How to prune bushes correctly. Possible problems with fences

Shrub crops in the garden need pruning from time to time. This procedure helps to form the correct crown, remove dead shoots, thin out thickened branches, and enhance the growth and flowering of plants.

First, let's look at what terms gardeners use when it comes to pruning trees and shrubs:

1. Thinning and cutting are concepts used to designate complete removal branches. When pruning bushes, shoots are cut almost close to the ground, and sometimes even below its level. To remove thin shoots, pruners are used, and thick branches are cut with a saw.
2. Pruning a shoot for transfer is carried out as follows: from the branching of young shoots, select one sprout, which is directed towards the right side, and the remaining branches are removed without stumps.
3. Pruning is the process of shortening a shoot to the desired length. This process stimulates the growth of new branches and the formation of a thick, lush crown.

Now I would like to talk in more detail about the tools that are used for pruning plants in the garden:

1. Secateurs are devices that allow you to cut a branch up to 2.5 cm thick. There are two types of such tools. The first type of pruner has curved blades and operates on the principle of ordinary scissors. In order for the shoot to be cut well, the tool must not only be well sharpened, but also have a minimum gap between the blades. When purchasing such a weapon, test it not only on wood, but also on paper. The second type of pruner is a tool with a straight blade, which during operation rests against the end of the plate. When using it, you will not need to check the gap between the blades every time, but with such a device it is difficult to remove sprouts in hard to reach places. When choosing a pruner, pay attention not only to its sharpness, but also to its weight, ease of use, and the quality of the spring fixation.
2. Another tool for pruning garden shrubs is a lopper. It can cope with thicker branches, the diameter of which reaches 5 cm. In addition, the lopper reaches branches located in the very depths of the crown. One type of this tool is a rope lopper - a device used to trim tall growing shoots.
3. A saw is used when it is necessary to remove branches that are too thick without causing much harm to the tree. The teeth of the garden saw are widely spaced, have a height of 5-7 mm, do not become clogged with wood during operation and cut branches equally well in forward and reverse strokes.
4. A garden knife is used for trimming thin shoots, correcting crooked cuts, stripping branches or cutting off bark.
5. It is important to use garden shears where you need to form a curly crown. This device is ideal for creating decorative hedges, borders, and giving shrubs interesting shapes.
6. When trimming tall plants, you cannot do without a stepladder. The main requirement for a ladder is its stability. The legs of the stepladder should be widely spaced, and their blunt ends will not allow the ladder to go deep into the ground. It is advisable to fasten the legs with a chain for greater reliability.
7. From additional accessories You may also need thick synthetic ropes, spacers and garden pitch.

To make pruning bushes easy, all cutting tools must be well sharpened, and their parts must be securely fixed to each other. It is desirable that the tools be light in weight and fit comfortably in the hand. It is also good if their handles are bright, so that you can easily find the tool in the grass and leaves.

Pruning and shaping shrubs: rules and tips

1. The buds, from which the branches of the young bush will subsequently grow, are located at the very bottom of the trunk, in its root zone. When planting a plant on a site, its root collar needs to be buried 5-8 cm into the ground.
2. To ensure that tall bushes branch well, they are pruned at the planting stage. The longest and strongest shoots are shortened along the length of the rest, diseased branches are completely removed, broken ones are cut to a living bud.
3. Low-growing plants are also pruned when planting, but in this case the branches are shortened almost to the very base, leaving only small stumps with a few buds. This procedure will help the crop grow a powerful rhizome and strong shoots.
4. It is not necessary to uproot bushes that are too overgrown and dense. They can be thinned out, but since you will have to cut very a large number of branches, it is better to split this procedure over a couple of years.
5. It is necessary to form a neat crown in the first year of a crop’s life, without waiting for it to mature. Otherwise, you may miss the moment, and the plant will never acquire the desired appearance.
6. The distance from the bud to the cut should be approximately 5 mm. If you cut a branch closer, the bud will die, if further, a stump will remain, which can be dangerous for the bush. The cut itself should be made at a slight angle.
7. It is advisable to trim the plants on the site every year. If this is not done, pests and diseases will breed in an overly thickened crown.
8. Cuts on the shoots should not be split. To do this, it is important to use a well-sharpened and always clean tool, and treat damaged areas with garden varnish. A correctly executed cut will be smooth, without protruding fragments and fibers. If any appear, they can be corrected with a garden knife. For branches whose thickness exceeds 3 cm, it is better to use oil paint instead of garden varnish.
9. All diseased and dried branches must be disposed of.
10. It is advisable to trim weak shrubs as short as possible - this will stimulate their development. Strong crops should not be shortened too much.
11. The less you injure the bush during pruning, the better. A little advice: shoots pinched in time will not have to be shortened later.
12. Any gardener cutting tool you need to work with great care, trying not to damage neighboring processes.
13. Thick branches growing horizontally are cut in a special way. To begin with, make a cut at the bottom, which is approximately ¼ of the diameter of the knot. Having retreated 2 cm from the trunk, a second cut is made from above, going towards the first. The branch is sawed until it breaks on its own along the fibers. After this, the remaining stump is cut down with a hacksaw.

Types of shrub pruning

Formative pruning of crops

Early formative pruning allows you to give a shrub or tree a beautiful, neat crown. This haircut is carried out in the first weeks of spring, before active sap flow begins. Crops need such pruning almost immediately after they are planted on the site.

Shrubs are most often cut “to the stump”, that is, everything that is above 7-9 cm from the root collar is removed. In autumn, new branches grow on the stump, emerging from the remaining dormant buds. Next spring, young shoots are shortened again, while making sure that the remaining trimmings contain about 3-5 buds. After three years, the culture will acquire the desired shape, which will only need to be periodically adjusted.

Features of the formation of a free-growing crown:

1. In crops with good branching, beautiful foliage or attractive flowers, grown shoots are cut to ¼ of their length. A fully grown branch is easy to distinguish: at its top there is a bud. In the process of shortening shoots, thinning pruning is also carried out, if necessary.
2. Ornamental shrubs with weak branching are pruned more heavily; all annual branches are cut almost to the base, leaving no more than 4 buds on the stumps.
3. In crops with short internodes, approximately 10 buds are left on the stumps.

The crown of a bush can be given a decorative shape, for example, to create a ball, pyramid or trapezoid from it. They do this in the following way:

1. With the arrival of warmer weather, annual shoots are cut almost to the ground, leaving 5 cm knots. Already at this stage, the shape of the crown should be brought as close as possible to the desired result.
2. Within a year after pruning, the bush is allowed to grow new branches.
3. Over the next 3-4 years, the crop is cut according to a given pattern, pruning is carried out twice a year. The first haircut is carried out in early spring, before the start of sap flow. Then the bush is pruned as the knots grow. When the branches grow 10 cm, they are shortened by half.

When trimming ornamental shrubs, characterized by strong branching, excessive thickening of the crown and growth of the crop in width should not be allowed. To do this, most of the root shoots are cut out. As a rule, during the pruning process, weak branches, shoots whose growth is directed towards the inside of the bush, as well as strong shoots that grow too close to each other are cut off.

Advice: conifers and evergreens should not be pruned until they are 4 years old. After 4 years, pruning is carried out every summer, twice per season. The first haircut occurs in mid-June, the second - in early August.

Sanitary pruning of bushes

The purpose of sanitary pruning is to maintain plants in proper form. During this process, dried, broken, diseased shoots are removed from the bushes. This procedure is necessary for several reasons. Firstly, dry, thick and heavy branches can break under their own weight and pose a danger to humans and other objects: vehicles, communication lines, etc. Secondly, if fading shoots are not cut off in time, the plant will begin to ache and wither.

Sanitary pruning is important for ornamental, berry and fruit bushes. It improves the health of crops, maintains the beauty of their appearance, and allows you to always receive good harvests fruits and berries.

Rejuvenating plant pruning

Anti-aging pruning is especially important for fruit bushes, although ornamental crops this procedure is also very useful. Even an old plant can produce good yields if it is regularly rejuvenated.

You can understand that the time has come for such pruning when the annual growth of shoots becomes very small and amounts to no more than 7 cm. The rejuvenating procedure is carried out from the end of winter to the beginning of spring, as well as in last weeks summer or in the first month of autumn. During anti-aging pruning, the branches are shortened by about a third, leaving the most developed buds. If the plant has good bushiness, its yield can be significantly increased by removing one of the three oldest branches in the bush. As a rule, this is done in the spring and no more than once every 2-3 years.

Anti-aging pruning allows you to influence the flowering of crops. For example, if you thin out a bush greatly, fewer buds will bloom on it, but they will be quite large size. If you trim the plant just a little, then during the flowering period it will be covered with many small buds. If a crop is valuable for its decorative value, then the size and number of inflorescences matter. As a rule, when pruning branches, 3-4 buds are left, which will subsequently produce new shoots with abundant flowering. After a few years, when the buds begin to shrink, the branches can be cut off completely.

Rejuvenating pruning of shrubs is carried out in the spring, cutting off at least half of the old shoots from the plants. In some cases, branches are removed completely, but this can only be done with those crops that actively grow young root shoots, for example, shadberry or viburnum. Plants whose shoots come not from the root, but from the branches, are not cut off at the root, but small stumps 15 cm high are left.

The need for a rejuvenating haircut can be determined by the appearance of the shoots. When there are fewer of them, they grow thinner and weaker - this is a signal that the tree needs rejuvenation. Gardeners also have a practice of “radical rejuvenation”. This procedure is resorted to when the crop not only stops producing strong shoots, but generally does not grow even short thin shoots well. In this case, the branches are cut to the root collar. Powerful and developed root system next season it will grow quite a large amount of green mass. The strongest specimens are selected from new branches, and others are cut off as unnecessary for several years.

Pruning bushes in autumn

Plants whose flower buds appear on the current year's growth can be pruned in the fall. During the pruning process, last year's growths are cut off from the bushes at a distance of 10-40 cm from the ground. After this, the plants grow new branches, which will ensure the main flowering. Autumn pruning can be carried out every year or a little less often, depending on how intensively the crown thickens and how quickly the crop loses its decorative appearance.

In order for plants to recover faster and actively increase their green mass, they require careful care after pruning. It consists of regular watering, loosening the top layer of soil around the trunk, mulching the soil, as well as mandatory fertilizing.

Organic matter is predominantly used as fertilizer, usually an infusion of compost or manure. Nutrients are added to the soil along with watering evening hours. If the weather is cloudy, then you can feed the bushes during the day. In extreme heat and drought, even before fertilizing, it is advisable to thoroughly moisten the soil around the trunk. Plants are fertilized in spring and summer; fertilizing is stopped at the beginning of August.

Shrub trimming. Video

Every time we buy seedlings of new varieties of ornamental shrubs, we rejoice like children, imagining what a miracle will grow in our garden in just 2-3 years - almost the same as in luxury photography from the colorful catalog. But time passes and it becomes clear interesting thing- it turns out that in order to see the desired miracle in your garden, you need to work hard on creating conditions for the “living” of the new settler and on shaping his appearance. The most important point in caring for trees and shrubs is pruning. The time has come to talk in more detail about at what time and in what way ornamental shrubs are pruned.

To prune ornamental shrubs or not

There is little information about the rules for pruning ornamental shrubs, in contrast to the fruit segment. To remove diseased and dead shoots, to restrain excessively rapid growth of the crown, to ensure lush and long flowering painstaking and serious pruning work is required. For each variety, their own methods are developed, taking into account the characteristics of the plant. Conventionally, plants are divided into beautiful flowering shrubs and decorative deciduous bushes.

Tools for pruning ornamental shrubs

For any type of pruning, you may need a garden saw, a lopper, a pruning shear with two blades, a garden knife for trimming annual growth, a hedge trimmer for performing formative pruning and trimming hedges, a ladder, garden pitcher or rannet paste. All instruments must be sharp and sterile. A day after pruning, treat sections with a diameter greater than 7 mm with garden varnish or wound-healing paste.

Types of pruning ornamental shrubs

All ornamental shrubs require timely and correct pruning, aimed at removing dead and damaged shoots, restraining rapid growth and forming a beautiful crown (by cutting and thinning), stimulating flowering, as well as rejuvenating old bushes.

In relation to ornamental shrubs, there are 3 types of pruning:

1. sanitary
2. formative
3. rejuvenating.

Sanitary pruning of ornamental shrubs in spring

Almost all shrubs need sanitary pruning. Formative is needed by the majority. There are only a small number of shrubs that do not require formative pruning. An annual sanitary pruning every spring is enough for them, during which all weak, frozen, intersecting shoots are removed.

• removing diseased, drying, broken, hanging down, intertwined branches;
• removal of coppice and top shoots (raising the crown);
• cuttings of “pins”;
• formation of a uniformly translucent and ventilated crown.

Formative pruning of ornamental shrubs in spring

This technique is used for shrubs that are grown in molded hedges and require constant pruning. So: if you form a hedge in the spring, you remove only the growth of the previous year. If you prefer a haircut in the second half of summer, you will remove the current year’s growth accordingly. You may have to do both spring and summer pruning– if you are dealing with fast-growing plants. (Please note: we are talking about pruning bushes that have already been formed for the hedge and have reached the required height and dimensions).

Formative pruning of ornamental shrubs will help you keep the plant neat and compact - in the given sizes and shapes. And remember: once you have used this type of pruning, it is advisable to do the same thing annually.

Note: small plants can be cut with scissors or electric trimmer. For large ones, you need to use pruning shears, since damaged leaves and stumps remaining from the shoots will turn brown and die.

Rejuvenating pruning of ornamental shrubs in spring

Anti-aging pruning for ornamental crops, this procedure is also very useful. Rejuvenating pruning of ornamental shrubs is carried out in the spring, cutting off at least half of the old shoots from the plants. In some cases, branches are removed completely, but this can only be done with those crops that are actively growing young root shoots. Plants whose shoots come not from the root, but from the branches, are not cut off at the root, but small stumps 15 cm high are left.

The need for a rejuvenating haircut can be determined by the appearance of the shoots. When there are fewer of them, they grow thinner and weaker - this is a signal that the tree needs rejuvenation. Gardeners also have a practice of “radical rejuvenation.” This procedure is resorted to when the crop not only stops producing strong shoots, but generally does not grow even short thin shoots well. In this case, the branches are cut to the root collar. A powerful and developed root system will grow a fairly large amount of green mass next season. The strongest specimens are selected from new branches, and others are cut off as unnecessary for several years.

Curly pruning of ornamental shrubs in spring

The best examples of curly pruning of shrubs are considered to be the so-called living sculptures. For creating various figures With shrubs, it is very important to ensure that they are evenly covered from top to bottom with leaves or pine needles.

In order to perform curly pruning of shrubs with your own hands, you need to choose the right plants and shape them accordingly.

The easiest way to have a living sculpture in your garden is to purchase shrubs in the sculptural form you desire. The best sculptures are made from evergreens such as boxwood, privet, holly, cherry laurel, and bay laurel. However, in middle lane Russia most species of evergreen plants in open ground In winter they freeze or die. Therefore, only coniferous and deciduous shrubs are suitable for creating living sculptures in the garden. For small figures it is very good to use spirea, honeysuckle, elm, cotoneaster, barberry, mahonia, Japanese quince, etc.

Small-leaved linden, hawthorn, spruce, hazel, small-leaved elm, apple berry and some others are quite suitable for creating larger figures. Figures formed from evergreens, and above all boxwood, look very beautiful.

Ornamental shrubs that do not require spring pruning

Some ornamental shrubs do not like pruning because they have a low ability to regenerate. They have great difficulty healing wounds, or their habit for a long time remains distorted. Such shrubs include magnolia, witch hazel, flowering dogwood, viburnum, hibiscus, cherry laurel, dogwood, and serviceberry. In such plants, it is enough just to remove the old branches and in no case carry out severe anti-aging pruning.

Features of pruning ornamental shrubs

We trim shrubs and decorative ones too)))

From the point of view of the condition of trees and shrubs, spring is a very suitable time for pruning, especially severe, since severe frosts have already passed and all branches damaged by frost and mechanically broken are noticeable. In the same time it must be carried out until the buds swell and even more actively begin to bloom!!!

About pruning fruit trees and berry bushes We have already written earlier, so now we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the features of its implementation by decorators.

All ornamental shrubs require timely and correct pruning, aimed at removing dead and damaged shoots, restraining rapid growth and forming a beautiful crown (by cutting and thinning), stimulating flowering, as well as rejuvenating old bushes.

In relation to ornamental shrubs, there are 3 types of pruning:

1. sanitary
2. formative
3. rejuvenating.

Almost all shrubs need sanitary pruning. Formative is needed by the majority. There are only a small number of shrubs that do not require formative pruning. An annual sanitary pruning every spring is enough for them, during which all weak, frozen, intersecting shoots are removed. An example of such picky individuals is golden currant, Van Gutta spirea

The main task of pruning ornamental shrubs – achieve maximum decorative effect, for the sake of which these plants are grown in the garden.

The method of pruning shrubs depends on the characteristics of each type of plant.

The range of ornamental shrubs is very diverse, therefore the principles of pruning them are different - depending on the characteristics of their species. Therefore, before you start pruning, you should decide which group according to the type of pruning this shrub belongs to..

Sanitary pruning

Rice. Sanitary pruning of ornamental shrubs

• removing diseased, drying, broken, hanging down, intertwined branches;
• removal of coppice and top shoots (raising the crown);
• cuttings of "pins";
• formation of a uniformly translucent and ventilated crown.

Rice. Timing for sanitary pruning of ornamental bushes.

This type of pruning is best considered using the example of vines. By tying the shoots to guide sticks or cords immediately after planting, we take the first step towards the formation of its branches. In the first summer, the plant develops rapidly, forming new shoots and, while they are still flexible, they are given the desired direction of growth and carefully secured to supports. In the spring, the first pruning is carried out, side shoots cut to a suitable bud, and unnecessary ones are cut off entirely; places that are too thick are thinned out in depth. Next spring, several new shoots are formed from dormant buds at the places where the side shoots are cut, to which we give the desired direction of growth, and which already at this stage allows us to predetermine the basic shape (skeleton) of the plant.

Rice. Formative pruning.

Anti-aging pruning

Rice. Rejuvenating pruning decorative bushes(scheme according to Luchinsky)

Quite conventionally, all types of shrubs can be divided into beautifully flowering (this can also include shrubs with beautiful fruits: cotoneaster, barberry, etc.) and decorative deciduous .

Pruning flowering shrubs

Beautiful flowering shrubs are grown for gorgeous flowers, That's why main goal pruning them is to achieve abundant flowering.

According to the characteristics of pruning, beautiful flowering shrubs should be divided into three groups.

First group

The first group includes shrubs, which do not form replacement powerful shoots from the base or lower part of the crown. Annual growths of these shrubs appear along the perimeter of the crown.

Of the most common garden plots plants, such shrubs include, for example: common viburnum, varietal lilac, cotoneaster, common barberry, mackerel, serviceberry, magnolia (star and Sulanja), Japanese quince (chaenomeles), Syrian hibiscus and many others.

Ornamental shrubs of the first group require minimal pruning.

In the first years after planting, it is very important to form the plant’s skeleton from strong branches. To do this, early in the spring (during the dormant period), all weak, intersecting and incorrectly located shoots that spoil the appearance of the plant should be removed.

Rice. Pruning shrubs of the first group: in the first year after planting, weak and intersecting and incorrectly located branches are removed; in the second and subsequent years, only incorrectly located, dead, diseased and damaged branches are pruned.

Pruning mature bushes usually comes down to removing shrunken, damaged and diseased branches. If necessary, some living shoots are also removed or pruned in order to maintain the symmetry of the branches and the desired decorative appearance of the bushes.

Second group

Second group includes shrubs, that bloom on last year's shoots(on last year's growth of branches).

Such shrubs, for example, include: weigela, deutzia, large-leaved hydrangea, tamarix, Japanese kerria, colquitia, stephanandra, forsythia, mock orange, three-lobed almond, some types of spirea (mainly early flowering ones - spirea Wangutta, Thunberg, sharp-toothed, nippon, oak leaf) and others.

Shrubs in this group usually bloom in spring or early summer. Given the rapid growth of these shrubs, their seedlings should be planted in the garden before they are two, or at most three, years old.

Planted plants are pruned very sparingly – limited to the removal of weak and damaged branches, as well as gentle pruning (a few cm) of skeletal branches to a strong bud. Immediately after flowering, the faded branches of these shrubs are pruned, leaving strong developing growth, and thin and weak growths are removed.

Rice. Pruning shrubs of the second group: a - in the first year after planting (in spring); 6 - autumn of the first year; in subsequent years.

And in subsequent years, pruning of shrubs of this group should be carried out immediately after flowering. Trim faded branches, leaving the best lower young growths and at the same time forming a beautiful crown of the bush to your taste. You should also regularly trim down to the ground a fourth or fifth of old branches that have become unproductive - this will ensure the appearance of young powerful shoots from the base of the bush.

It should be noted that pruning many shrubs included in the second group has its own nuances.

Nuances of pruning the second group

For example, in Kerria japonica, faded branches should be pruned to the ground or to strong young shoots.

Should be pruned fairly heavily after flowering and triloba almond.

Garden hydrangea (especially at a young age), on the contrary, is pruned purely “cosmetically” - only weak and damaged shoots are removed. And in adult hydrangeas, only part of the old stems are removed in order to stimulate the annual formation of strong replacement shoots. At the same time, it is advisable not to cut off even faded hydrangea inflorescences from the bush, since in winter they provide certain protection to the growths and flower buds from damage by frost. Therefore, it is better to remove faded hydrangea inflorescences in early spring.

Third group

The third group includes shrubs, that bloom on the shoots of the current year .

Among the common plant species, this group, for example, includes species and forms of spirea that bloom profusely in summer (spirea Boumalda, Japanese, Douglas, willow), as well as David's buddleia, tree and paniculate hydrangeas.

In early spring, mature shrubs of this group are heavily pruned so that they develop powerful shoots - then they will bloom profusely in summer or early autumn. If this is not done, the plants will quickly thicken and take on a neglected appearance. At the same time, without pruning, the quality of flowering of adult shrubs of the third group gradually decreases.

It should be especially emphasized here that in the first year after planting, young 2-3 year old seedlings of these shrubs are not pruned as much as in subsequent years (to ensure the normal development of their still weak root system).

After rooting and formation young plant, in the future, shrubs of this group are pruned annually and heavily in early spring. In this case, all last year's growth of shoots is pruned to well-developed buds above the older part of the stem.

If after a few years the main lignified branches thicken, they are thinned out, maintaining the decorative appearance of the bush.

Pruning decorative deciduous shrubs

This group includes types and forms of ornamental shrubs with original foliage, For example:

• white-edged form of white pig,
• golden form of black elderberry and spirea Bumald,
• Thunberg barberry,
• red-leaved forms of hazel,
• barberry,
• skumpii,
• vesicular carp (Spiraea viburnum)
• and other plants.

When to prune decorative deciduous trees

Ornamental deciduous shrubs must be pruned annually in early spring, and pruned quite heavily. This is done to cause active growth of young shoots and their leaves to achieve the maximum decorative effect, and appearance the bushes were kept neat.

A few words from the author

It should always be remembered that correct pruning- this is just one of the components of a multifactor technology for growing ornamental shrubs, which involves the right choice location in the garden, correct, timely and regular care:

• watering,
• feeding,
• removing weeds and mulching the soil,
• pest and disease control,
• protection heat-loving plants for the winter.

Prepared by Alexander Zharavin, agronomist

Pruning fruit and berry bushes in the photo

Unlike a tree, which has only one perennial axis (trunk), shrubs form many axes (branches), although not so durable, but quickly begin to bear fruit and are constantly replaced. Therefore, regular sanitary and anti-aging pruning is especially important for shrubs. It is also necessary to thin out the bushes in a timely manner - remove thickening branches. Dense bushes are more susceptible to diseases and pests, and controlling them is difficult. Since less gets into the center of a thickened bush sunlight, then the fruits grow only on the peripheral branches, and the overall yield from the bush is much lower. The winter hardiness of buds located inside a thickened bush is often reduced.

The task of pruning a young berry bush is to form a well-developed bush. After planting, the shoots are cut at a height of 3-4 buds from the ground. Subsequently, strong shoots grow from these buds, and weak shoots are cut out or shortened. If there are many weak shoots, they are pruned more strongly to stimulate branching.

Shrub branches are cut strictly at ground level. Before pruning berry bushes, remember that leaving stumps is an open gate for pathogens, and besides, the bush looks untidy.

Subsequently, the main task of pruning fruit and berry bushes is to prevent thickening. To do this, weak and low-yielding branches are removed to the base, leaving no stumps.

How to prune fruit bushes for the purpose of rejuvenation? Rejuvenating pruning of aging shrubs - such as currants, gooseberries and honeysuckle (raspberries and blackberries due to their biological features stand apart) restores fruiting for several years. All weak branches are cut out, and strong ones are shortened above a well-developed lateral branch.

In currants and gooseberries, the bush consists of shoots different years, the shoots of the current year are called replacement shoots, zero or basal shoots. They are formed from buds located below ground level. Without pruning, the shoot-forming ability of these shrubs decreases with age.

Generative buds of shrubs are located on lateral shoots, which can be of different lengths and not the same different varieties- from miniature ringlets to shoots several tens of centimeters long, on which vegetative and generative buds alternate. The first option is often found in black currants, the second – in red and white currants and gooseberries, but intermediate options are also possible.

In the fall, fruit-bearing shoots of raspberries and blackberries, old, diseased and weak branches of currants, gooseberries and honeysuckle are cut out, and drooping branches are shortened to make caring for the bushes easier. You can trim shrubs in the spring.

The video “Pruning fruit bushes” shows how this is done agrotechnical technique:

Formation of fruit and berry bushes on a trunk

Formation of white currants on a trunk in the photo
White currant in the photo

IN last years when vegetable gardens and orchards are becoming not only productive, but also decorative; standard berry bushes have become fashionable. Due to the fragility of the branches, black currants are absolutely unsuitable for standard crops.

The easiest way to form a trunk is to form fruit bushes such as red (and white) currants. The best shoot is selected from a young bush, and the rest are cut out annually at ground level. From the very beginning, the shoot is tied to a support on which it will remain for life. Red currants are characterized by branching in the upper part of the shoot, so we can say that nature itself took care of the beauty of the trunk, and all branches appearing below the planned crown must be removed.

Formation of red currants on a trunk in the photo
Red currant in the photo

Red currants can also be grafted onto a golden currant trunk.

In the same way, you can form chokeberry, although it is more effective and rational to graft it onto a standard rowan tree. The grafted plant will be longer lasting than the rooted one.

Formation of gooseberries on a trunk in the photo
Gooseberry in the photo

You can also grow gooseberries in standard form, but you won’t be able to form a beautiful and durable standard from its own branches. Gooseberries are grafted onto a red or golden currant trunk; accordingly, the shoots of the rootstock must be removed in a timely manner. However, when the grafted gooseberry begins to age, it is reasonable to leave one shoot of the rootstock, let it grow and make a new graft to replace the old one.

Formation of fruit and berry bushes on a trellis

Formation of red currants on a trellis (photo)
Red currants on a trellis (photo)

Currants can be grown in trellis form using approximately the same algorithm as standard forms. Several bushes are planted in a row along the trellis, all shoots that stick out from the plane of the trellis are removed, or they are directed onto the trellis and tied up. Advantage trellis method formation of berry bushes - saving the area occupied by the bushes, good lighting and, consequently, a high yield. A trellis can be used to zone a site, for example, to surround a vegetable garden area with it.

Next to form fruit bushes you need to form a beautiful crown on the trellis, and pruning shears can help here. The compact crown is stronger; in addition, do not forget about the angles at which the branches depart from the “trunk”. Some branches may require tying to a support. When the standard currant ages (depending on agricultural technology and variety, this will happen in 8-15 years), you need to choose a new young shoot and start all over again.

Details Updated: 03/05/2015 19:09 Views: 92187

With the arrival of spring, the time comes for pruning the green inhabitants of our gardens: we need to thin out their crowns and shorten the branches. However, gardeners often go to extremes and trim during this period even those plants with pruning that are better to wait until summer or autumn, for example early flowering shrubs. Therefore, pruning must be approached competently.

You can learn the basic rules of pruning from the article Pruning trees and shrubs, but ornamental trees and shrubs have certain specific care.

When pruning ornamental trees, we, first of all, We strive to give their crowns the appropriate shape and maintain it longer . We trim plants in hedges so that the foliage is dense and there are no holes in the crowns. Thanks to the regular use of pruning shears, we achieve especially rich harvests from fruit trees and berry bushes. Decorative shrubs. We also prune climbing and container plants primarily for lush flowering. If the plant has decorative bark, then by pruning you can once again emphasize the beauty of young shoots, because over time the color of the bark of old branches becomes faded.

In addition, pruning is intended maintain the natural shape of the crown of the green inhabitants of the garden and regulate their size . But in any case, it is necessary to clearly understand that a too large shrub or an already mature tree, even after very strong pruning, will not turn into an attractive dwarf plant! And, of course, do not forget that regular, especially spring, pruning of plants contributes to a more intensive emergence of new shoots.

The use of a saw and pruning shears helps to rejuvenate plants; thanks to pruning, they can regain lost strength. In rare cases, trees and shrubs need to be pruned radically, cutting out all the stems at the very base. This method is applicable, but with good shoot formation for hazel or forsythia bushes. For most plants, anti-aging pruning is carried out in stages.

It should be clarified! Annual growth - This is last year's growth with numerous vegetative and generative buds. The bark may be lighter than other shoots or radically different in color(for example, Derena white).

The cut must be made at an angle so that water does not stagnate on its plane, rotting wood. Besides important, there is a distance between the cut and the bud located below, there is a danger that it will dry out or freeze. If, on the contrary, you retreat too far from it, a stump forms, where infection can quickly penetrate.

Pruning of ornamental trees.

Some representatives of the green kingdom become more and more picturesque over the years, so they do not need crown correction (for example, magnolia and palmate maple). But to many ornamental trees and shrubs, so that they bloom or their crowns do not lose their shape, require periodic pruning.

Decorative apple tree, for example every 2-3 years only needs regulatory pruning . At the same time, old, damaged branches that thicken the crown are removed. Regular heavy pruning is necessary only for those trees and shrubs that must maintain a certain crown shape. The same applies to plants whose flowers appear on young, newly formed shoots, for example, three-lobed almonds. Very strong pruning after flowering contributes to the fact that this year they have numerous shoots with flower buds. Many deciduous trees can withstand such radical pruning: white acacia Umbraculifera and goat willow Pendula , after pruning, they quickly become overgrown with new shoots emerging from the buds on the remaining part of the pruned branch.

For small gardens, trees with a spherical crown that can withstand heavy pruning, such as catalpa bignonia, are suitable. Nana . Regular pruning helps control the tree's growth. Such trees even tolerate heavy pruning, almost to the base of the skeletal branches.

Trees with a spherical crown.

Thanks to the dense crown of a harmonious spherical shape and bright green foliage, Robinia pseudoacacia or white acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) Umbraculifera ideal for planting in small garden: this tree withstands even very heavy pruning extremely well; its crown can be reduced to any size without losing its presentability.

Without pruning, the diameter of the spherical crown of pseudoacacia Umbraculifera over time can reach 4-5 m. This can be prevented if every 2-3 years completely trim all branches almost to the base, leaving only short stumps . Best time For such pruning, a frost-free day is in early March. Slow growing species, e.g. Ginkgo biloba Mariken pruning is necessary only many years after planting, and in this case, you can limit yourself to only weak correction of the crown. Liquidambar resiniferous Gum Ball It is also distinguished by a beautiful spherical crown, which, as a rule, does not need pruning.

Light pruning of white locust can be done at any time of the year . But it's better in early spring. Then the young shoots will quickly hide the unsightly places in the crown that appeared after pruning.

Also trimmed:

• common ash Fraxinus excelsior,
• white acacia Umbraculifera,
• catalpa bignoniiformes Nana.

Standard bushes are pruned according to the same principle. Three-lobed almonds with delicate pink, airy flowers look incredibly elegant. For this plant annual heavy pruning is advisable . If immediately after flowering the branches almonds shorten the three-lobed one to 10 cm, then next year it is guaranteed to have long, lush flowering branches.

In early spring, trim the standard Syrian hibiscus: depending on the size of the crown you want to see, the stems can be shortened, leaving only 2-3 buds. The upper kidney should be directed outward.

Willow wholeleaf Hakuro Nishiki The first time is pruned at the end of March. Additionally, branches can also be shortened in May and at the end of June. After each pruning, the tree produces new shoots with beautiful foliage.

Willows with a bushy crown are usually pruned in early spring. If you want to admire the flowers, you can wait to prune until the plant has finished blooming.

Globe maple holly is not pruned as much as white acacia Umbraculifera or not cut at all. Important: branches are shortened only from August to December, no later, otherwise the tree will cry.

In vaccinated people standard plants Wild growth may appear on the rootstock. Her the same as root shoots are cut off at the base without leaving any stumps.

Plants with drooping crown.

Standard plants with romantically hanging branches invariably attract the eye. A similar weeping crown shape is found in many trees and shrubs, for example goat willow (Salix caprea) Pendula.

This tree grows quickly, so branches are shortened every year , leaving stumps about 10 cm long. Trees that have not been pruned for a long time can also be rejuvenated by heavy pruning.

If we are talking about grafted trees and shrubs, it is necessary to completely remove the game , formed on the supply below the grafting site.

Do not trim:

• European beech (Fagus sylvatica) Purpurea pendula,
• rough elm (Úlmus glábra) camperdownii,
• warty birch (Betula pendula) Youngii,
• white mulberry (Mórus álba) Penaula .

These plants with drooping crowns grow more slowly than their upright relatives. The crowns of the listed trees form on their own and do not need adjustment. Is it just damaged branches? you can cut off at the very base or shorten the branches that seem too big or long. The last procedure must be carried out in stages so that the plant does not lose its beautiful appearance.

Decorative apple trees.

While fruit trees should please first of all a bountiful harvest, decorative types are valued primarily for their beautiful appearance. Decorative apple tree (Malus) It is especially popular due to its compact crown, brightly colored autumn foliage and fruits remaining on the branches even in winter. This tree is pruned only when necessary and always in order to preserve the harmonious appearance of the plant. To do this, in early spring, crowns growing inwards and crossing, as well as dry and damaged branches are removed.

To transform a bush-like tree into a standard one, in addition to the above branches, every year it is necessary to remove the lower lateral branches , leaving one, the longest, as the central conductor, until the desired height is reached. If it is necessary to slow down the growth of an apple tree on a vigorous rootstock, summer pruning is carried out, although then the structure of the plant is less visible.

Decorative cherry can be called a real beauty - sakura, reaching the zenith of flowering in April - May. By old trees it is enough to limit yourself to only weak thinning of the crown . And if ornamental apple trees are pruned in early spring, then it is better to prune sakura in the summer, when the flow of sap in these plants slows down and the cuts heal faster.

For vertically growing ornamental cherries, for example cherry (Prunus serrulata) Amanogawa , there is a place even in small gardens and front gardens. Their crown is good even without pruning.

Columnar yews, for example yew berry (Táxus baccáta) varieties Fastigiata Aurea , tolerates haircuts well. However only old plants are pruned or in the case when a slender shape is preferred, and the columnar crown grows in breadth.

Beautiful without trimming

While some trees and large shrubs have a naturally beautiful crown shape or acquire it through adjustments, there are a group of plants that do not benefit from pruning : many slow growing trees such as magnolia, maple (Acer palmatum) look better with a crown natural shape. Unless they can be slightly thinned out.

Since slow-growing trees and shrubs have old wood new shoots no longer appear, each step must be carefully thought out, because due to improper pruning beautiful tree can be disfigured for a long time. If you don’t have pruning skills, It is best to remove branches in early spring , when even a beginner can clearly see the structure of the plant crown.

Also trimmed:

• maple (Acer palmatum),
• womanizer (Laburnum),
• cersis (Cercis), magnolia (Magnolia),
• corylopsis (Corylopsis),
• witch hazel (Hamamelis),
• common wolfberry
• boletus.

Pruning spring flowering shrubs.

In many shrubs, which, like forsythia, bloom in the spring, flower buds appear primarily on last year's growths. If the bushes are not pruned, they age and the number of new shoots decreases. To stimulate the formation of new shoots, these Plants should be thinned out every year after flowering. . To do this, individual old branches are cut off at the soil surface. In addition, it is necessary to remove or shorten faded branches. Additionally, you can trim individual side branches directed towards the middle of the bush.

Also trimmed:

• bladderwort (Physocarpus),
• blood red currant (Ribes sanguineum),
• deutzia, mock orange (Philadélphus),
• forsythia (Forsythia),
• viburnum (Viburnum opulus),
• Kolkwitzia,
• spirea Vanhouttei (Spiraea x vanhouttei),
• Kerria,
• weigela.

Pruning summer flowering shrubs.

Pruning is done primarily so that they bloom profusely. . In addition, thanks to regular pruning, plants acquire a beautiful compact shape.

Many shrubs blooming in summer, flower buds are formed on young shoots that appear in the spring. A typical example of buddleia. In order for the plant to produce as many young shoots with flower buds as possible in the spring, buddleia is pruned in the fall or early spring.

But in most early flowering plants, for example forsythia, flower buds are formed on last year's growths. If the shrub is pruned, like buddleia, in early spring, there will be very few flowers. That's why Early flowering shrubs are pruned immediately after flowering . Then the plants will again give new shoots, lay good foundation for flowering next year. The only exceptions are shrubs with beautiful fruits, for example, the beautiful fruit (Callicarpa) and the European euonymus. Although they bloom in the spring, if you shorten the branches immediately after flowering, you will also cut off the fruits. Such shrubs should only be rejuvenated once every 5 years, completely removing old branches in late autumn.

Some shrubs also have flowers on perennial branches. Such shrubs include irga And lilac. They do not need to be trimmed regularly, It is enough to thin out the bushes every few years . And pruning is generally contraindicated for dogwood.

When pruning a plant, many gardeners make the same mistake error:They trim overgrown bushes with hedge shears only from the top, leveling the bushes at the same height. This, in turn, can lead to plants not blooming at all or losing their attractiveness. As a result, a new root growth and the plant rejuvenates. The function of the old branch can be delegated to the younger lateral process.

To do this, cut the branch above the shoot selected by the side branch. The branch continues to grow, but the role of the top is now played by a young shoot. By removing only individual branches, you will help the bush maintain its natural shape, and in winter, even without leaves, it will look beautiful. In general, the more radical the pruning, the more young shoots appear on the bush. In summer they also need to be thinned out well, otherwise the bush will soon grow to the same size.

At all Strong thickening on grafted shrubs is not allowed . Otherwise, wild growth from the rootstock will quickly displace the cultivated scion.

There are shrubs, such as white and silky dera, which are not particularly distinguished by the splendor of their flowers or the color of their leaves, but they do have bright branches.

This advantage is especially noticeable in winter. However, only young shoots have a striking color; after 3-4 years, the color of the bark becomes faded. Therefore, the purpose of pruning such shrubs is to form new shoots. Plant must be thinned out every year in early spring shortly before shoots appear , cutting off all branches older than three years at the soil surface. Neglected derain bushes can be thinned out throughout the season.

They also cut:

• silky turf (Cornus sericea),
• willow (Salix daphnoides),
• Cockburn raspberry (Rubus cockbur-nianus),
• white dogwood (Cornus alba)

Beautiful with or without pruning:

• flowering turf (Cornus florida)
• derain kousa (Cornus kousa),
• viburnum viburnum (Viburnum plicatum) Mariesii,
• fothergilla,
• Controversial grass (Cornus controversa),
• corylopsis (Corylopsis spicata).

In order for lavender to smell fully fragrant in the summer, and for its bush to have a harmonious appearance, the plant must be trimmed 2 times a year, using hedge shears.

The first time in the spring, when the temperature begins to gradually rise, the tops of the shoots are shortened by a third, giving the bush a semicircular shape.

The second time is in the fall, when the inflorescences have already dried up. This time the peduncles are removed along with the top 2-3 pairs of leaves.

Young plants are also pruned in the same way in the first year after planting. Then the lavender grows, creating a dense carpet. If lavender is not trimmed, the shoots become woody to the very tips. In this case, the plant will lose its compact shape and will not tolerate more severe spring pruning.

Some gardeners trim lavender with pruning shears, but it is better to use hedge shears; they are easier to give the bush a uniform cushion shape. Make sure the bush takes on the shape of a hemisphere. Dry branches can be used to scent a room.

Pruning hydrangeas

Depending on the type, hydrangeas lay flower buds in different time years, the care of each person depends on this specific type. For example, large-leaved hydrangea flowers appear on last year's growths. This means that flower buds are laid on them in the summer of last year, so the plant cannot be pruned in the spring.

But paniculata hydrangea blooms on young shoots of the current year, so its bushes can be pruned quite radically. In shade-tolerant tree hydrangea spherical inflorescences also appear on annual growths. However, in any case, hydrangeas of all types need thorough anti-aging pruning every 3-4 years, then the bushes will always have a beautiful compact shape.

Just like every rule has its own exceptions, and here: Almost every type of hydrangea has at least one variety whose flowers are laid differently than other relatives. Therefore, it is best to learn about the characteristics of each species and variety from specialized reference books, even before purchasing a new green pet.

G Ortensia macrophylla Otrim slightly . Hydrangea grandifolia, hydrangea pollenum and hydrangea oakleaf have flowers on biennial branches. So that the bushes grow evenly and take on a beautiful shape in the first year after planting they are not cut at all . Late winter or early spring Only dry inflorescences should be removed , carefully cutting them off above the first pair of buds, but not below. Otherwise, you will remove already formed flower buds, and the plant will not bloom. And so that young shoots constantly form on the hydrangea, the bush must be thinned out every 3-4 years . To do this, cut off old branches that have begun to bloom weakly, flush with the soil surface.

Hydrangea paniculata Medium pruning is required. Hydrangea paniculata significantly different from other types of hydrangeas, with cone-shaped inflorescences. Since its flower buds form on annual branches and shoots of the current year, this plant blooms profusely, even if it has suffered from severe frosts. In the spring, during the first three years after planting, all strong skeletal branches should be shortened by a third, weaker ones by half. In an adult plant remove old branches growing in the middle of the bush, and also trim annual ones with dried inflorescences , up to four kidneys. Young shoots with flower buds appear from them. Without pruning, the bush grows greatly, in which case it will need to be thinned out as quickly as possible. Exceptions for varieties Rgaesoh And Dharuma buds appear on last year's branches (growths), so they are not pruned. Only at the end of summer can the wilting of the inflorescence be removed.

Hydrangea It is characterized by frost resistance and abundant flowering. Thanks to its bright white, pom-pom-like inflorescences - balls, it will fit perfectly into both rustic and modern style garden The hardiest variety hydrangea tree Annabelle , the flowers of which are initially painted in a soft green color, blooming, gradually turning white. This one and less famous varieties Grandiflora And White Dome , flowers appear on the shoots of the current year. Therefore, in early spring it can be done without remorse. shorten, leaving 15-20 cm above the soil surface. Thanks to such radical pruning, more inflorescences will appear on the bush, and they will be larger. Young plants should be handled more carefully and pruned more sparingly. In May, After the leaves appear, the plant is usually no longer pruned . Since these hydrangeas very heavy and large inflorescences, they need support. Advice: shorten some of the stems again in mid-June, then later the bush will begin to bloom again and this will last until autumn.

Depending on the time it takes place, they are distinguished autumn, spring and summer pruning , of which spring is considered the main one. At the same time, for each group of roses, from small flower beds to tall climbing ones, there are its own pruning rules.

Most suitable the time for spring pruning of roses comes in April , namely when forsythia flowers bloom. As a rule, this means that the threat of severe frost has already passed and the queen of flowers will soon have new shoots. However, if the rose needs to be greatly thinned out or individual old branches need to be removed, then this can be done in the fall.

Cut branches should not be left in the garden or put into compost. Then it will be possible to prevent the spread of pathogenic microbes and fungi that cause black spot and powdery mildew to other plants.

Shrub roses (remontant) single-flowering and repeat-blooming ones are pruned differently. The latter include all modern varieties, park roses, as well as many English roses, blooming magnificently all summer. Early they need to be thinned out in the spring , removing first of all dry and damaged branches. Shorten the side shoots on the outside of the bush by about 5 buds. This promotes more abundant flowering.

If desired, you can shorten the bush in height by one and two thirds of the length. Many old varieties are considered to bloom once. They bloom profusely on last year's growths. To next year shoots with flower buds have formed on the plants; such roses should be pruned immediately after flowering.

Floribunda, hybrid tea and miniature roses.

First, dead, dry and damaged branches are removed , then the stems growing inside the bush, and trimmed to healthy tissue. Then 3-5 of the youngest and strongest stems are shortened, taking into account the growth strength and varietal characteristics each plant. In roses from the Floribunda and hybrid tea groups, 3-4 lower, well-developed buds are left on each stem; in vigorous varieties there are more. Miniature and ground cover roses Don't prune at all in spring , and in summer, faded inflorescences with 1-2 leaves are removed.

Climbing roses.

In remontant climbing roses in spring cut out all the old stems , leaving 5-6 strong annual growths, and if there are few of them, then several biennials, and shorten the side branches to 3-5 buds. After pruning, the stems are carefully tied to the support, if possible, directing the stems at the top horizontally or at an angle, which stimulates flowering. In summer, faded flowers are removed along with 2-3 leaves, after which the roses quickly bloom again.

Single-flowering ramblers, such as cultivars Veilchenblau , do not cause much trouble. They flower along the entire length of the overwintered stems of last year's growth, so pruning comes down to removing all old stems and shortening the side shoots to 20-25 cm.

Standard roses.

When pruning standard roses, it is important to know which group the variety grafted onto the standard belongs to. . If he belongs to hybrid tea, floribunda or bush roses , the compact form is formed mainly by upright growing branches. To give the crown of a standard rose a rounded shape, the scion branches of such plants are shortened to 20-30 cm in early spring.

If the crown standard rose present varietal miniature roses , then they are cut off just as much. Things are different with roses with drooping stems, the so-called weeping or cascading standard roses. Their scion is climbing roses, including ramblers, as well as miniature roses with drooping stems. In cascading roses, only branches that are too long are shortened. However, in order for the rose to remain beautiful and bloom profusely from year to year, it is still necessary to remove too old branches from time to time, thereby freeing up space for the formation of young growths.

Important: Before you start pruning the queen of flowers, sharpen your pruning shears thoroughly. Then the cut will be even, and besides, you will spend less time on cutting.