The fruiting of garden trees depends on their care. It includes the formation of the crown by pruning. You need to know when and how to prune hazel correctly, in autumn or spring, in order to collect fruits from it regularly and in a timely manner. The procedure begins by determining the purpose of the operation. After all, in addition to the desire to make the tree well-groomed, by pruning you can increase the yield of nuts and increase the lifespan of the tree.
When to prune
The regularity of pruning and crown formation plays an important role in caring for hazel and hazelnuts. But here we need to decide on the timing of the procedure. The operation is carried out immediately after planting the hazel tree.Therefore, the first operation is scheduled for this period of time. If spring is chosen for planting, then they begin to shorten the shoot after planting in the fall.
But the best time to plant hazel will be autumn. The seedlings are planted 3-4 weeks before the first frost. Then the first pruning of the young seedling is carried out in early spring. In subsequent years, the bush is shaped and rejuvenated after it has shed its leaves.
It is necessary to study the scheme of each type of pruning so that it brings benefit to the plant and not harm.
Post-planting pruning
A well-rooted hazel seedling awakens earlier than other crops. In the first year of life the following are subject to removal:
- basal suckers;
- side shoots;
- branches on which the buds are located inside the crown.
If you do not prune after planting, the hazel will grow more slowly and bear fruit later. The operation to remove shoots is necessary in order to balance the above-ground part of the hazel tree and the root system. After pruning, the plant directs its energy to the growth and development of roots and their strengthening. The smaller the root system, the more hazel needs to be trimmed. The grown roots enhance the nutrition of the tree, increasing the crop yield.
The young seedling must be treated after the procedure. Sections - with a solution of potassium permanganate, garden varnish.
Pruning in the first 4-6 years
In the 4-5th year of life, the nut begins to bear fruit. By this time, it is necessary to complete the formation of the hazel and hazelnut crown. For hazel trees, a standard type of tree formation is chosen. This tree is easier to care for. The compactness of the crown allows you to place several plants in a small area. The peculiarity of pruning will be that the branches will receive enough light and air.
They begin pruning the hazel tree after the leaves have fallen.The conductors must be shortened by 50%. This is how a spherical shape is obtained, maintaining the height of the tree at 3 meters. Shoots growing from the side must be shortened, leaving 3 buds.
During the fruiting period, summer is used to remove powerful side shoots. They are simply broken, and when dry, removed. After such work, the buds will mature faster.
The hazelnut is left in the form of a bush if it is grown for a hedge or other decoration of the site. Leaving up to 12 shoots on the hazel, they form a lush shrub. But there will be fewer fruits on it, and their taste will be different from ordinary nuts.
Annual formative pruning
The pattern of forming trimmings is different depending on what kind of crown they want to see in hazel and hazelnut:
- Boat shrubs are obtained if you remove the branches that grow inside the crown. 1/3 is left at the central shoots, the rest is cut out. The branches are deflected from the side, tied to stakes. You can connect by tying 2-3 trees nearby.
- An interesting vase-shaped hazel. Intertwined branches growing inward should be cut off, and the main ones should be shortened by 1 bud. Powerful side shoots should be tilted slightly to the sides.
- The spherical shape is most suitable for a tree. It is created by leaving the main shoots at a height of 3-4 meters, and shortening the side shoots.
- Bush species are thinned out, leaving a certain number of branches that thicken the hazel. It is enough to leave 6-8 trunks, and more - up to 12, left in warm areas. The more branches, the smaller the yield.
Before starting the operation to remove branches and shorten them, prepare a sharp instrument, the blades of which are treated with disinfectant solutions. Cut off the shoots above the bud growing outward.
To increase nut yields, half of each side shoot is removed in the fall. Strong branches are selected from the shoots that appear in the spring, and the rest are cut out. The operation will be successful if it is carried out before the hazel and hazelnuts bloom.
To lighten the crown, the shoots inside it are thinned out every year. This way the wood will be better illuminated and the air will circulate freely. And hazel with a lightened crown will look better.
Anti-aging pruning
The common hazelnut lives a long time. But an old tree will not produce much fruit, so it is necessary to rejuvenate the hazel. From a bush that is 15-20 years old, you need to remove 1-2 branches every year, replacing them with young powerful stems.
In the fall, you can remove all the old shoots, leaving young shoots from which a new plant is formed. The process will go faster if you dry it out every year, breaking off the ends of strong shoots by 3-5 centimeters. And in the fall, the dried ends are cut off, taking 2-3 buds from a healthy branch.
The crown is rejuvenated by sanitary procedures, removing damaged, weak shoots. Hazel does not need branches inside the bush that grow incorrectly, perpendicular to other stems. Don't be afraid to cut them off.
But you can’t cut everything out. Those who grow hazel for its fruit must leave branches with female buds, which are found mainly at the ends of the branches. It is better to perform surgery on weak, damaged branches.
If care work is carried out regularly, then hazel bushes will become a true decoration of the garden. And correctly selected hazel varieties will delight you with high fruit yields.
After the operation, the plant requires proper care. The soil around is mulched with humus to a height of 7-8 centimeters after watering. This way the hazel tree will overwinter better.
