Pruning according to Kurdyumov - the ability to manage the garden without much effort
In his book, Nikolai Ivanovich Kurdyumov emphasized that the goals of the tree and the gardener usually diverge. Pruning according to Kurdyumov, developed by the gardener, will help to "negotiate" with your garden about cooperation. In the 80s of the last century, he graduated from the Timiryazev Academy and began to implement his own system for shaping the crown of trees. Its unique techniques stabilize the growth and fruiting of crops.
Fundamentals of pruning philosophy
Academician Nikolai Ivanovich identified 11 laws for successful management of fruit trees:
- The special role of leaves. Nutrients are supplied through the greens. From the leaves, buds, shoots, and eventually fruits develop.
- The best time for transplanting is the period of vegetation dormancy.
- For the summer, the ends of the branches should take a break from the pruner.
- The essence of pruning fruit trees according to Kurdyumov. Stone fruit seedlings are shortened immediately after planting. Pomes are pruned only after rooting, that is, the next year.
- The shape of the crown is made symmetrical so that the branches develop fully.
- For an even distribution of nutrients, fast and vigorous shoots are shortened.
- The buds located at the apex develop more intensively than their lateral counterparts, so they are removed.
- It is possible to enhance the development of fruits by limiting the growth of shoots, as well as slowing down the circulation in the fruit branches.
- The growth dynamics of the shoot depends on its location. Vertical instances are considered active. Therefore, their pruning according to Kurdyumov is carried out as shortly as possible.
- By weakening the nutrition and development of fruitful branches, the gardener contributes to the formation of more fruits.
- Stronger and more fruitful branches develop from short-cut shoots.
The problem of many Russian gardeners is too dense planting of strong trees. Very often, farmers apply low-growing pruning to free-growing specimens, which should not be done. As a result, the plants grow quickly, and the garden turns into a hopeless and barren jungle.
To understand “what the trees want”, you need to watch them carefully. Very often the shoots themselves suggest what to do with them.
Pruning according to Kurdyumov apple and pear
Prune fruit trees and bushes Nikolai Ivanovich recommends autumn, when plant growth stops. Instead of this cardinal operation, branches can be broken off. With such injury, the maximum weakening of the shoots is achieved, because lacerated wounds heal much longer. The fracture is planned for the end of February, when there is no threat of severe frosts. Such an apple tree shaping according to Kurdyumov is needed to inhibit the growth of fruit shoots. They are broken at the very bottom.
The procedure is carried out according to the scheme:
- to begin with, an incision is made 1/3 of the thickness in the upper part of the branch;
- the fruit shoot is bent in the opposite direction of the incision;
- breaking is carried out only by half or by 2/3;
- in this position, the branch is left.
Only worth it once cut the apple tree or a pear, as you have to do all the time. In this case, you cannot do without a competent approach to business.
The next trick of Mr. Academician is to remove unnecessary kidneys. Pome fruit varieties are cultivated in autumn, and stone fruit varieties - in spring. But you can not cut them at all. To do this, you need to plant apple trees as far away from each other as possible. More freedom and moderate growth guarantee minimal interference. All that is required of the gardener is to remove the old branches located at the bottom of the trunk.
In practice, pruning a pear according to Kurdyumov looks like this:
- the area for culture growth should be 4 by 4 m;
- the growth of the tree is limited to 2.5-3 m, removing the top;
- with guy wires, uncomfortable growing branches are directed to empty sections of the crown.
This technology will allow you to completely forget about the pruner. The fruit tree will take its natural shape. Crops will be plentiful and of good quality, although not always regular.
However, there is another method of forming the crown.
Bending branches is a tricky trick of the gardener
You can change the nature of the shoot without the slightest cuts or cuts. It should be taken into account that the "dream" of each branch is to become a leader in the race for survival. Therefore, they all strive to reach the sky faster, higher and stronger, and not competitors. What to do about it? A strong, thriving shoot is gently bent to the ground by 90˚. At this moment, the tree begins to "panic", because the powerful power portal is blocked. The solution to the problem is to replace the “missing sponsor”. As a result, a group of buds appears at the fold, which develop intensively all summer.
The strongest baby survives, but the bent branch:
- takes a position convenient for the gardener;
- stops growing;
- throws out new shoots;
- branches along its entire length;
- begins to actively bear fruit.
A year later, the young branch is intensively overgrown with vertical shoots, especially at the base of the trunk.
During the summer, the gardener shortens new shoots several times, with the exception of the terminal ones. In addition, he conducts a quickdraw to obtain a normal fruit branch. Bending shoots begins from a very early age of the tree at the height of the lower tier. Nikolai Kurdyumov suggests doing this at a distance of 0.5-0.8 m from the ground. In the area of the fold, an incision can be made over the kidney, a kind of calibration. A year later, the grown shoots bend down, forming the next layer. Weak branches are removed.
The book by Nikolai Kurdyumov describes in more detail these methods of forming and controlling trees. Therefore, you can set yourself the goal of getting to know them better.
Thank you so much for the interesting article! Special thanks for the video! I looked at everything with great interest!