Pruning apple trees in winter: timing, tools, pros and cons of winter pruning

Winter is a dormant period for most deciduous plants in the garden. But this does not mean that the gardener is inactive and rests in winter. Of course, the amount of work in winter significantly less than in warm weather, but it is still there. During the cold season, such types of work as protecting plants from wind, cold, sunburn are relevant; pruning apple trees and other fruit trees is also carried out in winter. It remains to figure out how and when it is carried out, and its advantages.

Content:

Advantages and disadvantages of winter pruning apple trees
Winter pruning of adult apple trees
Winter pruning of young non-fruiting apple trees

Advantages and disadvantages of winter pruning apple trees

To successfully carry out winter pruning of apple trees, you need to try to meet several conditions:

deadlines
temperature
selection of varieties
pre-winter tillage
individual approach to each tree

Optimal time for winter trimmings apple trees - this is the end of winter, when the air temperature begins to rise and practically does not fall below -10 -15 degrees below zero. It is best to start pruning apple trees in winter with the most winter-hardy varieties, such as:

Antonovka
Lingonberry
White filling
Titovka
Fragrant
Padding

If in the autumn the soil under the apple trees was treated and fertilized with ineral mixtures, and well watered before the onset of frost, then winter pruning is well tolerated and apple tree varieties with average winter hardiness. Taking into account the fulfillment of the above conditions, pruning apple trees in winter has a number of advantages:

Removing frozen branches with garden tools requires less physical effort
minimal risk of bark scuffing
a bare crown without leaves allows you to more accurately determine the pruning pattern

The disadvantages of winter pruning include, first of all, the discomfort of staying in the winter garden at low temperatures. There is also a risk of frostbite on the wound surface. You may need a special compound to coat the cut areas. When choosing winter pruning of apple trees, you need to take into account that young and adult plants require a different approach to this agricultural operation.

Winter pruning of adult apple trees

Adult and old apple trees are pruned in the winter months if the trees need:

sanitary pruning
formative pruning
anti-aging pruning

Detailed video about pruning apple trees:

In more southern areas, this work can be done at the end of January, in areas with a temperate climate no earlier than the third ten days of February - early March. In order to trim fairly tall adult apple trees, you will need the following equipment:

stable stepladder
garden pruner
air pruner, long handles
garden hacksaw with curved blade
lopper

It is important to use a well-sharpened, clean tool when pruning fruit trees. When planning pruning, it is advisable to choose a day when it is warm enough outside and the frost is no more than -8 degrees. In such weather, apple trees will tolerate the procedure more easily. Thin branches are removed with pruning shears, thicker ones with a hacksaw.To prevent scuffing of the bark, before you start sawing the selected branch, you need to lightly saw it from the back side. Cut to the ring, leaving no stumps. For sealing cuts in winter at low temperatures instead of garden var It is better to take a special paste "RanNet" or putty "BlagoSad" or a mixture made independently based on drying oil, natural resins, and vegetable oil.

Winter pruning also leads to a decrease in the number of parasites that overwinter on the bark and under the bark of the tree and are removed along with the cut branches and twigs. Pruning young trees in winter is somewhat different from pruning adult fruit-bearing apple trees.

Winter pruning of young non-fruiting apple trees

Considering that apple trees aged from one to three years have rather thin branches, one pruning shear is enough for their winter pruning. It is advisable to begin winter pruning of young trees at the very end of February - beginning of March. For young apple trees, only sanitary pruning can be recommended in winter, if it is not done in the autumn. If the winter is warm enough and the main frosts are already behind, then formative pruning can be done. Pruning in winter is done if two to three year olds seedlings shoots have formed, growing inward or parallel to each other. Apple trees of this age have a trunk and side branches.

It is advisable to leave three to five well-developed shoots on the trunk, which are directed in different directions and grow at a wide angle to the trunk. All weak, malformed, broken and diseased shoots must be removed. The side branches are cut off, leaving no more than five buds.

In some cases, not only the side branches of young apple trees are shortened, but also the central shoot. In winter, cutting areas for young apple trees are treated in the same way as for adult plants. To get healthy plants and a good harvest of apples, the gardener will have to take care of apple trees and other trees in winter.