How to prune apple trees in Siberia in the fall: Illustrated instructions for beginners

Pruning the crowns of fruit trees in Siberia is essential. It's a powerful agricultural technique that helps manage their development and growth. Inappropriate gardening practices can cause harm to the garden. To ensure pruning is beneficial, it's important to learn all the different types of pruning and use them appropriately for the age and variety of the apple tree. Don't forget about the natural conditions of the region.

Why prune an apple tree?

Siberia has a harsh climate. Winters are cold, with temperatures reaching -40-50°C, and springs and summers are short. Some regions receive little snowfall. The hardiness and viability of apple trees are enhanced by crown shaping. This method allows the fruit tree to adapt to the climate of its growing zone.

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Benefits of pruning apple trees

Siberian apple trees are best pruned in the fall, when they are dormant. All wounds heal before the spring sap flow begins, and they are less susceptible to infection and pests at low temperatures. With the arrival of warmer weather, the apple tree begins vigorous growth without delay, as it is not stressed.

Every type of pruning has specific goals. Proper crown shaping creates a strong tree skeleton, preventing branches from becoming crowded or having sharp angles. Trees that suffer most from Siberian frosts include:

• standard;
• trunk;
• bases of skeletal branches.

To reduce the risk of early spring and winter frost, the trunk is kept small. A properly formed crown is well ventilated and receives sunlight.

Favorable conditions for active infection are absent, but fruit buds are actively forming in the sun. These buds form the basis of the future harvest. The fruit and all parts of the tree receive adequate nutrition. This improves the flavor of the apples and increases yield.

Types of apple tree pruning

Throughout a tree's life, its crown is shaped. The foundation is established in the first few years after planting with moderate, formative pruning. This removes excess branches or suppresses their growth.

To maintain the current shape of the crown, gardeners master several techniques:

• Pruning. Removing part of a one-year growth or a perennial branch.
• Thinning. Removing competitors to the main leader and excess branches that thicken the crown. Pruning is performed on the outer bud.
• Side branch pruning. To change growth direction, thin the crown, and remove frozen wood.
• Ring cut. This is used to completely remove a branch or one-year-old shoot. Thick branches are cut to the ring in the spring, before the buds open, to allow the large wound time to heal before winter.

These techniques are used for health-improving, rejuvenating, and formative pruning. When working with young trees, Siberian gardeners perform summer pinching instead of shortening. The herbaceous tops of the shoots are removed when they reach 15-50 cm in length.

When completely suppressing shoot growth, leave a small stump with two leaves, or pinch off the top with two leaves if you want to slow it down a bit. Timely pinching can replace formative pruning. Pinching is done in the fall to speed up shoot maturation.

Pruning by age

A standard seedling purchased from a nursery has three branches. These become the foundation of the future crown. If there are no branches, they are formed during planting. A well-developed bud is selected at a height of 45-65 cm, located opposite the cut of the bud's thorn, and the crown is pruned to this bud. The seedling is divided into two zones:

• trunk – 15-30 cm;
• branching zone – 15-30 cm.

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Pruning young apple trees

A young apple tree is considered to be in its first four years. Beginning in its second year, the desired crown shape begins to be formed. During this time, the tree grows and develops, but does not bear fruit. Removing the crown during planting encourages branching.

Strong shoots (3-4) extending from the central leader at a 45-60° angle and spaced evenly around the trunk are left. They are aligned according to growth strength. This will be the first tier of the crown. The central leader is maintained in a dominant vertical position to prevent it from leaning and is tied to a support stake.

A year later, they begin to form the second tier of the crown:

• leave 2-3 more branches located above the first ones at a height of 30-50 cm and 15-20 cm from each other;
• the main conductor is shortened at a height of 45-65 cm from the top branch of the first tier;
• The lower branches are shortened so that they are 20-25 cm below the central conductor.

Branches not used to build the crown are stunted by pinching or severe pruning. These branches are then used to form fruit wood. To maintain balance in the growing crown, pruning always begins with the weakest skeletal branch. All other branches are cut off at this level.

The crown of a young apple tree is formed according to the chosen scheme:

• tiered-discharged;
• slate;
• creeping-bush-like.

Pruning mature apple trees

Three to four years after fruiting begins, fruit tree productivity declines. This is explained simply. High yields suppress the growth of young shoots, and Siberian apple trees bear fruit on one-, two-, and three-year-old wood, which is more winter-hardy.

Fewer young branches means a smaller harvest. In Siberia, apple trees are pruned every fall to ensure new growth and regular fruiting. During particularly harsh winters, trees freeze, so pruning healthy wood helps the trees recover.

In autumn, the branches are cut:

• with mechanical damage;
• frozen, not restored over the summer;
• young shoots that thicken the crown and grow vertically upwards (water shoots).

Autumn pruning of apple trees that have begun to bear fruit is carried out taking into account the varietal characteristics.

Rejuvenation of old trees

A fruit tree's entire life can be divided into several stages. First, it grows, then it grows and bears fruit, then it bears fruit and then grows and only bears fruit. Each stage isn't limited to a specific number of years; its duration depends on the condition of the apple tree and the processes occurring within the crown.

When an apple tree enters its full fruiting period, which lasts from 20 to 40 years, its skeletal branches eventually cease growing, new lateral branches fail to form, individual branches on skeletal and semi-skeletal branches die off, and dormant buds develop into suckers. These changes in the crown reduce yield.

In Siberia, the productivity of aging apple trees is restored using rejuvenating pruning:

• cut off the ends of old branches above the water sprouts;
• old branches are cut into lateral branches directed outward;
• reduce the length of fruit and semi-skeletal branches;
• carry out formative pruning of new growth.

After deep rejuvenating pruning, fruit trees quickly grow their crowns, form fruit branches, and bear fruit.

Proper care after pruning

In Siberia, apple tree care is the same as in other regions of the Russian Federation. All wounds larger than 0.5 cm in diameter are sealed on the day of surgery. The following are used as garden sealants:

• paint on drying oil;
• garden var;
• a mixture of rosin, paraffin, and unsalted animal fat in a ratio of 1:2:0.5.

To protect the bark from sunburn and frost cracks, the trunk is covered in the fall with a mixture of water (10 l), lime (2-3 kg), clay (500-2000 g), mullein (500 g), and iron sulfate (500 g).

Features of pruning apple trees in the fall in Siberia

In Siberia, gardeners prefer vigorous rootstocks, which have greater winter hardiness and a stronger root system. To facilitate harvesting, apple trees are pruned annually in the fall to reduce their crown size.

Fruit trees in Siberia are stunted in growth according to the following scheme:

• The first time the central conductor is cut when it reaches 2 meters in height;
• it is shortened, leaving 2-3 cm of summer growth;
• all branches growing below the conductor are trimmed, making sure that their tops are 12-15 cm below the main one;
• Small wounds are treated with brilliant green, large ones with brilliant green and garden pitch.

The procedure is repeated every fall. If the tree's height exceeds reasonable limits, the crown is cut off. When shaping the crown, the principle of subordination is observed, according to which the central conductor—it is taller and thicker than the skeletal branches—dominates. The branches of the upper tier are always subordinate to those of the lower tier.

There are rules that, if followed, minimize damage to the tree when pruning. Use clean, sharp tools (pruning shears, saw). Always treat wounds. Branches damaged by disease, frost, or pests are cut back to healthy wood. No more than three thick branches are removed per season. No stumps are left.

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In Siberia, wild apples, semi-cultivated varieties, and large-fruited varieties are grown. Wild apples grow in the northernmost regions and are the most winter-hardy. Semi-cultivated varieties are obtained by crossing wild apples and large-fruited varieties. They begin to bear fruit in 3-4 years, are not as winter-hardy as wild apples, and overwinter better in elevated areas.

Large-fruited varieties that overwinter well in Siberia include Papirovka, Melba, Michurin's Bessemyanka, Borovinka, Pepin Shafranny, Osennaya Radost, Zhigulevskoye, and Bellefleur-Kitayka. Borovinka and Papirovka bear fruit on the ringlets. Bellefleur-Kitayka produces most of its fruit buds on the spears. Melba has a mixed fruiting pattern. Fruiting characteristics are taken into account when pruning apple trees in the fall.