The Gold Parmäne is a cultivated apple variety that has achieved status as one of the best varieties among table apples. Pruning requires good knowledge of the growth of this variety, because if incorrect interventions are made, not only the growth but also the harvest yield suffers.
How do I cut a gold parma correctly?
When cutting the gold parma tree, you should first carry out a training pruning for a he althy crown, followed by annual maintenance pruning and, if necessary, a rejuvenation pruning. Remove inward-growing branches and encourage the growth of outward-facing shoots.
Educational Cut
This technique is used to encourage the golden parma to develop a he althy crown in the first few years after planting. The focus is on the leading woody shoots, which form the crown structure and only rarely develop flowers. The goal is a crown that is formed from three strong leading branches. Shorten any branches that grow from the main branches into the interior of the crown. Fruit wood facing outwards is spared.
Further education
The formation of a crown can take between five and eight years. In the following years after the first educational phase, you will focus on promoting three branches in each individual leading branch. There should be no shoots competing with the scaffolding that have the same strength as the wood shoot. Such specimens are cut off at the base.
Tips for further scaffolding construction:
- Select side branches that grow slightly upwards at an angle
- Make sure these branches are evenly distributed
- one branch should go off to the left, right and front
- prune all other fruit shoots by a few centimeters
Maintenance cut
After the crown has been formed, you need to keep your gold parma in this shape with an annual pruning. When the fruit wood bears apples, the leading branches lower under the weight. As a result, the tree develops numerous branches that reach upwards. These can develop fruit themselves in the coming year and break off under this load.
Procedure
Cut the apple variety to create an even crown with outward-facing branches. The branches that reach inside are removed. This cut also involves removing such upward shoots. As a result, the wood often tends to develop vertically growing water shoots. These arise on the top of the long guests. Since they have little potential for fruit development and cost the tree unnecessary energy, they must be cut off completely.
Rejuvenation cut
Gold parma tends to age if pruning is not done, which is why older trees need rejuvenation. Choose the leading branches carefully, as this apple variety branches only weakly. The buds on each main branch should point outwards so that the shoots do not grow in competition with the other branches. The apple tree can tolerate intensive intervention because it stimulates growth and takes away the pressure of competition from equally strong branches.
Tip
You can have fun inside the crown on the short shoots without worry, because the variety rarely produces fruit here. The fruit wood extends predominantly over the edge areas.