Keeping the fruit tree small »This is how it works

Keep your eyes open when choosing a variety

When shopping for fruit trees, actually small and are not forced to stunt through a permanent cut or a limitation of the root space, the following points should be observed:

• Is the variety rather short or stunted?
• Is the variety stunted for genetic reasons?
• Has the tree been grafted on a poorly growing base?
• What is the maximum size that the tree can reach?

There is a big difference between short and weak stature: Tiny trees are trees that only reach a certain, low height from the outset. Low-growing varieties, on the other hand, can in principle become just as large as a normally strong or medium-growing tree, but it takes a very long time to do so. So these are not actual dwarf varieties, but very slowly growing trees.

Growth limitation through correct cutting

Many fruit trees can be replaced by a suitable one

cut can be kept small. However, all pruning measures will not lead to the goal if a strong-growing tree defends itself against it and forms masses of water shoots. In addition, such a tree can develop problems with wound healing, so that cuts do not heal and are constantly resinous. That is one of the reasons why you should try to use weak roots refined Plant trees that do not shoot up even without pruning heavily.

The pruning laws for fruit trees

If you want to keep a fruit tree small by cutting, the following rules will make this project easier for you:

• A strong winter pruning results in strong budding in spring.
• A Summer cut on the other hand weakens the growth of the tree.
• The top bud of a cut back shoot sprouts the most.
• Shoots cut at the same height also sprout evenly (so-called juice scales).

Keep the fruit tree small by limiting the root space

Furthermore, the desired short stature can be achieved by limiting the root space, for example by placing the fruit tree in one bucket plants. Because the above-ground plant mass is in a certain ratio to the root mass, this measure significantly slows down growth. Nevertheless, you should not keep fruit trees on strongly growing roots in a small container for a long time, because the power of the roots could burst the planter.