How to prune apricot trees in the fall to ensure a good harvest: timing and features of fall pruning

Apricot

The apricot tree grows very quickly. If it has too many branches growing out of place, it will negatively impact both the tree and its fruit. Pruning apricot in autumn — a necessary maintenance measure that a gardener cannot do without.

To obtain a good harvest, apricot trees need to be pruned not only in the fall, but also at other times of the year.

What happens if you don't trim?

If this procedure is not carried out, the apricots will become small, dry, and tasteless. The tree will look untidy with long branches sticking out in all directions. Without rejuvenating pruning, any garden plant will stop growing. A dense, unthinned crown can lead to dangerous fungal diseases. Many weak and diseased shoots will appear, and fruiting may cease.

Why do you need to prune an apricot tree?

During the process of pruning apricot, gardeners:

Form a well-groomed crown. The tree looks beautiful and healthy. All long and protruding shoots should be removed;
rejuvenate the branches: if the crown is too dense, the inner branches die off, and the plant quickly begins to age;
to increase the number and size of fruits;
To prevent shoots from breaking. Apricots are heavy. If the branches are weak, they may break under their weight.

Important!

There are several types of pruning. In the spring and fall, it is performed for sanitary purposes, removing frost-damaged, dried, and diseased branches.

When should an event be held?

Beginning gardeners often ask, "When should I prune my apricot tree, in spring or fall?" This should be done at the right time: in summer, fall, and spring.

It's important to consider the timing and rhythm of sap flow within the tree. During the procedure, sap flow should be minimal. The best time for this procedure is early spring or late fall. Light pruning is done in midsummer for cosmetic purposes.

Maintenance begins in the plant's first year. In the spring, the crown is shaped to stimulate fruit growth. In the fall, maintenance is done for sanitation, while summer maintenance promotes rejuvenation.

Features of autumn pruning of apricot

During autumn tree care, they remove diseased branches. Gardeners also restore the balance between fruit-bearing branches and leafy shoots. All fruit-bearing shoots are trimmed back by a third.

Note!

This work is carried out in the second ten days of October, provided the weather is dry and warm.

Don't prune branches in the fall if it's raining or cold. Choose a nice day and prepare the plant for the coming winter. Removing weak shoots promptly will encourage new ones to emerge. In the spring, the first fruit buds will form on the young branches.

Types of tree pruning

For beginning gardeners, there are many videos online demonstrating pruning procedures. There are several different types:

in order to regulate the balance between branch development and fruiting;
To give the crown a neat shape. This procedure promotes active development and growth;
for the purpose of rejuvenation. Mature trees grow better and produce new shoots.

Sanitary pruning has already been mentioned. It is typically performed in spring, fall, and as needed.

What tools are needed for the job?

Caring for any garden crop is impossible without the following tools:

saws;
pruning shears;
knife for garden work;
whetstone for sharpening tools;
twine (it supports the branches);
garden pitch (for healing wounds after the procedure).

All tools are carefully sharpened. To sharpen a garden knife, use a whetstone dipped in water. This will remove excess iron filings. After sharpening, the tools are tested for proper operation. Pruning shears are adjusted by tightening the nut. If the grip is too tight, loosen the nut, and if the grip is too loose, tighten the nut.

Before starting work, set all the saw teeth to the sides, tilting them alternately left and right. The angle of the bend should be uniform. The sharp side of the teeth should point inward.

Attention!

Before any manipulation, all instruments must be disinfected. This will protect the crop from dangerous diseases.

Simple circuits

Shortening of shoots for the purpose of crown formation is done already in the first year of life of garden crops. General scheme for pruning garden trees It looks like this: 6 or 7 strong branches are left. The distance between them is 30 to 40 cm.

Shortening the branches of a one-year-old apricot tree

After planting, the seedling resembles a thin, short stick, but it already requires pruning. A young apricot tree can be pruned correctly by shortening its trunk by 10 or 15 cm. This will stimulate the growth of its lateral shoots. If the seedling wasn't pruned after planting, its trunk should be shortened the following fall. Without this procedure, the lateral branches will grow very slowly, and the harvest will be a long wait.

When trimming the shoots, be careful not to damage the buds. The cut should be at a 45-degree angle, with the top bud being the focus.

Advice!

The cutting tool must be sharp. This will help avoid excessive damage to the plant.

Pruning 2- and 3-year-old trees in autumn

If the first pruning was carried out correctly, the tree will produce 3 to 4 lateral branches the following year. With the onset of autumn, these are shortened by 10 to 15 cm. This will stimulate branching. The key is to shorten the shoots before the cold weather sets in. The tree needs to form new buds and conserve its strength to survive the winter safely.

If the crown becomes very dense, partially cut the vines back to one ring. Also remove:

thin shoots;
whips that form an acute angle with the trunk.

The best crown shape is a single-tiered one. If you can shape the crown into a single tier, further work will be much easier.

By the third year of the plant's life, all skeletal branches will produce new shoots, and the crown will take on a spherical shape. Subsequently, three to five lateral shoots are left on each shoot, shortened by 20 cm. Excess shoots are pruned at the ring.

How to prune mature apricot trees

Before pruning a mature apricot tree, it's important to determine which shoots can be left and which are hindering its growth. This may seem difficult for an inexperienced gardener, but with practice, it shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours.

As always, remove dead and diseased shoots, especially those growing inward, crowding the crown. Also, prune shoots that stand out from the overall appearance and disrupt the beautiful shape.

When the trunk reaches the desired height, it should be pruned back to one branch. This will ensure the crown remains perfectly shaped, and any part of the tree can be easily reached from a ladder. It's best not to allow the crown to become too dense, otherwise it will be difficult to access the tree from any direction.

Recommendation!

If there are leafy branches on the fruit-bearing shoots that obscure the apricots, they should be removed without hesitation. They prevent the fruit from ripening and restrict air flow.

Trees that are pruned regularly always look healthy and tolerate pruning well. For best results, this should be done three times a year.

Pruning an old apricot tree

Sometimes, someone inherits an old apricot orchard, or buys a summer cottage or country house with trees attached. If the owner decides to cultivate the old growth, several factors must be considered:

Fruit-bearing shoots don't live long: 2 to 3 years. After this period, they are harvested;
Most of the shoots will need to be cut back. These will include dried-out shoots, those affected by fungus, and those that are growing crosswise and crowding the crown. Shoots with cracked bark should also be removed;
After "cleaning" the tree, two tiers of healthy branches are left on it. Each tier should contain 5 to 7 of them. They need to be cleared of small growths and pinched at the ends;
After the procedure, treat the cut areas with garden pitch and feed the older trees with mineral fertilizer. This will help them survive the stress.

After extensive pruning, old apricot trees will only bear fruit after 2 or 3 years. During this time, care must be taken to maintain the tree, regularly trimming branches.

Post-procedure care of the culture

After the procedure, all cut areas are treated with garden pitch. If the wound is large, it is disinfected with copper sulfate. Since the trees need to recuperate after the procedure, they are always fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter.

Pruning branches may seem difficult at first, but with time, the gardener gains experience. With regular pruning, the apricot tree will delight you with ripe fruit every year.