How to rejuvenate an old apple tree by pruning in the fall?

Today, the owners of a suburban area, as a rule, have a garden in which fruit trees grow, namely: apple trees, pears, plums, peaches and much more. So that they give a good harvest, they need proper care. As the apple grows, its yield gradually decreases. Therefore, if you want to bring the tree back to normal, you must periodically rejuvenate it. It means significant pruning of the crown in order to unload the apple tree. Rejuvenation has a positive effect on the growth of new shoots and an increase in yield. But in order to get the maximum result, you need to know how to properly rejuvenate an old apple tree.

How does a tree age and what can it lead to

So, is it possible to rejuvenate an old apple tree? The answer is unequivocal: not just possible, but necessary. But before we talk about how to properly perform this procedure, let's first look at how the aging of a tree occurs. The reason for the aging of trees is a violation of metabolic processes between the root system and the trunk, as a result of which, first, the upper part of the crown, and then the remaining branches begin to age.

The aging process occurs in the following sequence:

1. The apple tree begins to grow and develop more slowly, its fruiting worsens, and the growing branches begin to die.
2. The apple tree completely stops its growth and development, as a result of which the quality of the crop is significantly reduced. In addition, the tree does not start to harvest every year.
3. The death of a significant part of the skeletal and fouling branches with the loss of taste of fruits.
4. The complete death of the tree, including the root system. In this case, it is already impossible to save the apple tree.

Thus, in order to prevent the death of a tree, every gardener must know how to rejuvenate an old apple tree.

What gives rejuvenation?

Every experienced gardener knows that pruning apple trees is a very important procedure, which in its value is not inferior to top dressing, as well as protecting trees from diseases and pests. The rejuvenating pruning of old apple trees in the fall allows you to maintain the fruitfulness of apple trees at a high level while maintaining the taste of the fruit. During pruning, it is first necessary to remove the branches that have died and are affected by fungal or viral diseases. In addition, during the pruning process, you can give the crown a regular and aesthetic shape and make the tree lower, making it much easier to harvest.

The optimal time for rejuvenation

Before we talk about how to rejuvenate an old apple tree, let's first figure out when to do it better. Today, among many experienced gardeners, fierce debate about when it is still better to perform pruning in the fall or spring does not subside.

Professionals, in turn, advise:

• in the spring, before the onset of the growing season, perform rejuvenation of seedlings. Thanks to this, young trees will be able to grow stronger and normally winter;
• Autumn is the best time to rejuvenate perennial fruit trees. This is due to the fact that with the onset of cold weather the apple trees fall into a peculiar dream, so pruning does them the least harm. In this case, the apple trees can normally overwinter, and until the spring all the wounds will completely heal. How to rejuvenate the apple tree in the fall will be described later;
• in summer, only superficial rejuvenation with a slight thinning of the crown should be performed;
• in regions with a mild climate and warm winters, young trees can be pruned in the winter, but you should be very careful not to damage the tree bark.

Given all the above, we can conclude that the most suitable time of the year for pruning trees in your garden is autumn. Only at this time can apple trees be pruned with minimal harm to them.

What tools will be required?

There is nothing complicated in rejuvenation of fruit trees, and for its implementation you will need only a garden pruner, two saws - one with small, and the other with large teeth, as well as a ladder. You will also need a garden var, which will need to process the places of cuts in order to accelerate the healing process of wounds and prevent the development of various diseases. It is worth noting that the entire tool should be sharpened well to speed up the process of doing work and cause the tree as little damage as possible.

Ways to rejuvenate fruit trees

Before proceeding to rejuvenate a tree, you must first carefully examine it. This is necessary in order to identify unnecessary shoots, which on old trees are always quite a lot. In the lower part of the trunk there may be basal shoots, which also must be removed.

So how to rejuvenate an old apple tree by pruning?

The following tree pruning technologies are available:

1. Decrease in crown.
2. Anti-aging pruning.
3. Maximum cropping.

It is worth noting that the choice of rejuvenation method is very important, and it depends on the state of the tree, so let's dwell on each of them in more detail.

Tree crown thinning

So how to rejuvenate old apple trees? How to prune a tree if it does not have time to grow very old? In this case, crown reduction technology is used. It is based on sawing off the top of the trunk and several thick branches that grow vertically. This method of rejuvenation allows you to lighten the crown and provide the tree with plenty of sunlight. If the tree is too tall, then cut about two meters of the upper part of the trunk.

In order for the inside of the crown to receive more sunlight, it should be thinned out. This will allow you to collect large crops, and apples will have a better taste. Hanging and damaged branches are subject to pruning, as well as those that grow too slowly and develop poorly. You can also remove branches that do not grow correctly. If the crown is too thick, then healthy branches that are redundant are subject to pruning.

Apple tree rejuvenation technique

Anti-aging pruning of apple trees in autumn is used to rejuvenate perennial trees. It is based on shortening the old branches so that the diameter of the crown becomes less than about one and a half meters. Weak and poorly growing branches located in the lower part of the trunk are completely cut off. In this case, it is important to observe the rule of subordination: the length of the main branch should be greater than that of the branches. Thick branches located in the lower part of the trunk do not need to be touched, because otherwise there will be a lot of wounds on the tree that can lead to the death of the apple tree.

Maximum cropping

This method of rejuvenation is used in early spring, so that the tree has time to grow stronger and gain strength before the onset of winter. Cutting is recommended on dry and warm days. Rejuvenation should begin with branches located on the most voluminous branches of branches. Thick and long branches that are very thickened are cut off next. It should be cut to the root so that no stumps remain, since they can cause the onset of rotting processes or the development of various diseases. To accelerate the healing of wounds, the places of cuts should be treated with garden var.

It is worth noting that, using the technique of maximum pruning, it is very important to adhere to the principle of tri-stanness of trees, which is based on the fact that the lower branches are the longest. Young apple trees must be rejuvenated immediately by trimming the upper part of the trunk and giving the crown a running shape.

The modern way to rejuvenate

If you do not know how to rejuvenate the apple tree most effectively, then you can use the modern rejuvenation technique that professionals use.

This method is implemented in two stages:

1. In autumn, a deep pruning of the apple tree is performed, in which most of the branches are removed from the south side. Saw cuts are processed by garden var.
2. After the cropped side gives the first crop, you can begin to rejuvenate the northern part of the tree.

This method works great and time-tested, so you can safely use it in your garden.

Features of caring for garden trees after rejuvenation

We figured out how to rejuvenate an old apple tree, so now you need to understand the features of caring for a tree after pruning. This is very important, since only in this way can the tree get stronger and gain strength as soon as possible. After rejuvenation, fruit trees need to be fed with trunks. Organic fertilizers are best suited for this, based on the calculation of 8 kg per square meter of soil. A nitrogen mixture will be very effective, for the preparation of which 20 grams of urea, 10 grams of concentrated nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer and 20 grams of potassium salt or wood ash will be required. The latter is rich in trace elements that help reduce soil acidity.

If you do not know how to rejuvenate an old apple tree in the fall, then everything is pretty simple. After rejuvenation, according to any of the previously discussed techniques, you should perform top-dressing of the tree with organic fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium. And in the spring, when the snow melts, the soil around the trunk is dug up, which will ensure the flow of fresh air to the root system. To improve the quality of the crop in summer, it is recommended to use a solution of urea, as well as zinc or boron.

In the spring, at the stage of kidney formation, it is recommended to feed the apple tree with nitrogen fertilizers. They will significantly increase the yield of fruit trees.

A few tips for rejuvenation from professionals

Many beginner gardeners are wondering how to rejuvenate the apple tree to achieve maximum results. The basic rule of correct pruning of fruit trees is that pruning must begin immediately after planting a seedling in the garden. But here it is important to take into account the fact that there are certain rules for performing rejuvenation, which depend on the age of the apple tree. During the first five years, the main efforts should be made in order to give the crown of the apple tree the right shape, as well as pruning branches that have been damaged or grow incorrectly. Trees that have reached the age of 20 are already considered old, so they need rejuvenation.

It is recommended to adhere to the following tips:

• Only healthy trees can be rejuvenated, which will be able to recover and give a full crop. If there are a lot of old or diseased branches on the apple tree, then rejuvenation will not bring any result;
• in order to minimize damage to the apple tree during pruning, it is best to perform rejuvenation when the plant hibernates;
• in the process of trimming, much attention should be paid to the illumination of the crown;
• large branches should be cut as close to the trunk as possible so that no stumps remain;
• without fail, branches that are incorrectly grown or have been broken should be cut.

It’s worth noting right away that even if you know how to rejuvenate an old apple tree, you still won’t be able to quickly cope with this task. So sharpen the tool and be patient.

Conclusion

Actually caring for fruit trees is easy. The most important thing is to adhere to certain recommendations. Rejuvenation of fruit trees is a mandatory procedure, without which it will be impossible to collect a high-quality and rich harvest. Therefore, it should be performed at all stages of tree growth, starting from the moment of its planting. Do not neglect this procedure, because without it, not only will the yield of apple trees decrease significantly, but the tree may die at all over time.