Content
- When should you cut trees?
- Pruning in spring / winter
- Tree pruning in the summer
- Tree pruning in autumn
- Tips
Trees are cut in late autumn or early spring
When should you cut trees?
Of course, when it comes to the pruning, it is not enough to simply reach for the scissors and cut loose. But not only the how, but also the when is relevant - a cutback at the wrong time leads to unwanted water shoots or unwanted promotes the susceptibility of the tree for fungal and other diseases. New scientific findings bring additional confusion among gardeners.
Pruning in spring / winter
From time immemorial, deciduous trees and other deciduous trees have been cut in early spring and late winter. A cut in suitable weather in January or February - well before the shoot - has many advantages:
However, new forestry research results show that the supposed advantages are not: The wintry pruning stimulates above all the shoot of steeply upwardly awashed water guns, which are worthless for the development of the treetop and in the next cut anyway have to be removed. Only some fruit trees should be cut in winter to encourage the development of fruit-forming shoots. This applies in particular to various Prunus species such as peaches and nectarines, which tend to form long shoots.
Tree pruning in the summer
Instead of the winter, today is recommended rather for summer cut. In particular, pome fruit and stone fruit trees benefit from a pruning directly after harvest. The best time is around mid-August, when no new leaves are trained and the drive development is completed for this year. Do not be afraid to remove any immature fruit. This is especially useful for very rich fruit hangings, so that the remaining fruits can be larger and more aromatic. The benefits of a summer cut are obvious:
Tree pruning in autumn
Heavily bleeding-prone tree species such as maple or walnut are best cut in early autumn. Here, the tendency to bleed is significantly less pronounced, while at the same time the wound healing is still active.
Tips
A common question is also how long the optimal period for a tree pruning lasts: in theory, you can actually grab the scissors all year round. If you have missed the perfect time for the summer cut, nothing stands in the way of a traditional winter cut.