How to prune walnut trees in spring, summer, and fall

To ensure a productive harvest, walnut trees are regularly pruned. This process reduces the risk of disease and improves the appearance of the crown. Pruned trees produce larger, more flavorful fruits.

Necessity of the procedure

Pruning walnut trees is an important procedure at all stages of tree growth. This procedure offers the following benefits:

• The crown of an adult plant is formed.
• The tree is less susceptible to disease and pest attacks because damaged parts of the tree, where insect larvae and disease strains can accumulate, are removed.
• A pruned tree improves the quantity of fruits and their taste.
• Branches that may interfere with harvesting the crop are removed.

Proper pruning makes it easier to control pests in perennial trees. Trees often serve as garden ornaments, so you can shape the tree's crown to your liking.

Recommendations for choosing deadlines

Tree pruning can be done at various times. Experienced gardeners perform the procedure in two stages:

• In the fall, remove all damaged branches with swollen bark. Such areas can harbor pests. This procedure is performed after the leaves have fallen and the harvest has been collected.
• In spring, pruning is done before the buds swell. All damaged branches, as well as dried-out branches without buds, are removed. Also, to ensure a healthy harvest, thinning out the dense crown is done.

Pruning may be done in midsummer if it is necessary to remove damaged branches that affect the growth of the tree.

Preparation

Pruning walnut trees requires preliminary preparation to avoid damaging the tree. This is essential for mature trees.

Tool

Before beginning the procedure, it is necessary to properly prepare the instruments. The following types of instruments are used:

• lopper;
• saw;
• pruning shears;
• garden shears.

Garden varnish or preservative is also prepared and applied to the cut areas. After processing the wood, the tools should be cleaned and stored in a special case.

Important: To facilitate the work, all tools must be sharpened. Tools also often cause tree diseases. To reduce this risk, all tools must be treated with an antiseptic.

Competent processing

Before pruning a tree, it's important to fertilize it. Thick branches are removed first, followed by thinner ones. Each cut is treated with a special liquid that reduces the risk of disease. Small cuts should not be sealed with garden pitch.

Weather conditions

The procedure should be carried out in calm weather. If daytime temperatures are high, the treatment should be carried out in the evening.

Important: Pruning in rainy weather can lead to rot and pest attacks, which can burrow under the bark and destroy the wood.

How to trim correctly

Pruning rules depend on the purpose of the procedure. Proper pruning should allow sunlight to reach all areas of the tree.

For rejuvenation

A mature tree often experiences reduced fruit production. In such cases, rejuvenation is necessary. Rejuvenation of a mature tree can be done in the spring using the following steps:

• removal of upper branches that have dried out over time;
• In the center of the crown, it is necessary to remove old branches that do not bear fruit, thus the gardener forms a new crown;
• pay attention to the branches growing into the middle of the crown and preventing the growth of young shoots;
• remove shoots growing from the roots;
• Long side shoots should also be shortened so that the plant produces new shoots.

Pruning is done in early spring before bud formation. After rejuvenation, it's important to apply fertilizer to help the tree recover. Fertilizer is applied through root watering; this not only accelerates root penetration but also enriches the soil with essential minerals.

Crown formation

It is necessary to form the crown from the moment the seedling is planted, gradually removing shoots and giving the crown the desired shape.

Improved tiered scheme

This method involves three skeletal branches in each tier, spaced at least 1.5 cm apart. This method leaves the center of the crown clear to allow adequate sunlight. This method most often produces a round crown. Depending on the tree's age, there may be up to six tiers. Excessive tiers cause the tree to become too large, which complicates harvesting.

Leader

This method is used for mature trees. It involves forming skeletal branches that are arranged in a spiral, with at least 1 meter of space between them. This type of pruning is performed in the fall after harvest.

Cup-shaped

This type of crown is easy to shape. It also offers advantages, including ease of harvesting and pest and disease control. This type of tree grows no more than 2-3 meters tall.

The number of skeletal branches in cultivation is no more than 4-5; the rest are pruned. This way, the tree doesn't grow upwards, but rather is formed by lateral shoots. In spring, the shoots are shortened, and the new shoots increase the width of the crown.

Features of summer pruning

Crown rejuvenation is often performed in the summer. It's important to note that the plant tolerates summer treatments more poorly. During the summer, the following precautions should be observed:

• in summer, walnut pruning is carried out in mid-July;
• Removal of shoots must be carried out early in the morning or after sunset;
• After shortening, it is necessary to water the tree with plenty of water;
• all branches that grow into the crown are removed;
• 5 skeletal branches are left, the rest must be shortened, at least 2 healthy buds must remain on the shortened shoots, which will later form the shoot;
• All damaged branches are removed in one procedure.

If a tree is damaged by pests or diseases, branches are not shortened; this will reduce the plant's immunity and lead to its death.

Important: Branches on two-year-old seedlings are shortened to two buds. It's important to leave one branch as the main branch and the other as a reserve. This will reduce the risk of plant failure due to improper pruning.

Common mistakes

Inexperienced gardeners often make mistakes that have a detrimental effect on plant fruiting. These mistakes lead to the death of the plant. Common mistakes include:

• Branch pruning is performed using disinfected tools. After pruning one specimen, clean tools must be used for the new plant.
• It is not recommended to treat cut areas with oil paint. Special garden varnishes are used for this purpose.
• Shortening of a young seedling is carried out once a year in the spring.
• If branches are damaged in winter, do not prune during severe frosts. This can lead to freezing of the main shoots in the crown.
• Using blunt pruning shears often results in improper shortening of branches.
• To shape the crown, you need to consider the tree's characteristics. These instructions are not suitable for all plants.
• To obtain a harvest, it is necessary to reduce the number of lateral shoots, which can negatively affect the size of the fruit.

A common mistake inexperienced gardeners make is pruning too late; such trees take a long time to recover after the procedure.

Late shortening of shoots leads to complete drying out of the crop.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Pruning shoots requires special skills. Incorrect pruning can result in the death of many productive branches. Experienced gardeners recommend the following:

• A plant pruned using the tiered method very often reaches a great height, so it is necessary to monitor and shorten its growth in a timely manner.
• Places where branches extend from the trunk at right angles are often subject to breakage; such places need to be removed, since when a tree is damaged, the plant weakens and may die.
• To prevent the plant from weakening, large branches must be removed gradually.
• To increase fruiting, it is necessary to leave young shoots and get rid of old ones.
• To form the crown, it is necessary to start shortening the shoots immediately after planting the seedling.
• To ensure that shortening the branches does not weaken the plant, it is necessary to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers after the procedure.

Following these recommendations will keep your tree healthy for a long time. These tips are often followed by young, inexperienced gardeners.

Result

Pruning walnut branches not only increases yield but also reduces a number of problems. Proper pruning allows the tree to rejuvenate, creating a new crown. Caring for walnuts It's not difficult, but it's important to follow the advice of experienced gardeners. Such recommendations will help avoid mistakes.