Plum refers to such fruit trees, which need regular pruning. Otherwise, the amount of the harvest can be significantly reduced, gum will start to stand out from the tree, and the growth of the branches will become erratic.
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When to cut a plum: tips for beginners
Plum needs annual, systematic pruning, which will support the health and fruiting of the tree. To carry out such work is necessary according to the scheme - in spring, summer and autumn.
Spring is considered the most favorable for the procedure. Usually, gardeners prescribe such work at the end of March and the beginning of April, when the air temperature will be already warm, and the vegetative processes will not have time to begin.
In spring, young shoots are clearly seen on the plum, which grow in the wrong direction and old branches, on which you should not wait for fruiting.
Summer, held in June, is indicative of the branches, thickening the crown, because they can best be seen in the presence of lush foliage.
Autumn spend in sanitary purposes. Such work is performed immediately after the leaf fall.
If the deadlines were missed, then it is better to move the pruning to autumn, because the fresh place of the cut quickly freezes, and in its place the gumming and freezing will form.
Each period has its own advantages and disadvantages, which is why a particular time of year is suitable for performing certain works.
Some gardeners practice winter pruning plums, but this type of work is unusual and quite specific.
"Garden head" will tell you how to properly prune the plum:
In the spring: the correct formation of the crown
The first three years of plum life in the spring it is necessary to form the correct shape of its crown, because it is the quality and volume of fruiting that depends on it. If you skip this work, the branches will grow randomly and erratically.
Usually for plums choose the crown, made in the form of a tier. That is, 6-8 of the most powerful and thick branches that grow at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from each other should act as the basis.
Also, they should be evenly distributed throughout the trunk, and the ideal growth angle should be 50 degrees.
To get such a crown, over the course of 3 years, they perform the following actions:
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- In the first year of life plums need to completely remove all the side branches, and cut the center conductor to a length equal to 60 centimeters.
- In the second year the central conductor is shortened by 40-50 centimeters, including the upper kidney, which should be above the cut point. The lower side branches are cut almost completely, leaving only 7-centimeter hemp. The remaining side shoots are shortened by a third of the total length.
- In the third year of life It is necessary to choose 6-8 skeletal branches, while all other shoots are removed. The remaining branches are allowed to leave no more than 4 buds.
Further spring pruning pruning will be in supporting the correct crown shape:
- remove all incorrectly growing branches that grow inside the crown or are located at an obtuse angle;
- if there is too lush crown, it will need to thin out, while removing the old branches, which will not be tied fruit;
- in order to help the plum to form new fruit branches, it is necessary to halve all last year's increments;
- also in the spring, the tree is inspected for all kinds of damage, most often at this stage the broken or frozen-out branches, which have suffered during the winter period, are removed.
Mandatory removal of those branches.on which the birds have damaged the kidneys.
Spring works are considered the most important and necessary, because this period is the most favorable and safe for the health of the tree.
Summer
Summer pruning pruned in June or July. This procedure is subject only to young trees, which only form their crown.
Summer pruning for adults can be destructive and it is recommended to perform it only as a last resort, for example, when a disease is detected.
In the first year of life all branches are shortened to a length of 20 centimeters. Starting from the second year, extra branches are removed completely.
In the warm season there is a huge risk of infection with infectious diseases, so by spending the summer pruning you can protect the tree from such problems.
Autumn Pruning Scheme
Autumn pruning is carried out after leaf fall.when all vegetative processes end and the tree is at rest.Usually, such work is done in mid-September.
Autumn pruning is divided into three types and depends on the age of the tree:
- in the first year after planting in the fall, the central conductor of the plum is shortened by one third of the total length, and the remaining branches by two thirds;
- regulating - performed for trees of all ages. In the course of it, the crown is discharged, and all rapidly growing or incorrectly growing branches are removed;
- starting from 4 years old tree, every 4-5 years, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, during which all old and unnecessary branches are removed, on which fruit no longer occurs.
After the first fruiting, the autumn pruning is either not performed at all, or only the most problematic branches are removed.
Also an integral part of autumnal tree care will be conducting sanitary pruning, during which all diseased and damaged branches are removedthat can provoke the death of the whole tree.
It is recommended to cut and burn the branches., so that infection or other pathogens and insects do not spread throughout the site.
Unusual methods
The specific methods of pruning pruning, the implementation of which differs from the standard work, include winter pruning and processing of old trees.
Winter pruning is rapidly gaining popularity among gardeners living in the southern regions.
The execution of such works is that all spring work transferred to mid-Februarybut at the same time the air temperature must be above 10-12 degrees.
Winter pruning is available only to gardeners who live in warm areas with a mild climate.
Particular attention should be paid to pruning old trees.because they, like older people, need careful and delicate care:
- such works are performed in early spring, when the plant turns 12-15 years old;
- pruning is usually stretched for 3-4 years so that the tree can gradually recover;
- each year, in order to improve the fruiting, they remove all dry and diseased shoots that excessively thicken the tree crown and do not give rise to the formation of new branches;
- throughout the rejuvenating period, all excess frame branches, whose average number should not exceed 8-10, are gradually removed. When performing such works, branches are filed from two sides in order to avoid unforeseen breaking and make the cut-off point smoother and more even.
Winter is the time to trim the branches of the trees:
How to care for the tree after?
To make the plum as easy as possible to undergo the trimming procedure, for starters you need to learn how to make the right cutswhich should be performed at an angle of 45 degrees, and the last kidney should be at a distance of 5-10 centimeters.
All such work should be done only with the use of sharp and sanitized garden tools, which include a knife, saw and pruner.
In order for the wounds on the tree to overgrow faster and not be subjected to various diseases, initially they are cleaned with a sharp knife and treated with copper sulfate. After that, smeared with garden pitch, oil paint or any other regenerating agents.
Pruning pruning is a rather complicated process only in the initial stages.while crown formation occurs. At a later date, all work is reduced to the regular removal of old, damaged or improperly growing branches.