Pruning old trees
Pruning old trees ( according to BN Anzin)
During this period, the trees are weakened by growth - the length of annual growth is reduced to 25-30 cm. This is a signal for a gardener - one must start rejuvenating the tree and the main purpose of pruning is to cause growthand reduce the number of fruiting points, thereby reducing the number of fruits in the crop year. To do this, the branch cuts the entire one-year increment to any lateral one-year branch at the top of the 2-year increment. Where to cut - the tree itself will tell: one should notice on the branch a zone of strong growth and leave the younger education, and that which grows above it, remove.
Old trees spend so-called sanitary pruning with the removal of branches, wilting to the ground, tk.they interfere with the care of the soil and, because they are in the shade, are unproductive. Do also thinning, removing the branches that go inside the crown, intertwining, rubbing. They are cut off "on the ring" or "on the side branch".But remember, it is better to cut one large branch than many small ones.
Growth is enhanced by pruning 3-5-7-year-old wood over branches, where growth is noticeable( the so-called "retreating growth" zone) or to a lateral branch formed on a strong branch( over 40 cm).Rejuvenate also semi-skeletal and old fruit formations by shortening them( "chasing").
When rejuvenating the old tree, it is advisable to go for a two-stage pruning, in which in the first year a strong pruning is made for long-term timber at half( by volume) of the crown. After trimming, it should be about 3 m in height and about 2 m in width. Next year, about 50% of the "tops" grown after trimming are cut out "on a ring", and the remaining ones form the crown. After 3-4 years, when the fruiting on the "tops" comes, they rejuvenate the other half of the tree. Rejuvenating pruning of the crown is well combined with the rejuvenation of the roots( the so-called "root pruning").To do this, from the side of the circumcised crown at a distance of 2-3 m from the trunk, a trench of a width and depth of about 60 cm is excavated, cutting through the occurring roots. Then the trench is filled with soil in a mixture with organic and mineral fertilizers. It is better to excavate the trench late in the autumn( the second half of October) in the year preceding such a rejuvenating trimming of the crown.
Large branches must be sawed apart in order to avoid stripping: first cut the branches from below, then on the stump - from above and take out the branch. After that, cut the stump as it should - "on the ring," trim the cut with a knife and cover with a garden sauce( you can clay, clay).Unusual advice. When pruning a thick branch with a secateur, it should be slightly bent away from the cut, which will reduce the force to cut the branch.
It should also be ensured that at one level and next to the trunk there are no large wounds from pruning - this can weaken the tree. Of the tops, which can appear on the old tree, it is necessary to form new branches. They will serve as a replacement for the old.
Old trees often have hollows. This is due to the fact that they did the wrong pruning with leaving the hemp, and not "on the ring."In this case, the stump withers, then decays and as a result a hollow is formed. In this case, it is necessary to clean the trumpet from the hollow to healthy tissues, disinfect it with a solution of copper sulfate, and then the hollow can be filled with cement mortar.