Narrow-growing fruit trees are the green space miracles in the small garden and on the balcony. Apples, pears, cherries and plums thrive as high-yielding columnar fruit. You can find out what is important when caring for the cut in this tutorial.
How correctly to cut columnar fruit?
Cutting columnar fruit requires different techniques and timing depending on the type of fruit. Prune apple columns rarely, preferably in February. Cut pear columns annually in summer. Prune columnar cherries and plum columns occasionally after harvest. Regulate height growth with derivation cut.
Pillar fruit types and dates
The steep career of columnar fruit began with the apple. It didn't take long before gardeners with a lack of space could enjoy high-yielding columnar pears. In trendy urban gardening, columnar cherries and plum columns in large containers have long been common practice. Small space requirements and uncomplicated pruning care have made columnar fruit so popular. The correct cutting time plays a key role. Before you familiarize yourself with a species-appropriate cut in this tutorial, please take a look at this table with recommended dates:
| Fruit Type | best date | alternative date |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | early spring (February/March) | after harvest |
| Pear | Summer (mid/end of June) | none |
| Cherry | after harvest | February/March (aging cherry) |
| Plum, plum | after harvest | after leaf fall (October/November) |
The Federal Nature Conservation Act also influences the choice of date. As long as it is a light maintenance cut that does not disturb nesting birds, it can be carried out in the summer. The legislature allows extensive pruning measures from October 1st to February 28th, provided that there are no hibernating animals in the woods.
Apple column rarely cut
Columnar growth is only naturally pre-programmed into the genetic makeup of apple varieties. In fact, all apple pillars can be traced back to one progenitor, which thrives as anatural mutation. The short fruit wood arises directly from a strong, tightly upright central shoot. The individual growth as a so-calledstring tree rarely requires gardening intervention with scissors or saws. How to cut a columnar apple correctly:
- Apple column onlycut if necessary
- The best time is in February when the weather is frost-free and dry
- Excessively long side brancheswithout fruit set Cut off branches near the trunk
- Excessively long side brancheswith fruit set Cut back to 1 cm above the future apple
- Prune steep shoots and dead wood at the base
- Do not leave stubs standing and do not cut into the trunk bark
If the cut leaves a stub more than 5 centimeters long, the apple column will sprout vigorously at this point. If your columnar fruit is affected by this, remove all young shoots that are too long and growing inwards. Leave short, well-positioned shoots as future fruit wood. If such a short shoot grows too steeply, regulate the direction of growth with a spreader or string to an ideal angle of 60° to the columnar trunk.
Video evidence for a short and meaningful explanatory video on cutting a columnar apple:
Schnittanleitung: Obst- Säulenbäume schneiden (Winterschnitt)
Background
Cutting on a string - this is how it works
Branches that are too long or steep affect the yield and quality of the fruit on your apple tree. If you can seeno fruit seton the shoot in question, it iscut away on a stringWith this cutting technique, you position the scissors or saw in such a way that the small bulge between the branch and the trunk is not injured. If such a branch ring is not available, cut parallel to the columnar trunk. Important: Do not cut into the trunk bark or leave any stubs.
Cut pear columns annually
A column of pears grows stronger than an apple column. Furthermore, pears as columnar fruit are not a natural growth form, but rather a selection of particularly slender spindle trees that are grafted onto a weak base. Both requirements require a different incision than on the columnar apple. After a few years without pruning care,long side shoots form, which sabotage the slender growth as a cord tree. How to complete the perfect pear column cut:
- The best time is in the second half of June
- Cut back long side branches protruding from the column to 10 to 15 cm
- Place scissors over a downward or inward-pointing bud
You should take this opportunity to thin out allsteep shootsthat compete with the columnar trunk. Also prune these branches toshort cones In the following period, several young shoots will sprout here. Select up to three flat, short shoots that are suitable for fruiting. All other young shoots must give way.
Tip
You can master the pruning care of columnar fruit with bypass scissors. The particular advantage lies in the two sharp cutting edges that run against each other and create smooth cuts. Anvil scissors consist of a sharp cutting edge and a blunt counterpart, the anvil. This reduces the effort required; In return, there is a risk of bruising the shoot with a variety of negative consequences.
Cut the columnar cherry if necessary
A columnar cherry was originally intended to thrive as a spindle tree. Because the tree stood out at school with its strong central shoot and extra short side shoots, the master gardener chose it as a columnar fruit and grafted it onto a weak-growing rootstock. Over the years, a cherry column tends to sprout sterile long and steep shoots, which counteract the productive growth of columns. With a summer maintenance cut you can get the growth back on track. How to cut correctly:
- Best time is the end of June
- Cut back long shoots protruding from the column to 10 to 15 cm
- Make the incision a short distance from one eye
As the illustration below demonstrates, maintenance pruning is also dedicated to steeply upright branches. These become unpopular ascompetition to the column trunkand should beremoved. Cut to short tenons here too. This cut allows for fresh shoots, which with a little luck will produce new short shoots that are useful as fruit wood.
To ensure that a columnar cherry maintains its slender growth habit, cut back excessively long side branches to short cones. Remove steep shoots because they compete with the trunk and torpedo the column shape.
Excursus
Cut aging columnar fruit in stages
Characteristic of many types of columnar fruit is premature senescence in the lower half. There are no signs of aging in the upper area at this point. By cutting aging fruit in stages on different dates, you can compensate for the shortcoming. Cut the weaker lower area in February to encourage growth. Cut the stronger, vital upper area in summer. The strategy for pears, cherries and plums is recommended. Apple is the only true columnar tree that does not tend to age prematurely and does not require this type of pruning.
Cut plum column occasionally
Cutting plums and cherries in a column shape is no different. Both types of stone fruit benefit from occasional care and maintenance pruning after the harvest. Anyone who misses this appointment should take care of the pruning during the leafless autumn and winter. Slim down the center of your columnar plum by cutting back excessively long side branches to a short cone. Steep shoots are also undesirable in a plum column and are thinned out.
Pillar fruit too high – what to do?
Vital growth at a young age allows columnar fruit to grow to undesirable heights. In this case, please do not be tempted to simply cut off the center shoot tip. Removing the top bud causes massive sprouting of lateral buds because sap pressure is redirected there. The following rule of thumb applies to the requirements for pruning columnar fruit:Capping the top of the trunk is taboo
You don't have to just accept undesirable height growth on columnar fruit. How to regulate the trunk height using a derivation cut:
- Best time is St. John's Day (June 24th) or the end of February
- Look below the tip of the trunk for an unbranched, vital side shoot
- Place the scissors at the fork of the top of the column and the side branch
- Ideally cut 2 to 3 mm into the old wood
- Remove excess competitors to the top team
From now on, the previous side branch will take over the leadership position. On heavily growing fruit columns, such as pears or cherries, please wait until the growth calms down after a few years before cutting. Until then, the desired final height will be temporarily exceeded. A premature cut, even as a derivative, results in massive sprouting, which spoils your enjoyment of the columnar fruit.
Frequently asked questions
Is columnar fruit self-fertile?
Pillar fruit predominantly relies on a second variety as a pollinator. For apples, pears, plums or cherries, this task can be performed by a normal fruit tree in the neighbor's garden. Balcony gardeners simply plant two different varieties in a large pot. Although nurseries and garden centers offer some self-fertile varieties in columnar form, crop yield and fruit quality are usually disappointing without a neighboring pollinator.
The top of our columnar cherry has dried up over a length of 30 centimeters. Otherwise the plant appears he althy. Should I cut the tip or not?
A look inside the shoot helps with the decision. Scrape off a little of the bark. If brown tissue appears, the wood in this area is dead. If the shoot below the bark is still green, the columnar cherry is probably suffering from drought stress and will sprout again. Cut the shoot tip back into the he althy wood.
I would like to plant columnar fruit in a pot for the balcony and terrace. What should you pay attention to?
The severely limited root space in the bucket makes the cultivation of columnar fruit a horticultural tightrope walk. Like any fruit, columnar fruit should be planted in a bed if possible. Successful pot keeping depends largely on ensuring a regular supply of water and nutrients. We also recommend a large bucket with at least 20 liters volume to start with. Over the years the pot should grow with you. Repot your columnar fruit into a new pot with fresh substrate every 2 to 3 years or replace the soil completely.
My plum plum is 3 years old and is thriving and productive. I'm unsure about pruning care. When and how should I cut?
As long as your plum meets all expectations, pruning is not necessary. In general, columnar fruit should grow almost uncut. Only excessively long side shoots are shortened to a length of 15 to 20 centimeters. Use this opportunity to thin out dead wood and steep shoots.
My columnar cherries are now 14 years old, almost 5 meters high and very sprawling. Can I restore my slim growth form with one cut? Is it even worth it with such old columnar fruit?
Gardening practice has taught us that columnar fruit can live up to 25 years. Consequently, a rejuvenation cut for your columnar cherries is definitely worth it. Since the cut goes beyond a normal maintenance cut, we recommend an appointment in February, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Cut all side branches back to 2 to 4 eyes. Thin out dead wood and steep shoots. If you want to shorten the height, divert the tip of the trunk to a lower, he althy side shoot. In March, give an organic fruit tree fertilizer or a mixture of compost and horn shavings to strengthen it.
The 3 most common cutting mistakes
If a columnar pear is cut like a columnar apple, the cutting error reduces future harvests to a minimum. Forgoing pruning altogether is punished with a string tree that is only vaguely reminiscent of slender, high-yielding columnar fruit. The following table draws attention to the three most common cutting errors, provides information about the typical damage and has tips for prevention:
| Cutting errors | malicious image | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Pear column cut like an apple column | less fruit wood, massive crop failure next year | always cut long side shoots on pear columns to cones |
| never cut | informal growth, dense network of branches, few flowers | Prune fruit every few years |
| Leading drive cut too early | strong sprouting of sterile steep shoots, decline in flowers and fruits | Short the oversized leading shoot from the 5th year at the earliest using a lead cut |
Home gardeners make another common mistake in pruning care when choosing a date. The many pleas for cutting in cloudy weather tempt people to cut columnar fruit in rainy weather. Pathogenic pathogens have been waiting for wounds in damp wood. The primary ones are wound parasites that cause the dreaded fruit tree canker. The cunning fungal spores can only germinate in damp wood. For this reason, always prune columnar fruit in dry, cloudy weather.
Tip
Every steep shoot has the potential to become fruit wood. Do not simply cut off a tightly upright growing branch on the columnar fruit. Check in advance whether it is positioned so favorably that it is worth spreading. Tie the shoot with string at an angle of about 60° to the central shoot. The growth can also be directed in an oblique direction using a spreader or clothespin. Flowers and fruits won't be long in coming.
