated in this way bear fruit early, although apples are small, but very tasty, as they are generously gifted with sunlight.
Such trees will look beautiful as separate fragments of the garden. The flat forms of apple trees represent an amazingly beautiful green wall, which can be zoned a separate area. For this method of crown formation, only dwarf trees with a ring-fruit type of bearing can be suitable. Pruning should be done once a season, you also need to make a good frame, as the trees will not withstand the elements.
Twigs must be removed in parts, and those that have knocked out of the crown, pinch, bend or tie up. The crown under the name "Weeping" apple tree looks very beautiful, the "cap" is formed by the method of "reverse vaccination". Three or four cuttings are carefully grafted into the center of the rootstock with the kidneys down.
In the third year, the plant will begin to bear fruit with delicious apples, it provides high productivity, a beautiful and unusual crown. The method can be applied to dwarf apple trees, they will be neat in appearance with a fancy "hat", which will certainly attract attention.
Such trees can be used to decorate a personal plot for beauty purposes, and a plentiful bearing of juicy fruits will be a pleasant bonus.
Artificial crown formation is a difficult job. Apple trees with such a hat will look like a real work of art. The garden will delight you with a beautiful and unusual look, bear delicious, juicy fruits and decorate with its greenery.
