How to prune a columnar apple tree in the fall: features, timing, and diagrams

Every gardener's dream is a garden that quickly begins bearing fruit. Columnar apple trees make this dream a reality. Creating a garden doesn't require much space. A small garden plot can accommodate several trees of different varieties. To ensure fruit production, you need to master the pruning technique for columnar apple trees.

Description and characteristics of the variety

The first columnar apple variety (Vozhak) appeared in 1964. The first seedling was the result of a natural mutation. One of the Mackintosh apple tree's skeletal branches completely lacked lateral shoots, with the fruit clinging to its entire length. This unusual trait was noticed and refined by breeders; it is explained by the presence of the CO gene.

Currently, two varieties of columnar apple trees are grown in gardens:

• having the CO gene;
• a common variety grafted onto a super-dwarf clonal rootstock formed as a column.

The tree crown is formed by branches extending from the trunk at an acute angle, growing along a central core. The trunk is thickened and covered with numerous small branches (spears, fruiting branches, and ring branches).

The lateral shoots are thick with short internodes. At the top of the central shoot is the apical bud. If this bud dies (due to freezing or mechanical injury), growth stops.

Columnar apple trees on dwarf rootstocks begin bearing fruit in their first year, while those on vigorous rootstocks begin bearing fruit only in their second or third year. The yield grows steadily for five to six years. To ensure fruitfulness for 15 years, an apple tree requires scheduled maintenance. This primarily involves proper pruning.

The varieties that Russian gardeners like to grow are listed in the table.

Rules for the formation of columnar apple trees

A properly formed columnar apple tree crown consists of the trunk plus short branches extending from it at an angle of 30-45 degrees. A neglected tree resembles a pyramidal poplar.

Why is pruning necessary?

Pruning the crowns of columnar apple trees in the fall is especially necessary for fruit trees on common dwarf rootstocks. Without it, they will transform from columnar into regular apple trees with a branched, multi-tiered crown. The main purpose of pruning is:

• rejuvenation – replacement of old shoots with new ones;
• load control – removal of unnecessary shoots to improve the nutrition of fruiting shoots;
• stimulating the appearance of new fruit buds;
• control of crown condition (illumination, compact shape).

Proper formative pruning results in a long-lasting fruiting tree. High-quality fruit ripens on time and meets varietal characteristics (flavor, color, size, shelf life).

When to start pruning an apple tree

Columnar apple trees require pruning as early as the first fall after spring planting. All side shoots are shortened by two buds. Only the apical shoot, located at the crown of the central shoot (trunk), is left untouched. A 30° angle is considered ideal.

These buds will form two shoots during the season. The following year, they will become the basis for a new fruiting branch. Formative pruning is performed annually throughout the tree's life. One branch bears fruit for five years, then it is pruned to a ring.

Pruning is carried out at different times:

• late winter;
• in spring before the sap starts to flow;
• in summer;
• in the fall.

In winter, weather-damaged shoots are removed. In spring, the tops of young shoots are pinched. This stimulates the growth of green mass. In summer, excess growth, which robs the columnar tree of nutrients, is removed.

What tools will you need?

The health of a tree depends on the quality of gardening tools. To properly prune a columnar apple tree, you'll need the following tools:

• a sharp garden knife for cutting out small shoots;
• garden shears with long handles for working with long branches;
• pruning shears for short shoots.

A garden stepladder and a wheelbarrow for collecting plant debris are needed as auxiliary equipment. The cuts are sealed with garden pitch.

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Schemes and forms of correct pruning

Columnar apple trees take years to form. To ensure a beautiful, classic shape, specific rules must be followed when pruning columnar apple trees in the fall. There are two pruning methods. The first is performed in the following sequence:

1. During the first pruning of a one-year-old apple tree, all lateral shoots are shortened by 2 buds, the top is not touched.
2. After a year, two shoots will form from the remaining buds. One (farthest from the trunk) is left to bear fruit, while the other (closest) is pruned back by two buds. Five-year-old branches are pruned to a ring.
3. Frostbite of the apical bud often occurs. A strong, vertical shoot growing at the top of the crown is selected as a replacement. It will take some time for it to grow back. The tree is pruned only if its height is 3 meters or more.

According to the second scheme, pruning of columnar apple trees in the fall is carried out for 5 years.

Technique for performing the procedure in autumn

Work begins after all the leaves have fallen. Always leave one or two top shoots for replacement. If the apical bud freezes or is mechanically damaged in winter, one is left and the other is pruned.

Cuts are made at a 45° angle, 2 cm away from the outermost bud. One-year-old shoots are pruned back to two buds. The shoot that bore fruit this season (the second-year shoot) is removed. Five-year-old fruiting branches are removed.

In the fall, sanitary pruning is performed. Damaged, weak, and horizontally growing branches are removed. All work is performed after the sap flow in the trees has stopped. Clean tools are used. The cuts are immediately sealed with tar.

Features of pruning

There are some unique aspects to shaping the crown of a columnar apple tree. The same diagrams used for standard varieties won't be helpful. The only advice that remains relevant is how to make the perfect cut:

• start pruning from the lower branches;
• the cut should be directed away from the bud;
• retreat upwards from the bud by 2 cm;
• use a sharp tool to make a smooth cut;
• cover wounds with pitch.

How to thin out the crown to get large fruits

Large fruits are produced by annually forming fruiting units, removing weakened (damaged) branches, and regulating first the flowers, then the ovaries. The following pattern is followed when forming the fruiting unit:

• the one-year shoot located closer to the horizontal branch is shortened by 2 buds;
• The distant shoot is left to bear fruit.

The blossoms of the columnar apple tree are clustered in a bouquet. During flowering, the entire trunk and fruiting shoots are covered in snow-white inflorescences. The tree's root system cannot provide all the nutrients needed for the fruit that develops.

To produce larger fruits, some of the inflorescences are removed. No more than two clusters are left on each fruiting branch. Thinning is done again once the ovary reaches the size of a cherry.

How to achieve long-term fruiting with proper pruning

Each fruiting branch is productive for five years. It is pruned in the sixth year. The older the apple tree, the higher up the trunk the fruiting branches are located. The average fruiting period for columnar apple trees is 12-15 years.

If the apple tree begins to degenerate earlier, it can be rejuvenated:

• cut the trunk at a height of 0.6 m;
• After the shoots have grown, choose one, the most powerful one, and tie it vertically to a support;
• Cut off the remaining branches when the tree grows up and begin to shape it according to one of two schemes.

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Possible errors

The quality of the cut affects the subsequent growth of the shoots. Mistakes that novice gardeners make:

1. They use a blunt tool, get a shaggy cut, and damage the wood.
2. They leave long stumps, which leads to the death of the shoot.
3. The cut is made close to the bud, this inhibits its growth.

In conclusion

Proper pruning increases the yield of columnar apple trees. The tree develops a beautiful, compact crown that's easy to maintain. The fruit receives the necessary light and nutrients. This video for beginners will help you learn all the intricacies of crown care.