Cutting ornamental apples »Properly against you

Topiary after the flowering period

When it comes to cutting compatibility, an ornamental apple is on par with the real one Apple tree. If you have to complain about the shape of the shrub or crown, a well-planned topiary will restore the well-groomed appearance. As an early bloomer, a date after the blooming period is primarily considered, because in late summer buds are created for the next blooming period. How to cut a crab apple in the shape:

• Cut back heavily branched scaffold shoots by a third
• Over-long, drooping shoots derive on a further inward side shoot
• Remove twigs pointing into the interior of the shrub or crown
• Caution: do not clean withered flowers

Please keep in mind when cutting that you reduce the autumn fruit decorations. The more profound the pruning, the fewer apples adorn the wood. Furthermore, you collide with the specifications in the

Federal Nature Conservation Actif the topiary goes beyond this year's growth.

Relief cut in autumn

A crab apple at its best can still require the use of scissors. Under ideal conditions, apples form in droves. Under the colorful load, the branches lean massively towards the ground and threaten to break. You shouldn't let it get that far.

You solve the problem with a relief cut. For this purpose, slim down the relevant branches on a well-positioned, outward-facing side shoot. Use the scissors where the piece of shoot to be removed and the young wood fork.

Thinning and rejuvenating in late winter

In intervals of three to four years, please note down a late winter pruning date for your ornamental apple. The aim of the measure is the thinning of dead wood and preventive rejuvenation. Here's how to do it properly:

• The best time is in February
• Dead shoots in the bush level with the ground, in the tree Astring thin out
• Cut off one of the oldest scaffold shoots in the sense of a continuous taper
• Important: Do not intersect shoots with buds or shorten them to the first bud

During the deciduous wintertime, it can be difficult to reliably identify deadwood. If there are any doubts about the condition of a ground or crown shoot, a vitality test provides clarity. Scrape off a bit of the bark and examine the emerging tissue. Brown, dried up tissue has died. A light to green color and a juicy consistency indicate floral life.