Monday, April 16, 2012

Pruning fruit trees in the garden: winter pruning of fruit trees (apple)

Annually by your apple and pear trees to cut you a good quality of fruit annually. The health of the tree and fruit is better and the lifetime is longer. To correct pruning fruit trees is the most important parts to be appointed. Explanation of the pruning is easier to understand and apply. Pruning always way: natural storage of the rootstock, to low-lying branches, belly wood, vertical growing rughout and competitors. The trunk and central leader should grow up mostly single. Too far to the growing fruit wood fruit laterals or branches is usually shortened to short twigs. Journal Buds are pointed and narrow. Flower buds are fat (round) and are mainly of short fruiting wood (twigs from 1 to 20 cm long).
Pruning of fruit trees: pruning of a simple (low strain) apple
(Malus domestica)



1.Onderdelen of an apple tree / fruit tree
  A normal fruit tree (spindle shape) consists of several major components:
Rootstock, graft union, tribe (1), central leader (H.), branches or laterals (2) and fruiting wood (3)

NOTE: The used simple numbers (1) (2) etc. refer to the numbers as used on accompanying drawing.

See below for a detailed description of these terms. Table: "Some parts tree and pruning concepts in pome and stone fruit"

At the end of the trunk and / or central leader and the leaders is a strong one-year twig: the verlengenis (4). In the immediate vicinity, we usually have a strong twig we call competitor. (5). Usually, the competitor may be pruned or he will verlengenis replaced.

What we see clearly?

- Trunk (central leader) and main branches are sturdy;

- The fruiting wood is weak.


2.Waarom prune apple and other fruit trees? (Target?)
     The light must all parts of the fruit tree can reach
   
     We thus obtain each year the fruits of good quality and quantity.
   
     An open pruned tree is easier to pick.
   
     The health of the apple is better and the lifetime is longer.


3.When prune apple trees?

     Young apple trees (less than 4 years), it is best in spring (March / April) pruning. Early pruning (December or January) there can be frost occur. See also "Fruit pruning calendar"
   
     Mature apple trees can be pruned when the leaves dropped. This is usually from December to March. Pruning during the day while not freezing. (Frost damage is possible).
   
     Weak growers (with lots of mixed buds) can be the first pruning (December or January). Fast growth (with little mixed buds), one can prune the last (March). Early pruning fruit trees promotes growth. Late pruning (April / May) inhibits the growth off.
   
     Pruning preferably in dry weather. Pruning Wounds that long stay wet are very susceptible to infections of canker.
   
     Cutting is preferably if it is not or only little freezing. If it's too hard freezes the wound tissue can not grow.

 


4. The pruning of a spindle shape can be reduced to the following advice:

     A spindle shape is an apple / pear tree that is piramidaalvormig. (Tree Form).
   
     The central leader / intermediate branch remains singular: competitor / competitors prune (5).
   
     The main branches in apple trees (Malus domestica) previously implanted just because we get light to the central leader / strain.
   
     Central leader and main branches (fruit branches) periodically with fruiting wood lined.
   
     Pruning always at an outwardly directed button, so that a more open growth occurs.

     We prune the apple tree road:

     - The competitor (s) of the extension niches (5). These are removed because they are an open crown in the road.
     - Too steep placed branches (6), crossing, broken or rubbing branches.
     - Vergaffelingen (heavy ramifications of a gesteltak)
     - Dead and diseased wood and inward growing twigs.
     - Remove as much as possible rugtwijgen and belly wood. Fruit Wood that grows sideways, the best results.


     A spindle shape is an apple / pear tree that is piramidaalvormig. (Tree Form).
   
     The central leader / intermediate branch remains singular: competitor / competitors prune (5).
   
     The main branches in apple trees (Malus domestica) previously implanted just because we get light to the central leader / strain.
   
     Central leader and main branches (fruit branches) periodically with fruiting wood lined.
   
     Pruning always at an outwardly directed button, so that a more open growth occurs.

     We prune the apple tree road:

     - The competitor (s) of the extension niches (5). These are removed because they are an open crown in the road.
     - Too steep placed branches (6), crossing, broken or rubbing branches.
     - Vergaffelingen (heavy ramifications of a gesteltak)
     - Dead and diseased wood and inward growing twigs.
     - Remove as much as possible rugtwijgen and belly wood. Fruit Wood that grows sideways, the best results.

Prune the fruiting wood:

     The fruiting wood is as much as possible to the horizontal laterals (7) and top view in the view of a herringbone (8).

     Prune away: the fruiting wood that is too strong, on top of the main branches {rughout} (9) because a lot of light take away the fruiting wood on the bottom of the main branches {belly wood} (1O) because the lack of light received.

     - The pruning of a branch or twig can be done "by foot" (11) as the gesteltak sufficiently covered with fruit wood or "on foot" (= specific stub) (12) if we are new, weak fruiting wood needs at the site of pruning.
   
     - A special case: many strong branches, we will remove any twigs, while the remaining are deflected to the horizontal position (13).
   
     - Which is too long (frame), we cut best branch back to standing on a lower branch with the desired direction (14)
   
     - Spent, wood hanging fruit, we must rejuvenate by cutting back on a well-placed twig on the curve (l5)
   
     - It is obvious that we are already sick, dead or injured fruiting wood away. (For example, the timber is affected by canker.)





Drawing simple apple tree pruning (low strain)

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