Rules and features of pruning chokeberry in spring

Trees

Black chokeberry is also known as aronia, as its fruits are medicinal. This shrub produces numerous new shoots each year and grows vigorously, sometimes reaching 3 meters in height. Its fruits are large and sweet, containing many beneficial and nutritious substances. Over the years, the bush's crown grows rapidly. Spring pruning of chokeberries is a mandatory procedure, with its own rules and procedures. To ensure successful development and increased yield, chokeberries are pruned according to a specific procedure, adhering to all pruning guidelines.

Why does rowan need pruning?

Aronia is a perennial shrub with edible and healthy fruits. Each year, it produces numerous new branches that stretch out, preventing new shoots from developing. The interior of the crown is dark, and due to insufficient light, fruit development is poor. If pruning is not performed, fruiting will decrease significantly within 3-5 years. Berries will ripen only on the outer branches; none will appear inside the crown. Ripe fruits will be small and sour, as the plant devotes all its energy to branch growth. Old and feral plants may not produce fruit at all.

An unpruned bush looks untidy. The outer branches thin out each year. To shape the crown and enhance its decorative appeal, the bush is pruned annually. This procedure is performed in spring or fall; it helps rejuvenate the bush. Chokeberries begin bearing fruit 5-7 years after planting. The first 2-3 years are spent developing the bush; pruning is not recommended.

A dense crown can lead to plant infections. Fungi thrive in the shady parts of the crown, where moisture is always retained. Rowan trees can also be infested with insects, which damage them and spread diseases. If branches become too dense, new shoots stop forming and developing.

Attention!

Planting bushes close to each other is not recommended, as rowan trees have many basal shoots that grow quickly and need to be removed.

Optimal timing of the procedure

During the first two years of aronia's life, pruning is not necessary; the main shoots and buds are formed, and the rhizome develops. From the age of three, the bush begins to be shaped, removing diseased, frozen, and dry shoots, as well as long lateral branches.

Pruning and shaping of the bush is done in the spring before the sap begins to flow and the buds begin to swell. This occurs in March; in northern regions of the country, the procedure is not performed until April or May. If pruning is missed and the growing season has begun, pruning should be postponed until fall. The shoots that appear at the base of the bush are pruned throughout the summer.

Types and patterns of pruning

Rowan branches grow for 4-6 years before they begin bearing fruit. If the bush has many shoots that don't bear fruit, they are removed. The bush is formed into 10-12 main trunks. Aronia is pruned for shaping, rejuvenation, and preventative purposes.

Formative pruning

To keep the shrub looking neat, perform formative pruning. This is necessary when the branches have grown extensively and the crown has become dense. This can be done as early as the rowan's second year.

How to prune chokeberry correctly:

In the second year, identify 4-5 shoots that will become the main shoots. They are cut back to 50 cm from the base. All other branches are removed.
In the 3rd-4th year of life, 4-5 strong branches are again selected that grow from the first basal branches and cut to the same height.
After 5 years, 3-5 branches that have grown from new growth are left and made the same size.
In subsequent years, up to 10-12 fruit-bearing branches are left. All remaining shoots older than 6-8 years are pruned, leaving young, closely growing shoots in their place.

The crown is shaped to allow light to easily penetrate deep into the bush. Ventilation should be uniform. This type of pruning promotes the formation of new buds, makes rowan care easier, and prevents the development of fungal diseases.

Rejuvenating circumcision

Chokeberry rejuvenation is performed at ages 8-15 years. All branches and trunks are pruned to the roots in the fall, leaving no stumps. In the spring, after all branches have been removed, many young shoots emerge, which will develop and form a new skeleton for the plant. Rowan trees will begin bearing fruit in their third year after the procedure.

If the chokeberry tree is bearing fruit poorly and the yield declines each year, rejuvenation pruning should be performed earlier. After complete pruning, the bush rests during the winter, recovers, and gains strength, devoting all its resources to the growth of new branches in the spring. The bush will only fully regain its original shape three years after complete pruning. Rejuvenation pruning should not be performed more frequently than every five years, otherwise the plant may not recover. A video for beginners on how to prune chokeberries in the spring demonstrates how to do this.

Sanitary pruning

To prevent disease, rowan trees are pruned in the fall. Diseased, damaged, and weak shoots are removed. Any branches that haven't borne fruit in a while are also removed. All lateral branches growing from the main trunks are cut off. Stumps are not left behind to prevent infection.

After removing diseased branches, the rowan tree should be sprayed with a fungicide. The infection could have spread to neighboring branches, and over time, they too will become infected. Disinfection is carried out after fruiting has finished—in the fall.

Advice!

The cuts are treated with garden pitch, brilliant green, charcoal, and lime.

How to prune chokeberry in spring

To avoid damaging the chokeberry branches, prune carefully, following pruning guidelines. Remove shoots growing on short, knotty growths or on deformed bark. Diseased branches are removed to the base.

Necessary materials and tools

All tools used for shaping the bush must be disinfected beforehand. They can be treated with alcohol, potassium permanganate solution, chlorine, or copper sulfate. Scissors must be sharp and well-honed. A dull tool will damage the bush, causing branches to become irritated.

Tool for pruning chokeberry:

garden pruning shears with curved blades for removing shoots up to 3 cm;
carpenter's saw for cutting large branches;
gloves, special clothing;
fresh brew, crushed coal.

Wash your hands before and after working. People can infect plants after pruning if they don't follow hygiene rules.

Step-by-step pruning instructions

The shrub's skeleton consists of 10-15 strong branches growing from the roots. Sometimes the bush is trained into a tree-like shape; rowan is an ornamental plant in gardens. The plant is left with a single main trunk, like a tree.

To form the chokeberry into a "trunk," select the strongest shoot in the first year of its life, and remove the remaining basal shoots. Over the next 2-3 years, 5-7 buds are left at the top of the trunk at the desired height. The growing point at the crown is then pruned. This procedure encourages the growth of lateral shoots. As the shoots develop, they are pruned to shape the bush to its desired shape.

Trimming diagram:

inspect the bush, identify old, diseased, damaged branches;
remove root shoots and branches growing inside the crown;
young shoots are cut to the base with pruning shears;
cut down old, large branches that do not bear fruit;
All cuts are coated with garden pitch or crushed coal is rubbed in.

Important!

Forming a rowan tree into a “trunk” reduces its yield.

Features of pruning

The optimal height for a rowan bush is 1.5-2 m. Both old and young chokeberries are pruned, if necessary. Rowan trees are considered young until they are seven years old; after eight years, they are considered mature; and at 11-12 years, they begin to mature.

Young chokeberries are left undisturbed for the first two years of their life. Crown formation begins in their third year. All new growth at the base of the bush is pruned to prevent it from draining the plant's resources. New root suckers are removed throughout the summer.

Over the years, rowan trees degenerate, and the number of berries decreases. After 12-15 years, an old chokeberry tree is rejuvenated—a procedure called "stump planting." The entire above-ground portion of the plant is removed, down to the root. Over the next 2-3 years, new growth forms a new crown.

Caring for chokeberry

Care for chokeberries begins in their second year. To prevent diseased pruned branches from spreading infection, they are removed from the area and burned. All cuts larger than 1.5 cm in diameter are treated with the prepared varnish, while smaller cuts are coated with brilliant green. Crushed charcoal, sprinkled on the wounds, also helps with this treatment.