All fruit trees tolerate good summer pruning. You can also prune the plum tree in August to slow its growth and prevent it from sprouting again in the fall. This way he can prepare better for the coming winter.
Pruning in August brings many benefits.
- The tree has enough time to recover.
- The cuts heal much faster in summer than in spring. This means that fungi and bacteria have no chance of penetrating through the interfaces and infecting the tree.
- There is no threat of frost damage and no damage caused by mold or waterlogging.
- The tree prepares better for the coming autumn if it is directlyafter the harvestis cut. You can also stop fertilizing at this point to further slow growth.
Severe pruning is prohibited in summer, but the plum tree receives annual pruning that is adapted to its stage of development. We summarize the most important types of cuts:
The caring cut in the first year
Basically, pruning measures for stone fruits such as plum, plum and peach trees are kept to a minimum. The tree is given a topiary cut every year, whereby the crown is thinned out slightly and individual branches are removed.
In the first year, the young trees are cut before flowering, ideally in spring immediately after planting. If you missed this point, you can do a topiary in late summer. This includes, among other things:
- Side branches that are longer than 60 cm shortened to approx. 45 cm.
- All upward-growing shoots and branches that grow at the bottom and do not receive sunlight are removed.
Training pruning for the fruit tree
Starting next year, the tree will receive a caring cut in late summer or early autumn. The goal - the tree should be given the desired shape so that it bears as much fruit as possible and the harvest can be done quickly and easily. From the second year onwards, more and more side branches grow vertically upwards. These so-called water shoots do not bear fruit and are therefore removed regularly. Branches that compete for sunlight are also removed.
Young trees are often attacked by fungi, bacteria or pests in the first few years. After harvesting, you can also cut off dead wood and rubbing shoots to stop the spread of pathogens.
Maintenance cut from the age of 3
After the training pruning in the second year, the plum tree is given an annual maintenance pruning. Through certain caring pruning measures you want:
- promote the renewal of fruit wood
- Prevent diseases
For this purpose, only worn, sickly and bare branches are specifically cut off. Side branches that are too long are shortened. Tree crowns that are too dense can be thinned out if necessary.
As a general rule of thumb: healthy, fruit-bearing branches should be no shorter than 15 cm and no longer than 60 cm. Shoots that are too short bear small fruits, shoots that are too long can break under the weight of the fruit.
The cutting technique and correct cutting are very important, as during this period the shoots are not completely removed, but shortened to 8 to 12 cm. The branches are cut at a point where shorter branches arise (see sketch above). The cut is made diagonally from the remaining branch. This means that irrigation and rain water can drain away better and the cut dries quickly. It is also important that the tree bark is not torn off or damaged during cutting. That's why you should only use sharp secateurs and disinfect them before each use.
That's why you shouldn't do rejuvenation pruning in the fall
In contrast to the other types of cuts, the taper cut is only made when necessary. For example, if the tree has not been pruned for years, if the fruit production of old trees decreases or if the tree crown has become out of shape. In particular, water sprouts are removed and fruit-bearing shoots are shortened. The crown can also be significantly thinned out.
The right time for this cut is in early spring. Pruning measures in spring promote growth and new sprouting. A rejuvenation cut means a lot of stress for the plum tree and it needs more time to recover.
Incidentally, the fruit tree cannot tolerate severe pruning. It is much better to thin out the crown year after year and gradually remove old fruit wood.
Special case: columnar fruit
Columnar fruit is particularly sensitive to pruning. Instead, you should shorten the side branches to around 30 cm and the leading shoot to 40 cm.
Care after cutting
Proper care is crucial after cutting in late summer or early fall. These include, among others:
- After cutting, stop fertilizing. Fertilizer either promotes flower and fruit formation or new shoots. Young shoots are particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations and cost the tree far too much energy.
- Young trees need additional watering in hot weather. They should be reduced accordingly after a maintenance cut. Basically, the more leaves a tree has, the more water it needs. But if it is thinned out, the water requirement will also be reduced.
Cutting the plum tree in late summer: the most important things summarized
Like all fruit trees, the plum tree also benefits from annual pruning. Depending on the stage of development, this will be as follows:
1. Young trees are best cut immediately after planting in spring. If you miss this point, you can cut them in late summer. The shoots are shortened and dead wood and ailing branches are completely removed. The goal is to promote growth.
2. Trees between 1 and 3 years old are trained into the desired shape through appropriate care measures. Competing side branches are cut off and water sprouts are completely removed.
3. From the third year onwards, a maintenance cut takes place annually. The branches are shortened.
4. The right time for rejuvenation pruning is early spring.
5. After cutting, you should no longer fertilize the plum tree and watering (if necessary) should also be reduced.
