When to stop forming ornamental shrubs in the fall. Fruit bushes on a trunk

In the fall, after the harvest and the completion of the main work, life on the plots does not stop - the next stage begins for gardeners. The time has come to prepare trees and shrubs for winter and the upcoming season. A number of activities need to be carried out. This includes feeding, covering plants, and pruning. It is pruning and shaping that will allow ornamental and fruit shrubs to overwinter, and in the spring they will be provided with a lush, beautiful, healthy crown. The procedure is carried out after the sap flow period has ended, the crops have gotten rid of their foliage, but before frost sets in (the temperature at night should not fall below -5 degrees).

Types of shrub pruning

Based on the purpose, pruning is divided into the following groups:

1. Sanitary.
2. Formative.
3. Rejuvenating.

Each has its own characteristics, rules and nuances.

Sanitary - for disease prevention

Autumn sanitary pruning is recommended for absolutely all shrubs and trees, fruit and ornamental. The purpose of this event is to prevent the development of all infectious processes, prevent putrefactive formations, and get rid of old, damaged, broken and dry dead branches. After this procedure, the bushes are better ventilated. The branches turned inside the plant are completely removed; unripe ones are cut off at a distance of about 3 cm from the bud.

Shaping - for a beautiful appearance

Formative pruning in late autumn is practiced only for shrubs that bloom in summer period. If you do this in the spring, you won’t get a beautiful decorative shape and full flowering. Such plants bloom on last year's branches that have successfully overwintered. These include:

Japanese quince;
forsythia;
mock orange;
weigela;
viburnum-leaved bladderwort;
lilac;
action;
spirea;
three-lobed and steppe almonds.

Formative pruning allows you to transform a simple shrub into a decorative one. To do this, every year, in addition to the main branches, 2-3 new, strongest shoots are left.

Require special attention garden plants with a developed root system: white snowberry, serviceberry, fieldfare. When forming them, control not only the height, but also the width, cutting off the root shoots along the entire perimeter. In young crops it is also very important to prevent excessive crown growth.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t get rid of all the shoots too zealously; this will result in a loose structure and an unsightly appearance of the bush. First of all, old, weak, non-viable branches coming from the roots are cut off. Strong ones are eliminated only in cases where they grow crookedly, towards the bush itself or interfere with the development of young shoots. They leave shoots that can eventually replace old and diseased branches.

In plants that do not tolerate frosty winters well, dried branches must be removed. The cut is made at a distance of 1 cm above the second bud. There will be no need for shoots, branches and shoots that spoil general perception decorativeness of the bush.

For bush rejuvenation

Rejuvenating pruning of ornamental shrubs is used to obtain a rich harvest in cases of fruit trees and dense flowering and landscaping for plants that decorate the garden. This method also suitable for old, poorly growing (less than 6-8 cm per year) crops. The ideal time for the procedure is from August to September.

It is important for novice gardeners to know that pruning is done after flowering. The branches are shortened by 30%, the length is measured from the top. As a result, due to the side shoots, the bush will become more luxuriant, the number of inflorescences will increase, and on fruit bushes the quantity and quality of fruits or berries will increase.

This procedure is carried out every two years. This will allow you to maintain the necessary aeration and decorativeness of the bush.

Scheme for pruning ornamental shrubs according to the rejuvenating type:

Nuances that a gardener needs to know

By performing anti-aging pruning of garden and ornamental crops, you need to take into account some features and consequences. Namely:

1. Removing branches, among other advantages, allows you to control the size of the inflorescences. If you greatly shorten the length of the branches, the flowers will become larger, but their number will be significantly reduced.
2. If the procedure is carried out regularly, the bush will lose the density of its crown and its decorative appearance, so shoots intended for removal must be carefully selected.
3. No more than 4 buds are trimmed at a time.
4. Branches are radically removed when the plant is significantly degenerated, after 4 years after planting.
5. The gardener must know exactly the flowering characteristics of his shrub - whether the buds form on last year’s branches or on fresh growth. Depending on this, old branches or excess growth are cut off.
6. B difficult cases When the bush has stopped producing young shoots, and the old branches are weakened and damaged, a radical rejuvenation procedure is used. Cut off all branches completely at ground level. If the bush was initially formed on a rootstock, pruning is done at a distance of about 15 cm from the grafting. This activates the growth of fresh shoots, since the base, that is, root system will remain the same. After a year or two, the formation of the bush begins again according to the general rules.

Pruning coniferous shrubs

Coniferous shrubs are not pruned regularly. This is justified only in the case of diseased, weak and damaged branches. Another reason is to add a decorative touch to the landscape or use plants as hedges. In order to minimize the traumatic nature of the procedure (conifers are very difficult to tolerate pruning), some features should be taken into account:

1. The hardiest type of conifer is yew. You can form it without fear. All other trees and shrubs must be treated with extreme caution.
2. Only the green part is removed; brown branches should not be touched - they cannot be restored.
3. It is important to choose the right tools.
4. The safety of the procedure and its effectiveness depend on disinfection.
5. Remove no more than 30% of greenery at a time.
6. Cypress and larch trees are pruned in November (the specific time depends on the region).
7. The cutting angle for the bud is 45 degrees.
8. To save natural look Only internal branches are thinned out.

Some coniferous shrubs With age they lose their attractive, unique coloring. Pruning can fix this. For example, cypress becomes a luxurious plant with a dense, silver color crown

Necessary tools - types and purpose

“Cutting” is not an easy task and requires the use of well-sharpened garden tools:

1. Secateurs. Needed for cutting thin branches up to 2.5 cm in diameter. There are two types of devices - with a curved blade and a straight one. Thick shoots are cut first; the disadvantage is that it is difficult to trim without gaps. The second has a design in which the blade rests against the end of the tool, so there is no need to check for clearance between the blades. The downside is that it is impossible to trim in hard-to-reach places.
2. Lopper. Designed for branches with a diameter of 5 cm. Copes well with shoots deep in the leaf crown and other hard to reach places. For work at heights there is a rope lopper.
3. Saw. Used when eliminating very thick branches.
4. Knife. Multifunctional tool. Used for trimming and stripping thin branches, cutting bark, and correcting uneven cuts.
5. Garden shears. They help to form a curly crown and hedge.
6. Stepladder. When choosing it, you should pay attention to stability and widely spaced legs.

Scheme for proper pruning of ornamental shrubs

The main requirement when pruning is to do no harm. In order for the procedure to take place without consequences, follow following rules step by step:

1. Dried, damaged, old and broken shoots are removed.
2. The cuts are made smooth; there should be no split stumps.
3. If a branch is cut without subsequently leaving a stump, then this is done at an angle of 45 degrees.
4. All tools used are thoroughly washed and sharpened.
5. For branches up to 2 cm, use pruning shears; thick ones are cut with a hacksaw.
6. All actions are carefully verified so as not to affect other shoots.
7. If you need to stimulate the growth of weak shoots, cut them shorter. To form decorative look bush - only the tops.
8. The cut must have a smooth surface.
9. To avoid pruning, it is better to simply pinch the shoots in time.

After the procedure, the sections are treated with garden varnish; for thick branches (more than 3 cm in diameter), oil-based paint is used.

How to carry out the procedure for hydrangeas?

Gardeners grow hydrangeas to add decorative beauty to the landscape, so this plant needs pruning to increase the intensity of flowering. Adult cultures aged 5 years and older are subjected to the procedure. Old branches are removed at ground level, cutting them off completely. Leave no more than 5 shoots. If everything is done correctly, in the spring young branches will appear, formed from buds on the root collar. The old ones will be renewed and bloom again.

Another way to renew hydrangea is to remove the buds (faded) at a level of about 40 cm from the soil surface. In this case, in the spring there will be a significant increase in fresh, young shoots on last year’s, quite viable, strong branches. They will not break or sag under the weight of inflorescences and flowering caps.

Proper pruning of berry bushes

The basis of any garden is berries and fruit trees and shrubs. Growing them is not difficult, but it will take a lot of time and effort. An important step pruning becomes a major part of care and must be carried out within a certain time frame and according to established technology.

Autumn haircut fruit and berry crops carried out annually after the end of sap flow, before the first frost. Depending on the plant species, some perform the procedure in September, others in November. General recommendations the following:

1. Trimming in autumn period produced only in regions where there are no long and harsh winter frosts. Otherwise, the bark at the cut site will freeze and the bush will die.
2. The procedure is not carried out if the outside temperature is less than -10 degrees. In persistent frosts, wood acquires a fragile structure and simply breaks, causing mechanical damage that is difficult to heal.
3. Freshly planted shrubs are not pruned, as this is not necessary in the first year. Moreover, if the planting site is chosen incorrectly and the plant is replanted next year, then it is best to form the crown in a new area.
4. Autumn pruning applies only to mature trees and shrubs.
5. Treatment of cut areas of branches with garden varnish is mandatory.
6. Tools must be sharpened as sharply as possible.

Shoots are pruned depending on the species. So, for black currants, the fruiting period lasts about 5 years, so only old branches that are 6 years old are removed.

Raspberries

If the raspberries are not remontant, the procedure is carried out immediately after harvesting. For early varieties it could even be summer. Late-ripening and remontant ones are pruned only in the fall.

The life span of raspberries is 2 years. In the first year the bush actively develops, in the second it bears fruit. IN further plant begins to degenerate and gradually dies. Therefore, after harvesting for the 2nd year, it is cut off at the root. The number of shoots should also be regulated: the more there are, the smaller the harvest. Ideally, no more than 8 strong and strong shoots are left, the rest are mercilessly removed to the ground.

Remontant raspberries begin to bear fruit in the first year, so they are pruned immediately after harvest. The cut bushes are burned. If the winter in the region has little snow, pruning is carried out by weight. In winter, raspberries are tied in a bunch and bent to the ground.

Currant

Currants are pruned either during berry picking or after, when the bushes have completely shed their leaves and a dormant period begins. It bears fruit both on young shoots and on old branches. But the older the bush, the smaller and smaller the fruits. During the procedure, no more than 10 of the strongest branches and 4 young strong shoots are left on it (5 buds are cut off from the top).

Bushes over 6 years old are removed to the first true bud, which is about a third of the branch. Dried ones are cut out completely. Young shoots at the roots are carefully thinned out. Immediately after pruning, the currants are earthed up to stimulate the growth of shoots from the root system. The most powerful of them are used to replace old and diseased branches next year.

Red and white currant varieties bear fruit on mature branches. Therefore, when forming a bush, no more than 3 shoots are left each year, the rest are eliminated. As soon as berries stop appearing on the tops, they are reduced to the first fork. If fruiting does not occur the next year, the branch is removed completely.

Gooseberry

Any gooseberry varieties are prone to active growth both in width and height. Therefore, it is important to prune it annually after berry picking and leaf fall.

Dried, twisted, old branches and branches growing inside the bush must be removed at the root. If they are left, the yield will decrease every year. In autumn, 5-6 of the strongest branches are left on the gooseberry, reduced to a height of 25 cm, everything else is mercilessly removed. If time for pruning is missed and the plant is more than 2 years old, then in addition to sanitary thinning, curved branches growing down and inward are additionally cut off, fresh shoots are reduced to 3 buds. The root shoots are carefully thinned out.

Formation of a dwarf apple tree

You can and should prune an apple tree. But they do it differently, depending on the desired end result and age.

The most best time for the first trim – autumn planting apple trees During this period, the future crown is formed. The branches are cut by a third of the length at the top and a quarter at the bottom. They are removed according to the principle: the smaller the root system, the more they should be pruned.

In the second season, the apple tree is pruned 35 cm (necessarily above the bud) from the trunk of the first order branches. Subsequently, branches of the second order are formed here. But it is important to ensure that they are located strictly along the outer edge of the crown and do not bend under acute angle. If this happens, they are shortened by 25 cm from the trunk.

It is important to remember that the fruiting age is 4 years. In this regard, all older branches are removed, replacing them with young annual shoots.

During fruiting and harvesting, it is necessary to prune emerging shoots on skeletal branches if they grow more than 20 cm. Pruning is done to approximately ¼ of the length. As a result, the tree will not be depleted, the apple harvest will become uniform, abundant and annual.

Rejuvenation is carried out after about 5 years, when the quantity and quality (size) of the fruit decreases significantly, shoots appear rarely, and they are very weakened. Pruning in this case consists of removing branches that have formed over 3 years. All branches of the first order must be replaced by branches of the second. All the strongest and fattest are also subject to elimination. As a result, the crown volume will increase. The yield may decrease, but the fruits will become noticeably larger and of better quality.

Mandatory feeding after the procedure

Pruning is always a traumatic procedure for a bush. That's why next step will be the introduction of organic fertilizers. Spring feeding significantly different from autumn.

If the pruning procedure was carried out from August to November, then the plant will need phosphorus fertilizers to form a new root system. When applying fertilizing, it should be evenly redistributed around the entire circumference around the stem circle. This process is combined with watering.

Most effective organic fertilizer for shrubs is an infusion of compost. It is prepared for about 3 days in the proportion of 0.5 kg per 10 liters of water. Watering is carried out in the evening when it is not hot or in cloudy weather. When applying fertilizer, make sure that the liquid does not get on young shoots and leaves. If the drought lasts for a long time, the plant is watered abundantly with plain water before fertilizing.

Trimming decorative and fruit crops does not present any great difficulties. The main thing is to choose the right time, stock up on tools and be patient at first. In the future, when the necessary skills are acquired, this process will be simplified, and every year the plot will delight you with a lush, healthy, blooming and fruit-bearing garden.

Dogwoods, except white dogwoods, bloom and develop beautifully without any human intervention.

But in order for the bush to be a real decoration of the garden, pruning should not be neglected, be it anti-aging or regular. correct pruning bushes.

Compliance with the deadlines and time for pruning shrubs is the most important condition for their beauty and health. What do you need to consider to ensure that flowering shrubs bring you joy?

A gardener with extensive experience in gardening and floriculture will help us understand this most important “health program.” He has been growing shrubs professionally for a long time and his collection is truly enviable.

Pavel Semenovich, it’s spring outside, what not to miss in pruning now?

Before the buds open, inspect all your bushes to see how much they have suffered after winter. Damaged branches and their dry parts must be cut back to healthy wood.

Anti-aging pruning of shrubs will help restore youth to old shrubs, lighten them, facilitate air access to skeletal branches and reduce the risk of fungal and other diseases. Young, strong plants should not be pruned unless absolutely necessary.

I prefer to prune a little each year to avoid weakening the plant. The size of the bush should be limited in a timely manner so that later you do not have to resort to heavy pruning. I trim the hedges from the first years so that the bottom of the bushes is not exposed.

It may make sense to cut very old plants that have lost their decorative properties completely down to the ground. Then young shoots will emerge from the root or base of the bush.

I saw out thick branches or cut them with special pruning shears with long handles (lopper pruners), thin branches - with regular pruning shears. All my pruners have been prepared since the fall - sharpened and disinfected.

Why is regular pruning of bushes necessary?

Pruning shrubs, as a rule, stimulates flowering and maintains shape. It is important not to miss the timing of pruning - they depend on the timing of flowering.

Shrub pruning is carried out over a healthy bud located with outside branches. In some plants, flower buds are located on the current year's growth, in others - on last year's growth, and in many, on perennial branches. The flowering time depends on where the flower buds are located.

If flower buds are formed on annual or perennial branches, flowering will occur in the spring. And if they develop on young shoots of the current year, then in the summer or closer to autumn.

Hawthorn, almond, bladderwort, and cinquefoil hold their crown shape well. It just needs a little tweaking from time to time.

Thinning and regular rejuvenation are especially necessary for barberry, deutzia, viburnum, cotoneaster, lilac, mock orange, and rose hips. I remove faded inflorescences from lilacs, summer spireas, and tamarix.

On lilacs, I cut off the fading panicles to the base, reaching into the underlying wood, trying not to touch the young side shoots. In faded weigela, deutia, shrub willows, almonds, broom, and forsythia, I shorten the branches by a third or even half to the point where strong young shoots form.

These colorful shrubs have flower buds for blooming in next year are laid only on newly grown branches and branches.

Which shrubs need to be pruned in March?

First of all in early spring I prune those plants that bloom on the shoots of the current year. These are mainly summer-flowering shrubs - spirea, paniculata hydrangea, hibiscus, karyopteris, heather, David's budleya, three-lobed almond, broom. If you are late with pruning, flowering will begin at least a couple of weeks later. Pruning should be thorough, two to three buds.

For example, I greatly shorten David’s buddleia, removing all of last year’s long flower branches (leaving only two buds on each), as well as weakened ones.

In order for Budleya to bloom as early as possible, I prune it without delay - sometimes even in February. I first get rid of drooping side shoots and keep more of them in the center of the bush. This prevents the bush from spreading wider.

In the first year of spirea Boumald, I cut off damaged or very weak growths, completely - all incorrectly located branches. In subsequent years, the skeleton is being formed; I cut off all last year's growth by half to a strong outer bud.

Garden hibiscus blooms more luxuriantly if you prune the bush thoroughly in the spring. In March, I completely remove last year’s inflorescences from the heathers and cut out the bare branches. For shrubby cinquefoil, every 2-3 years I carry out medium thinning, lightly prune

Proper formative pruning is always a beautiful hedge

Beginning gardeners often face the problem poor growth and flowering ornamental plants. One of the main reasons is the lack of regular pruning.

When to prune ornamental plants

The procedure should be carried out until the buds appear and sap flow begins.

In the southern regions, where climatic conditions allow, formative pruning can begin at the end of February.
In the Moscow region, pruning should be completed by the end of March.
In the northern zone of Russia, it is recommended to wait until the beginning of April.

At temperatures below 10 C, pruning is not recommended: the tree crumbles and the wounds do not heal well. Tools you may need: pruners, loppers, hedge trimmers, garden knife. A chainsaw or pruning saw is useful for trimming large branches.

Trimming technology

Before starting work, you should select unnecessary branches, draw a pruning plan and carry out it in stages so as not to remove anything unnecessary.

On thick branches, a cut is made along the fibers, and on the opposite side, in the direction of the cut, a longitudinal cut is made to avoid breaking. This prevents the bark from breaking and promotes rapid wound healing.

If the cut is large, it is covered with garden varnish. The layer must be at least 5 mm so that the wound does not dry out and infection does not get there.
In adult, two-year-old shrubs, thick old branches are cut out, reducing the density of the central part. In this way, you will prolong the youth of the plant, as the branches will be renewed.

To improve growth intensity and quantity flower buds you should do periodic cutting of branches through one. This will also help to form a beautiful, unthickened shrub with high decorative qualities.

Decorative hedges are thinned twice a year: in the spring before the sap begins to flow and in mid-summer, to remove rapidly developing branches and give shape. This prevents the appearance of empty gaps and promotes uniform growth of shoots. The rule for all ornamental shrubs is: the more often you cut them, the thicker they grow.

Deciduous shrubs that grow along the edge of the crown require minimal care. These are common barberry, cotoneasters, cinquefoil, and viburnum. In the first years they need to be shortened to the same height of approximately 1.5 m.

Adult shoots of shrubs undergo sanitary pruning at the root, selecting old and damaged branches. If this is not done, the plants will become dense, elongated, and look unkempt.

Deciduous ornamental shrubs that bloom on last year's shoots require extensive pruning. These include lilac, blood-red currant, and large-leaved hydrangea. Biennial, non-flowering and damaged branches are removed after flowering. If you prune earlier, the tree may not produce flower buds at all, and there will be no buds on it.

Growing shrubby plants on local area, cottage or garden, Special attention pay attention to proper care. Pruning shrubs often goes by the wayside, and in vain. After all, as the bushes grow, they become voluminous and their crowns lose their attractive appearance. Therefore, pruning them is an important agrotechnical measure. It is carried out in compliance with deadlines and taking into account the specifics different types crops Read about this in the article.

How is pruning done?

There are two ways to carry out the procedure:

Shortening branches.
Thinning the bush.

Both methods have the same goal - to redistribute nutrients along all branches. This stimulates them to begin to grow intensively. In the process of pruning, the buds become smaller, as a result of which the path from the roots to the leaves is shortened, and the growth of the plant increases.

Branches are shortened when it is necessary to partially remove top part escape. Thanks to this procedure, the thickness of the branches increases, young shoots grow quickly, and the buds develop intensively. Thinning is carried out when all branches need to be removed. This pruning of shrubs prevents them from becoming thicker, preventing the appearance of pests and the development of various diseases.

What types of pruning are there?

It depends on what result is expected from this procedure. In general, there are several types of shrub pruning:

Sanitary.
Formative.
Rejuvenating.

To bush for a long time pleased lush flowering, lush greenery, beautiful crown, it is important to perform all types of pruning, alternating them depending on the timing.

Sanitary pruning

All shrub plants undergo this procedure. It is held in the autumn. Its main goal is to prevent infectious processes to which plants are exposed and prevent them from rotting. The procedure for pruning shrubs is simple. It is necessary to remove all damaged and broken branches, and to ensure that the crown is well ventilated, it should be thinned out. To do this, some of the immature branches growing inside the bush need to be cut off at a level of two to three centimeters above the bud.

Formative pruning

In the autumn, this procedure is carried out only for blooming in summer bushes. If you cut blooming in spring plants, their decorative quality will significantly deteriorate, since flowers are formed on last year’s shoots. Using formative pruning of shrubs ordinary plants turned into decorative ones, for which purpose several shoots with great strength growth.

Some shrubs root growth grows quickly, which makes them too wide, so during formation you need to remove shoots around the perimeter. But you shouldn’t be too zealous, as this can affect the density of the plant’s crown; it will become loose and unsightly. First of all, weak branches coming from the roots are removed. It is allowed to cut and strong shoots, directed inside the bush, interfering with nearby growing strong branches. The most correct thing would be to leave those shoots that will be replaced by sick or old ones in the future.

In shrubs with poor winter hardiness, the formation of dry branches is a common occurrence. They should be removed during pruning. The cut should be made above the level of the second bud from the base. If individual branches have fallen down and spoil the decorative appearance of the bush, you need to get rid of them. During wintering, the upper shoots may freeze, although the lying branches are not affected by the frost. In this case, you just need to tie them up and leave them.

Anti-aging pruning

It is carried out on mature shrubs so that their flowering is more luxuriant. Anti-aging pruning is also carried out on plants with an annual growth of less than seven centimeters. This procedure involves shortening old branches. After it, dormant and accessory buds activate their growth. The timing of pruning shrubs is extended over time. This can be done starting from last month winter and ending in April, as well as in August and September.

The rejuvenating procedure consists of cutting off the branches by 30% from the very top after the end of the flowering period. To make it even more abundant, remove one, the oldest branch in the bush. Shrubs should be rejuvenated once every two years.

Indications for radical rejuvenation

This procedure is necessary if the bush is no longer able to produce both strong and weak shoots. In this case, all branches are cut at the same level with the ground. But if the plant was formed on a rootstock, then the cut is made 10-15 cm above the graft. This is the only way to make the buds activate and produce new growth of shoots. After one or two seasons, weak and poorly placed branches are pruned.

Ornamental shrubs

They are grown for use in landscape design. Pruning of ornamental shrubs is carried out to give them attractive looking. The first procedure is carried out during planting, in the spring. The shoots of young seedlings are shortened by 10-15 cm. Three to five buds are left on each. New shoots will grow from them within the first year. During autumn pruning shrubs get rid of broken, diseased, dry shoots and those lying on the ground. If during the first year the growth of the bush was weak, all shoots are cut off at a level of three to five centimeters above the ground.

In the second year of life, the bush forms several powerful branches. In autumn it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning. The cut must be made at the very base. If necessary, this pruning is repeated in the spring. But it should be carried out until the buds swell and the juice begins to flow.

In the future, when carrying out pruning, it should be remembered that only during the first year of life the branches grow quickly, then the rate of their growth decreases, and by five to six years of life it stops altogether. The formation of the crown of shrubs ends in the fourth or fifth year after planting.

The ratio of shoots on a bush-type plant

Looking at a bush, it is very difficult to determine “by eye” how many and what kind of shoots it has. But it probably won’t hurt to know their age ratio. Each bush has four to five one-year-old branches, three-four two-year-old branches, two or three three-four-five-year-old branches. Old branches that are more than five or six years old are completely removed.

When forming an ornamental shrub, it should be remembered that when removing shoots, their physiological state, strength and direction of growth are taken into account. Therefore, the above ratio can always change, but this does not mean that the bush is formed incorrectly.

Hedge trimming

Appearance Such a structure from a growing shrub depends on how it is formed during the first year after planting. Gardeners often do not attach importance to this and do not prune plants for several years, leaving this procedure for later.

Without pruning at the beginning of growth, the branches of the bush will stretch upward, and hedge the lower part will be bare. To prevent this from happening, during the first year of the plant’s life, you need to cut out all the shoots at a level of 15 cm above the ground surface. Powerful root layers will begin to grow.

A year later, you need to do the same pruning again, which will help form the crown correctly. If its density is insufficient, severe pruning will be required next year. In the third year of the bush’s life and in all subsequent years, only cosmetic pruning should be done, since strong basal growth will finally form.

Curly trimming

In landscape design, the most fashionable were once alpine coaster, well-groomed lawns. But as time goes on, the fashion for landscaping is changing. Currently, a new trend in this direction has become very popular - figured pruning of shrubs, which is one of the types of garden creativity and is called topiary. Skillful hands masters transform shrubs into masterpieces that decorate not only gardens and parks, but also palaces. Unusual figures are created, usually from evergreen or small-leaved plants. The crowns of shrubs and trees are pruned using geometric figures.

Cone

This shape is the easiest to trim. It will be easier to give it to a plant if it is naturally cone-shaped. The haircut should start from the crown, from its top, gradually going down. To make the cone proportional, poles are used. They are placed next to the trunk on four sides, and the tops are collected slightly above the crown. It turns out to be a pyramid. Those branches that extend beyond its contour are cut off. Such geometric shape suitable for barberry, juniper.

Ball

This geometric shape can be obtained by trimming shrubs such as laurel and gooseberries. The process is labor-intensive, but it can be made easier if you make a wire template in advance, which is a ring with a handle. The main condition is that the width of the device must be smaller than the crown. The ring is attached to the bush, and excess branches are cut off. If the plant has a naturally spherical shape, you just need to maintain it.

Spiral

This element is very effective, but also quite difficult. It can be used on shrubs that have a cone shape. There are two ways to trim the plant to form a spiral:

Using regular tape that needs to be wrapped around the crown. The areas of the plant located between the turns are trimmed. Great care is needed here.
Another method is carried out using a stick, which is inserted into the ground at a close distance from the bush and tied to it. You need to take a rope, fix it at the very top of the stick and lower it in a spiral downward. The shoots need to be cut down to the trunk, which is considered the main one, following the shape outlined by the rope.

Gardening Tools

They are needed for “trimming” plants whose branches have different thickness. Therefore, tools for pruning bushes are for various purposes.

Secateurs are devices that are used to cut branches with a diameter of up to two and a half centimeters. They come in two types: with curved and straight blades. The operating principle of the first type is similar to that of scissors. the main objective when working with it, cut off a thick shoot efficiently, without gaps. To do this, the tool must be well sharpened and have a gap between the blades. The second type of pruning shears has a straight blade; during operation it rests against the plate, or more precisely at its end. The advantage of this mechanism is that there is no need to check the gap between the blades, but the disadvantage is the inability to get to hard-to-reach places.

Lopper. This tool easily copes with thick shoots with a diameter of five centimeters. It can be used to remove deep branches lush crown where other tools cannot reach. Its variety is a rope lopper, which is used for trimming branches growing at a fairly high altitude.
Saw. It is used to remove branches that are too thick. The teeth of the saw reach a height of five to seven millimeters and are set wide enough so that they do not become clogged with wood during work.
The knife is the most sought after garden tools, it is used to trim and clean thin branches, cut off bark, and correct crooked cuts.
Scissors for trimming bushes. Gardeners use them to form a figured crown and decorative hedge. With their help, shrubs are given interesting shape.
Stepladder is garden tools, without which it is difficult to care for the bush. The ladder should be stable and its legs should be widely spaced. This way it will be more stable.

What to feed after pruning?

Regardless of the season of the procedure, plants need increased nutrition, since it is at this time that the vegetative mass increases. The indication for fertilizing the soil is to reduce the concentration useful substances in it. Plants especially need nitrogen and potassium at this time. You can use a solution you prepare yourself. Take potassium nitrate (three spoons) and water (10 liters). Everything is mixed, after which the bush is watered to the very root with this mixture. You can use nitrophoska or a mixture of urea and ash in a proportion of 30 and 100 g, respectively, per bucket of water.

If pruning of shrubs is carried out in August or September, the plants are in dire need of phosphorus, since the active formation of the root system occurs during this period of time. Fertilizer is scattered over the surface of the soil into the plants. Its application is combined with watering.

Most effective feeding both ornamental and fruit shrubs are infused with compost. To do this, half a kilogram of organic matter is diluted in 10 liters of water, left for two to three days and watered the plants in the evening, when the sun has set. If the summer is hot and long time the drought continues, first the tree trunk circles are watered plain water, and then with a solution.