At the end of the dacha season, when the entire harvest of berries and fruits has been harvested and ornamental plants have finished flowering, experienced gardeners must carry out routine sanitary pruning of trees and shrubs. The main goal of this event is to improve the health of plants and remove damaged shoots that interfere with the development and growth of seedlings and impair their winter hardiness.
The best time for all types of pruning of garden plantings (shaping, rejuvenating, sanitary, thinning) is after the end of leaf fall. Gardeners usually plan garden work for the end of October - November. And immediately after pruning and removing plant debris, it is advisable to treat trees and bushes with modern means against pests and infectious diseases.
Pruning is carried out in dry weather, since moisture penetrating into the wound surfaces of wood slows down the processes of healing, scarring and the formation of new tissues and promotes the activation of pathogenic microorganisms: fungal spores, microbes and bacteria.
For sanitary purposes, the following branches and shoots must be removed:- broken;
- dried out;
- cracked;
- infested with pests;
- with signs of illness;
- intertwined with each other;
- growing inward and thickening the crown;
- weak and thin.
Additionally, it is recommended to trim the tallest shoots that stick out from the previously formed crown silhouette to a healthy bud. Thin branches are cut with a sharpened pruner, and large branches are cut with a hand, gas or electric saw.
According to reviews from experienced summer residents, autumn is the most favorable time for pruning plants. Trees that have prepared for a period of dormancy can easily tolerate the removal of even the largest and skeletal branches, which for any reason should be removed.
Treatment of wounds on trees using garden varnish
It is recommended to immediately disinfect large sections by treating them with a solution of iron sulfate (10%), copper sulfate (5%) or potassium permanganate (1%). Antiseptic solutions will destroy pathogenic microflora and prepare plants for the next stage - sealing wounds.
To speed up the healing process, gardeners use garden pitch or garden putty, purchased in a store or prepared independently from a mixture of clay, mullein, wax and straw with the addition of growth stimulants. The composition is applied to the dry surface of the cut or cleaned wound using the fingertips, after putting a glove on your hand, or a spatula.
Garden cleaning and tree spraying
After the event, there is a mandatory cleaning of the garden. It is advisable to remove all plant residues after sanitary pruning of plantings: leaves, carrion, cut branches and shoots from the site or burn them by sawing large branches or chopping them with an ax. In the collected garbage, larvae of dangerous insects and pathogens find a haven for wintering, so that with the arrival of spring they begin their destructive activities in the garden.
It is more convenient to rake leaves under trees growing on the lawn using a fan rake, and select mummified fruits and rotting carrion, like walnuts, by hand.
After pruning, used garden tools (saw, pruning shears) should be disinfected with alcohol or a solution of potassium permanganate.
When all the plants in the garden are pruned, you can safely begin treating (spraying) them with fungicides and insecticides against diseases and pests. The main thing is that the air temperature is not lower than +5°C, otherwise the effectiveness of some drugs is reduced to a minimum. The use of pesticides in the garden in late autumn is considered the safest for plants and the future harvest, since the lion's share of toxic substances has time to completely decompose during the cold period.
Let your garden become a real pride and decoration of the site!
