Instructions for pruning chokeberry in the fall for beginner gardeners

Why prune chokeberry in the fall?

Chokeberry is a densely growing shrub. As it grows, it produces lush young growth every year. After 2-3 years, in the absence of external intervention, the diameter of the base of the bush reaches 2-3 m.

On a note! The most fruitful branches of chokeberry are considered to be those that are 5-7 years old.

Is pruning necessary?

If the bush is not thinned out in a timely manner, by the 4th-5th year the crown becomes very thick and the access of light to the internal branches is stopped . The plant spends most of its nutrients on growth and “maintenance” of the vegetative part, and not on planting and ripening the crop.

At best, only the outer branches begin to bloom and bear fruit. The berries in wild bushes are small, sour, and lack valuable nutrients.

All about growing healthy Chokeberry

This plant is better known as chokeberry. It is a fruit and ornamental shrub from 1 to 4 meters tall. The crown diameter can reach 2 meters. The homeland of chokeberry is actually North America, but the plant has taken root here due to its unpretentiousness and frost resistance, and as if there is no doubt that rowan is “our” local plant.

This shrub deserves special attention, since its berries are a storehouse of vitamins and various microelements. Chokeberry is early-fruiting and bears fruit within 1-2 years after planting. It is very productive - several kg of berries can be harvested from one bush. And the plant itself is very decorative, especially in autumn. By autumn it will replace its white spring (late May-early June) and beautiful blooms with clusters of no less decorative fruits with a waxy coating, and will dress itself in a colorful autumn outfit. With this plant you can easily kill many birds with one stone - increase immunity, normalize blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol levels, improve the functioning of the endocrine system, improve the strength of blood vessels and simply enjoy its beautiful appearance.

Chokeberry bushes grow very quickly and tolerate pruning well. This plant is great for creating both a shaped and a free-form hedge.

Chokeberry should be planted in open and sunny places. For areas with close groundwater, this plant is ideally suited, and where apple and pear trees will not grow, you can safely plant chokeberry. If you are planting several bushes, keep a distance of 2 to 2.5 meters between them. The best time for planting will be autumn (September-October). Rowan seedlings are placed in holes about 40 cm deep, filled with a mixture of the top layer of soil and compost. From fertilizers, 150 g of superphosphate and 50-70 g of potassium sulfate are added to the planting pit. After planting, chokeberry bushes must be pruned, leaving 4-5 buds on each shoot.

Caring for a chokeberry bush consists of maintaining soil moisture, sanitary pruning of weak and old branches, periodic thinning of thickening branches, loosening and weeding of the tree trunk area, and fertilizing. The plant needs to be fed twice during the growing season. During the season, one bucket of humus and compost is added under adult bushes, and in the fall, up to 70 g of superphosphate and up to 30 g of potassium sulfate.

Pruning chokeberry. It is imperative to carry out sanitary pruning and promptly remove dry, broken, thin and weak branches. You should not let the growth of such a powerful and fast-growing plant take its course and limit yourself only to sanitary pruning. So that over time, due to the intensity of growth of powerful chokeberry shoots, the crown does not thicken, the lighting of the interior does not decrease, and fruiting does not shift to the periphery of the bush, as is usually the case with powerful shrubs, it is necessary to begin formative pruning of the bush in the second year after planting. Your task will be to form a bush with 20-25 strong main branches. To do this, every spring, starting from the year following planting, you should remove all root shoots, leaving 5 of the strongest and most conveniently growing branches. Remove all others at ground level. By doing this for several years in a row, you will form a well-ventilated and illuminated bush with harmoniously arranged branches. All poorly located branches in the center of the crown and not receiving enough light should be removed. After 8-10 years of the bush’s life, it is necessary to begin anti-aging pruning, gradually cutting out all the old, fruit-bearing and unpromising branches from the crown. Try to remove all branches as low as possible, without leaving stumps.

Fruit harvesting occurs, depending on climatic conditions, from August to October. The berries ripen all at once, so you can harvest the entire crop at once. It is convenient to collect chokeberry berries by cutting entire clusters from the branches using scissors or pruners. If you are undecided among the many recipes for using chokeberry, it will easily last for quite a long time in a cool place.

The chokeberry fruit itself is of little taste, and is used mainly to add to other fruits in jams, juices or tinctures, and gives them a very beautiful color. The most common chokeberry variety among gardeners is “Black Eyes”. It is distinguished by the large size of the berries, several times larger than their usual size (about 1 cm), and the excellent taste of the fruit.

Types and patterns of pruning

When pruning chokeberry, it is important to take into account the age and condition of the plant, and the total number of fruiting branches.

Formative

In the first year of growth, a young chokeberry seedling does not need cleaning or shaping. During this period, the plant actively grows its root system; pruning traumatizes it.

In subsequent years, bush shaping is carried out according to the following scheme:

• 2nd year - select 3-5 promising branches and cut them at the same level at a height of 40-50 cm;
• 3-4 years - select 3-5 strong branches from the new root growth and cut them at the same level;
• 5-6 years - 3-5 branches are added from the new shoots and aligned with the rest, forming a crown of 10-15 strong fruit-bearing branches.

In subsequent years, rowan trees are regularly pruned so as to leave 10-15 fruit-bearing branches of different ages. To do this, remove all shoots over 6-7 years old and replace them with young, nearby branches.

When shaping the crown, it is extremely important to create a shape so that the crown from base to top receives the same amount of sunlight and heat, and the root zone is well ventilated. This will create optimal conditions for the establishment of a large number of fruit-bearing buds, prevent infection with fungal diseases, and make caring for the plant easier.

Rejuvenating

Anti-aging pruning is carried out on very old plants 10-15 years old. To do this, all branches are cut off right at the root in the fall. Next year in the spring the plant will produce many new young shoots, which will begin to bear fruit at the age of 2-3 years.

From the year following radical pruning, they begin to form the bush in the traditional way.

Sanitary

Sanitary pruning of chokeberry is carried out exclusively in the fall. The bush is inspected 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 chokeberry, no stumps are left on the bush to avoid damage to the cuts by bacteria and pests.

Choosing the optimal timing for pruning

All work should be completed before the cold weather. However, early frosts, after which the air temperature rises above zero again, will not hurt.

On the contrary, they will help the plant prepare for winter. The sap flow will stop, and the cut areas will no longer rot. But still, they should be thoroughly treated with garden varnish or putty made from a mixture of rotted manure, clay and chopped straw.

Attention!

This mixture additionally protects the bark from cracking in cold weather.

Trimming by region

In the southern regions, it is worthwhile to start forming the crown no earlier than the beginning of November. However, if early frosts are predicted, you need to visit the site at the end of October. It is better to complete the work while the average daily temperature is above 0 °C, otherwise the cuts will not last.

In central Russia, the Volga region and the Moscow region, pruning is carried out at the end of September and is completed by mid-October. But in the Urals, Siberia, and the Leningrad region, the latest time to prepare for the next season is the first week of October.

Pruning dates according to the lunar calendar

On a waning moon, energy declines and sap flow slows down. Even if the chokeberry has not prepared for winter, but has only shed its leaves, after excision of the shoots it will not hurt.

When to plan pruning, you can see in the table:

All other days are neutral. However, it is important not only when to prune chokeberry in the fall, but also how to do it correctly. On the Internet you can find a cutting diagram in pictures step by step or a video for beginners.

How to prune chokeberry correctly

Inexperienced gardeners often injure berry bushes with improper pruning.

When forming chokeberry, it is important to follow three principles:

1. Remove old, outdated branches. Their main features are ragged bark and short, nodular growths.
2. Diseased branches will be removed to the base, leaving no stumps.
3. Carry out pruning in good faith, since the shrubs, after lightly “pinching off” along the edge of the crown, intensively increase the vegetative mass and do not lay fruit buds.

Mistakes made during pruning.

Among the most common mistakes made when pruning rowan trees, first of all, one should mention not removing branches that grow at an acute angle.
Leaving such shoots is fraught with serious injuries to the tree. Also, quite often, in addition to the central conductor, several large branches growing in parallel are left. Competing with the main trunk, such branches take a significant amount of nutrition, which negatively affects the growth and development of the tree as a whole. The optimal number of main vertical shoots on a bush should be no more than 3 or 5.

The cut is not always made correctly and processed. Thus, a correct cut requires a smooth surface. In this case, it heals much faster, and thereby reduces the likelihood of pathogenic microorganisms entering the wound. Therefore, to carry out pruning, you need to stock up on various well-sharpened tools. Small branches can be removed using pruning shears; larger branches need to be cut down with a garden saw or hacksaw. For very thick and large branches, it is correct to first saw down from below, and then finish from above. This method will prevent the formation of bark chips and lifting of branches.

In addition, it is important that the cut relative to the roots of the tree is made at an angle of 45 degrees. Also, immediately after trimming the branch, it is necessary to treat the cut area

In addition to garden varnish and paint, you can also use special ointments, for example, Funaben 03 PA. This drug already contains a systemic fungicide and significantly accelerates the healing of cuts.

Also, immediately after cutting the branch, it is necessary to treat the cut area. In addition to garden varnish and paint, you can also use special ointments, for example, Funaben 03 PA. This drug already contains a systemic fungicide and significantly accelerates the healing of cuts.

Trimming Features

In chokeberry, branches that are 8-10 years old are considered old, having lost the ability to lay flower buds and bear fruit. Bushes up to seven years old are classified as young.

Young rowan

Young shrubs in the first year of life do not need pruning. Experienced gardeners begin to form the crown of chokeberry in the second year of the plant’s life in the fall. All young, frail growth, which grows at a great distance from the planting site of the bush, is removed in a sector during the summer. This does not cause any harm to the chokeberry.

Old

With age, chokeberry degenerates, and it requires mandatory radical shaping at 10-15 years of age, that is, “planting on a stump.” After complete removal of the entire above-ground part, a new crown is formed from the young shoots. In subsequent years, the procedure for replacing old branches is repeated regularly.

Old branches must be cut off at the root to avoid infection of the root system from the outside through open wounds.

Tips and tricks from experienced gardeners

Experienced gardeners, who have been growing chokeberries on their plots for many years, give beginners the following advice and recommendations:

1. In order not to damage the chokeberry branches, pruning is done carefully, following the rules. In this case, be sure to remove the shoots that are located on short knotty growths in the area of ​​​​the deformed bark.
2. For pruning, you need to prepare a pruning shear with curved blades - they use it to remove shoots up to 3 cm thick, and a garden saw - for thick branches.
3. The tool used for pruning must be sharp. Blunt equipment will wear out the bark and cause severe damage to the chokeberry, after which it will be difficult for it to recover.
4. Blades must be disinfected. Also, equipment is treated with antiseptic agents when moving from one plant to another.
5. If the chokeberry was not fed last year, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used immediately after pruning is completed. They are applied strictly after watering to prevent burns to the root system of the bush.
6. In order for the chokeberry bush to be lush, you need to regularly shorten the middle of the crown of an adult plant a little.
7. For the first time, during formative pruning, it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the chokeberry may lose its yield, and the crown will grow sloppy.

Attention!

After fertilizing, it is advisable to mulch the tree trunk circle of chokeberry. This will retain moisture in the soil and preserve nutritional components, as a result the plant will receive them in the fullest possible volume.

Chokeberry is a crop that is not able to develop properly without regular spring pruning. However, the procedure required by this shrub has its own characteristics. If you neglect them, then you can not only not wait for the harvest, but also lead to the death of the fruit plant. That is why it is so important to familiarize yourself in detail with the rules, chokeberry pruning patterns in pictures and follow them exactly.

Processing of sections and further care

Damaged, weak and diseased shoots are burned immediately after sanitary cleaning to prevent the spread of the disease throughout the area. All sections with a diameter of 1.5 cm or more are generously lubricated with garden varnish.

The tree trunk circle is dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm, and the weeds are removed.

Chokeberry is considered an unpretentious plant, resistant to diseases. As a preventative measure in the fall, the bush is sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture and a 7% urea solution.

This is interesting:

When and how to plant honeysuckle in the fall and what mistakes to avoid during the planting process.

Instructions on how to properly salt cabbage for the winter in a saucepan.

A guide on how to plant cherries correctly in the fall and avoid mistakes.

Chokeberry care

Gardeners carefully prepare rowan trees for winter, trying to do the pruning before the onset of cold weather. In addition to pruning, the shrub needs feeding, mulching and watering if the autumn is dry. The branches need to be pruned to increase the fertility of the rowan and maintain the compactness of the bush.

Pruning rowan is necessary not only to increase fertility, but also to prevent the growth of bushes in the area. If you do not take care of the crop in time, it will quickly fill useful square meters of fertile land and stretch up to three meters in height.

Note! Some gardeners prune twice a year. Watering the bush in the fall is necessary to saturate the roots with moisture.

In chokeberry, the root system is located at the very surface of the earth, so the plant may suffer from a lack of moisture. For watering, make a furrow around the bush and fill it with water (2-3 buckets). Water is poured in portions: first one portion of water should be absorbed, then the second is poured. If there is a lack of moisture, the fruits will be tasteless and small

Watering the bush in the fall is necessary to saturate the roots with moisture. In chokeberry, the root system is located at the very surface of the earth, so the plant may suffer from a lack of moisture. For watering, make a furrow around the bush and fill it with water (2-3 buckets). Water is poured in portions: first one portion of water should be absorbed, then the second is poured. If there is a lack of moisture, the fruits will be tasteless and small.

Top dressing

Rowan is not demanding when it comes to fertilizer; you can apply organic fertilizers (1.5 buckets per adult bush) once every two years. Potassium-phosphorus chemicals are added every third or fourth year: potassium sulfate 30 g, superphosphate 70 g. Young bushes do not need intensive feeding; adult plants from five years old are fertilized.

Important! If you fertilize frequently, the bush will stop bearing fruit due to overgrown foliage. Mulching is carried out using fallen leaves, spruce branches or other organic matter.

A layer of mulch 10 cm high is poured around the roots. This will not only protect the root system from freezing, but will also retain moisture on the soil surface

Mulching is carried out using fallen leaves, spruce branches or other organic matter. A layer of mulch 10 cm high is poured around the roots. This will not only protect the root system from freezing, but will also retain moisture on the soil surface.

Note! Before mulching, carefully dig up the soil around the seedlings to a depth of no more than 10 cm so as not to damage the root system. Is it necessary to cover chokeberry for the winter? This plant tolerates frost well down to -35C, so it does not need shelter. In more severe frosts, care should be taken to additionally protect the rowan from freezing.

However, this applies to adult plants; young bushes need constant protection from the cold.

In more severe frosts, care should be taken to additionally protect the rowan from freezing. However, this applies to adult plants; young bushes need constant protection from the cold.

Is it necessary to cover chokeberry for the winter? This plant tolerates frost well down to -35C, so it does not need shelter. In more severe frosts, care should be taken to additionally protect the rowan from freezing. However, this applies to adult plants; young bushes need constant protection from the cold.

Sanitary

I carry out this procedure for all fruit bushes, including chokeberry, exclusively in the fall. This way the plant will endure the winter more easily, wake up faster in the spring and begin actively bearing fruit next year.

In the process of sanitary pruning I remove:

• dry branches;
• improperly growing (inside the crown or those that rub and injure other shoots);
• broken;
• with signs of rotting, various diseases, damage by insect pests.

I also remove side shoots.

I try not to leave stumps, as they can become a source of fungal disease. I carry out the procedure exclusively with a sharp, well-disinfected instrument. I cover the cut with garden varnish.

I start the event on a dry day.

Sanitary pruning of rowan. The illustration for the article is used from the site zemeljka.ru

Rejuvenating pruning of sea buckthorn bush

Sea buckthorn in the photo

Pruning sea buckthorn is mainly sanitary; it is also necessary to remove root suckers in a timely manner. If you don’t pay attention to them, instead of two or three trees, you will get a real “grove” in record time, which will be extremely difficult to get rid of.

Sea buckthorn is a dioecious plant, and it is impossible to change the sex of the tree by pruning. Male plants are distinguished by “promising” large buds, which is sometimes taken advantage of by unscrupulous sellers. Sea buckthorn produces good yields when there are 5-6 female plants in the “harem” of one male plant. If there is not enough space for several trees, you can graft a branch of a male plant into the crown of a female one. There are varieties of sea buckthorn that differ in tree height, fruit size and their shades - from light orange to almost red, and theoretically, sea buckthorn, like an apple tree, can be used to make a “garden tree”.

When placing sea buckthorn in the garden, remember that it is a wind-pollinated plant, and for good fruit set, the crown must be blown by the wind. In cramped conditions you can’t count on high yields.

This shrub is prone to thickening and bare branches. Therefore, you will need rejuvenating pruning of sea buckthorn; for beginners, we can advise combining thinning with harvesting, cutting out part of the branches with fruits and “plucking” them at home, in a calm environment.

Sea buckthorn fruits remain on the branches after leaf fall and even in winter. However, you need to think about protecting the crop from birds; sometimes blackbirds and waxwings arrive as early as September.

Watch the video “pruning sea buckthorn” to better understand how to carry out this important task:

https://babushkinadacha.ru/dachnyj-sad/kak-obrezat-aroniyu-i-oblepixu.html

Pruning rowan after planting

Young mountain ash should be thinned out well after planting, as it usually has too many shoots growing at an acute upward angle. If the rowan tree is not pruned in the first year after planting, the thickened branches will stretch upward. The branches will be thin and fragile. In the future, this will also complicate the formation of the tree crown.

Before starting the first pruning after planting, the thickest and tallest branch in the middle of the crown is selected; it will be the main trunk. The trunk should be vertical and dominate the side shoots. It is not pruned at all in the first year. Other side branches are cut very short, leaving 1-3 buds from the main trunk. These branches will develop next spring. It is also necessary to remove all shoots at a distance of 40 cm from the ground, this will increase resistance to diseases and parasites.

How and how to treat rowan from diseases and pests

Caring for chokeberry in the fall and preparing for winter must include treatment against diseases, pests and rodents. Work may vary depending on whether the plant was affected by insects and diseases during the growing season. All gardeners who care for shrubs must carry out preventive maintenance, even if no problems have arisen.

Spraying rowan from diseases

The culture cannot be called too demanding, but without following basic rules of care it can be affected by diseases. Therefore, you need to remember a few simple recommendations:

1. Inspect the plant and cut off all affected branches so that there are no pockets of disease left, along healthy wood. Treat the saw cuts with garden varnish to protect against infection. If there is lichen, clean it off.
2. Remove fallen leaves, as pest larvae often overwinter in them. It is best to burn the leaves. Dig up the tree trunk circle to the depth of a spade bayonet, without breaking the clods of earth.
3. Prepare Bordeaux mixture (1%) and generously treat the branches, lower part, and the soil under the plant. It is best to use a garden sprayer to ensure even distribution. This will prevent the development of peripheral rot, septoria, moniliosis and many other diseases.
4. You can use a solution of copper sulfate. It is effective against almost all fungal diseases. It is best to prepare the working mixture according to the instructions on the package, without violating the proportions.

By the way!

Copper sulfate should be dissolved in water with a temperature of at least 60 degrees. You need to take a small amount of liquid, dilute the crystals and add to the bucket.

Treatment of rowan from pests

The plant is affected by many types of parasites, so immediately after the leaves fall, protective measures are taken. There are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Most cherry slimy sawfly and mountain ash moth pupae overwinter in fallen leaves and dry grass under a tree. Therefore, thorough cleaning of the land and burning of leaves is the best prevention against these pests.
2. Copper sulfate also destroys many pests. This is a universal remedy for parasites and fungal diseases.
3. When a chokeberry is damaged by a red or brown mite, in the fall you need to spray it with a solution of Kleschevit, Tedion or Karbofos. There are other compounds with similar effects. You can use any, the main thing is to follow the instructions for preparing the working solution.

By the way!

It is advisable to change pest control products every season so that they do not become accustomed to a particular active ingredient.

Stages of cutting rowan

Young mountain ash stretches upward strongly, using resources for growth rather than fruiting. Therefore, young trees are limited in their growth by crown formation. Dead and damaged branches that intersect and grow towards the trunk are cut out from all trees. Particular attention is paid to trees older than four years.

Table 1. Stages of cutting old mountain ash

Is it possible to plant rowan near the house?

Is it possible to plant rowan near your home? You even need to do this if you believe at least a little in folk superstitions and want to preserve your health and the health of your loved ones, as well as protect your home from evil spirits and misfortunes.

Interesting materials:

How to find out the results of the total dictation 2022? How can you tell if a fish is female or male? How to find out how many times you have viewed your WhatsApp status? How to find out how many RAM slots there are? How do you know if a CCTV camera is recording or not? How to find out the value of your land plot? How to find out your PayPal ID? How to find out your password in MFC? How to find out your adidas promotional code? How to find out your rating on prom?