Pruning of fruit trees and shrubs, which can be sanitary, rejuvenating and shaping, is an integral part of garden care. Regular and proper crowning of green spaces leads to a significant increase in the yield of berries and fruits due to the improvement of plant health and strengthening of their phytoimmunity.
By regularly thinning the crown, at least once a year, you not only maintain its correct shape and make harvesting easier, but also prevent an outbreak of infection in your plantings. In addition, the removal of excess branches, including top branches and those that thicken the crown, helps strengthen the bark and wood of seedlings, improves nutrition, and therefore the development and fruiting of the remaining healthy shoots.
The benefits of sanitary pruning of trees in autumn
With the help of sanitary pruning, you can restore the fruiting of most plants living on your site, especially old ones with dense crowns, dry branches and those suffering from fungal or bacterial diseases.With this type of pruning, all damaged and pest-affected shoots are removed, including those broken by the wind, dry, thin, growing inside the crown, twisted, etc.
Sanitary pruning is a vital agricultural practice for all green spaces, which experts advise to carry out at any time of the year. For example, if after a summer hurricane a branch of an apple tree breaks, then it is advisable to trim it immediately, without waiting for the end of the season, and cover the cut with a medicinal composition. But the maximum effect of the procedure is noticeable after autumn pruning.
The fact is that plants that have prepared for the dormant period and have shed their leaves tolerate the removal of branches much easier than actively vegetating seedlings in late spring and summer. Therefore, at the end of the season, especially after the end of leaf fall, you can heavily crown trees and shrubs, removing problem shoots as much as possible.
Features of the autumn pruning rule
According to reviews from experienced gardeners, it is especially important to promptly prune seedlings affected by pests and diseases this season. After removing all problematic shoots in the fall, it is much easier to treat the plantings with fungicides and insecticides.
The plant debris remaining after this procedure, as well as fallen leaves along with carrion, must either be immediately taken outside the site or burned, since most pathogens and parasitic insects continue their vital activity on branches and leaves even after they are pruned.
After cutting down skeletal branches, sections with a diameter of more than 5 cm must be treated with acrylic paint or garden mash. Otherwise, the likelihood of pathogenic microflora penetrating into tree tissue, especially in humid autumn conditions, increases many times over.
You can use a special medicinal paint, which is especially useful in cases where plants are affected by phytopathogens. Or you can, in the old fashioned way, treat the cut with an antiseptic, for example, alcohol or a strong solution of potassium permanganate, and cover it with garden varnish.
Homemade mash is also suitable, which is prepared from equal parts of mullein and clay, diluting the components with a small amount of water.
Garden tools are also subject to disinfection. After the end of the event, it is recommended to wipe the blades of the pruning shears, saws, and axes with alcohol or a solution of potassium permanganate (very pink). This simple action will prevent the transfer of pathogens of dangerous diseases to healthy seedlings.
Do not neglect sanitary pruning in the spring. During the winter, as a rule, many branches break, so they need to be cut out at the beginning of the season. Plants crowned before the start of sap flow, in March, recover much faster than with later pruning.
Have fun in the garden!
