Algorithm for correct plum pruning. How to prune a plum tree in the fall How to prune a plum tree

The main goal of every gardener is to obtain a rich harvest. Plum is a delicious, wonderful product of our table with medicinal properties. Like any other fruit crop, it needs proper care, which includes crown formation. Competent regular pruning of the plum allows you to maintain good fruitfulness and ensures a long life for the tree.

Purpose, types and techniques of plum pruning

To form a compact crown that freely allows light, air and pollinators to pass through, pruning of the seedling should begin in the year of planting. A young plum tree grows very quickly. In one warm season, it can produce many shoots, because... prone to thickening. As a result, the fruit units develop worse, the ovaries are formed mainly on the periphery, the fruits ripen longer and become smaller, more often affected by the codling moth and monoliosis. Densely intertwined branches make the tree more sensitive to frost. Lack of light causes wood to ripen worse, which leads to the risk of freezing.

The ice that forms on the branches can break them. Chaotically growing shoots, especially those extending at an acute angle from the trunk, are also prone to breaking off and causing gum formation.

In addition to increasing the yield, a comfortable crown with tiered branches will greatly facilitate harvesting, and a beautiful, well-groomed tree will decorate the area.

Pruning, based on the task performed, is usually divided into several types:

formative: step-by-step creation crowns required sizes and shapes;
restorative: correction by removing dry and broken branches;
regulating: maintaining intensive growth and renewal of wood;
sanitary: removal of shoots affected by pests;
rejuvenating: restoration of growth and fruiting of old plum.

While not a one-time procedure, regular care of the plant will be needed throughout its life.

Formation is carried out in two ways:

Cut to ring. Technique for complete removal of a branch. Cutting is carried out along the edge of the influx at the point of attachment to the trunk, avoiding a deep cut or leaving a spine.
Bud cut. It is made by making an oblique cut above the bud from the reverse side without leaving the spine at an angle of 45°. Used to shorten shoots and change the direction of growth.

Timing of pruning and specifics of seasonal work

Choosing the timing of pruning depending on the season has its own principles and advantages, depending on the climate zone, condition and age of the tree. In the southern regions, it is preferable to care for the plant in the fall, although there it is practically permissible to engage in shaping all year round. In the northern and central regions, it is better to hold the event in spring or summer.

Spring booking

The beginning of spring - best time work. At this time, pruning is easier to tolerate, which stimulates the formation of buds. The plum tree begins to vegetate one of the first in the garden, so it is important to start the procedure before it begins. Exact time depends on the region. Gardeners are guided by the development of buds and the weather, when the night frosts have receded, but active sap flow has not yet begun and the buds have not swollen. The formation of a seedling and the rejuvenation of an adult representative should be completed about a month before bud break.

In the case of sanitary treatment with the removal of diseased, frozen and dry parts, there are no time limits. Unleafed twigs make it easier to determine which ones need to be removed.

If the plums in the garden are of different ages, then it is preferable to start working with the older individuals. With age, the plant's flower buds awaken earlier.

It is more convenient to split the event into two stages. First, thickened areas are thinned out to remove excess growth and upward growing tops. For adult pets, bitches that have sunk to the ground can be transferred to new branches. Then you need to start shortening last year’s growth of young seedlings. This promotes fouling of fruit links and accelerates the entry into fruiting.

Summer booking

Summer is the active season when the garden sets fruit. As a rule, rejuvenate and form fruit crops during this time is not accepted. However, the plum tolerates summer intervention well. Summer pruning by removing fattening tops helps redirect nutrition to fruit-bearing branches. Also cut throughout the season root growth so that there are no protruding stumps left below ground level and the trunk. Opening hours: June and July. At the end of the month, the side branches of seedlings of the first and second years are shortened, without touching the central conductor.

The leafy top allows you to notice thickening, which will allow you to plan subsequent pruning during the dormant period. But the frozen sprouts, unnoticed in the spring, will be discovered right now.

Secateurs will be needed throughout the season and for sanitary processing. Timely preventative removal of infected shoots will help avoid the spread of the disease, ensuring a healthy garden.

Autumn booking

You can’t ignore autumn pruning. The main task of this season is to prepare the crop for the winter cold. To do this, remove all broken, diseased and immature shoots that are prone to freezing. You can remove branches and tops that are too long, which can break due to frost, heavy snowfall or gusty winds. If diseased or dry growth must be cut out, then the formation of a crown with thinning is permissible only in the southern zone with a long autumn. Seasonal intervention due to reduced healing increases the risk of crop freezing. In the northern and central regions, it is better to postpone events to spring.

Depending on the region, procedures are carried out in September or early October. Usually this is the time after the leaves fall and before the onset of the first frosts.

Winter booking

Not all gardeners know and use winter pruning. These include all spring events, but choosing this time of year for manipulations has its advantages:

Work at this time is limited to temperate climates. mild winters. Circumcision should be performed in February at a temperature of at least 15°C.

Techniques and schemes for forming the correct crown

To create beautiful tree, you need to know the basic principles of its formation. A well-groomed plum tree looks like a neat tree of medium height with a central conductor and 4-9 skeletal branches arranged in tiers. The lower tiers are larger than the gradually decreasing upper ones. The main branches are never located at an acute angle to the trunk. The shoots grow “outward”, forming an unthickened crown. Practiced on plants and cup-shaped.

Most often, seedlings are sold on vigorous cherry plum rootstocks, so the main technique for creating a good foundation is to reduce upward growth and horizontal expansion.

Post-planting formation of a young tree

The first gentle pruning begins in the year of planting, so that the small root system is able to provide the seedling with nutrition. Postponing cutting and pinching branches for 1-2 years retards the growth of the tree. Approach the young woman with pruning shears
culture can be done several times a year, because the growth occurs unevenly. In the first year, the central trunk is shortened to one and a half meters in height, which over the summer will grow future skeletal branches of the first order. On next year these lateral increments are shortened by approximately a third or half of the length (about 30 cm). The cut is made on the lower bud to ensure further development occurs outward, and not upward or inward of the crown. The branches that appear below the main ones are shortened to 7-10 cm and temporarily left until next year. They will help thicken the trunk. In the third year, second-order shoots are controlled by cutting them in half. Of these, you need to leave 8-10 evenly spaced strong sprouts. Then you can completely clear the trunk from other branches.

Similar good result obtained by using pinching and bending. In this case, after cutting off the leader, the remaining branches are allowed to grow freely, and then they are bent to the ground using guy wires. Having secured the stretch marks in the area of the ends of the shoots, they are left in this position for several months. Then, by cutting the branches into a side branch or a bud, a pyramidal top is created. This means that the lower tier is longer than the upper one and is not shaded by it. The shoots growing deeper or thickening should be removed according to the same principle. The crown created in this way, after years of harvest, bends the branches downwards, which leads to crushing of the fruit. Then fruiting is transferred to young branches, and inclined branches are removed.

Caring for a fruit-bearing plum

A young three-year-old tree already produces large annual growth. The lateral shoots are shortened to 15 cm, and the apical shoots to 30 cm. In order to direct the growth of shoots outward, cuts are also made to the lower bud. In the future, the formed plant will require simple annual care with regulatory pruning.

There is no need to start processing the plant completely. After all, even a well-formed crown thickens over time, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in yield and a deterioration in its quality. To correct the situation, a gradual rejuvenation of the plum should be carried out. The first thing you need to do is remove inward, damaged, dried branches and root shoots. The following year, thinning is carried out, leaving young strong shoots. The update will give impetus to powerful growth. Some young shoots will be able to replace the old skeletal bitches, and the rest should be put away for the ring.

All cuts larger than a centimeter in diameter are subject to mandatory covering. garden varnish. This will help avoid gum development and protect the plum from infection and drying out.

Rejuvenation of old wood

With timely, competent processing, abundant fruiting of the crop continues for about fifteen years. All these years, pruning has maintained a uniform addition of the main conductor and main branches. Then upon reaching maximum height, characteristic of the variety, growth stops. From this time on, the tree is considered aging and requires slightly different crowning. When the decrease in growth becomes noticeable, they begin to rejuvenate the old plum. This can be seen when the plant produces a small harvest, and even that only at the top of the crown.

The rejuvenation event is divided into several stages:

When the plum reaches about 2.5 meters, the trunk and upper large branches are cut out. This will lighten the crown and unload the center.
The shoots that are woven and directed inwards are removed. At the same time, diseased, weak and dry branches are cut out.
The hanging lashes coming from the lower tier and the trunk are eliminated.
Skeletal branches are shortened and transferred to external lateral shoots.
Unnecessary tops are cut off.

Total cutting “everything at once” of an old plum is contraindicated. This will lead to severe stress and may even destroy the tree. It is better to extend the entire rejuvenation procedure over 3-4 years.

Large skeletal branches must be sawed on both sides to avoid breaking off under their own weight. Quick healing of the wound with bark and growth of new growth will ensure an even, neat cut. The broken area may not produce fresh shoots, and fungus will penetrate the wound. All cuts and cuts are treated with garden pitch or a mixture of mullein and clay.

Rejuvenation, carried out according to all the rules, will allow a caring owner to receive good harvests from plums for many more years.

At first glance, pruning a plum tree may seem not an easy task. But recommendations for proper booking, as it turns out, are not so complicated. Their implementation will allow you to be proud of the beauty of your garden and receive decent harvests.

Almost every amateur gardener grows plums in their garden, one of the most popular fruit crops. The fruits of the plum tree are eaten fresh, and homemade preparations for the winter are made from them - compotes, jams, preserves, jellies, sauces and marinades. However, in order to get a consistently high fruit yield, you need to properly care for the plant. The topic of our article is autumn pruning of plum trees. We will tell you when to prune a plum after fruiting, how to prune a plum in the fall, what proper pruning of a plum means, whether it is possible to prune a plum in the year of planting and how to prune an old plum.

Home plum pruning(sanitary and formative) held in early spring, in March, when the winter frosts are behind us, but before the buds swell on the trees. If you prune a plum at a temperature of -10 ºC or lower, the cuts on the wood, which is fragile from the low temperature, will not heal well.

You can also prune plum trees in the first half of summer, when sap flow in the plant slows down. The purpose of summer pruning is to help the tree cope with its harvest by preventing branches from breaking.

Autumn pruning is carried out after leaf fall, when all vegetation processes in the tree have ended. The purpose of the procedure is to prepare the plum for wintering.

In winter, when the air temperature on any day can drop to significant sub-zero levels, it is better not to prune.

Is it possible to do without autumn plum pruning?

During autumn pruning, you free the tree from unnecessary branches that burden it, thereby eliminating the need to expend energy and nutrition on them. The plant recovers faster, tolerates frost well and will bear fruit better next year. Besides, By removing branches infected with diseases and pests, you preserve the health of the plum. If you postpone pruning to spring, overwintered pests and infections from the beginning of the next season with new strength will begin to destroy the tree.

Many gardeners prune plum trees once a year - in the spring, but you should keep in mind that sometimes spring comes suddenly, sap begins to bubble in the plants early, and you may simply not have time to prune before the sap begins to flow. In this case, your plum will begin the season with too long a conductor, with an unkempt, thickened crown, in which pests and infections are likely to have already settled. The unsatisfactory condition of the tree will certainly have a bad effect on its fruiting: the plums will be small, and there will be fewer of them than there could be if you had carried out autumn cleaning.

Autumn pruning of plum

The main task of autumn pruning– freeing the plum tree before winter rest from broken, dry, disease-affected or pest-affected branches.

The conductor of an adult plum is shortened to 2.5 m. For a seedling planted in spring, the conductor is cut by one third, and the shoots coming from it by two thirds, so that they do not interfere with each other. Then, on two- to three-year-old trees, competing and actively growing shoots are shortened by 1/3 of their length, which in the future will make the crown too dense. On mature trees, shoots are shortened in the spring.

All cuts and sections with a diameter greater than 5 mm must be covered with garden varnish or Rannet paste. Plant debris, like fallen leaves, must be immediately removed and burned, as they can be infected with harmful microorganisms and pests that have settled in for the winter. And if you have garden shredder, then chop up the cut branches with it and put them in the compost pit.

Pruning an old plum

With normal care, a plum tree can bear fruit for 15 years or more, but as soon as you notice a decline in growth and a decrease in yield, perform anti-aging pruning of the tree: shorten the conductor and cut off the skeletal branches at the top of the crown. This technique is used so that the sun's rays and air can penetrate into the very depths of the crown. Then remove the branches that have appeared over the last 3-4 years, cut out unnecessary tops, shoots and branches directed into the depths of the crown, intertwined with each other, hanging from the trunk or from the branches of the lower tier. Dry, broken branches and shoots infected with diseases or pests must also be removed. Clean the places where cuts and cuts are made with a knife and treat them with garden varnish or oil paint on drying oil.

If the old tree has never been pruned, you will have to divide the procedure into three stages: in one season, you can only remove a third of the old branches. Back

Plum trees are very popular in our area and they grow in almost every garden. Rarely a housewife will deny herself the joy of pampering her loved ones with a jar of plum jam or jelly in winter, a fragrant plum pie, or simply a mountain of ripe, juicy plums as a dessert in summer. But before you can enjoy eating the fruit, you need to properly grow the plum tree: plant it, feed it, and do formative pruning in a timely manner. Pruning plum trees in the fall, as well as in summer and spring, is aimed at increasing the fruitfulness of the tree. After all, obtaining a bountiful harvest is the goal of every gardener. Inexperienced owners of personal plots often ignore this procedure. After all, at first glance, pruning this tree is not necessary. It seems that the plum has rather modest dimensions compared to the pear or apple tree. This approach is fundamentally wrong. Plum, possessing small in size, loves to intertwine its branches, which not only reduces fruitfulness, but can also cause harm to the tree. How to prune a plum tree will be discussed in today’s article.

Purposes of plum pruning

Forming a chaotic interweaving of branches, the plum becomes sensitive to cold weather. Ice may form on the branches, which will eventually break the branches.

In addition, by forming various branches, the plant greatly thickens its crown. That is, a shadow is formed, which not only interferes with the normal formation of fruits, but also prevents new fruitful branches from growing. Over time, the tree withers and may even die. Accordingly, we are not talking about any harvest.

Regular and correct tree pruning is mainly aimed at forming the crown. It is recommended to carry out this activity from the moment the seedling is planted and throughout the life of the plant. This way you can get branches growing correctly. This will not only make harvesting easier, but will also give your garden an aesthetically pleasing and well-groomed look.

Pruning tools

For trimming plum trees use tools such as a garden saw, pruning shears, and a sharp garden knife. All places where cuts and cuts must be covered with garden pitch or other special substances. Pruning tools must be sharp and sterile.

Spring is the best time of year to prune plum trees. Pruning plum trees during this period is a very important undertaking. One-year-old seedlings are shortened sharp knife, leaving the trunk no higher than 60 cm, while monitoring the development of the tree during the summer. If some of the branches develop incorrectly, autumn sanitary pruning with the removal of these branches.

In the second year of cultivation, seedlings are cut 40 cm along the main trunk, and the top bud under the cut must be removed. The side branches (except for the lower ones) are shortened by a third, while the lower shoots are cut off by more than half, leaving no more than 7 cm of their length.

The lower branches must be completely removed at the 3rd year of the tree’s life. In the spring, 6 to 8 skeletal branches are left on a three-year-old tree, choosing the strongest, well-located shoots. The ideal distance between adjacent branches is 10-15 cm.

Up to 4 buds should be left on the remaining shoots. The plum crown is formed in the form of tiers or a bush. A properly pruned tree has a compact crown with 8-10 main branches that are evenly spaced around the main trunk.

Pruning plum in summer

The main summer pruning of plums takes place in July. Pruning during this period is carried out mainly because the tree is young and it is necessary to shape its crown. The very first summer pruning is carried out in the year when the seedlings are planted; this is done to shorten the branches at the very end of July. During this process, the side shoots are shortened by 18-20 cm, and the premature shoots are reduced by 15 cm. However, the central conductor is not reduced.

In the second year summer pruning carried out at the same time, and repeat all the activities carried out in the first year. But at the same time, all unnecessary shoots are removed. Pruning at this time of year has a very good effect on plums that froze in the winter, and if in the spring it was not possible to see the frozen branches or some of them were not completely pruned. Another good thing about pruning during this period is that in the summer all the trees are overgrown with leaves and you can see whether the tree’s crown is dense or not, and only then take any action. Typically, planned summer pruning is carried out in June, but various sanitary measures possible in any warm month. Then it is possible that if there is a disease on the branches, it will not spread to other branches or will not spread to neighboring trees at all.

Plum pruning scheme in autumn

If the spring pruning of the young plum was not done and time was lost, then there is nothing left to do but carry out this manipulation in the fall. You should start when all the leaves have been shed and the tree begins to prepare for dormancy.

Here is an approximate scheme for pruning plum trees in the fall:

The first step is to remove all branches that are damaged by pests, diseases, or broken under the weight of the harvest.
If the top of the plum has grown too much, then it is also advisable to shorten it.
Remove all fast-growing shoots that only thicken the crown and prevent light from reaching the main branches.
Plum shoots should be shortened by a third of their length.
If the tree is already old, then it is necessary to remove all bad branches and those that do not bear fruit.

If the tree is pruned for the first time, the main trunk is shortened by a third, and the side branches of the plum tree are shortened by two-thirds of the length.

After the plum pruning is completed in the fall, the branches must be burned and all cuts should be treated with varnish to prevent damage to various diseases. Pruning young and mature plum trees is a very important process, without which it is impossible to form the tree’s crown correctly and obtain a stable and high harvest.

Plum care in autumn

In September, the collection of plums continues, and after that, moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out to prepare the trees for wintering. If you keep the soil in the area under black fallow, you need to dig it in tree trunk circles and between the rows, while simultaneously removing and burning fallen leaves. How to feed a plum after harvesting so that it can restore its strength and prepare for winter and fruiting next year? When digging, organic and mineral fertilizers, carrying out the last feeding of the current year. The trunks and bases of the branches are whitened with a solution of lime with the addition of copper sulfate, after which the plums are prepared for wintering.

Pruning plum trees in winter

Lately, pruning plum trees in winter has become very popular. This is due to the fact that plum is a stone fruit crop, so its growing season begins earlier than others. fruit trees. In this regard, very often many gardeners, especially inexperienced ones, miss this point before the start of the growing season, when scheduled pruning can be carried out.

The winter hardiness of plums and cherries is much higher than that of other plants of this genus. However, despite its high frost resistance, this plant loves warmth. Pruning of plums and cherries in winter is carried out in mid-February, when the air temperature rises to 15 degrees.

Winter pruning of plums has many advantages:

During this period of the year, near the bare crown best review in order to carry out correct pruning.
All branches damaged by frost are cut down, and the risk of bending the wood and bark is almost zero.

Everyone who has even a small land plot, they probably grow plums among other fruit trees. This tree bears wonderful fruits, from which you can prepare delicious compotes, jams, preserves and enjoy them directly from the tree.

To obtain a stable and high yield, plums need care. Pruning plum trees in autumn and spring is one of the important points in this process.

In order for a plum to please you with its harvest, it is necessary to carry out regular pruning. Most gardeners are confident that it is better to carry out this process in the spring, since in the fall the cuts take longer to heal, in winter time Possible freezing.

Pruning of plum trees should begin almost immediately after planting a young seedling, as it differs rapid growth and in a couple of years it may already begin to bear fruit.

It is this process that will help form the crown correctly.

The first plum pruning should be carried out in the spring with the onset of stable warm weather, it’s not scary if the tree has already put out its first leaves. If there are no night frosts, the plum seedling will withstand this manipulation just fine.

Some gardeners are of the opinion that early pruning of a young plum tree in the spring, immediately after the snow melts, makes it easier to endure the injury, since the tree is still at rest. But it should be noted that this technique is appropriate to use only in areas where there are no severe frosts in early spring.

Basic nuances of plum pruning

It doesn’t matter at all when you decide to prune your plum tree, the most important thing is that some points are taken into account:

When starting to trim a plum tree, it is important to imagine the shape of the tree that you want to see.
And the second point that you need to pay attention to is the possibility of reducing the risk of developing various diseases, for example, gum disease or white rot.

To significantly reduce the risk of damage to the tree, it is advisable to prune plum trees either before the leaves bloom or already in early June.

Advice: It is important that the air temperature is not below +5 degrees, otherwise the process of pruning the plum can have a detrimental effect on the plant.

To prune a plum tree, you need to stock up on a saw with small teeth or a sharp knife.

All cut branches will need to be burned to prevent the spread of pests or diseases, if any, and fresh cuts must be treated with garden varnish.

How to prune a plum tree in spring

If a plum seedling has already grown for a long time, and you have never pruned it, then you will have to put in a little more effort to transform it into better side your tree. It is best to start this process before the leaves bloom, before the process of sap flow begins. The tree is already mature and may die.

Prepare sharp pruning shears and a saw and you can get to work.

At the first stage, pruning a young plum involves thinning the crown. It is necessary to remove all unnecessary shoots and those that grow vertically upward.
At the second stage, pruning an adult plum aims to shorten the branches. It is necessary to trim off all growth from last year. This process promotes the appearance of new fruit branches.

Advice. Be sure to remove those plum branches on which birds have damaged the buds.

After pruning is completed, the tree should have 5-7 branches, which are located at an angle of 45 degrees to the trunk. After the plum tree has been properly pruned, the gardener will only have to remove old branches, diseased ones, and those that do not bear fruit every year.

Scheme for pruning plums in spring (for beginners)

Photo: Vase-shaped pruning of a plum tree

If you planted a plum seedling in the spring, then it’s time to start caring for it. Most often, biennial plants are planted, but annual ones also take root well and grow quickly. The entire process of plum pruning can consist of the following steps:

After planting a plum seedling, you can immediately shorten it by cutting off the top with a sharp knife at a distance of 60 centimeters from the ground. The bud under the cut must also be removed.
If the root system of the plum is strong, then the seedling grows quickly and forms young shoots. It is important to keep track of those branches that are growing incorrectly and remove them immediately.
The next year in the spring, the plum seedling is shortened by another 40 centimeters, this also applies to all side branches.
It is necessary to trim towards the outer bud. The lower shoots, which are only auxiliary, can only be shortened in the first year, and completely removed in the second; fruits still do not form on them.
With the onset of the third spring, plum pruning should be carried out in such a way that more lateral branches are preserved.

Advice. The most important thing is to choose 7-9 plum branches, which are the strongest and strongest and are evenly spaced.

All skeletal branches of the plum, which are located at an acute angle in relation to the trunk, must be removed. There should be at least 4-5 buds on the trimmed branches.
All subsequent pruning of the plum tree should be limited to removing all branches that do not grow correctly and thicken the crown. This can lead to the development of diseases and reduced yield.

If the plum is pruned correctly, then in a few years a tree will form that has 8-10 main powerful branches that are evenly spaced around the trunk.

Pruning plum trees in autumn

If the young plum tree has not been pruned in the spring and time has been lost, then there is nothing left to do but prune it in the fall. You should start when all the leaves have been shed and the tree begins to prepare for dormancy.

Approximate scheme for pruning plum trees in autumn (for beginners):

The first step is to remove all branches that are damaged by pests, diseases, or broken under the weight of the harvest.
If the top of the plum has grown too much, then it is also advisable to shorten it.
Remove all fast-growing shoots that only thicken the crown and prevent light from reaching the main branches.
Plum shoots should be shortened by a third of their length.
If the tree is already old, then it is necessary to remove all bad branches and those that do not bear fruit.

Advice. If the plum is pruned for the first time, then the main trunk is shortened by a third, and the side branches of the plum by two-thirds of the length.

Video: how to properly prune a plum in the fall

Timing and other secrets of plum pruning

Some novice gardeners are sure that pruning plum trees is not particularly necessary, and is even harmful. But experts unanimously say that this procedure is worth carrying out, since it will have a positive effect on the fruiting of the tree. Pruning has its own characteristics depending on the time of year in which it is carried out, as well as the age of the plum.

Trimming Features

The life of a plum, like a cherry, is not so long - it can bear fruit for about 20 years, in rare cases there have been specimens that bear fruit for up to 50 years. In order to prune a fruit tree correctly, it is necessary to take into account which group of varieties it belongs to in terms of growth strength, crown type, degree of branching, type of fruiting, since the ability to branch is laid in different types plums are not the same.

The types of trees that may require the most plum pruning are damson, cherry plum, American and oriental.

in spring

One of the best periods, according to experts and experienced gardeners, for pruning a plum tree, like a cherry tree, is spring period. Pruning of the plum tree should be carried out annually in order not only to combat the thickening of the crown, but also to ensure full growth and development of the tree. How to properly carry out this procedure in the spring?

The best time to remove excess branches is considered to be the end of March - the beginning of April. At this time, the tree has not yet entered the growing season, and frosts are already far behind. Spring pruning of both cherries and plums consists of several parts - first, mandatory thinning is carried out, during which not only overgrown tree branches are removed, but also unnecessary shoots growing upward. Next, it is necessary to remove the growths that remained on the plum from the previous year. This is done so that new branches have the opportunity to grow next season.

To carry out pruning, you need to prepare tools that will have to be used carefully so as not to damage the fruit tree. The sparse-tiered crown form has proven itself well. To make it, you need to leave up to seven powerful healthy branches on the drain, which will be at an angle of about 50 degrees in relation to the trunk. The ideal option is one in which not only the main, but also the skeletal branches are located at a distance of 20 cm from each other. With a two-tier type of crown formation, two main branches are placed on the second tier.

In summer

Summer plum pruning is usually carried out in July, since during this period the tree is still very young and requires formation the right type crowns For the first time, plum pruning in summer is carried out immediately after planting the seedlings on garden plot. How to carry out such a procedure correctly? To do this, you should reduce the shoots located on the side by 20 cm, and those that appeared several ahead of schedule– by 15 cm. It is recommended to leave the most important one untouched.

Next year, the procedure is carried out again in July, with the only difference that this time all unnecessary shoots that could interfere with the full growth of the fruit tree are removed.

Pruning plums in summer, like cherries, provides an excellent opportunity to remove frozen branches remaining after winter that could not be removed in the spring. Exactly at summer time You can clearly see how overgrown the tree is in order to decide how best to carry out the procedure. It will also allow you to remove diseased branches and prevent them from infecting healthy ones.

in autumn

It is correct to prune the branches of a fruit tree in the fall when its growing season ends and all the leaves have already fallen to the ground. Most often, this period falls in September; it is in the middle of the month that you should begin this procedure. The first step in the fall will be to remove dried or disease-affected branches, and, if necessary, shorten the top of the tree a little. During the first plum pruning after planting the seedling, the main trunk is reduced by about a third of the length, and other shoots by about two-thirds.

As for trees that are too old or that cannot boast of good condition, when pruning, removing bad branches gives them an excellent chance to renew themselves. In the fall, the third plum pruning is also carried out, which is necessary in order to thin out the crown as much as possible and leave only the most viable branches on which good fruiting will occur in the future. Thus, holding this important event in the fall is no less important than spring pruning.

in winter

Since plum is a stone fruit crop, due to the rapid change from winter to spring, you may not see when the first buds appear on the fruit tree. That is why winter pruning of branches is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. It is usually carried out in February, and the temperature should be about +15 degrees. Experts boldly call the advantages of carrying out this procedure during this period of the year the absence of trees, which allows you to decide exactly how to cut off excess branches, frozen branches are not so difficult to remove, and the fruit crop in winter is not so stressed during such manipulations. If you carry out winter pruning correctly, you can bring more obvious benefits to the tree, which will be visible when harvesting during the season, while causing minimal harm.

Video “Cutting: features of formation”

Tree pruning

Since a plum, like a cherry, during its normal growth and development can form a huge number of branches, which are not only capable of breaking, but also thicken the fruit tree, leading to a decrease in its yield, the importance of pruning it is difficult to overestimate. Experts advise forming such trees in the form of a dwarf pyramid. Consider in detail the pruning of branches of seedlings, two- and three-year-old fruit trees.

annual

For the first time, this procedure is recommended to be carried out a year after planting a seedling in your garden plot. It is good to carry out these manipulations in the first year of a tree’s life because the damaged root system can provide the pruned branches with the necessary nutrients.

Timing of formation of tree branches

If you neglect this pruning and carry it out for the first time only after two years, the growth of the shoots will slow down, and, consequently, the garden owner will have more trouble when performing the procedure. The main trunk only needs to be pruned once a year as it provides the foundation for other shoots.

Thus, in the first year of the tree’s existence, it is possible to lay a solid foundation for the development and full growth of skeletal branches. In addition, the gardener can decide on the height as well as the shape of his plum tree.

Two year old

It is customary to prune two-year-old plums, like cherries, in mid-March. To do this, half of the three skeletal branches are removed. According to the rules, the cut is usually made in the place where the bud is turned outward.

It is also permissible to cut skeletal branches by a third of their length. The tree trunk must be cleared of side branches at a height of approximately 50 cm from the ground surface. It is recommended to cut the main conductor of a fruit tree to a good bud so that it rises above the soil at a height of about one and a half meters. When the growing season begins, new shoots can be seen on the tree trunk, which will first have to be shortened by 7 cm, and then completely removed during the second wave of vegetation.

Old

Since the life of a plum, like a cherry, is relatively short, it will soon turn into an old tree. When it grows to about two and a half meters, we can talk about the cessation of its growth and development. If in the first years of life after pruning it was necessary to control the uniform growth of the main conductor, as well as skeletal branches, now the main trunk and the largest branches should be pruned. Such a procedure will already have as its goal, first of all, rejuvenation and renewal of the tree.

To do this, skeletal branches are removed in the spring, and the resulting damage is lubricated using a special garden varnish. In order not to cause multiple damage to the tree, it is recommended to cut off large branches of plums, like cherries, by filing them from the bottom, after which it will be easier to remove the upper length. Fresh shoots then appear at the cut site, which are cut off in July, leaving about four of the most viable ones.

It is recommended to divide the pruning of an old tree over several years, since it can be disastrous for it to receive some wounds in one year. Pruning of a plum tree should be done when it has a fairly strong and at the same time absolutely healthy trunk. That's when you can bring fruit crop the greatest benefit and get a good rich harvest of fruits in the future.

Video “Pruning and shaping fruit trees”

How to prune fruit trees, as well as how to properly plant them, you will learn in the video.

This is interesting:

Pruning and shaping plums

Plum trees in the garden, when growing naturally (without pruning), tend to form a large number of branches, which are susceptible to fractures and frost damage, and as a result, the tree bushes heavily and its yield decreases. Therefore, you need to study pruning and shaping plums. It is especially important to form a plum tree in the early years. Avoid excessive thickening.

Plum trees are best grown in the shape of a dwarf pyramid. All wounds caused during pruning must be carefully covered with garden varnish or putty prepared according to a special recipe.

When to prune a plum tree

It is advisable to prune plum trees in the spring. Pruned branches heal best in the first half of summer. If you cut down plum branches in mid-summer or autumn, the tree will go into winter with an “open” wound.

Timing for plum pruning

And next season, gum formation may begin at the cut site or a frost hole may form.

If the winter was frosty, then spring pruning can be slightly delayed by a couple of weeks, so you will know exactly which branches on your plum tree are frozen.

Spring pruning of plums is also preferable because the tree spends energy on the formation of new strong growths, planting more flower buds. The fruits obtained from a mature tree will be larger and of better quality than from a neglected one.

Remember! All cuts on the drain must be covered with garden varnish or special homemade putty.

Pruning a plum tree in the first year

Planting a seedling

It is not recommended to prune plum seedlings immediately after planting. In spring, plant an annual seedling with side shoots. Tie it to a high support (the support is installed when planting the seedling). And postpone the initial pruning until March.

Pruning plum seedlings in March

As soon as the buds on your plum seedling begin to wake up (this period occurs around mid-March), begin pruning:

clear the trunk (bole) of side branches to a height of about 45-50 cm from the soil level.
Save the remaining branches to form the skeleton of the tree, cutting them only halfway.
The central conductor of the plum tree needs to be cut to a good bud about 1.5 m from the soil level.

The figure shows how to trim the branches of a plum seedling.

July - summer pruning of the first year plum

Many beginning gardeners consider it important to buy and plant a seedling, or trim it a little during planting, but this big mistake. Summer is not the time to sit idle!

In the first summer, towards the end of July, you need to do another pruning:

Trim all side shoots growing from the trunk of the plum seedling to 20 cm.
Side shoots that appear on premature branches should be cut to 15 cm per bud oriented downward.
Do not touch the center conductor.

The figure shows how to carry out light summer plum pruning at 1 year.

Pruning plums in the second year

The second year is no less important for the formation of the plum crown. As soon as time and weather permit, come to the garden and inspect your plums.

Spring pruning of plum in March

As the kidneys awaken, shorten the central conductor by two-thirds. Prune to the opposite bud from last year's pruning. This is necessary to maintain the straight growth of the conductor.

Don't feel bad about cutting off too much. This pruning will prevent the tree from gaining height quickly.

Remember! Short trees are easier to harvest.

Pruning plum in July

Don’t forget about pruning plum trees in the summer.

In July, on the plum tree, trim the growth of the extension of the branches to 20 cm, and the side shoots to 15 cm, as before, to the downward oriented bud.
Remove very strong shoots from the ring.
Using thick twine, bend back all the powerful branches, attaching them by the middle to the base of the trunk.

Pruning plum trees for the third and subsequent years

From the third year, plum pruning becomes easier.

Continue pruning the center conductor in a series of zigzags until it reaches a height of 2.5 m. After this, stop further growth by completely removing new growth each year and all crossing and broken side branches.

In July, trim the side shoots to 20 cm and remove the crossing ones.

The main concern in pruning a plum is shaping the top. Radically prune or completely remove any abnormally growing tree shoots. The plum should be shaped like a pyramid with a wide base.

based on materials from the book: “Pruning Plants” by K. Brickell

Properly carried out pruning of fruit trees in order to form the shape of the crown guarantees high yields in future. Carry out pruning during orchards possible in spring and autumn.

Schemes for proper plum pruning: spring, summer and autumn pruning

In this article - detailed diagram plum trimmings with explanatory video lessons. Content

Rules for pruning plum trees in an orchard
Spring pruning of plums
Pruning mature (old) plum trees
Scheme for pruning plums in spring
Pruning a plum: video
How to trim a plum: photo

Rules for pruning plum trees in an orchard

It is known that the plum quickly grows its crown; a mass of skeletal branches appears that grow chaotically inside the crown. This contributes to thickening of the tree crown, poor air circulation, which causes the development of fungal and viral diseases. In addition, on an unkempt tree, the fruits become smaller, the crown turns into a tangled knot of gnarled branches, and a decrease in yield is observed.

Pruning plums stimulates increased yields

With timely, correct pruning of a tree, it is possible to control the growth of branches, their size, and location at a certain angle relative to the central trunk. After pruning the plum tree, harvesting and treatment of the tree crown from possible pests, improving appearance trees and stimulates the possibility of increasing the yield and weight of the fruits themselves. Uncontrollably overgrown branches divert a lot of nutrients to maintain their growth, which negatively affects the fruit yield (the plums become smaller, the fruits do not set well on the tree).

Spring pruning of plums

Pruning plums in the spring, carried out according to all the rules of agricultural technology before the onset of sap flow in the tree, has its positive aspects:

Pruned branches of plum trees have time to heal wounds before the onset of winter, which serve as additional gates for infection infectious diseases and are most often exposed low temperatures V winter period. Therefore, it is necessary to plan spring pruning of plums in early March.

Advice! Pruning the crown of fruit trees should be done on a quiet, windless day, when there is no precipitation. Pruning should be planned for a period when the outside air temperature has reached +10 C (it is important that the temperature is stable for several days).

Another plus spring pruning is what summer season the tree is able to form new growth - healthy, strong branches that can bloom next spring.

Pruning mature (old) plum trees

Old plum trees need pruning to prolong fruiting and increase yield. Ripening fruits on a formed tree become much larger in size and acquire a rich taste.

It is necessary to cut off all branches that thicken the crown

First of all, closely growing branches are cut out, the direction of growth is deep into the crown, which interfere with the development of neighboring branches, rubbing against them, causing a delay in the movement of nutritious juices.

All diseased, broken, dried branches are cut out, especially those growing inside the crown.

Pruning involves not only removing entire branches, but also shortening growing productive shoots. Common practice is to shorten tree branches by 30% of their length.

The first rejuvenating pruning of the plum crown is carried out 3-4 years after planting the tree, repeating the procedure every 4 years.

Advice! Old trees are not able to quickly grow new branches and heal cut areas, so it is important to process the cuts: clean them with a sharp knife, isolate them with oil paint, garden varnish or other suitable means, this will prevent the development of diseases.

Scheme for pruning plums in spring

One-year-old seedlings are shortened with a sharp knife, leaving a trunk no higher than 60 cm, while the development of the tree is monitored during the summer. If some of the branches develop incorrectly, autumn sanitary pruning is carried out to remove these branches.

Plum pruning diagram

Advice! Skeletal branches located at an angle of 90 degrees to the trunk must be removed.

Pruning a plum: video

How to trim a plum: photo

Hello, dear readers! If you are just at the beginning of the journey of creating your own fruit-bearing garden, then it’s time to talk about the topic: pruning plum trees in the fall for beginners, video attached.

Cut or wait?
Pruning rules
Let's get straight to practice

Cut or wait?

One of the types of plum care is timely pruning, so that the tree, grateful for its care, pleases us longer with its naturally healthy fruits.

Such pruning is carried out for the correct development of the tree, for the formation of its crown, for ease of care and for the rejuvenation of old trees. Trim off excess branches in spring, summer and autumn.

Some gardeners believe that plum trees do not need pruning while they are young. This is only partly true.

Let's say that pruning columnar varieties that are not at all rich in lateral branches is simply pointless, because... plum fruits grow on such a tree like sea buckthorn berries. The exception is when the apical bud of the sprout is damaged, then it is completely cut out and one of the lateral ones is turned into a central one.

Is it necessary to prune a plum tree whose top has been damaged by frost? Necessarily! In such cases, sometimes it is necessary to cut down up to 1/3 of the tree in order to save it. True, the plum tree will then turn into a powerful plum bush, but this will not lose the quality of its fruit.

You simply cannot hesitate! You will have to cut out the unfortunate tree as much as possible and burn the cut branches to prevent the infection from spreading to other trees. Let's consider this hygienic pruning.

Some “start” a plum tree until 3-5 years old, without pruning until one or two stable harvests are obtained, some recommend starting to form the crown almost immediately after purchasing a seedling, others wait until the tree takes root 100% and carries out pruning only the next year after the tree appears on the site. How many gardeners - so many opinions. You are free to choose any of them, but the fact that pruning will have to be done is undeniable. So let's figure out how to do it correctly.

Pruning rules

Since plum trees are pruned in any season, except for winter, the question of when to prune a plum growing in your garden disappears by itself: pruning a plum in the spring for beginners will not be much different from pruning in the fall. The basic rules are as follows: you should try to finish pruning in the spring before the leaves bloom, and in the fall - before the onset of frost.

To solve the difficult task of trimming and shaping the crown, which is difficult for a beginner, it is recommended to watch a video where everything is presented in an accessible and understandable manner:

The basic pruning scheme will be like this:

Clearly imagine what kind of crown you want to form from chaotically located branches:
- Ruzin palmette (ideal for semi-dwarf and medium-sized plums)
- Italian flat (suitable for tall trees)
- spindle-shaped crown (close to natural and convenient for beginner gardeners).

The plum crown is formed with a standard of 50-60 cm.
The main skeleton of a stone fruit tree is built from 5-6 branches of the same order.
Between the rows of branches an interval of 40-50 cm is maintained.
When trimmed, only one center conductor is retained.
We follow the law: it is better to remove one thick branch than two thin ones.
We do not leave branches located at an angle of less than 40 degrees to the trunk. The latter is especially important for plums, because it is prone to splitting, and “sharp” branches break off easily.
We also remove thin flexible branches, because... When frost forms, they easily break off with pieces of bark, leaving wounds on the tree’s body through which infection can easily penetrate.

Let's get straight to practice

The technology for pruning a young plum tree and a tree 5-6 years old is somewhat different.

In a five-year-old tree, the period of active growth has already ended, therefore, in such a tree, strong shortening of the lateral branches is avoided, using only moderate and weak ones; if possible, using techniques of tilting the branches down and in different sides.

For young seedlings, if this is the first pruning, the central stem is shortened by 1/3, followed by all other branches by 2/3. This is usually how plum trees are pruned when planting, regardless of the age of the tree.

Unbranched annuals are cut at a height of 80-90 cm, and the shoots formed at the end of July are deflected from the guide at an angle of 50-60 degrees and tied to a planting peg. The next year they are cut 40-50 cm above the base.

Plants that are not pruned in the year of planting are shortened to two-year-old wood, leaving the length of the lower branches at 50-60 cm to a good bud. Branches not selected for the tree skeleton are bent and left without pruning.

Other pruning rules are absolutely the same for trees of all ages:

We remove all the branches and twigs that grow inside the crown, thickening it, all the branches that intersect with each other, small underdeveloped branches, dry and broken.
Be sure to remove branches where even the slightest traces of damage by fungal diseases or pests are noticed.
If the top of the plum has become “bald” and has produced new shoots at the very end, remove the entire top, capturing the “bald” part of it.

It’s worth taking a closer look at rejuvenation. Severely aged branches that do not bear fruit are rejuvenated by severe pruning into tops that appear inside the crown. Plum trees are rejuvenated by pruning to the unbranched part when autumn pruning not recommended, because their wood undergoes rapid decomposition and a poorly healed cut can simply rot.

You should also not do all the pruning of an old tree at once - it may not be able to withstand such stress, since you still have spring and summer left.

At the very end of autumn, after the trees have completely shed their leaves, another pruning is carried out - corrective, in order to eliminate shortcomings that could have occurred while the trees were leafy.

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