Decorative pruning of trees and shrubs. How to trim and shape the crown - some subtleties

It's time to get busy with pruning ornamental shrubs... The work is not as simple as it seems at first glance, and requires an understanding of the biology of plants, the characteristics of their growth.

Jasmine (chubushnik)

Don't grab a pruner without a clear understanding of the purpose of the pruning. And the goals are different ...

Sanitary pruning, or cleaning. We remove all dry, broken, diseased and damaged branches.
Formative, or structural trimming. Let's look at the bush from the side and imagine the image of a plant that we will strive for for several years. Having determined the optimal shape of the bush, we remove all unnecessary, cut out intersecting, shading each other or growing towards the center of the branches.
Rejuvenating, or deep cropping. Once every three years, we cut out part of the old branches to the base.
Radical pruning, or "landing on a stump". Every year at the beginning of April we cut the whole bush into a short stump.

The timing of pruning depends on the type of pruning and the growth characteristics of the shrubs.

Early spring. Pruning, which is carried out from the end of the frost to the blooming of the buds, coincides with the natural rhythms of plant life and therefore stimulates the powerful growth of shoots.
Early summer. After the completion of active sap flow, at the beginning of the growth of shoots, spring-flowering shrubs and vines are cut off.
Summer pruning. Branches are selectively removed until August to restrain vegetative growth.

Pruning technique

The cut site should be smooth, without damage to the cortex and cambium, which will "tighten" the wound. Thin branches (up to a centimeter in diameter) are removed with pruning shears, thicker ones - with a garden file or a delimber. By shortening the branches, a "cut to the bud" is made.

Sections are immediately covered with garden varnish or sealed with adhesive plaster. Slices less than 0.5 cm in diameter do not need to be processed.

The need for pruning various shrubs

Features of pruning a shrub depend on the characteristics of its growth. Shrubs can be conditionally divided into several groups.

First trimming group

These are deciduous shrubs blooming in spring and early summer. They always form new shoots in the lower part of the bush or in the middle of last year's branches, and flower buds - on last year's growths.

Shrubs of this group are pruned immediately after flowering. Sanitary pruning is applied to them in the spring and maintenance pruning (every three years) in the spring after flowering, while completely removing about half of all old branches. If the bush has not been pruned for a long time, try to rejuvenate it by pruning it almost to the base.

This group includes tall spring-flowering spireas(sharp-toothed, Thunberg, Vangutta, crenate, oak-leaved, nippon, gray, or ash), forsythia, chubushnik(garden jasmine), deytsiya, weigela, Japanese kerria, ornamental currant, tree peony and other early flowering shrubs.

Most of them age quickly: noticeably fewer flowers are formed on old branches, the branches are bare and the bush loses its decorative effect.

Kerria Japanese.

Japanese kerria, which often freezes over in winter, can be cut off all shortly, it has time to grow up to a meter in a season and even bloom. The resulting bushes have a more neat shape than old falling apart. Variegated forms of kerrias planted on a stump are especially interesting.

Weigela Red Prince.

Weigelu theoretically, it is impossible to cut off strongly (it will not bloom). But weigels have a fairly high shoot-forming ability, so frozen plants can be safely cut "to zero": by autumn they even bloom with a few flowers.

Forsythia is European.

Forsythia, in which the most flowers are formed on three-year-old branches, they are not touched without urgent need, only sanitary pruning is carried out.

Second trimming group

This group includes deciduous shrubs that bloom in mid-summer and autumn, in which flowers are formed on the shoots of the current year: buddleya, summer flowering spireas (Japanese, Douglas, white-flowered, willow), panicle hydrangea, treelike hydrangea, shrub cinquefoil.

To keep compact beautiful shape these shrubs, in early spring radically cut off last year's annual shoots - into a short stump 10-15 cm high. Thin weak branches are cut to the base. Withered inflorescences are also cut off, but in hydrangeas, the inflorescences, which retain their decorative effect until the end of the season, are not touched.

Hydrangea

Trimmed annually, Japanese spireas produce dense, abundantly flowering, vibrant plants.

This group also includes deciduous shrubs: karyopteris, lavatera, lavender, fragrant rue... The shoots of these plants are lignified only in the lower part, and the upper part, as a rule, freezes over in winter.

They are cut off not early in the spring, but a little later, when the buds in the lower part of the bush wake up and you can see how much to shorten the stems.

Third trimming group

This group includes deciduous ornamental-leafy shrubs (white turf, different types elderberry).

Derain different not only beautiful leaves, but also very bright red or cherry bark. But it happens only on young shoots, with age, the bark turns gray, the leaves become smaller.

It is possible to achieve always bright branches only by annual or once every two years "planting on a stump", that is, early spring short cut(usually leave hemp 10-15 cm). Do not be afraid to do this: the turf grows in a season.

Almost all species need strong pruning in spring. elderberry... In addition, elderberry varieties are very frozen in black in winter. After pruning, elderberry grows quickly and appears in all its glory with its large carved leaves.
Tamarix and myrikaria freeze too. But they are annually cut off strongly even in countries with mild climates (so as not to stretch out). After pruning, plant shoots grow 1-1.5 m and look wonderful, surprising with delicacy.

Fourth trimming group

It includes all shrubs that do not form regularly replacing shoots at the base of the bush. Shrubs that give new shoots only from the apical and upper lateral buds along the periphery of the crown bloom and remain viable even without supporting pruning. Older branches are not superfluous here - they form the crown.

All types of hawthorn, irga, lilac, deciduous euonymus, cotoneaster, viburnum, leather skumpia, decorative varieties of cherries, plums and apple trees, bushy maples need only sanitary pruning and thinning of the crown.

More than others needs special pruning lilac... Without pruning, flowering becomes scarce, growths and inflorescences become smaller

Lilac flower buds are located at the tops of last year's growths located in the upper part of the crown, so they cannot be shortened. In a well-developed bush, you can remove some of the shoots with flower buds, leaving the strongest and most well-located, then the remaining inflorescences will be larger. For the same purpose, all weak and inwardly growing crowns, crossing, competing shoots, are cut into a ring.

Lilacs are cut in the spring, before sap flow begins. Before setting the seeds, the faded panicles are removed, taking care not to damage the nearby shoots with leaves, on which new flower buds are laid.

Fifth trimming group

This group includes evergreen shrubs and creeping forms (rhododendrons, evergreen species of viburnum and cotoneaster, cherry laurel, dwarf willow and gorse). Due to the uniform growth along the perimeter of the crown, they form a strong beautiful bush without cropping. Only sick or frozen shoots are removed on them in the spring.

Subtleties of trimming

Shorten branches with long internodes a few millimeters above the outward bud. This applies to bush maples, hydrangeas, weige lamas, as well as shrubs with hollow shoots (forsythia, elderberry, some honeysuckle).
The vitality and splendor of flowering of very many ornamental shrubs stimulates pruning, or maintenance, when, removing old branches, free up space for younger and stronger shoots. Shrubs that have been neglected or improperly pruned for years can be tidied up with rejuvenating pruning.
Pay attention to the natural shape of the shrub. It is hardly possible to keep the bush small for a long time or make it grow in an unnatural way without harming the flowering. When doing maintenance pruning, try to maintain the natural look of the plant rather than trimming all branches one size fits all. Start at the bottom of the bush and work your way up. This will save you from double work, since thinner branches are removed at once with a whole branch.
In most cases, the dying off of old shoots in shrubs is a natural process and should not cause particular alarm.

To understand the interval with which to cut out old shoots to rejuvenate the bush, you need to know the lifespan of one shoot: in spring-flowering spirits and Potentilla shrub-3-5; in chubushniks, rose hips, weigel, barberries - 5-10 years.

Shoots of tall shrubs (lilac, hawthorn) live much longer. Old branches are identified by weak lateral branches with many short growths.

Ornamental vines are pruned after leafing out in late spring or summer. Early spring pruning is dangerous due to strong sap flow. More often only dry and poorly located shoots are cut.

It only at first glance seems that haircuts were invented exclusively for people. no less need such a procedure, and not only for the sake of beauty, but also for health.

A beautiful and well-groomed garden cannot be created without a competent one. But in order to get the desired result, it is important to answer on three main questions: what to cut? when? and why?

This is what we will talk about today, because autumn is the most appropriate time for such a topic.

Garden Barber Secrets

In fact, the field of activity is very extensive, because almost every garden resident needs, if not a haircut, then at least a minimal trim. Some plants should be correct, others have to be deprived of their "hair" in order to save them from enemies (and pathogens), others managed to suffer from the intrigues of the elements during the growing season and they urgently need the intervention of a "traumatologist".

Advice: start autumn pruning after leaf fall, when sap flow stops and for the plants there comes a dormant period... Well, it is necessary to complete the process before frost... Only in this case, the haircut will not weaken the plants, but, on the contrary, will strengthen their immunity. And don't be too zealous - pruning should be gentle so that your pets don't get too stressed.

Wintering with an injured or thickened crown is dangerous for plants, therefore, in the fall, first of all, it is necessary sanitary and thinning pruning of all cultures.

In the first case, trees and bushes get rid of broken, unfruitful and dried branches. Special attention should be given to branches affected by pests and diseases. Such areas are especially noticeable after the trees have parted from their foliage.

Pruning inside the crown often call thinning out(cut branches that obstruct the access of light or cross and rub against each other, damaging the bark). The shoots extending from the trunk upwards under acute angle... And don't forget to cut mercilessly spinning tops- shoots that grow on the central conductor and skeletal branches.

Another type of autumn pruning can be safely called targeted, that is, acceptable for a specific group of plants. And here, as usual, there are as many groups as there are subtleties of the process. Let's take a look at everything possible options.

Pruning berry bushes

Harvest largely depends on regular pruning, which forms the bushes, gets rid of aged and diseased branches, opens the crown to light. This work should be done in the fall, because in the spring these plants wake up very early, and you risk not having time to finish the preventive haircut before the sap flow and the buds swell.

Operating principle approximately the same for all representatives of this group: remove aged branches of shrubs "on the ring" at the very root, without leaving stumps, close to the ground, or even a little underground. Read more about this method in the article. Likewise, get rid of immature green and weak shoots that are unlikely to overwinter (in cold weather, they tend to freeze out and reduce the winter hardiness of the entire plant).

Advice: the number of ripe young shoots left should be equal to the number of removed ones, then the necessary balance will be observed.

Important: during autumn pruning, do not shorten the healthy shoots of berry bushes, postpone this until spring, because not only the cut site can freeze, but also a significant part of the shoot.

Sanitary pruning is essential for any woody plant Therefore, in the fall, trees and shrubs need to be removed from dried and broken branches to help them get through the winter more easily.

Pruning ornamental shrubs

Many in autumn they need sanitary pruning and thinning. But if the first process is mandatory for everyone, then certain problems may arise with the second, because not everyone can shorten the shoots in the fall. So when can you create beauty? The answer to this question depends not only on on the characteristics of the species, variety, but also on the time of their flowering.

Remember: At the end of the season, only shrubs that bloom on the shoots of the current year should be pruned. Plants that delight with their lush flowers in early spring are strictly forbidden to touch in autumn - here flower buds are formed on the growths of last year, so all "hairdressing procedures" should be performed in the summer, immediately after the end of flowering.

In the fall (or early spring), prune shrubs that bloom from mid-summer to fall forming flower buds on the growths of the current year. This and, blooming in summer, brilliant cotoneaster, mountain ash and others.

In the fall, it needs preventive pruning to free the plant from the unnecessary burden of dry, sick, and non-fruiting branches.

in the fall, it only needs sanitary pruning, and it is better to leave dried inflorescences on the bush until spring.

You will learn how to properly prune a hydrangea from the article. In the fall, doing sanitary and thinning pruning, you can also remove or shorten the summer growth - in the spring new shoots will grow.

The trimming of decorators, whose branches adorn the fruits in autumn, is often postponed until early spring. For example, it blooms from July to September, and in August and September fruits appear that can persist on the shoots all winter.

By the way, the snowberry perfectly tolerates the rejuvenating autumn pruning "under the stump" 40-60 cm high - next summer young shoots will grow from dormant buds.

Needs both sanitary and thinning pruning. Schedule these jobs for the fall.

Queens of our gardens- - very demanding for wintering conditions. Correct pruning helps them to endure natural disasters. Almost all representatives of this family need a sanitary and thinning haircut in the fall.

According to the weather (usually at the end of October), remove unripe shoots directed inside the bush, old, broken, diseased and pest-damaged branches, cut off the remaining flowers, buds, leaves.
Get rid of the grafted roses from the root growth, which constantly grows throughout the season, otherwise the rosehip rootstock will crush the grafted variety.
Comfortable wintering for varietal roses (floribunda, hybrid tea, polyanthus) will provide a water-dry shelter, before the device of which all branches will have to be significantly shortened.
Before proceeding with the "hairdressing procedures", install a frame over the bushes for a shelter, on which you need to temporarily throw a film from the rain on top - it is contraindicated for roses after an autumn haircut.
Do not shorten the shoots to the height of the shelter. This is not necessary, since for the winter the plants are removed from their supports and covered in a horizontal position. They need sanitary pruning: removing the remaining flowers, buds, leaves, injured, diseased or pest-infested whips.

A series of articles will help you to understand in more detail the intricacies of the "decorative" images:

Pruning climbing plants

quickly spread in all directions, without taking a definite form. If you leave them at the mercy of nature, they will crawl along the ground, and from and will move to neighboring trees. To prevent them from strangling in the arms of their neighbors, allow these climbers to climb the wall or fence.

Text: E. Gorbacheva.
Photo: PR, A. Lysikov, S. Kalyakin, S. Kovalenko, Evgeny Mukhortov / LORI Photobank, Biosphoto / Claude Thouvenin Diomedia.com, Legion-Media, supeecha / Fotolia.com, natros / Fotolia.com, rodimovpavel / Fotolia. com, Ruslan Gilmanshin / Fotolia.com, sabyna75 / Fotolia.com, shutterstock.com.

Details Updated: 05.03.2015 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 cut during this period even those plants with pruning, which it is better to wait until summer or autumn, for example, early flowering shrubs. Therefore, pruning must be approached competently.

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

When pruning ornamental trees, we first of all we strive to give their crowns an appropriate shape and keep it longer ... We cut the plants in hedges so that the foliage is dense and there are no holes in the crowns. Through the regular use of secateurs, we achieve fruit trees and berry bushes of a particularly rich harvest. Ornamental shrubs. We also prune climbing and container plants primarily for lush bloom... If the plant has decorative bark, then with the help of 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, cropping is designed to maintain the natural crown shape of green garden dwellers and adjust 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 promotes more intensive emergence of new shoots.

The use of a saw and a pruner helps to rejuvenate the plants, thanks to pruning, they can regain lost strength. In rare cases, you need to cut trees and shrubs radically, cutting out all the stems at the very base. This method is applicable, but with good shoot formation to hazel or forsythia bushes. In most plants, rejuvenating pruning is carried out in stages.

Should be clarified! Annual growth - this is the growth of the last year with numerous vegetative and generative buds. The bark can be lighter than other shoots or dramatically different in color.(for example at Derain white).

The cut must be done at an angle so that water does not stagnate on its plane, causing wood to rot. In addition, the distance between the cut and the kidney located below is important, there is a danger that it will dry out or freeze. If, on the contrary, a stump forms from it very strongly, where the infection can quickly penetrate.

Pruning decorative trees.

Some representatives of the green kingdom become more and more picturesque over the years, so they do not need to correct the crown (for example, magnolia and palm-shaped maple). But many decorative trees and shrubs, so that they bloom or their crowns do not lose their shape, periodic pruning is necessary.

Ornamental apple tree, for example every 2-3 years only needs regulating pruning ... At the same time, old, damaged and thickening branches are removed. Regular, strong pruning is only necessary 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 they have numerous shoots with flower buds in the current year. Many people withstand such a radical haircut. deciduous trees: white acacia Umbraculifera and goat willow Pendula , after pruning, they quickly overgrow 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 bignonium catalpa, are suitable. Nana . Regular pruning helps keep the tree from growing. Such trees even tolerate heavy pruning, almost to the base of the skeletal branches.

Trees with a globular crown.

Thanks to the dense crown of a harmonious spherical shape and bright green foliage of robinia, pseudoacacia or white acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) Umbraculifera ideal for planting in a small garden: this tree can withstand even very strong pruning unusually well, its crown can be reduced to any size, while it does not lose its presentability.

Without trimming, the diameter of the spherical crown of the pseudoacia Umbraculifera over time it can reach 4-5 m.This can be prevented if every 2-3 years completely cut off all branches almost to the base, leaving only short stumps ... The best time for this kind of pruning is a frost-free day in early March. Slow growing species, for example Ginkgo biloba Mariken pruning is necessary only many years after planting, while, you can limit yourself to only a weak correction of the crown. Liquidambar resinous Gum ball also has a beautiful spherical crown, which, as a rule, does not need pruning.

Easy pruning of white acacia can be done at any time of the year ... But it is better in early spring. Then young shoots will quickly hide the ugly places in the crown that arose after pruning.

Also pruned:

ordinary ash Fráxinus excélsior,
white acacia Umbraculifera,
catalpa bignoniform Nana.

Standard shrubs are pruned according to the same principle. Three-lobed almond with delicate pink, like airy flowers looks incredibly elegant. For this plant annual heavy pruning is desirable ... If immediately after flowering a branch almonds trilobate shorten to 10 cm, then next year it is guaranteed that long, lush-flowering branches will appear on it.

In early spring, cut 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. In this case, the upper kidney should be directed outward.

Whole-leaved willow Hakuro Nishiki cut for the first time 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.

Willow with a bushy crown is usually pruned in early spring. If you want to admire the flowers, you can postpone the pruning until the plant has faded.

Spherical maple holly is not cut as much as white acacia Umbraculifera or not cut at all. Important: the branches are shortened only from August to December, at the latest, otherwise the tree will cry.

In grafted standard plants, wild growth may appear on the stock. Its the same as root shoots are cut 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 in goat willow (Salix caprea) Pendula.

This tree grows fast, so the 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 with vigorous pruning.

When it comes to grafted trees and shrubs, it is necessary to completely remove the wild formed on the supply below the vaccination site.

Do not crop:

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

These drooping plants grow more slowly than their upright cousins. The crowns of the listed trees are formed by themselves and do not need to be adjusted. Is that damaged branches can be cut at the very base or shortened branches that seem too large or too 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 delight in the first place with a bountiful harvest, decorative species valued primarily for their beautiful appearance. Ornamental apple tree (Malus) is especially popular because of the crown of the compact, bright color of autumn foliage and even in winter the fruits remaining on the branches. This tree is cut only when necessary and always in order to preserve the harmonious appearance of the plant. To do this, in early spring, the crowns growing inward and overlapping, as well as dry and damaged branches are removed.

To transform a bushy tree into a standard one, in addition to the above branches, every year it is necessary to remove the lower side branches , leaving one, the longest, as the center 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.

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

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

Column-shaped yews, for example berry yew (Táxus baccáta) varieties Fastigiata Aurea , tolerates a haircut well. but only old plants are cut or in the case when a slender shape is preferable, and the columnar crown grows in breadth.

Beautiful without cropping

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

Since slow-growing trees and shrubs, on 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 there are no pruning skills, removing branches is best in early spring , when even a beginner can clearly see the structure of the crown of a plant.

Also cropped:

palm-shaped maple (Acer palmatum),
womanizer (Laburnum),
Cercis, Magnolia,
corylopsis (Corylopsis),
witch hazel (Hamamelis),
wolfberry
boletus.

Pruning spring flowering shrubs.

In many shrubs, which, like forsythia, bloom in spring, flower buds appear, first of all, on last year's growths. If the shrubs are not pruned, they grow old and the number of new shoots decreases. To stimulate the formation of new shoots, these after flowering plants should be thinned out every year ... For this, individual old branches are cut off at the soil surface. In addition, faded branches must be removed or shortened. Additionally, you can cut off individual side branches directed to the middle of the bush.

Also pruned:

vesicle (Physocarpus),
blood-red currant (Ribes sanguineum),
action (Deutzia), chubushnik (Philadélphus),
forsythia (Forsythia),
common viburnum (Vibúrnum ópulus),
Kolkwitzia,
spirea Vangutta (Spiraea x vanhouttei),
kerria (Kerria),
weigela.

Pruning summer flowering shrubs.

Pruning is carried out primarily so that they bloom profusely ... In addition, the plants acquire a beautiful compact shape through regular pruning.

Many shrubs that bloom in summer have flower buds on young shoots that appear in spring. A typical example of a buddley. In order for the plant to give as many young shoots with flower buds as possible in the spring, the buddley is cut in the fall or early spring.

But in most early flowering plants, for example, forsythia, flower buds are laid on last year's growths. If the shrub is cut like a buddley in early spring, there will be very few flowers. That's why early flowering shrubs are pruned immediately after flowering ... Then the plants will re-give new shoots, laying a good foundation for flowering next year. The only exceptions are shrubs with beautiful fruits, for example, Callicarpa and European euonymus. Although they bloom in spring, by shortening 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.

In some shrubs, flowers also appear on perennial branches. These shrubs include irga and lilac... They don't need to be cut 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 assume the same error:they trim the overgrown shrubs with hedge trimmers only from above, leveling the bushes at the same height. This, in turn, can lead to the fact that the plants do not bloom at all or lose their attractiveness. As a result, new root growth appears and the plant rejuvenates. The function of the old branch can also be delegated to a younger lateral process.

To do this, cut off the branch above the branch selected by the side branch. The branch continues to grow, but the young shoot now plays the role of the top. By removing only individual branches, you will help the shrub to 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 shrub. In summer, they also need to be well thinned out, otherwise the bush will soon grow to the same size.

At all strong thickening on grafted shrubs is not permissible ... Otherwise, wild growth from the stock will quickly displace the cultivated scion.

There are shrubs, for example, white and silky shrubs, which do not differ in special splendor of flowers or color of leaves, but they are the owners of bright branches.

This advantage is especially noticeable in winter. However, only young shoots differ in their bright color; after 3-4 years, the color of the bark becomes faded. Therefore, the purpose of pruning such shrubs is the formation of new shoots. Plant it is necessary to thin out every year in early spring shortly before the shoots appear cutting off all branches older than three years at the soil surface. Launched deren bushes can be thinned out throughout the season.

Also cut off:

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

Beautiful with or without pruning:

flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
dogwood kousa (Cornus kousa),
folded viburnum (Viburnum plicatum) Mariesii,
Fothergilla,
controversial turf (Cornus controversa),
corilopsis (Corylopsis spicata).

In order for the lavender to scent in full force in summer, and its bush to have a harmonious look, the plant must be pruned 2 times a year using hedge trimmers.

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

The second time in the fall, when the inflorescences are already dry. This time, the peduncles are removed along with 2-3 upper pairs of leaves.

Young plants are cut in the same way in the first year after planting. Then the lavender grows, creating a dense carpet. If the lavender is not cut off, then the shoots are lignified to the very tips. At the same time, the plant will lose its compact shape and will not tolerate stronger spring pruning.

Some gardeners use pruning shears to prune the lavender, but it is better to use hedge shears to give the bush an even cushion shape. See that the bush takes on the shape of a hemisphere. Dry twigs can be used to scent a room.

Pruning hydrangeas

Depending on the type, hydrangea flower buds are laid at different times of the year, and the care of each specific species depends on this. So, for example, large-leaved hydrangea flowers appear on last year's increments. This means that flower buds are laid on them in the summer of last year, so the plant cannot be cut off in the spring.

But in panicle hydrangea, flowering takes place on young shoots of the current year, so its bushes can be cut off quite radically. In shade-tolerant treelike hydrangea, spherical inflorescences also appear on annual growths. However, in any case, hydrangeas of all types, every 3-4 years, need a thorough rejuvenating pruning, then the bushes will always have a beautiful compact shape.

As each rule has its own exceptions, so here: almost every type of hydrangea has at least one variety, in which flowers are laid differently than in other relatives... Therefore, it is best to learn about the features of each species and variety from specialized reference books, even before buying a new green pet.

G large-leaved ortensia Ocut slightly ... Large-leaved hydrangea, pollen hydrangea and oak-leaved hydrangea 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 above the first pair of buds, but not below. Otherwise, you will remove the already established flower buds, and the plant will not bloom. And so that young shoots are constantly formed on hydrangeas, the bush must be thinned out every 3-4 years ... To do this, cut off old branches that have begun to bloom, flush with the soil surface.

Hydrangea paniculata medium pruning is required. Hydrangea paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata) significantly differs from other types of hydrangeas, cone-shaped inflorescences. Since her 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 one third, weaker by half. In an adult plant remove old branches growing in the middle of the bush, and also cut off annuals, with dried inflorescences , up to four buds. Young shoots with flower buds appear from them. Without pruning, the bush grows strongly, in this case it will need to be thinned out as quickly as possible. Exceptions for varieties Prosokh and Dharuma buds appear on last year's branches (growths), so they are not cut off. Only at the end of summer can the wilting of the inflorescence be removed.

Hydrangea characterized by frost resistance and abundant flowering... Thanks to the bright white, pompom-like inflorescences - balls, it will perfectly fit into both rustic and modern style garden. The most hardy variety hydrangea tree Annabelle , the flowers of which are painted at first in a pale green color, blooming, gradually turn white. This and lesser known 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 this radical pruning, more inflorescences will appear on the bush, while they will be larger. Young plants should be handled with caution and should be pruned more moderately. In May, after the leaves appear, the plant is usually no longer pruned ... Since these hydrangea very heavy and large inflorescences, they need support. Tip: re-shorten some of the stems in mid-June, then later the shrub will begin to bloom again and will last until autumn.

Distinguish by time autumn, spring and summer pruning , of which the spring is considered the main one. At the same time, for each group of roses, from small flower beds to tall climbing roses, there are rules for pruning.

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

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

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

If desired, you can shorten the shrub in height by one and two thirds of the length. Many old varieties are once flowering. They bloom profusely on last year's growths. In order for shoots with flower buds to form on the plants next year, such roses should be cut off immediately after flowering.

Floribunda, hybrid tea and miniature roses.

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

Climbing roses.

At the repairing climbing roses in the spring cut out all the old stems , leaving 5-6 strong annual growths, and if there are few of them, then several biennial ones, and the lateral branches are shortened to 3-5 buds. After pruning, the stems are carefully tied to a support, if possible, directing the stems in the upper part horizontally or at an angle, which stimulates flowering. In summer, wilted flowers are removed along with 2-3 leaves, after which the roses quickly bloom again.

Single flowering ramblers, such as varieties Veilchenblau do not cause a lot of hassle. They bloom 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 lateral shoots to 20-25 cm.

Standard roses.

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

If the crown standard rose present varietal miniature roses, then they are cut off just as much. The situation is different with roses with drooping stems, the so-called weeping or cascading standard roses. They serve as a graft climbing roses, including ramblers, as well as miniature roses with drooping stems. For cascading roses, only branches that are too long are shortened. Nevertheless, 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: sharpen the secateurs well before tackling the queen of flowers. Then the cut will turn out to be even, and besides, you will spend less time on a haircut.

Shrub care includes one of important elements- cropping. This is a rather difficult job that requires knowledge of agricultural technology of the corresponding species of tree or berry bush. Of course, when pruning, they give the shrub the desired shape, remove broken or diseased branches, but this is not its main goal. In shrubs, if they are not cut off in time, yield decreases over time, the quality of fruits deteriorates, the frequency of fruiting changes, and winter hardiness decreases.

When is the best time to prune shrubs

The period from late January to early April is considered traditional for pruning. The timing of its implementation depends on the type of vegetation and weather, which has a rather significant effect on the condition of the plants. Since weather conditions cannot be accurately predicted, it is also impossible to determine a specific date when spring pruning should begin. In different years, the time of this operation is shifted by one and a half, or even two weeks.

Shrub pruning tools

Pruning fruit bushes carried out with the help of such tools: garden saws (with a special sharpening for pruning trees), secateurs, loppers. The secret of a working tool is simple, you must always make sure that the nut is tightened, the spring is lubricated, and cutting edge sharpened (only on one side). After use, wipe the tool with a soft dry cloth. The saw or secateurs must be sharp. Only such a tool makes a smooth, even cut. How smoother cut, the faster the "wound" heals on the tree after "surgical intervention". Watch the location of the secateurs. The blade should be placed in the direction of the part of the branch that will remain on the bush. The wound is covered with garden varnish if its diameter is 2 or more centimeters. If you cut out a large shoot, divide it into parts, it will be easier for you to remove it from the bush, and you will not damage the small branches and buds.

Types of shrub pruning

When pruning, the grower can serve a variety of purposes. Accordingly, different types of trimming are distinguished.

Formative. Helps to create a crown of the required density and silhouette of the tree. Thanks to her, a properly formed skeletal part acquires resistance to stress. Forming pruning in February intensifies regrowth and slows down growth in March-April.
Regulatory. It is necessary to preserve the formed crown, helps to maintain good illumination of the branches, does not overload the skeletal part with young shoots. Such pruning is relevant in February-April and August-September.
Anti-aging. Allows the old tree to renew itself as it stimulates the growth of new branches. If the annual growth of shoots is 10-15 cm, you need to shorten the branches to awaken the adventitious and dormant buds. This should be done in early autumn, late winter and spring.
Recovery. This measure allows plants affected by various reasons to regain the possibility of development, flowering and fruiting.
Sanitary. If the plant contains dry, diseased, broken or affected branches, they must be removed. This can be done all year round, but not on frosty days. After cutting off diseased shoots, it is necessary to disinfect the instrument with alcohol. When doing sanitary pruning, consider the size and age of the tree. Very intensive work can lead to a thickening of the crown.

A simple scheme for pruning fruit bushes

There are a number of rules to help you prune shrubs harmlessly:

Give more light to the shrubbery. Shoots need enough sunlight, so you need to ensure that it gets inside the bushes. A shrub with an age of 4 years should not have more than six shoots. It is important to monitor this, not to allow overgrowth.
Work from the base of the bush. Shoots of five years of age must be cut, otherwise they will bear fruit poorly. Remove lateral growths of the shrub.
Removing such branches helps to brighten the bush. Very often, lateral growths become a hindrance to sunlight.
Don't leave weak branches. The ability to bear fruit is minimal, they will become an obstacle to sunlight.
It is undesirable to remove the tops of the shoots. The tops are left due to the fact that buds are formed on them, which will bring the harvest in the future.

The presence of thick buds is a sign of the appearance of a tick;
The presence of green tops - poor frost tolerance;
The presence of twisted leaves is a sign of anthracosis infection.

Beginners need to be careful when cleaning fertile shrubs and prune every year. This will prevent the plant from dying.

Features of pruning some berry bushes

Pruning of berry bushes in spring is carried out with the aim of thinning and renewing plants, maintaining their correct shape and enhancing fruiting. However, each crop should be trimmed differently.

Black currant. In black currant seedlings in the 1st year, all shoots are shortened by 2-4 buds. In the next 5 years, root shoots are cut out from them annually, leaving only 3-4 powerful branches until a bush of 15-20 shoots is formed. The tops of these shoots are removed to stimulate tillering. Then every year the shoots are thinned out, but at the same time depleted branches over 6 years old are also removed. The cuts are made flush with the soil so that there are no stumps. At the 10-12th year, it is recommended to plant the bush.
White and red currants. Cutting out the root shoots from the bushes of white and red currants, leave every year 2 of the most promising. Moreover, they are shortened by up to half, so that tillering is more active. From the 10th year (since the branches of white and red currants retain fertility up to 9 years), they begin to remove, in addition to the extra root growth, 10-year-old shoots that have borne fruit. A properly formed bush should have about 20 branches.
Gooseberry. In the 1st year, annual growths of 2-8 buds are cut off from the gooseberry. In the 2nd year, his one-year increments are shortened to half. In the 3rd and 4th years, all fresh root shoots are removed, with the exception of 3-5 powerful shoots, in which the tops are only trimmed. From the 5th year, begin to remove depleted 5-year-old branches along with excess root shoots. The formation of the bush ends when there are 15-20 branches in it.
Raspberries. After winter, the tops of the frozen raspberry shoots are removed to healthy wood. Formative pruning of adult branches is also carried out, shortening their lateral growths in order to enhance tillering and the number of ovaries. Late spring remove all shoots growing at the base of the bushes. And then, during the summer, they continue to remove the root shoots so that it does not weaken the fruiting branches, drawing on the nutritious juices.

Pruning ornamental shrubs

There is little information on the rules for pruning ornamental shrubs, in contrast to the fruit segment. To remove sick and dead shoots, to curb the excessive growth of the crown, to ensure lush and long flowering, painstaking and serious work on pruning is required. For each variety, they develop their own methods, taking into account the characteristics of the plant. Plants are conventionally divided into flowering shrubs and decorative deciduous bushes.

Ornamental shrub pruning 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 cortex from cracking and promotes rapid wound healing.
If the cut is large, it is covered with garden pitch. The layer should be at least 5 mm so that the wound does not dry out and an infection does not get there.
In adult, two-year-old shrubs, thick old branches are cut out, reducing the density of the central part. Thus, you will prolong the youth of the plant, as the branches are renewed.
To improve the intensity of growth and the number of flower buds, you should do periodic cutting of branches through one. It will also help form a beautiful, non-thickened shrub with high decorative qualities.
Ornamental hedges are thinned out twice a year: in the spring before sap flow and in the middle of summer, to remove rapidly growing branches and shape. This prevents the appearance of empty gaps and promotes uniform growth of the shoots. For all ornamental shrubs, the rule applies: the more you cut, the thicker it grows.

»Shrubs

Autumn pruning fruit trees and shrubs must be carried out annually. If this is not done, then this will lead to a thickening of the crown. In the thickened crown, pests and diseases accumulate, which causes a decrease or even loss of the entire crop.

If the tree has not been pruned for several years, a large number of branches may need to be removed. But it is not advisable to do this at a time. It is best to prune these trees over a period of several years.

When pruning fruit trees, it is very easy to damage the plant, especially when pruning young trees. That's why when starting pruning, you need to be clearly aware of which branch and why exactly it needs to be deleted.

The consequences of incorrect pruning of young trees are very difficult to correct, sometimes even impossible.

When pruning fruit trees, you must adhere to the basic rules:

For one cut you cannot remove a large number of large branches at once... This can significantly weaken the tree and even cause disease or death in the future.
Branches with signs of disease broken off or dry are always removed first.
After removing large branches tree wounds must be covered with garden varnish.
Is always try to use a sharp and quality tool , with a blunt instrument, you can inflict lacerations, which will heal for a long time in the future.
Try to use only clean tools, firstly, it is easier for them to work, and secondly, a dirty tool can harm the plant.
When pruning tall trees try to use ladders and stepladders... Or special tool, designed for pruning branches at a height. Climbing the branches of trees is not recommended, this action can cause serious harm to the tree.

Methods for pruning shrubs and trees

There are two main ways to prune shrubs and fruit trees:

Shortening;
Thinning.

Both the one and the other pruning method is performed for the purpose of redistribution nutrients along the branches of a tree.

There are two pruning methods - shortening and thinning.

Pruning stimulates and intensive growth of shoots, favorably affects the correct formation of the plant. Pruning leads to a reduction in the number of buds that consume food, the path from the root system to the leaves of the plant is shortened, which stimulates the growth of growth.

Shortening - this is a partial removal of the upper part of the shoot. Pruning stimulates the growth of young shoots and the development of buds located below the cut, as well as increases the thickness of the branches.

Thinning - this is a complete deletion of branches. This pruning prevents the crown from thickening, prevents the development of diseases and infestation by pests, and therefore increases the yield.

Pruning ornamental and berry bushes

The very first pruning of shrubs is carried out during planting. In young 2-3 year old seedlings, shoots are shortened to 10 - 15 cm, no more than 3-5 buds are left on one shoot.

At proper care, during the first year, young shoots will grow from these buds.

Pruning shrubs in the fall, all diseased, broken or dry, as well as shoots that are close to the ground must be removed. If in the first year of development the berry shrub developed poorly and gave a weak growth, then all shoots must be cut off almost to ground level, leaving only 3-5 cm above the surface.

In the second year of life, the shrub should form several more new powerful shoots.... In the second year of life, the shrub must grow several more young powerful branches. In the fall, the shrub is also sanitized with the removal of diseased, broken or dry branches.

When removing shoots, pruning is done as close to the base as possible.

In the spring, you need to once again pay attention to the condition of the bush and, if necessary, make another sanitary cut.

Please note that the spring cutting of the bush is done before the start of sap flow and swelling of the buds.

In the fall, sanitize the shrub again and cut off excess branches. On average, an adult and well-developed bush should have from 10 to 15 branches of different ages.

When pruning shrubs in the future, it must be remembered that the branches grow more intensively in the first year of life, and then the growth rate is greatly reduced. And by the age of five or six, the growth of branches practically stops.

In bushes with abundant branching shoots are cut off a little. In shrubs with medium branching branches are cut at 25% of the length, and with a weaker one, about half of the shoot is cut off.

The formation of the shrub must be completed 4 - 5 years after planting.

A healthy shrub should generally have the following shoot ratio:

4 - 5 annual branches
3 - 4 biennial branches
2 - 3 three-year branches
2 - 3 four- and five-year branches.

Shrub shoots are removed depending on their physiological state, direction and strength of growth. And this ratio can change.

Never forget about updating and rejuvenating the shrub - your future harvest will depend on this work.

How to trim your hedge yourself?

How it will look hedge further, depends on correct shaping in the first year, after her disembarkation. Therefore, the correct formation of the hedge must be started soon after disembarkation.

Many amateur gardeners do not cut young shrubs for the first few years, but this is wrong. To exclude a large upward growth of the plant, in the first year of life it is necessary to carry out correct pruning ... This will stimulate good formation of new root growth. If this is not done, the bottom of the hedge may be exposed, and the top will be thickened.

Many plants that are used for hedging, such as hawthorn, snowberry, privet, comb, and mirabelle, are erect. Therefore, they especially demand good pruning shortly after disembarkation.

Cut all plants shortly after planting. leaving shoots no more than 15 cm above the ground. This will stimulate the regrowth of powerful young basal layers.

The next year, another strong pruning of the plant must be done. This will ensure the correct formation of the dense crown. If the density of the shrubs seems to you insufficient, you can do a strong pruning again next year.

Third and further years when the formation of a strong root growth ends, only a cosmetic decorative trim plants. The interval between pruning depends on the type of plant and a little on the weather.

How to prune a fruit tree yourself?

Self-pruning of trees must begin with the removal of dry, diseased, as well as old branches. It is these branches that reduce the yield of garden trees.

In order not to accidentally inflict unnecessary injury on the fruit tree, it is necessary to immediately inspect the branches and determine the number of branches that need to be removed. It will be better to cut off one large branch than to cut off several small ones.... When pruning branches, it is not recommended to leave the stumps on the trunk, but to remove the entire branch to the base at the trunk itself.

If you are going to prune a fruit tree in the fall, you should, initially, prepare the tool. Take care of the sharpness of a hacksaw, secateurs or scissors. The level of injury to the plant depends on their severity. The better will be imprisoned garden tools, the less damage will be done to the tree trunk... A sharp tool, they will do their job much better.

Perhaps these publications will be of interest to you:

Even old trees, with proper care, are capable of producing tasty and high-quality fruits. For this it follows remove unnecessary branches and form the crown of the tree with a bush... In this case, it is necessary to leave only the strongest and youngest branches.

Correct pruning of fruit trees and shrubs is the key to a good harvest.... One has only to master all the intricacies of gardening once and then apply and improve your skills in practice.