Instructions for pruning chokeberry in the fall for novice gardeners
Chokeberry or chokeberry needs regular crown pruning. If you follow the simple rules of molding, the bush will look especially attractive and will give tasty, juicy fruits in large quantities. The pruning of chokeberry in the fall will be discussed in detail in our article.
The content of the article
Why prune chokeberry in the fall at all
Chokeberry is a densely growing shrub. Growing up, he annually gives lush young growth. After 2-3 years, in the absence of external interference, the diameter of the base of the bush reaches 2-3 m.
On a note! The branches of 5-7 years of life are considered the most fruitful in the chokeberry.
Is pruning required?
If you do not carry out timely thinning of the bush, for 4-5 years, the crown thickens strongly, the access of light to the inner branches stops... The plant consumes most of the nutrients for the growth and "maintenance" of the vegetative part, and not for setting and ripening the crop.
At best, only the outer branches begin to bloom and bear fruit. The berries in the wild bushes are small, sour, devoid of valuable nutrients.
Optimal timing of the procedure
It is important to observe the timing of chokeberry pruning in the autumn. The optimal time for the procedure is before the onset of the first stable frosts.
On the territory of the Russian Federation, this is September-October. More exact dates depend on the region of growth.
Types and pruning schemes
When pruning black chokeberry, it is important to take into account the age and condition of the plant, the total number of fruiting branches.
Formative
In the first year of growth, a young chokeberry seedling does not need to be cleaned and molded. During this period, the plant is actively growing the root system, pruning injures it.
In subsequent years, the shrub is molded according to the following scheme:
- 2 years - choose 3-5 promising branches and cut them off at the same level at a height of 40-50 cm;
- 3-4 years - choose 3-5 strong branches from a new root shoot and cut them off at the same level;
- 5-6 years - 3-5 branches are added from the new growth and equalized with the rest, forming a crown of 10-15 strong fruit-bearing branches.
In subsequent years, the mountain ash is regularly cut so as to leave 10-15 fruit-bearing branches of different ages. To do this, remove all sprouts from 6-7 years old and replace them with young, nearby branches.
When shaping the crown, it is extremely important to create such a shape so that the crown receives the same amount of sunlight and heat from the base to the top, and the root zone is well ventilated. This will create optimal conditions for laying a large number of fruiting buds, prevent infection with fungal diseases, and facilitate plant care.
Anti-aging
Rejuvenating pruning is carried out in very old plants 10-15 years old. To do this, all branches are cut right under the root in the fall. The next year in spring, the plant will give many new young shoots, which will begin to bear fruit at the age of 2-3 years.
From the next year after radical pruning, they begin to form the bush in the traditional way.
Sanitary
Sanitary pruning of black chokeberry is carried out exclusively in the fall.The bush is examined and weak, diseased, deformed, broken branches are cut out. Side shoots from skeletal branches are also removed during sanitary cleaning of the bush.
Important! After pruning the chokeberry, hemp is not left on the bush in order to avoid damage to the cuts by bacteria and pests.
How to properly prune chokeberry
Inexperienced gardeners often injure berry bushes with illiterate pruning.
When forming a chokeberry, it is important to observe three principles:
- Remove old, obsolete branches. Their main features are a patchy bark and short knotty growths.
- The diseased branches are removed to the base, leaving no stumps.
- Pruning should be carried out in good faith, since the shrubs, after light "pinching" along the edge of the crown, intensively build up the vegetative mass, and do not lay fruit buds.
Read also:
Step-by-step guide to pruning sea buckthorn in the fall.
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Required materials and tools
It's easy to assemble a set of the right tools for your annual berry bush care. It includes:
- garden pruner with curved blades for branches up to 2.5-3 cm in diameter;
- garden or carpentry saw - for old and thick branches;
- freshly prepared garden pitch or crushed coal.
The saw blade and secateurs are carefully sharpened before use. Otherwise, the cut will soak the branch and the plant will ache.
Pruning schemes
The general appearance of the chokeberry bush is a set of equivalent shoots from the root system... If desired, the bush is given a tree-like shape. Such a plant has an attractive appearance and has a decorative function on the site.
For the formation of chokeberry "in the trunk" in the first year of life, remove all basal shoots, leaving the strongest. Every year, 5-6 buds are left at the top of the leading shoot when the stem reaches the desired height. After that, the growth point at the top of the shoot is removed, which stimulates the growth of lateral branches. In subsequent years, the crown of the desired shape is formed.
On a note! Experienced gardeners do not welcome the formation of chokeberry "in the trunk", as this reduces the overall yield of the plant.
Step-by-step instructions for pruning
An illiterate and careless pruning of the crown in a hurry will only harm the berry bush.
The crown is cleaned as follows:
- Examine the bush for sick and damaged branches. They are removed first.
- The bush is revised and young root shoots and branches growing inside the crown are removed.
- Young, flexible branches are cut with pruning shears at the base. Old shoots with a thickness of 3 cm or more are cut off.
- Wounds are treated with garden pitch or rubbed with crushed coal.
At the end of the measures, growths and lichens are cleaned from the bark, and the carrion is removed in the near-stem circle.
How to form a bush
When forming a chokeberry bush, it is important to monitor the shape of the future crown. Excessive branching will lead to thickening of the bush. The inner shoots will not have enough light and warmth. An unnecessarily bulky crown will take up a large area and drown out neighboring plants.
Most varieties of black chokeberry form berries on the growths of the previous year, therefore it is recommended to stimulate the growth of the shoots of the current year.
A properly formed chokeberry bush consists of 10-15 full-fledged branches of different ages. The optimal height of the chokeberry bush is 1.5-2 m, the diameter is 1.5-2 m.
Pruning features
Branches at the age of 8-10 years are considered old in black chokeberry, which have lost the ability to lay flower buds and bear fruit. Bushes up to seven years old are classified as young.
Young rowan
Young shrubs of the first year of life do not need pruning. Experienced gardeners begin to form the crown of black-fruited rubber in the second year of plant life in the fall.All young frail shoots that grow at a great distance from the planting site of the bush are removed by a sector during the summer. This does not do any harm to the chokeberry.
Old
With age, chokeberry degenerates, and it requires mandatory radical molding at 10-15 years of age, that is, "planting on a stump." After the complete removal of the entire ground part of the young growth, a new crown is formed. In subsequent years, the procedure for replacing old branches is repeated regularly.
Old branches must be cut at the root to avoid infection of the root system from the outside through open wounds.
Slicing processing and further care
Damaged, weak and diseased shoots are burned immediately after sanitization to prevent the spread of the disease over the site. All slices with a diameter of 1.5 cm or more are abundantly lubricated with garden var.
The near-trunk circle is dug to a depth of 20-30 cm, weeds are removed.
Aronia is considered an unpretentious plant that is resistant to diseases. As a preventive measure, in the fall, the bush is sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid and 7% urea solution.
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Conclusion
Regular pruning of chokeberry is a mandatory procedure for plant care. It makes it more compact, increases the immunity of the plant in a natural way, greatly facilitates the care of the shrub. A properly formed bush will become a source of not only delicious berries, but will decorate any garden area.