Do you also grab your pruning shears, garden shears or saw and remove any branches that seem out of place?
Stop - Right angle cuts take years to heal, becoming a gateway for infection.
How to do it right
Cut at a 45 degree angle to allow water to drain away rather than pool.
But the main mistake is pruning during sap flow. If drops appear on the cut, cover the wound with garden pitch with wood ash added.
And never leave stumps! They rot, attracting bark beetles.
How can you tell a living branch from a dead one?
Carefully scrape off the bark with a knife: the green layer is a sign of life. If the branch is dry, cut without regret.
For apple and pear trees, the rule is simple: remove all shoots growing inside the crown, and prune peaches “to the ring”, leaving 3-4 buds.
And don't forget to disinfect your tools! Wipe the blades with alcohol or treat the tool over an open flame to avoid introducing viruses.
But even correct pruning can kill a tree if done at the wrong time.
Prune stone fruits (cherries, plums) only in the summer after harvesting, and pome fruits (apples, pears) - at the end of winter.
Never touch trees during flowering - this is stress, which weakens the immune system.
And if the tree is old and neglected
Do not remove more than 30% of branches in one year. Spread rejuvenation over 2-3 seasons.
Treat cuts with a diameter greater than 3 cm with oil paint - it will protect against fungus better than pitch.
And feed the tree after pruning: 1 glass of ash and 2 buckets of compost under the root will restore strength.
For grapes, the secret is double pruning
Leave the vines long in the fall and shorten them to 2-3 buds in the spring. This will increase the number of bunches.
And for roses there is one rule: cut above the bud facing outward so that the bush does not become thick.
And don’t spare the “water sprouts” (vertical shoots) – they are sterile and take away nutrition.
Author: Igor Zur