Strawberry tree pruning

The strawberry tree is a perfect tree for decoration and its fruits can also be consumed, although they are not very delicious at all. The pruning of the strawberry tree serves to encourage the production of the fruit and some techniques and aspects must be taken into account to be able to do it well.

Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about the objectives, techniques and how the pruning of the strawberry tree is carried out.

Objectives of strawberry tree pruning

fruit-laden branch

As we have mentioned before, the main objective of pruning the strawberry tree is to increase the production of its fruits. However, there are a few other objectives that are also important and therefore it is carried out. Let’s see what these goals are:

  • It allows to control the development of the tree. If we are having the tree for an ornamental purpose, it is much better to control the pruning to know its shape.
  • Improve the quantity and quality of crops. Thanks to the pruning of the strawberry tree carried out correctly, it can favor the increase of the fruits.
  • Eliminate the branches pieces that can harbor parasites as well as the dry branches, rocks or damaged.

The youngest strawberry trees should be pruned at the earliest stage in order to determine their shape once they have reached maturity. Shaping the tree is vital since it does have consequences on the quantity and quality of production, it is essential. Mature strawberry trees are pruned to keep the structure as is and to clean the underside of the tree. This helps to improve the passage of air and the penetration of the sun’s rays. All these tasks promote the development and production of the fruits in the coming harvests.

The frequency of pruning mature strawberry trees varies once a year or once every two years. There is no written rule about this type of pruning, it simply depends on some main aspects to take into account. So that everything goes well, we are going to see what are the aspects that you must take into account.

When they could

pruning the young strawberry tree

When planning the pruning of the strawberry tree, time must be taken into account. If frost is expected after pruning, it is better not to do so. Like other fruit trees, they can suffer tissue damage if there is frost after the pruning process. A frost is that time when temperatures are close to 0 degrees or below for at least several nights in a row. It is better to postpone pruning the strawberry tree until there are no more frosts.

This makes the best season for strawberry tree pruning is early spring before the tree begins to fully awaken. This is where so much risk of low temperatures calls . Like the tree in spring, we allow less loss of sap since it is a growing season, wounds begin to heal quickly. If the weather is not intense winter, this may be the best time.

There are several types of whole pruning that we have the deformation, production and renovation . Pruning a strawberry tree in green is recommended in early or mid-summer. In warmer times there is a lower risk of frost.

Necessary materials

pruning the strawberry tree

We are going to see what are the necessary materials that are needed to prune the strawberry trees. Depending on the type of pruning and the size of the tree, you will need some materials or others. However, we will basically use pruning shears and a handsaw. It is also necessary to use a ladder if the strawberry tree is tall. Pruning shears are necessary to cut branches up to 5 centimeters in length. The saw is used to assert branches between 5-20 centimeters in length and the pruner has height to prune tall branches. Finally, we will need the chainsaw if we have thicker logs with a diameter of 20 centimeters.

The ladder, glasses, gloves and safety boots must always be at hand when pruning. To carry out one type of pruning or another we must know the age of the tree. It is not the same to prune a younger arbutus that requires training pruning since this is the growing season than pruning a mature one. The pruning of the mature strawberry tree is more oriented to the production of the fruits and to facilitate the harvest.

Pruning the young and adult strawberry tree

If the tree is less than 5 years old, pruning is needed to nurture its growth and establish its main branches. All of them must be oriented to determine the structure of the tree and given the shape on which it will grow in the end. You just have to prune all the branches of the tree to encourage more lower branches to sprout. In the second year the secondary branches are trimmed a little and the lower ones are left. Those that sprout from the lower half of the trunk are also removed. During the third year the main branches are trimmed a little and the branches that go towards the interior of the tree crown are removed.

The fruiting pruning of the strawberry tree is one that tries to define the main productive branches to increase production and facilitate harvesting. With this pruning, what we do is choose the main branches and produce more fruit. The main gravel should not have too much inclination to avoid breaking due to the weight of the fruit.

The pruning of mature strawberry trees is done to preserve its shape and to clear part of the interior of the tree. This way we improve the air passage and favor the entry of sunlight. These prunings are called production prunings and green pruning and rejuvenation pruning can be performed.

Pruning remains

To have a correct management you have to know what to do with the pruning remains. We have several options:

  • Use branch shredder
  • Burn the branches
  • Use the branches of firewood for stoves, ovens and fireplaces

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the pruning of the strawberry tree and how to do it.

Strawberry tree pruning

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