How to trim a walnut in spring, summer and autumn and rules for crown formation

Pruning an adult walnut tree is not the most difficult task, but it is important to approach it with all responsibility. To remove excess branches, use only sharp pruning shears and garden shears so that there are no creases left at the cut points.

Why is pruning necessary?

Any tree needs to be pruned almost every year, depending on the rate of branch growth. To understand whether a walnut needs to be trimmed, just pay attention to the appearance of the tree. Usually, even an inexperienced gardener understands that the time has come to remove the excess.

Regular procedure increases fruiting and immunity to crop diseases. Anti-aging pruning is responsible for this. In addition, the event helps get rid of some walnut diseases.

Basic schemes

It is possible to correctly form a walnut crown only after studying the basic diagrams. Crown formation is an important stage in tree care, on which not only the yield, but also the health of the walnut depends. You can form a tree according to several schemes.

Improved-tier

With improved-tier pruning, only 3 skeletal branches are left on each tier. The distance between them should be no more than 15 cm. In the fall, the second stage is carried out - the lower tier of branches is cut so that nothing grows on the trunk at a distance of 1.5 m from the ground. It is advisable to trim the walnut so that it has 5-6 tiers of branches.

The distance between the tiers was 50 cm. And the top is completely cut off so that the branches grow wider and not higher.

Leader

The main principle of crown formation according to this type is the distribution of branches, which belong to the skeletal type, at a distance of 50 cm from each other. Before fruiting occurs, skeletal shoots are left. And then their length is gradually trimmed.

Cupped

Cup pruning not only increases yield, but also makes harvesting from the tree easier. The stem with this procedure has a length of 1.5-2 m. 3-4 skeletal branches are left. The distance between them is about 50 cm.

The central branch is cut off at the base, and the two upper ones are crossed with the lower ones. Every year for 3-4 years, cup-shaped pruning is carried out in the fall.

Features of anti-aging pruning

The rejuvenating procedure is carried out only on trees that have reached many years of age. For walnuts it is 10 years. It is not recommended to carry out the procedure before this period. You can rejuvenate a tree using different types of pruning. But there are a number of features that they all have in common.

Features of pruning old trees:

• During the procedure, dry branches and part of the skeletal branches are removed.
• The need for a rejuvenating procedure appears if the yield has decreased and the plant has grown greatly.
• The procedure is carried out in early spring or summer.
• Remove branches in places with lateral branches.

Anti-aging pruning stimulates the flow of nutrients to the plant and promotes the awakening of the buds. The quality of the fruit also improves.

What tools will you need?

First of all, to trim walnuts, you will need pruning shears. Before carrying out the procedure, it should be sharpened as sharply as possible.

Tools for work:

• Lopper.
• Scissors.
• Brush cutter.
• Hacksaw.

All tools must be well sharpened. For thick branches use a hacksaw. For thin shoots, garden shears are suitable. Medium-thick branches are cut with pruning shears.

The remaining tools may not be needed, but just in case it is better to have them with you during the procedure.

Timing of work

There are several favorable periods when walnuts can be formed. Walnut pruning is carried out in spring, summer or autumn. The most favorable period for crown formation is summer, or more precisely, July-August.Cuts after summer pruning heal faster, and the tree does not get sick for so long. Also during this period, the intensity of sap flow quickly returns to normal.

Pruning after winter

The first time a year, walnuts are pruned in the spring, after warm weather sets in. It is not recommended to carry out the procedure until the temperature outside is above zero, even at night. In the spring, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, which is aimed at forming the crown and its renewal.

In spring, the procedure is carried out in March-April. During this period, the nut tolerates the procedure more easily. Spring crown formation is carried out after the height of the tree is 1.5 m. Particular attention should be paid to the formation of the young seedling.

Green walnut pruning in summer

The summer procedure is aimed at removing branches damaged by diseases or pests. Formative pruning is also carried out in the summer if it was not done in the spring. In the summer, the “haircut” scheme is used. This type has the best effect on fruiting. But in summer, walnuts are pruned once every few years.

Autumn pruning

In autumn, a sanitary procedure is carried out. Trim the tree after it has shed all its leaves. The procedure is carried out as early as possible, before the crown has time to form in a chaotic manner. Trim dry and diseased branches. If the walnut is already a mature tree, then you will have to remove fairly large branches. And for the plant this is a lot of stress.

Nuances of performing the operation

Before performing the procedure, it is important to study all the nuances of pruning. Since the procedure for a walnut is very stressful, it is important to approach the formation of the crown with all responsibility. The first time after planting a walnut seedling, the procedure is carried out in the second year.

How to shorten branches of young trees?

If the nut seedling is young enough, pruning is required only after the age of two years. And it is not recommended to remove a lot of branches during this period. Another criterion by which you can understand that the time has come to prune the seedling is that the trunk height has reached 100 cm. If the tree is below 100 cm, you should wait to carry out the procedure. During this period, cup-shaped crown formation is suitable. 3-4 skeletal branches are left on the plant, which will be responsible for fruiting. And the rest is deleted.

In the third year, remove dry or damaged branches. Pruning during this period should not be intensive.

Caring for mature trees

Crown trimming is an important step in walnut care. But just forming a nut will not be enough. To increase productivity, you cannot do without organizing watering and fertilizing. Walnut does not like loosening the soil. Walnut is a moisture-loving crop, so it is watered twice a month with the onset of spring. One tree requires 4-5 liters of water. For irrigation use only warm water.

With the onset of August, irrigation is stopped. In the fall, it is watered if there has been almost no rain. In this case, the walnut is moistened before the onset of cold weather.

Nitrogen is added to the soil in the spring and first half of summer. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added to the soil closer to autumn. Green manure plants also have a beneficial effect on nut growth. In summer, lupine, peas, oats, china or clover are planted next to the tree. And in the fall they are dug up along with the soil. Green manure plants fill the soil with nutrients that nuts need when spring comes.

Common mistakes when pruning

Without an exact idea of ​​how to properly prune, many gardeners make gross mistakes, after which the tree only grows worse.

Common mistakes of summer residents:

• Trim branches with a dull and non-sterile knife or pruning shears.
• Treat tree wounds with oil paint or garden varnish.
• Form the crown when cold weather has already set in in the fall or when the frosts have not stopped in early spring.
• Remove too many branches.

Having studied in advance the rules for pruning nuts in spring and autumn, you will be able to avoid serious mistakes and not harm the plant.

How to process large cuts on wood

There is an opinion that it is better not to treat the cut areas on the branches at all and let them heal naturally. But it’s still worth treating them to prevent fungal diseases from appearing on them.

How to treat cut areas:

• Sugar solution (2 tsp per 200 ml of water).
• Honey solution (3 tsp per 250 ml of water).
• Potassium permanganate solution.

The surface of cuts on plant branches has the ability to oxidize even in winter, so processing of fresh cuts on a tree is necessary in any case.