Rules, terms and schemes for pruning viburnum for beginners
Viburnum is a beautiful perennial that can grow as a bush and a small tree. Gardeners often cultivate this crop, as it retains its decorative effect throughout the year. However, for this it is important to provide the plant with adequate care. Correct pruning of viburnum makes it possible to form a neat plant and increase its yield.
Does Kalina need pruning
Despite the fact that viburnum is considered a cultivated plant, it retains the characteristics of wild bushes. Without proper care, there is a risk of an excess of side shoots and overgrowths, which negatively affects the appearance and health of the crop.
Every year, new shoots outgrow the old ones and stretch out towards the sun. In this case, flowering and fruiting move to the upper parts, while the lower branches are in the shade and gradually die off. Literally after a few years, the viburnum acquires an unattractive appearance and stops bearing fruit.
When to cut viburnum
In order for the pruning to be successful, it is important to choose the correct timing for this procedure. However, there are several options that have certain features.
In autumn
After the end of fruiting, it is recommended to carry out sanitary pruning. It involves the removal of dead branches that differ from the rest of the shoots with a dark bark.
At the same time, it is important to remove diseased shoots that are covered with spots and exfoliated bark, depressions, growths. Cut shoots should be collected and burned. This will help prevent the spread of disease.
Summer
In the summer, viburnum needs not only sanitary, but also thinning pruning. Most often, it affects green shoots. In doing so, you need to delete the following:
- Overgrowth. Removing it will help leave the viburnum more strength for the budding and maturation of the kidneys.
- Tops. If the pruning is carried out incorrectly, after which a large stump remains, many fattening shoots will grow. They have a vertical direction and are called tops.
- Tops infected with parasites and diseases. The plant often suffers from aphids, powdery mildew and leaf beetle attacks. When symptoms appear, it is important to cut and burn the lesions. This is done with the tips of the shoots.
In the spring
Many gardeners prune viburnum in the spring - until the buds awaken. During this period, the culture is dormant. Therefore, the procedure does not harm her.In the spring, it is recommended to get rid of dry, broken, diseased branches. It is also necessary to remove the remnants of the berry brushes and thin out the crown.
Quite often during pruning, gardeners remove too long ends of branches. This helps to avoid strong crown growth. Do not be afraid to harm culture.
Systematic pruning has a beneficial effect on the fruiting of viburnum, since the remaining branches receive more nutrition from the root system.
Types of trimming
There are several options for carrying out this procedure, each of which has specific features.
Sanitary
This type of pruning is recommended in the fall. It is performed after harvest. When the viburnum has completely shed the foliage, the gardener should examine it and remove the following fragments:
- diseased shoots;
- broken branches;
- dry and broken fragments;
- remnants of brushes.
It is not recommended to remove too many branches before winter. If there are severe frosts, there is a risk of freezing out the bush. In fact, any pruning is a serious stress for the culture.
Thinning
Thinning is recommended every year. It is advisable to carry out this type of pruning in the summer. The optimal period is considered to be the time after foliage blooming, but before the formation of ovaries. In this case, you need to visually inspect the shrub, find thickened areas and remove some of the branches.
Usually they are directed inward and represent tops that are next to each other.
Formative
The formation of the plant should be dealt with for 3-4 years after planting in open soil. Viburnum can develop as a bush or tree. Choosing the right option is worth taking into account individual preferences. It is also recommended to focus on the free space in the country and the location of the culture. Under natural conditions, viburnum grows in the form of a large bush, which reaches a height of 2-3 meters. As such, it is found in forests. If you do not cut the plant, the viburnum will develop exactly in the form of a bush.
To give it the correct shape, it is recommended to choose the 6-7 most powerful shoots. The rest must be removed. In height, the shrub should reach an outstretched arm. Subsequently, it is worth making sure that the plant does not let too much root growth. It is recommended to remove it every year. You also need to control the development of the top. If the viburnum stretches too much, it should be cut off.
When pruning, it is important to bear in mind that fruiting occurs on annual shoots.
Sometimes viburnum is grown in the form of a tree. But in this case, it may break. This is due to the high fragility of the barrel. Often, the stem can grow deformed. The use of props is recommended to support the culture. Stakes are perfect for this purpose. Lower yields are observed when growing tree-shaped viburnum. To form a plant, you need to choose 1 powerful shoot and make a tree from it. It is recommended to delete the remaining branches. Today there are special varieties. They immediately grow on one trunk and form a tree.
Scheme of the
To properly cut the viburnum, you should use the instructions for beginners. To form a hive, it is recommended to do the following:
- After planting the plant, prune all the above-ground shoots. Each of them should have no more than 2-3 buds.
- Next year, several more shoots will appear from each bud. When the branches reach 30 centimeters in height, they should be pinched.
- The bush will then begin its recovery. During this period, the development of root growth occurs.
- It is recommended to leave new shoots until their number is 7 pieces.
- The growth of the tip should be left until it reaches the required height.
Practical advice
To cut the viburnum correctly, it is recommended to follow these tips from experienced gardeners:
- Pruning is permissible during the absence of sap flow. This occurs in early spring, before bud break, and in autumn, after leaf fall.
- Formative pruning should be done exclusively in the spring. The rest of the time, the bush simply cannot recover before the onset of cold weather.
- Under natural conditions, viburnum grows as a shrub. Therefore, it is not always possible to form a decorative tree from it.
- Anti-aging treatments should be performed at intervals of 5 years.
- The crown should be thinned in the summer. This helps to avoid thickening of the plantings, ensure air ventilation in the leaf structure and prevent the growth of bacterial microorganisms and fungi.
- Every autumn it is worth getting rid of dried, sick and brittle branches. This is required for the full development of the crop and increasing the yield parameters.
How are different varieties of viburnum cut off?
Gardeners usually grow 2 varieties of viburnum - the usual red and its variety - Buldenezh. Pruning of ordinary red viburnum has no specific features and is carried out using standard technology. Buldenezh needs to be pruned so that you end up with a lush bush with several trunks. In this case, it is recommended to shorten young shoots approximately 20 centimeters from the soil surface.
Inflorescences that appear in the summer of the first year must be removed. This helps to stimulate the development of roots and branches. At the end of summer, the top of the shoots should be removed. This will improve branching next year. In the second year after planting, it is recommended to cut the viburnum after flowering. Excess green mass should not absorb the beneficial elements that are required for bud formation. Kalina Buldenezh does not require spring pruning, as this will negatively affect the formation of inflorescences.
Viburnum pruning has a number of features. Thanks to the strict implementation of the recommendations of experienced gardeners, it is possible to grow a strong and healthy plant that will have excellent decorative effect and give a good harvest.