How to properly prune viburnum in autumn (normal and decorative)
Several types of viburnum are grown in garden plots. Ordinary viburnum is planted for its beneficial berries, ornamental varieties for spectacular flowers and foliage. This is a fairly plastic plant - it is formed by a bush, a tree, hedges are made of it, and any shape is given with a haircut. There are important features in pruning viburnum that should be taken into account so that the tree will please with its appearance and harvest.
In the article, we will tell you how to properly carry out autumn pruning, what are the optimal timing for it, and give simple diagrams and instructions.
The content of the article
Why cut viburnum in the fall, what does it give
Pruning is an essential part of caring for fast-growing viburnum. Even if you allow the plants in your garden to grow as naturally as possible, you are unlikely to be pleased with its chaotic lush thickets. Viburnum gives an increase of up to 40 cm per season, so the question of its pruning and formation will sooner or later arise.
Is it necessary to trim
If you let the growth of this shrub take its course, the viburnum runs wild. Without pruning, uncontrolled shoots clog the bush, the side branches intertwine. As a result of insufficient lighting and ventilation in the middle of the bush, the branches dry, become ill, and are affected by pests.
Attention. Without pruning, the viburnum can turn into half-dried, untidy thickets that do not produce fruit or decor in a few years. If properly cared for, it will decorate the garden for over 20 years.
Optimal timing of the procedure
Cutting branches is an operation that injures the plant, therefore it is performed when the active movement of the juices stops, the leaves fall off and the viburnum is preparing for winter sleep. This phase lasts until the beginning of spring sap flow... Therefore, you can cut the viburnum from autumn to early spring.
For many reasons, gardeners consider autumn pruning to be preferable. But not for all varieties of viburnum and not every type of pruning can be done at this time of year.
When is the best time to prune - in spring or autumn
It is impossible to know in advance how winter will affect the health of the plant, whether some branches or buds will freeze, or will break under the weight of snow. If you got carried away and cut out a lot of old branches - after a harsh winter, you can find a completely frozen bush.
With this in mind, try not to carry out cardinal thinning pruning in the fall. For viburnum, it will be healthier to spend the winter with a thick bush, in which the branches will be their own protection from the cold wind.
In the fall, the main thing is to cut out the necessary minimum, which cannot be left in any case: diseased, dried out, broken branches. Be sure to cut out soft new shoots - aphids overwinter inside them, which in early summer are especially fierce on viburnum. If you cut them off in the fall and burn them, there will be no excessive pests.
Important! Another nuance of autumn pruning. If the usual viburnum is heavily cut off in the fall, it may not bloom and not bear fruit the next season, since flower buds are laid on old branches.
Decorative types tolerate autumn pruning better: they can be formed at any time.
Types of trimming
In the fall, inspect the bush and decide which of the three types of pruning it needs now: formative, thinning, or sanitary. Choose the required type of formation, depending on the variety of viburnum, its age and degree of neglect.
Formative
The top and some side branches are removed. Actively form the appearance of the plant during the first years after landing.
Viburnum can grow in the form of a bush or tree. The choice depends only on the personal preferences of the gardener and the availability of free space in the garden.
Anti-aging
After six years, the branches stop developing and bearing fruit. Such branches (not all at once, but several pieces per year) are cut down at the root to rejuvenate the bush.
Strong young growth from the undergrowth will replace old branches - leave the most suitable shoots. And in 2-3 years you will completely renew the bush. If you want to rejuvenate the viburnum completely, form a new tree from the growth, and cut the old one.
Sanitary
It is made after harvest by removing:
- broken branches or broken off sections;
- sick and dry;
- not removed bunches.
Autumn pruning should be gentle and try to cut a reasonable amount of branches. Do not overdo it.
How to properly cut viburnum
When you have decided on the type of trimming, prepare the necessary tool and read the instructions.
Required materials and tools
Disinfect all cutting tools with disinfectant: pruning shears or pruning shears, garden knife, and small garden saw.
Important! Choose a high quality tool. For example, the blade of a garden knife should be of the best steel. Sharpen tools thoroughly before use.
You will also need a garden varnish or a special putty for cutting the cut.
Pruning schemes
When forming a bush, adhere to the following scheme:
- When planting a new plant in the fall, shorten its shoots, leaving a couple of buds above the ground. Young shoots will grow from them next year, which need to pinch the tops at a height of 30 cm.
- Every year, choose the strongest shoots from the root suckers, shorten them by a third, transferring them to lateral branching. Cut out the rest of the growth. Repeat the process every year until you have formed a bush.
- Cut out the shoots from the formed bush, and limit the height of the main shoots as soon as they reach the desired height.
Kalina bears fruit only on annual growths - take this into account when pruning.
Step-by-step instructions for pruning
The gardener's task in the fall is to cut the viburnum so that there are enough branches for its safe wintering, and at the same time there were not too many of them. Remove weak shoots that cannot withstand the weight of the snow.
- Shorten each dry branch to a healthy part.
- Cut over the bud facing the outside of the bush.
- If you are removing a broken side branch, cut under the stump.
- Make a cut parallel to the trunk, 0.5 cm away from it.
- Cover all slices with a diameter of 1 cm or more.
Reference. How to distinguish between dried and diseased branches after falling leaves and picking berries? The bark on them is dull, wrinkled, sometimes covered with black convex dots. If you scrape it off, brown dry wood or dust is exposed, on healthy branches under the bark there is green living wood.
Tree and bush formation
Viburnum produces a lot of root growth, which is removed to form it into a tree. Only the central trunk is left, and the crown is given the desired shape. The main advantage of this method is decorativeness and economy of space in the garden.
It is believed that the viburnum in the form of a tree often breaks, the trunk does not support the weight of the crown, moreover, it often grows curved. The use of props is recommended for support.
The yield of viburnum in the form of a tree is much lower than in the form of a bush. Therefore, decorative species are more often formed with a tree.
Important! Choose special varieties that do not give growth for growing a viburnum in the form of a tree.They naturally grow into one trunk, so the only option for formation is a tree.
The process of forming a bush is to regulate the amount of root growth. Ideally, about seven strong shoots are left, which are subsequently pruned to the desired height and guide the growth of their side branches. This crown shape is optimal for fruit viburnum, since in its natural environment it is a tall, dense bush.
How to cut decorative viburnum
Decorative viburnum of the Buldenezh variety does not bear fruit, and you will not wait for berries... It needs pruning after finishing its luxurious bloom. Processing at a different time may interfere with the establishment of flower buds that form on the shoots of the previous year. In order for this decorative viburnum to have time to prepare for winter and lay new buds for flowering, cut it off in summer or early fall.
How to form a bush
The shrub lends itself well to formation, the pruner easily cuts the wood of the viburnum.
The goal is for the bush to be multi-stemmed and lush.
- Remove the lower branches, cut off wilted inflorescences.
- Cut thin shoots and branches growing inward completely.
- Try to make slices over the knot - flowers will appear from it next year.
If, when pruning, a hole forms in the bush, then take a closer look and find a branch on which one of the buds will be directed towards this hole. Cut over this bud. Next year, a new branch will grow from it, which will close the unsightly place.
Pruning features
Depending on the age, variety and desired shape of the plant, the types of pruning carried out in the fall differ.
Young viburnum
A young seedling needs to take root well. After planting, pruning and pinching young shoots for two years, you can allow it to grow without formative pruning. Start basic procedures in the third year.
Old
An adult bush or tree needs rejuvenating and thinning pruning. Cut off second-order shoots that grow vertically upward. Branches growing down and into the bush are subject to mandatory removal. And also the criss-crossing, tangled branches.
Shtambova
Trim the side shoots by shortening them one length so that none of them knock out of the resulting shape. Give your crown a regular modeling haircut. Remove all appearing below and root growth.
Slicing processing and further care
After the pruning procedure, almost all care for the viburnum is the processing of the sections. Before covering the sections, spray with a solution of copper sulfate and let them dry. If pruning was done in early autumn in dry weather, water the plant.
It is interesting:
How to properly prune a peach in the fall and what it is for.
Simple and clear instructions for pruning remontant raspberries in the fall for beginners.
Conclusion
Pruning garden viburnum is a specific procedure that requires certain skills, knowledge and skills from the gardener. Carry out all the necessary types of pruning regularly and in due time, and then the viburnum in your garden will look attractive all year round. She will delight you with luxurious flowering and an excellent harvest of bright scarlet healthy berries.